Synthesis of qualitative linguistic research--a pilot review integrating and generalizing findings on doctor-patient interaction.

PubMed

Nowak, Peter

2011-03-01

There is a broad range qualitative linguistic research (sequential analysis) on doctor-patient interaction that had only a marginal impact on clinical research and practice. At least in parts this is due to the lack of qualitative research synthesis in the field. Available research summaries are not systematic in their methodology. This paper proposes a synthesis methodology for qualitative, sequential analytic research on doctor-patient interaction. The presented methodology is not new but specifies standard methodology of qualitative research synthesis for sequential analytic research. This pilot review synthesizes twelve studies on German-speaking doctor-patient interactions, identifies 45 verbal actions of doctors and structures them in a systematics of eight interaction components. Three interaction components ("Listening", "Asking for information", and "Giving information") seem to be central and cover two thirds of the identified action types. This pilot review demonstrates that sequential analytic research can be synthesized in a consistent and meaningful way, thus providing a more comprehensive and unbiased integration of research. Future synthesis of qualitative research in the area of health communication research is very much needed. Qualitative research synthesis can support the development of quantitative research and of educational materials in medical training and patient training. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Historical Foundation of Learning Disabilities: A Quantitative Synthesis Assessing the Validity of Strauss and Werner's Exogenous versus Endogenous Distinction of Mental Retardation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavale, Kenneth A.; Forness, Steven R.

1985-01-01

The paper reviews research of A. Strauss and H. Werner on behavioral differences between exogeneous (brain injured) and endogeneous (familial-cultural) mental retardation using quantitative methods of research synthesis. Findings offer little empirical support for the presumed behavioral differences and reveal considerable overlap among the…

Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995-2009.

PubMed

Coleman, Priscilla K

2011-09-01

Given the methodological limitations of recently published qualitative reviews of abortion and mental health, a quantitative synthesis was deemed necessary to represent more accurately the published literature and to provide clarity to clinicians. To measure the association between abortion and indicators of adverse mental health, with subgroup effects calculated based on comparison groups (no abortion, unintended pregnancy delivered, pregnancy delivered) and particular outcomes. A secondary objective was to calculate population-attributable risk (PAR) statistics for each outcome. After the application of methodologically based selection criteria and extraction rules to minimise bias, the sample comprised 22 studies, 36 measures of effect and 877 181 participants (163 831 experienced an abortion). Random effects pooled odds ratios were computed using adjusted odds ratios from the original studies and PAR statistics were derived from the pooled odds ratios. Women who had undergone an abortion experienced an 81% increased risk of mental health problems, and nearly 10% of the incidence of mental health problems was shown to be attributable to abortion. The strongest subgroup estimates of increased risk occurred when abortion was compared with term pregnancy and when the outcomes pertained to substance use and suicidal behaviour. This review offers the largest quantitative estimate of mental health risks associated with abortion available in the world literature. Calling into question the conclusions from traditional reviews, the results revealed a moderate to highly increased risk of mental health problems after abortion. Consistent with the tenets of evidence-based medicine, this information should inform the delivery of abortion services.

Quantitative and qualitative synthesis of socio-hydrological research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, L.; Gober, P.; Wheater, H. S.; Kajikawa, Y.

2017-12-01

The challenge of climate change adaptation has raised awareness of the feedbacks and interconnections in complex human-natural coupled water systems. This has reinforced the call for a socio-hydrological approach to better understand, and represent in models, the associated system dynamics. Such models can potentially provide the tools to link knowledge about complex water systems to decision-making and policy frameworks. Socio-hydrology, as the subfield of human-natural coupled systems analysis, has been dramatically developed in the past few years. The purpose of this study is to empirically examine work that has been framed under the umbrella of socio-hydrology, to provide insights into the participants and their disciplinary perspectives, and to draw conclusions about where the field is headed. In doing so, we used a combined quantitative and qualitative approach to synthesise current knowledge of socio-hydrology and to propose some promising future directions in this subfield of water sciences. The general statistics of the existing literature showed that socio-hydrological research has become an emerging topic and is drawing more concern and engagement of hydrologists. However, the participation of social scientists is inadequate and greater cross-disciplinary integration is desirable. Current concerns in this subfield of water research centre on two basic challenges: (1) the need to embrace the social dimensions of water-related risks, and (2) the importance of interactions and feedbacks in dynamic socio-hydrological systems. A third challenge identified here relates to the large-scale implications of 1) and 2) above, i.e. virtual water flows as a mechanism to track the human use of water at the global scale. Accordingly, we propose five potential directions with regard to socio-hydrological models, interdisciplinary collaboration and transdisciplinary studies, the science-policy interface, resilience in socio-hydrological systems, and data sharing for human

Knowledge synthesis methods for integrating qualitative and quantitative data: a scoping review reveals poor operationalization of the methodological steps.

PubMed

Tricco, Andrea C; Antony, Jesmin; Soobiah, Charlene; Kastner, Monika; MacDonald, Heather; Cogo, Elise; Lillie, Erin; Tran, Judy; Straus, Sharon E

2016-05-01

To describe and compare, through a scoping review, emerging knowledge synthesis methods for integrating qualitative and quantitative evidence in health care, in terms of expertise required, similarities, differences, strengths, limitations, and steps involved in using the methods. Electronic databases (e.g., MEDLINE) were searched, and two reviewers independently selected studies and abstracted data for qualitative analysis. In total, 121 articles reporting seven knowledge synthesis methods (critical interpretive synthesis, integrative review, meta-narrative review, meta-summary, mixed studies review, narrative synthesis, and realist review) were included after screening of 17,962 citations and 1,010 full-text articles. Common similarities among methods related to the entire synthesis process, while common differences related to the research question and eligibility criteria. The most common strength was a comprehensive synthesis providing rich contextual data, whereas the most common weakness was a highly subjective method that was not reproducible. For critical interpretive synthesis, meta-narrative review, meta-summary, and narrative synthesis, guidance was not provided for some steps of the review process. Some of the knowledge synthesis methods provided guidance on all steps, whereas other methods were missing guidance on the synthesis process. Further work is needed to clarify these emerging knowledge synthesis methods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating meta-ethnography: systematic analysis and synthesis of qualitative research.

PubMed

Campbell, R; Pound, P; Morgan, M; Daker-White, G; Britten, N; Pill, R; Yardley, L; Pope, C; Donovan, J

2011-12-01

Methods for reviewing and synthesising findings from quantitative research studies in health care are well established. Although there is recognition of the need for qualitative research to be brought into the evidence base, there is no consensus about how this should be done and the methods for synthesising qualitative research are at a relatively early stage of development. To evaluate meta-ethnography as a method for synthesising qualitative research studies in health and health care. Two full syntheses of qualitative research studies were conducted between April 2002 and September 2004 using meta-ethnography: (1) studies of medicine-taking and (2) studies exploring patients' experiences of living with rheumatoid arthritis. Potentially relevant studies identified in multiple literature searches conducted in July and August 2002 (electronically and by hand) were appraised using a modified version of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme questions for understanding qualitative research. Candidate papers were excluded on grounds of lack of relevance to the aims of the synthesis or because the work failed to employ qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Thirty-eight studies were entered into the medicine-taking synthesis, one of which did not contribute to the final synthesis. The synthesis revealed a general caution about taking medicine, and that the practice of lay testing of medicines was widespread. People were found to take their medicine passively or actively or to reject it outright. Some, in particular clinical areas, were coerced into taking it. Those who actively accepted their medicine often modified the regimen prescribed by a doctor, without the doctor's knowledge. The synthesis concluded that people often do not take their medicines as prescribed because of concern about the medicines themselves. 'Resistance' emerged from the synthesis as a concept that best encapsulated the lay response to prescribed medicines. It was suggested that a

78 FR 64202 - Quantitative Messaging Research

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-28

... COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION Quantitative Messaging Research AGENCY: Commodity Futures... survey will follow qualitative message testing research (for which CFTC received fast- track OMB approval... comments. Please submit your comments using only one method and identify that it is for the ``Quantitative...

Single-case synthesis tools II: Comparing quantitative outcome measures.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Kathleen N; Pustejovsky, James E; Ledford, Jennifer R; Barton, Erin E; Severini, Katherine E; Lloyd, Blair P

2018-03-07

Varying methods for evaluating the outcomes of single case research designs (SCD) are currently used in reviews and meta-analyses of interventions. Quantitative effect size measures are often presented alongside visual analysis conclusions. Six measures across two classes-overlap measures (percentage non-overlapping data, improvement rate difference, and Tau) and parametric within-case effect sizes (standardized mean difference and log response ratio [increasing and decreasing])-were compared to determine if choice of synthesis method within and across classes impacts conclusions regarding effectiveness. The effectiveness of sensory-based interventions (SBI), a commonly used class of treatments for young children, was evaluated. Separately from evaluations of rigor and quality, authors evaluated behavior change between baseline and SBI conditions. SBI were unlikely to result in positive behavior change across all measures except IRD. However, subgroup analyses resulted in variable conclusions, indicating that the choice of measures for SCD meta-analyses can impact conclusions. Suggestions for using the log response ratio in SCD meta-analyses and considerations for understanding variability in SCD meta-analysis conclusions are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel quantitative insights into carbon sources for synthesis of poly hydroxybutyrate in Synechocystis PCC 6803.

PubMed

Dutt, Vaishali; Srivastava, Shireesh

2018-06-01

Many freshwater cyanobacteria accumulate polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) under nitrogen or phosphorus deprivation. While prior literature has shed lights on transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 cells, the quantitative contributions of the newly fixed carbon following nitrogen deprivation or the externally added acetate to PHB synthesis are not clear. Similarly, it is not clear how photomixotrophy affects precursor contributions. In this study, we show that (i) the pre-growth mode (photoautotrophic or photomixotrophic), while significantly impacting glycogen levels, does not have any significant effect on PHB levels, (ii) the carbon fixed following nitrogen deprivation contributes 26% of C for PHB synthesis in photoautotrophically pre-grown cells and its contribution to the PHB synthesis goes down with the addition of acetate at the resuspension phase or with photomixotrophic pre-growth, (iii) the acetate added at the start of nitrogen deprivation, doubles the intracellular PHB levels and contributes 44-48% to PHB synthesis and this value is not greatly affected by how the cells were pre-grown. Indirectly, the labeling studies also show that the intracellular C recycling is the most important source of precursors for PHB synthesis, contributing about 74-87% of the C for PHB synthesis in the absence of acetate. The addition of acetate significantly reduces its contribution. In photoautotrophic pre-growth followed by acetate addition under nitrogen starvation, the contribution of intracellular C reduces to about 34%. Thus, our study provides several novel quantitative insights on how prior nutritional status affects the precursor contributions for PHB synthesis.

Methodological Synthesis in Quantitative L2 Research: A Review of Reviews and a Case Study of Exploratory Factor Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plonsky, Luke; Gonulal, Talip

2015-01-01

Research synthesis and meta-analysis provide a pathway to bring together findings in a given domain with greater systematicity, objectivity, and transparency than traditional reviews. The same techniques and corresponding benefits can be and have been applied to examine methodological practices in second language (L2) research (e.g., Plonsky,…

Quantitative assessment of 12-lead ECG synthesis using CAVIAR.

PubMed

Scherer, J A; Rubel, P; Fayn, J; Willems, J L

1992-01-01

The objective of this study is to assess the performance of patient-specific segment-specific (PSSS) synthesis in QRST complexes using CAVIAR, a new method of the serial comparison for electrocardiograms and vectorcardiograms. A collection of 250 multi-lead recordings from the Common Standards for Quantitative Electrocardiography (CSE) diagnostic pilot study is employed. QRS and ST-T segments are independently synthesized using the PSSS algorithm so that the mean-squared error between the original and estimated waveforms is minimized. CAVIAR compares the recorded and synthesized QRS and ST-T segments and calculates the mean-quadratic deviation as a measure of error. The results of this study indicate that estimated QRS complexes are good representatives of their recorded counterparts, and the integrity of the spatial information is maintained by the PSSS synthesis process. Analysis of the ST-T segments suggests that the deviations between recorded and synthesized waveforms are considerably greater than those associated with the QRS complexes. The poorer performance of the ST-T segments is attributed to magnitude normalization of the spatial loops, low-voltage passages, and noise interference. Using the mean-quadratic deviation and CAVIAR as methods of performance assessment, this study indicates that the PSSS-synthesis algorithm accurately maintains the signal information within the 12-lead electrocardiogram.

How Students Process Equations in Solving Quantitative Synthesis Problems? Role of Mathematical Complexity in Students' Mathematical Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibrahim, Bashirah; Ding, Lin; Heckler, Andrew F.; White, Daniel R.; Badeau, Ryan

2017-01-01

We examine students' mathematical performance on quantitative "synthesis problems" with varying mathematical complexity. Synthesis problems are tasks comprising multiple concepts typically taught in different chapters. Mathematical performance refers to the formulation, combination, and simplification of equations. Generally speaking,…

Quantitative Research Attitudes and Research Training Perceptions among Master's-Level Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Janeé M.; Rawls, Glinda J.

2015-01-01

This study explored master's-level counseling students' (N = 804) perceptions of training in the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2009) Research and Program Evaluation standard, and their attitudes toward quantitative research. Training perceptions and quantitative research attitudes were low to moderate,…

Research essentials. How to critique quantitative research.

PubMed

Clarke, Sharon; Collier, Sue

2015-11-01

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH is a systematic approach to investigating numerical data and involves measuring or counting attributes, that is quantities. Through a process of transforming information that is collected or observed, the researcher can often describes a situation or event, answering the 'what' and 'how many' questions about a situation ( Parahoo 2014 ).

Using the realist perspective to link theory from qualitative evidence synthesis to quantitative studies: Broadening the matrix approach.

PubMed

van Grootel, Leonie; van Wesel, Floryt; O'Mara-Eves, Alison; Thomas, James; Hox, Joop; Boeije, Hennie

2017-09-01

This study describes an approach for the use of a specific type of qualitative evidence synthesis in the matrix approach, a mixed studies reviewing method. The matrix approach compares quantitative and qualitative data on the review level by juxtaposing concrete recommendations from the qualitative evidence synthesis against interventions in primary quantitative studies. However, types of qualitative evidence syntheses that are associated with theory building generate theoretical models instead of recommendations. Therefore, the output from these types of qualitative evidence syntheses cannot directly be used for the matrix approach but requires transformation. This approach allows for the transformation of these types of output. The approach enables the inference of moderation effects instead of direct effects from the theoretical model developed in a qualitative evidence synthesis. Recommendations for practice are formulated on the basis of interactional relations inferred from the qualitative evidence synthesis. In doing so, we apply the realist perspective to model variables from the qualitative evidence synthesis according to the context-mechanism-outcome configuration. A worked example shows that it is possible to identify recommendations from a theory-building qualitative evidence synthesis using the realist perspective. We created subsets of the interventions from primary quantitative studies based on whether they matched the recommendations or not and compared the weighted mean effect sizes of the subsets. The comparison shows a slight difference in effect sizes between the groups of studies. The study concludes that the approach enhances the applicability of the matrix approach. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Primer on Disseminating Applied Quantitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Bethany A.; DiStefano, Christine; Morgan, Grant B.

2010-01-01

Transparency and replication are essential features of scientific inquiry, yet scientific communications of applied quantitative research are often lacking in much-needed procedural information. In an effort to promote researchers dissemination of their quantitative studies in a cohesive, detailed, and informative manner, the authors delineate…

Qualitative versus quantitative methods in psychiatric research.

PubMed

Razafsha, Mahdi; Behforuzi, Hura; Azari, Hassan; Zhang, Zhiqun; Wang, Kevin K; Kobeissy, Firas H; Gold, Mark S

2012-01-01

Qualitative studies are gaining their credibility after a period of being misinterpreted as "not being quantitative." Qualitative method is a broad umbrella term for research methodologies that describe and explain individuals' experiences, behaviors, interactions, and social contexts. In-depth interview, focus groups, and participant observation are among the qualitative methods of inquiry commonly used in psychiatry. Researchers measure the frequency of occurring events using quantitative methods; however, qualitative methods provide a broader understanding and a more thorough reasoning behind the event. Hence, it is considered to be of special importance in psychiatry. Besides hypothesis generation in earlier phases of the research, qualitative methods can be employed in questionnaire design, diagnostic criteria establishment, feasibility studies, as well as studies of attitude and beliefs. Animal models are another area that qualitative methods can be employed, especially when naturalistic observation of animal behavior is important. However, since qualitative results can be researcher's own view, they need to be statistically confirmed, quantitative methods. The tendency to combine both qualitative and quantitative methods as complementary methods has emerged over recent years. By applying both methods of research, scientists can take advantage of interpretative characteristics of qualitative methods as well as experimental dimensions of quantitative methods.

Meta-Synthesis of Research on Information Seeking Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urquhart, Christine

2011-01-01

Introduction: Meta-synthesis methods may help to make more sense of information behaviour research evidence. Aims and objectives: The objectives are to: 1) identify and examine the theoretical research strategies commonly used in information behaviour research; 2) discuss meta-synthesis methods that might be appropriate to the type of research…

Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muijs, Daniel

2004-01-01

This book looks at quantitative research methods in education. The book is structured to start with chapters on conceptual issues and designing quantitative research studies before going on to data analysis. While each chapter can be studied separately, a better understanding will be reached by reading the book sequentially. This book is intended…

Advancements in Research Synthesis Methods: From a Methodologically Inclusive Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suri, Harsh; Clarke, David

2009-01-01

The dominant literature on research synthesis methods has positivist and neo-positivist origins. In recent years, the landscape of research synthesis methods has changed rapidly to become inclusive. This article highlights methodologically inclusive advancements in research synthesis methods. Attention is drawn to insights from interpretive,…

Values in Qualitative and Quantitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffy, Maureen; Chenail, Ronald J.

2008-01-01

The authors identify the philosophical underpinnings and value-ladenness of major research paradigms. They argue that useful and meaningful research findings for counseling can be generated from both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, provided that the researcher has an appreciation of the importance of philosophical coherence in…

78 FR 52166 - Quantitative Messaging Research

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-22

... COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION Quantitative Messaging Research AGENCY: Commodity Futures... survey will follow qualitative message testing research (for which CFTC received fast-track OMB approval... message testing research (for which CFTC received fast-track OMB approval) and is necessary to identify...

Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Research

PubMed Central

Burke, Shaunna; Wurz, Amanda; Bradshaw, Andrew; Saunders, Stephanie; West, Malcolm A.; Brunet, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Qualitative research on the impact of physical activity on quality of life (QoL) in adults diagnosed with cancer is accumulating. However, the field of physical activity and cancer survivorship lack a synthesis of this research to reliably understand the implications for future research and practice. The aim of this meta-synthesis was to identify, appraise, and synthesize qualitative research on cancer survivors’ perspectives of the impact of physical activity on their QoL. Seven electronic databases were searched for original studies published in English, and reference lists of relevant studies were hand-searched to identify additional studies. Forty studies met eligibility criteria and were included in this meta-synthesis. Study characteristics and major findings were extracted, and findings were summarized, compared, and synthesized. Themes identified in this review revealed that physical activity positively impacted four dimensions of cancer survivors’ QoL: physical (e.g., managing the physical consequences of cancer and its treatment), psychological (e.g., evoking positive self-perceptions), social (e.g., feeling understood by others), and spiritual (e.g., redefining life purpose). This meta-synthesis corroborates conclusions from reviews of quantitative research and illustrates that physical activity can be used to improve QoL in adult cancer survivors, regardless of diagnosis (i.e., stage, cancer type) and treatment status. It also provides detailed insight into specific aspects within each dimension of QoL impacted by physical activity from cancer survivors’ perspectives, which is important for understanding the meaning and utility of physical activity for them. However, more research is needed to further develop the qualitative evidence base in order to better understand how physical activity impacts on QoL experiences in men, young adults, and adults diagnosed with less common types of cancer at different points along cancer trajectory (i

Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Research.

PubMed

Burke, Shaunna; Wurz, Amanda; Bradshaw, Andrew; Saunders, Stephanie; West, Malcolm A; Brunet, Jennifer

2017-05-20

Qualitative research on the impact of physical activity on quality of life (QoL) in adults diagnosed with cancer is accumulating. However, the field of physical activity and cancer survivorship lack a synthesis of this research to reliably understand the implications for future research and practice. The aim of this meta-synthesis was to identify, appraise, and synthesize qualitative research on cancer survivors' perspectives of the impact of physical activity on their QoL. Seven electronic databases were searched for original studies published in English, and reference lists of relevant studies were hand-searched to identify additional studies. Forty studies met eligibility criteria and were included in this meta-synthesis. Study characteristics and major findings were extracted, and findings were summarized, compared, and synthesized. Themes identified in this review revealed that physical activity positively impacted four dimensions of cancer survivors' QoL: physical (e.g., managing the physical consequences of cancer and its treatment), psychological (e.g., evoking positive self-perceptions), social (e.g., feeling understood by others), and spiritual (e.g., redefining life purpose). This meta-synthesis corroborates conclusions from reviews of quantitative research and illustrates that physical activity can be used to improve QoL in adult cancer survivors, regardless of diagnosis (i.e., stage, cancer type) and treatment status. It also provides detailed insight into specific aspects within each dimension of QoL impacted by physical activity from cancer survivors' perspectives, which is important for understanding the meaning and utility of physical activity for them. However, more research is needed to further develop the qualitative evidence base in order to better understand how physical activity impacts on QoL experiences in men, young adults, and adults diagnosed with less common types of cancer at different points along cancer trajectory (i.e., diagnosis

A Synthesis of the Literature on Research Methods Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Earley, Mark A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research synthesis is to examine the current research on teaching and learning research methods. The aims are to understand the themes present in the current literature and identify gaps in our understanding of how we teach, and how students learn, research methods. A synthesis of 89 studies generated three themes: (1)…

Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research: ENTREQ

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The syntheses of multiple qualitative studies can pull together data across different contexts, generate new theoretical or conceptual models, identify research gaps, and provide evidence for the development, implementation and evaluation of health interventions. This study aims to develop a framework for reporting the synthesis of qualitative health research. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search for guidance and reviews relevant to the synthesis of qualitative research, methodology papers, and published syntheses of qualitative health research in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and relevant organisational websites to May 2011. Initial items were generated inductively from guides to synthesizing qualitative health research. The preliminary checklist was piloted against forty published syntheses of qualitative research, purposively selected to capture a range of year of publication, methods and methodologies, and health topics. We removed items that were duplicated, impractical to assess, and rephrased items for clarity. Results The Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ) statement consists of 21 items grouped into five main domains: introduction, methods and methodology, literature search and selection, appraisal, and synthesis of findings. Conclusions The ENTREQ statement can help researchers to report the stages most commonly associated with the synthesis of qualitative health research: searching and selecting qualitative research, quality appraisal, and methods for synthesising qualitative findings. The synthesis of qualitative research is an expanding and evolving methodological area and we would value feedback from all stakeholders for the continued development and extension of the ENTREQ statement. PMID:23185978

Quantitative proteomics in biological research.

PubMed

Wilm, Matthias

2009-10-01

Proteomics has enabled the direct investigation of biological material, at first through the analysis of individual proteins, then of lysates from cell cultures, and finally of extracts from tissues and biopsies from entire organisms. Its latest manifestation - quantitative proteomics - allows deeper insight into biological systems. This article reviews the different methods used to extract quantitative information from mass spectra. It follows the technical developments aimed toward global proteomics, the attempt to characterize every expressed protein in a cell by at least one peptide. When applications of the technology are discussed, the focus is placed on yeast biology. In particular, differential quantitative proteomics, the comparison between an experiment and its control, is very discriminating for proteins involved in the process being studied. When trying to understand biological processes on a molecular level, differential quantitative proteomics tends to give a clearer picture than global transcription analyses. As a result, MS has become an even more indispensable tool for biochemically motivated biological research.

Exploring the Relevance of Qualitative Research Synthesis to Higher Education Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Major, Claire; Savin-Baden, Maggi

2010-01-01

This paper proposes the importance of qualitative research synthesis to the field of higher education. It examines seven key texts that undertake synthesis in this field and compares essential features and elements across studies. The authors indicate strengths of the approaches and highlight ways forward for using qualitative research synthesis…

Overview of Student Affairs Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perl, Emily J.; Noldon, Denise F.

2000-01-01

Reviews the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and qualitative research in student affairs research, noting that many student affairs professionals question the value of more traditional quantitative approaches to research, though they typically have very good people skills that they have applied to being good qualitative researchers.…

What Really Happens in Quantitative Group Research? Results of a Content Analysis of Recent Quantitative Research in "JSGW"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Lauren H.; Whittaker, Tiffany A.; Eyal, Maytal; McCarthy, Christopher J.

2017-01-01

The authors conducted a content analysis on quantitative studies published in "The Journal for Specialists in Group Work" ("JSGW") between 2012 and 2015. This brief report provides a general overview of the current practices of quantitative group research in counseling. The following study characteristics are reported and…

Meta-synthesis of qualitative research: the challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Mohammed, Mohammed A; Moles, Rebekah J; Chen, Timothy F

2016-06-01

Synthesis of qualitative studies is an emerging area that has been gaining more interest as an important source of evidence for improving health care policy and practice. In the last decade there have been numerous attempts to develop methods of aggregating and synthesizing qualitative data. Although numerous empirical qualitative studies have been published about different aspects of health care research, to date, the aggregation and syntheses of these data has not been commonly reported, particularly in pharmacy practice related research. This paper describes different methods of conducting meta-synthesis and provides an overview of selected common methods. The paper also emphasizes the challenges and opportunities associated with conducting meta-synthesis and highlights the importance of meta-synthesis in informing practice, policy and research.

Northwest Forest Plan research synthesis.

Treesearch

Richard W. Haynes; Gloria E. Perez; [tech. eds.].

2000-01-01

This document synthesizes research accomplishments initiated and funded under the Northwest Forest Plan or the President’s Forest Plan (hereafter referred to as the Forest Plan) since its inception in 1994. Three major parts in this document cover, the context for this effort, eight Forest Plan research accomplishments, and a synthesis. The eight accomplishments...

A Decade of Stage Fright Research (1960-1969): A Synthesis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munger, Daniel I.

The synthesis of stage fright research by Clevenger (1959) has been widely accepted and used by writers in the speech field. Since 1959, additional research has appeared which warrants an updating of Clevenger's synthesis. Such a followup synthesis is the purpose of this paper. It assumes familiarity with the first article. Measuring stage fright…

Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Inborn Errors of Cholesterol Synthesis

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xiao-Sheng; Backlund, Peter S.; Wassif, Christopher A.; Yergey, Alfred L.; Porter, Forbes D.

2010-01-01

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) and lathosterolosis are malformation syndromes with cognitive deficits caused by mutations of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7) and lathosterol 5-desaturase (SC5D), respectively. DHCR7 encodes the last enzyme in the Kandutsch-Russel cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, and impaired DHCR7 activity leads to a deficiency of cholesterol and an accumulation of 7-dehydrocholesterol. SC5D catalyzes the synthesis of 7-dehydrocholesterol from lathosterol. Impaired SC5D activity leads to a similar deficiency of cholesterol but an accumulation of lathosterol. Although the genetic and biochemical causes underlying both syndromes are known, the pathophysiological processes leading to the developmental defects remain unclear. To study the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying SLOS and lathosterolosis neurological symptoms, we performed quantitative proteomics analysis of SLOS and lathosterolosis mouse brain tissue and identified multiple biological pathways affected in Dhcr7Δ3–5/Δ3–5 and Sc5d−/− E18.5 embryos. These include alterations in mevalonate metabolism, apoptosis, glycolysis, oxidative stress, protein biosynthesis, intracellular trafficking, and cytoskeleton. Comparison of proteome alterations in both Dhcr7Δ3–5/Δ3–5 and Sc5d−/− brain tissues helps elucidate whether perturbed protein expression was due to decreased cholesterol or a toxic effect of sterol precursors. Validation of the proteomics results confirmed increased expression of isoprenoid and cholesterol synthetic enzymes. This alteration of isoprenoid synthesis may underlie the altered posttranslational modification of Rab7, a small GTPase that is functionally dependent on prenylation with geranylgeranyl, that we identified and validated in this study. These data suggested that although cholesterol synthesis is impaired in both Dhcr7Δ3–5/Δ3–5 and Sc5d−/− embryonic brain tissues the synthesis of nonsterol isoprenoids may be increased and thus

Understanding Outdoor Gyms in Public Open Spaces: A Systematic Review and Integrative Synthesis of Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence

PubMed Central

Lee, Janet Lok Chun; Lo, Temmy Lee Ting

2018-01-01

(1) Background: An outdoor gym (OG) is environmental infrastructure built in a public open space to promote structured physical activity. The provision of OGs is increasingly seen as an important strategy to realize public health agendas promoting habitual physical activity. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize characteristics of OG and OG users’ experiences and perceptions in different cultural contexts; (2) Methods: Online searches of multidisciplinary databases were conducted in health, sport and recreation, and urban planning disciplines. Characteristics of OGs were synthesized by integrating evidence from quantitative, qualitative, and mix-methods studies. The experiences and perceptions of OG users from both qualitative data and survey responses were synthesized through framework analysis; (3) Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria (three quantitative studies, four mixed-methods studies, and two pure qualitative studies). None were excluded on the basis of quality. OGs mainly serve adult and older adult population groups. Their size, design, and instructional support vary across studies. The inclusion of functional types of equipment did not have a unified standard. Regarding experiences and perceptions of OGs, five major themes emerged: “health”, “social connectedness”, “affordable”, “support”, and “design and promotion”; (4) Conclusions: The OG characteristics synthesis guides the direction in further studies regarding exploration of design parameters. The qualitative and quantitative synthesis revealed that health was a central theme of users’ experiences. OGs are also spaces where community-dwellers can find social connectedness while participating in structured physical activity at no cost. Findings from this review create knowledge support for OG as environmental infrastructure for further research and facilitate the understanding of users’ experiences and perceptions of OGs in different cultural contexts

Qualitative Research? Quantitative Research? What's the Problem? Resolving the Dilemma via a Postconstructivist Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shank, Gary

It is argued that the debate between qualitative and quantitative research for educational researchers is actually an argument between constructivism and positivism. Positivism has been the basis for most quantitative research in education. Two different things are actually meant when constructivism is discussed (constructivism and…

Attitudes to deceased organ donation and registration as a donor among minority ethnic groups in North America and the U.K.: a synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research.

PubMed

Morgan, Myfanwy; Kenten, Charlotte; Deedat, Sarah

2013-01-01

A systematic review and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research were undertaken to examine attitudes to deceased donation and registration as an organ donor among ethnic minorities in the U.K. and North America. A systematic search and assessments of relevance and quality were conducted. Parallel syntheses were then undertaken of 14 quantitative and 12 qualitative papers followed by their integration. The synthesis was organised around five barriers that emerged as key issues: (1) knowledge regarding deceased donation and registration as a donor; (2) discussion of donation/registration with family members; (3) faith and cultural beliefs; (4) bodily concerns including disfigurement and intactness; and (5) trust in doctors and the health care system. In all countries, knowledge of organ donation and registration remained low despite public campaigns, with African-Americans and Black African and Black Caribbean populations in the U.K. often regarding organ donation as a 'white' issue. Each of the four attitudinal barriers was also more prevalent among ethnic minorities compared with the majority population. However, the significance of trust and uncertainties regarding religion/faith differed between groups, reflecting salient aspects of ethnic identity and experiences. Differences were also identified within ethnic groups associated with age and generation, although respect for the views of elders often influenced younger peoples' willingness to donate. There is a need for a more nuanced understanding of ethnicity and of variations in attitudes associated with country of origin, age/generation, socio-economic status and area of residence, to inform public campaigns and promote sensitive discussions with bereaved ethnic minority families. The traditional focus on knowledge and attitudes also requires to be complemented by a greater emphasis on organisational and service-related barriers and changes required to enhance ethnic minorities' access to

Quantitating protein synthesis, degradation, and endogenous antigen processing.

PubMed

Princiotta, Michael F; Finzi, Diana; Qian, Shu-Bing; Gibbs, James; Schuchmann, Sebastian; Buttgereit, Frank; Bennink, Jack R; Yewdell, Jonathan W

2003-03-01

Using L929 cells, we quantitated the macroeconomics of protein synthesis and degradation and the microeconomics of producing MHC class I associated peptides from viral translation products. To maintain a content of 2.6 x 10(9) proteins, each cell's 6 x 10(6) ribosomes produce 4 x 10(6) proteins min(-1). Each of the cell's 8 x 10(5) proteasomes degrades 2.5 substrates min(-1), creating one MHC class I-peptide complex for each 500-3000 viral translation products degraded. The efficiency of complex formation is similar in dendritic cells and macrophages, which play a critical role in activating T cells in vivo. Proteasomes create antigenic peptides at different efficiencies from two distinct substrate pools: rapidly degraded newly synthesized proteins that clearly represent defective ribosomal products (DRiPs) and a less rapidly degraded pool in which DRiPs may also predominate.

Characteristics of quantitative nursing research from 1990 to 2010.

PubMed

Yarcheski, Adela; Mahon, Noreen E

2013-12-01

To assess author credentials of quantitative research in nursing, the composition of the research teams, and the disciplinary focus of the theories tested. Nursing Research, Western Journal of Nursing Research, and Journal of Advanced Nursing were selected for this descriptive study; 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 were included. The final sample consisted of 484 quantitative research articles. From 1990 to 2010, there was an increase in first authors holding doctoral degrees, research from other countries, and funding. Solo authorship decreased; multi-authorship and multidisciplinary teams increased. Theories tested were mostly from psychology; the testing of nursing theory was modest. Multidisciplinary research far outdistanced interdisciplinary research. Quantitative nursing research can be characterized as multidisciplinary (distinct theories from different disciplines) rather than discipline-specific to nursing. Interdisciplinary (theories synthesized from different disciplines) research has been conducted minimally. This study provides information about the growth of the scientific knowledge base of nursing, which has implications for practice. © 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Quantitative Research in Written Composition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gebhard, Ann O.

Offered as an introductory guide to teachers interested in approaching written English as a "second dialect" that students must master, this review covers quantitative investigations of written language. The first section deals with developmental studies, describing how a variety of researchers have related written structure to writer maturity.…

How students process equations in solving quantitative synthesis problems? Role of mathematical complexity in students' mathematical performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Bashirah; Ding, Lin; Heckler, Andrew F.; White, Daniel R.; Badeau, Ryan

2017-12-01

We examine students' mathematical performance on quantitative "synthesis problems" with varying mathematical complexity. Synthesis problems are tasks comprising multiple concepts typically taught in different chapters. Mathematical performance refers to the formulation, combination, and simplification of equations. Generally speaking, formulation and combination of equations require conceptual reasoning; simplification of equations requires manipulation of equations as computational tools. Mathematical complexity is operationally defined by the number and the type of equations to be manipulated concurrently due to the number of unknowns in each equation. We use two types of synthesis problems, namely, sequential and simultaneous tasks. Sequential synthesis tasks require a chronological application of pertinent concepts, and simultaneous synthesis tasks require a concurrent application of the pertinent concepts. A total of 179 physics major students from a second year mechanics course participated in the study. Data were collected from written tasks and individual interviews. Results show that mathematical complexity negatively influences the students' mathematical performance on both types of synthesis problems. However, for the sequential synthesis tasks, it interferes only with the students' simplification of equations. For the simultaneous synthesis tasks, mathematical complexity additionally impedes the students' formulation and combination of equations. Several reasons may explain this difference, including the students' different approaches to the two types of synthesis problems, cognitive load, and the variation of mathematical complexity within each synthesis type.

Narrative synthesis of equine-assisted psychotherapy literature: Current knowledge and future research directions.

PubMed

Lee, Ping-Tzu; Dakin, Emily; McLure, Merinda

2016-05-01

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is an innovative emerging approach to mental health treatment. This narrative synthesis explores the current state of knowledge and areas for future research in EAP. Specifically reviewed are qualitative and quantitative empirical studies, including both articles published in peer-reviewed journals and research presented in theses and dissertations. We selected 24 studies for final inclusion in this study, dating between 2005 and 2013, and including the first EAP empirical research completed in 2005. Four of these studies are peer-reviewed journal articles, while 20 are master's theses or doctoral dissertations. The reviewed qualitative research provides initial evidence for the value of EAP for enhancing adolescents' communication and relationship skills. The reviewed experimental and quasi-experimental research provides initial evidence for the value of EAP for enhancing children's and adolescents' emotional, social and behavioural functioning. Yet, conclusions about the effectiveness of EAP must still be considered preliminary due to various methodological limitations in the reviewed research. The narrative review describes these methodological limitations and concludes with recommendations for future research. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Confessions of a Quantitative Educational Researcher Trying to Teach Qualitative Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stallings, William M.

1995-01-01

Describes one quantitative educational researcher's experiences teaching qualitative research, the approach used in classes, and the successes and failures. These experiences are examined from the viewpoint of a traditionally trained professor who has now been called upon to master and teach qualitative research. (GR)

China's Only Children and Psychopathology: A Quantitative Synthesis

PubMed Central

Falbo, Toni; Hooper, Sophia Y.

2015-01-01

The goal of this study is to synthesize quantitatively the results of studies of psychopathology among Chinese only children. Since 1979, China's one-child policy has generated large numbers of only children, especially in large urban centers, where the one-child family has become a social norm. Motivated by concern for mental health, 22 studies, based on the SCL-90, have been published that compare the scores of only children to their peers with siblings. The raw effect sizes generated by each study underwent adjustments in order to enhance the reliability of the findings, including the identification and replacement of outliers, and weighting by inverse-sample size. In addition, analyses were conducted to evaluate the degree of publication bias exhibited by this collection of studies and the results from the SCL-90 studies were compared to studies using alternative measures of anxiety and depression. Overall, the synthesis found small, but significant advantages for only children compared to their peers with siblings, regardless of subscale. However, moderators of this only-child effect were also found: only children as college students reported significantly fewer symptoms, regardless of subscale; while only children as military recruits reported more symptoms, although the findings about military recruits received less support from the analyses. Furthermore, the size of the only-child advantage was found to be greater for only children born after the policy. Conclusions based on this synthesis are limited by the fact that this body of studies is based on convenience samples of relatively successful youth. PMID:25894306

Synthesis centers as critical research infrastructure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baron, Jill S.; Specht, Alison; Garnier, Eric; Bishop, Pamela; Campbell, C. Andrew; Davis, Frank W.; Fady, Bruno; Field, Dawn; Gross, Louis J.; Guru, Siddeswara M.; Halpern, Benjamin S; Hampton, Stephanie E.; Leavitt, Peter R.; Meagher, Thomas R.; Ometto, Jean; Parker, John N.; Price, Richard; Rawson, Casey H.; Rodrigo, Allen; Sheble, Laura A.; Winter, Marten

2017-01-01

investment to maximize benefits to science and society is justified. In particular, we argue that synthesis centers represent community infrastructure more akin to research vessels than to term-funded centers of science and technology (e.g., NSF Science and Technology Centers). Through our experience running synthesis centers and, in some cases, developing postfederal funding models, we offer our perspective on the purpose and value of synthesis centers. We present case studies of different outcomes of transition plans and argue for a fundamental shift in the conception of synthesis science and the strategic funding of these centers by government funding agencies.

Quantitative Approaches to Group Research: Suggestions for Best Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Christopher J.; Whittaker, Tiffany A.; Boyle, Lauren H.; Eyal, Maytal

2017-01-01

Rigorous scholarship is essential to the continued growth of group work, yet the unique nature of this counseling specialty poses challenges for quantitative researchers. The purpose of this proposal is to overview unique challenges to quantitative research with groups in the counseling field, including difficulty in obtaining large sample sizes…

"Professionalism" in Second and Foreign Language Teaching: A Qualitative Research Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansem, Anchalee

2018-01-01

This qualitative research synthesis concludes and displays pictures of professionalism in second/foreign language education. Adopting Weed's processes as the methodological framework for doing qualitative research synthesis, the researcher employed seven steps, from retrieving to selecting studies directly associated with professionalism. The…

Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Organizations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

Qualitative Researcher Qualitative research using the traditional case study was the most popular method during the early empirical investigations of...what is now known as qualitative methods (Van Maanen, 1979). Some researchers have recently argued that restricting case studies to exploratory work... phenomenological approaches at the subjective end of the continuum. A few researchers have suggested ways in which quantitative and

Informatics methods to enable sharing of quantitative imaging research data.

PubMed

Levy, Mia A; Freymann, John B; Kirby, Justin S; Fedorov, Andriy; Fennessy, Fiona M; Eschrich, Steven A; Berglund, Anders E; Fenstermacher, David A; Tan, Yongqiang; Guo, Xiaotao; Casavant, Thomas L; Brown, Bartley J; Braun, Terry A; Dekker, Andre; Roelofs, Erik; Mountz, James M; Boada, Fernando; Laymon, Charles; Oborski, Matt; Rubin, Daniel L

2012-11-01

The National Cancer Institute Quantitative Research Network (QIN) is a collaborative research network whose goal is to share data, algorithms and research tools to accelerate quantitative imaging research. A challenge is the variability in tools and analysis platforms used in quantitative imaging. Our goal was to understand the extent of this variation and to develop an approach to enable sharing data and to promote reuse of quantitative imaging data in the community. We performed a survey of the current tools in use by the QIN member sites for representation and storage of their QIN research data including images, image meta-data and clinical data. We identified existing systems and standards for data sharing and their gaps for the QIN use case. We then proposed a system architecture to enable data sharing and collaborative experimentation within the QIN. There are a variety of tools currently used by each QIN institution. We developed a general information system architecture to support the QIN goals. We also describe the remaining architecture gaps we are developing to enable members to share research images and image meta-data across the network. As a research network, the QIN will stimulate quantitative imaging research by pooling data, algorithms and research tools. However, there are gaps in current functional requirements that will need to be met by future informatics development. Special attention must be given to the technical requirements needed to translate these methods into the clinical research workflow to enable validation and qualification of these novel imaging biomarkers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Sampling Issues in Quantitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delice, Ali

2010-01-01

A concern for generalization dominates quantitative research. For generalizability and repeatability, identification of sample size is essential. The present study investigates 90 qualitative master's theses submitted for the Primary and Secondary School Science and Mathematics Education Departments, Mathematic Education Discipline in 10…

Quantitative Theoretical and Conceptual Framework Use in Agricultural Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitchel, Tracy; Ball, Anna L.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this philosophical paper was to articulate the disciplinary tenets for consideration when using theory in agricultural education quantitative research. The paper clarified terminology around the concept of theory in social sciences and introduced inaccuracies of theory use in agricultural education quantitative research. Finally,…

QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF ENDOLYSIN SYNTHESIS DURING REPRODUCTION OF LAMBDA PHAGES

PubMed Central

Groman, Neal B.; Suzuki, Grace

1963-01-01

Groman, Neal B. (University of Washington, Seattle) and Grace Suzuki. Quantitative study of endolysin synthesis during reproduction of lambda phages. J. Bacteriol. 86:187–194. 1963.—Endolysin is presumed to be a phage-induced enzyme participating in lysis through its destructive action on the host cell wall. A method for assaying endolysin is described, which was utilized in studying endolysin synthesis at 37 and 44 C by induced strains of K-12 (λ), K-12 (λtem), and K-12 (λ112). In all cases, endolysin was detected prior to the appearance of mature, intracellular phage and was detected earlier at 44 C than at 37 C. It was synthesized at a linear rate, as was phage, and both syntheses terminated at the same time. Surprisingly, endolysin also accumulated under conditions in which induced K-12 (λ112) exhibited lysis inhibition. Under these conditions, endolysin concentration per induced cell was 2 to 2.5 times that produced by normally lysing K-12 (λ). Since alterations introduced into the lytic process by temperature, mutation, or both correlate well with the timing and rate of endolysin synthesis, the data tend to support the concept that endolysin determines the kinetics of the process. However, the accumulation of endolysin during lysis inhibition suggests the need for alternative hypotheses. One hypothesis is that although endolysin action is the key to lysis some preliminary steps are required to release the enzyme so that it may contact its substrate in the cell wall. A second hypothesis is that basically the lytic process involves an alteration in the permeability barrier of the cell and that lytic enzymes such as endolysin have evolved as an auxillary but dispensable mechanism to this process. PMID:14058940

Research on Intelligent Synthesis Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noor, Ahmed K.; Lobeck, William E.

2002-01-01

Four research activities related to Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE) have been performed under this grant. The four activities are: 1) non-deterministic approaches that incorporate technologies such as intelligent software agents, visual simulations and other ISE technologies; 2) virtual labs that leverage modeling, simulation and information technologies to create an immersive, highly interactive virtual environment tailored to the needs of researchers and learners; 3) advanced learning modules that incorporate advanced instructional, user interface and intelligent agent technologies; and 4) assessment and continuous improvement of engineering team effectiveness in distributed collaborative environments.

Research on Intelligent Synthesis Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noor, Ahmed K.; Loftin, R. Bowen

2002-12-01

Four research activities related to Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE) have been performed under this grant. The four activities are: 1) non-deterministic approaches that incorporate technologies such as intelligent software agents, visual simulations and other ISE technologies; 2) virtual labs that leverage modeling, simulation and information technologies to create an immersive, highly interactive virtual environment tailored to the needs of researchers and learners; 3) advanced learning modules that incorporate advanced instructional, user interface and intelligent agent technologies; and 4) assessment and continuous improvement of engineering team effectiveness in distributed collaborative environments.

On the Distinction Between Quantitative and Qualitative Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, P. L.

Quantitative and qualitative research are differing modes of measurement, one using numbers and the other not. The assignment of numerals to represent properties enables a researcher to distinguish minutely between different properties. The major issue dividing these approaches to empirical research represents a philosophical dispute which has…

A Research Synthesis of the Evaluation Capacity Building Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labin, Susan N.; Duffy, Jennifer L.; Meyers, Duncan C.; Wandersman, Abraham; Lesesne, Catherine A.

2012-01-01

The continuously growing demand for program results has produced an increased need for evaluation capacity building (ECB). The "Integrative ECB Model" was developed to integrate concepts from existing ECB theory literature and to structure a synthesis of the empirical ECB literature. The study used a broad-based research synthesis method with…

Optimising Translational Research Opportunities: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Basic and Clinician Scientists' Perspectives of Factors Which Enable or Hinder Translational Research

PubMed Central

Sadler, Euan; Fisher, Helen R.; Maher, John; Wolfe, Charles D. A.; McKevitt, Christopher

2016-01-01

Introduction Translational research is central to international health policy, research and funding initiatives. Despite increasing use of the term, the translation of basic science discoveries into clinical practice is not straightforward. This systematic search and narrative synthesis aimed to examine factors enabling or hindering translational research from the perspective of basic and clinician scientists, a key stakeholder group in translational research, and to draw policy-relevant implications for organisations seeking to optimise translational research opportunities. Methods and Results We searched SCOPUS and Web of Science from inception until April 2015 for papers reporting scientists’ views of the factors they perceive as enabling or hindering the conduct of translational research. We screened 8,295 papers from electronic database searches and 20 papers from hand searches and citation tracking, identifying 26 studies of qualitative, quantitative or mixed method designs. We used a narrative synthesis approach and identified the following themes: 1) differing concepts of translational research 2) research processes as a barrier to translational research; 3) perceived cultural divide between research and clinical care; 4) interdisciplinary collaboration as enabling translation research, but dependent on the quality of prior and current social relationships; 5) translational research as entrepreneurial science. Across all five themes, factors enabling or hindering translational research were largely shaped by wider social, organisational, and structural factors. Conclusion To optimise translational research, policy could consider refining translational research models to better reflect scientists’ experiences, fostering greater collaboration and buy in from all types of scientists. Organisations could foster cultural change, ensuring that organisational practices and systems keep pace with the change in knowledge production brought about by the

Optimising Translational Research Opportunities: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Basic and Clinician Scientists' Perspectives of Factors Which Enable or Hinder Translational Research.

PubMed

Fudge, Nina; Sadler, Euan; Fisher, Helen R; Maher, John; Wolfe, Charles D A; McKevitt, Christopher

2016-01-01

Translational research is central to international health policy, research and funding initiatives. Despite increasing use of the term, the translation of basic science discoveries into clinical practice is not straightforward. This systematic search and narrative synthesis aimed to examine factors enabling or hindering translational research from the perspective of basic and clinician scientists, a key stakeholder group in translational research, and to draw policy-relevant implications for organisations seeking to optimise translational research opportunities. We searched SCOPUS and Web of Science from inception until April 2015 for papers reporting scientists' views of the factors they perceive as enabling or hindering the conduct of translational research. We screened 8,295 papers from electronic database searches and 20 papers from hand searches and citation tracking, identifying 26 studies of qualitative, quantitative or mixed method designs. We used a narrative synthesis approach and identified the following themes: 1) differing concepts of translational research 2) research processes as a barrier to translational research; 3) perceived cultural divide between research and clinical care; 4) interdisciplinary collaboration as enabling translation research, but dependent on the quality of prior and current social relationships; 5) translational research as entrepreneurial science. Across all five themes, factors enabling or hindering translational research were largely shaped by wider social, organisational, and structural factors. To optimise translational research, policy could consider refining translational research models to better reflect scientists' experiences, fostering greater collaboration and buy in from all types of scientists. Organisations could foster cultural change, ensuring that organisational practices and systems keep pace with the change in knowledge production brought about by the translational research agenda.

Yoga as an intervention for psychological symptoms following trauma: A systematic review and quantitative synthesis.

PubMed

Nguyen-Feng, Viann N; Clark, Cari J; Butler, Mary E

2018-04-05

Despite evidence of the physiologic impact of trauma, treatments are only beginning to focus on the impact of trauma on the body. Yoga may be a promising treatment for trauma sequelae, given research that supports yoga for general distress. The present study aims to systematically assess and quantitatively synthesize the effectiveness of yoga interventions for psychological symptoms (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, anxiety symptoms) following potentially traumatic life events. The following electronic databases were systematically searched: PsycINFO, Ovid Medline/PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Embase/Embase Classic. Google Scholar, Mendeley, Open Research and Contributor Identification, and Fig Share were hand searched post hoc. The review focused on studies with a comparison group that measured psychological symptoms before and after intervention. After screening and reviewing, 12 articles (N = 791) were included, with interventions ranging from 2 days to 16 weeks. If a study contained multiple conditions, between-groups differences were only examined between the yoga and inactive control group. Though overall between-groups (yoga vs. comparison) effect sizes ranged from ds = 0.40-1.06, the systematic review and quantitative synthesis did not find strong evidence for the effectiveness of yoga as an intervention for PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms following traumatic life experiences due to low quality and high risk of bias of studies. As yoga has promise for managing psychological symptoms among trauma survivors, this review calls for more rigorous design of future studies to allow definitive conclusions regarding the use of yoga in mental health treatment of trauma survivors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Applying Mixed Methods Research at the Synthesis Level: An Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyvaert, Mieke; Maes, Bea; Onghena, Patrick

2011-01-01

Historically, qualitative and quantitative approaches have been applied relatively separately in synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence, respectively, in several research domains. However, mixed methods approaches are becoming increasingly popular nowadays, and practices of combining qualitative and quantitative research components at…

Public and patient involvement in quantitative health research: A statistical perspective.

PubMed

Hannigan, Ailish

2018-06-19

The majority of studies included in recent reviews of impact for public and patient involvement (PPI) in health research had a qualitative design. PPI in solely quantitative designs is underexplored, particularly its impact on statistical analysis. Statisticians in practice have a long history of working in both consultative (indirect) and collaborative (direct) roles in health research, yet their perspective on PPI in quantitative health research has never been explicitly examined. To explore the potential and challenges of PPI from a statistical perspective at distinct stages of quantitative research, that is sampling, measurement and statistical analysis, distinguishing between indirect and direct PPI. Statistical analysis is underpinned by having a representative sample, and a collaborative or direct approach to PPI may help achieve that by supporting access to and increasing participation of under-represented groups in the population. Acknowledging and valuing the role of lay knowledge of the context in statistical analysis and in deciding what variables to measure may support collective learning and advance scientific understanding, as evidenced by the use of participatory modelling in other disciplines. A recurring issue for quantitative researchers, which reflects quantitative sampling methods, is the selection and required number of PPI contributors, and this requires further methodological development. Direct approaches to PPI in quantitative health research may potentially increase its impact, but the facilitation and partnership skills required may require further training for all stakeholders, including statisticians. © 2018 The Authors Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Appraising Quantitative Research in Health Education: Guidelines for Public Health Educators

PubMed Central

Hayes, Sandra C.; Scharalda, Jeanfreau G.; Stetson, Barbara; Jones-Jack, Nkenge H.; Valliere, Matthew; Kirchain, William R.; Fagen, Michael; LeBlanc, Cris

2010-01-01

Many practicing health educators do not feel they possess the skills necessary to critically appraise quantitative research. This publication is designed to help provide practicing health educators with basic tools helpful to facilitate a better understanding of quantitative research. This article describes the major components—title, introduction, methods, analyses, results and discussion sections—of quantitative research. Readers will be introduced to information on the various types of study designs and seven key questions health educators can use to facilitate the appraisal process. Upon reading, health educators will be in a better position to determine whether research studies are well designed and executed. PMID:20400654

Research progress on synthesis and characteristic about dendrimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Zitao

2017-12-01

Dendrimers are hyper-branched polymers which have perfectly defined structures. Different from the common polymers, dendrimers are synthesized by a step-by-step iterative style, which starts from a central core and forms branching parts outward. The dendrimers also have different physical and chemical characteristics from common polymers. In this paper, contributions to dendrimer synthesis from different researchers with different scientific background, synthesis of different dendrimers, and applications of them will be reviewed.

Nonexperimental Quantitative Research and Its Role in Guiding Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Bryan G.; Cook, Lysandra

2008-01-01

Different research designs answer different questions. Educators cannot use nonexperimental quantitative research designs, such as descriptive surveys and correlational research, to determine definitively that an intervention causes improved student outcomes and is an evidence-based practice. However, such research can (a) inform educators about a…

Blending quantitative and qualitative methods in language research and intervention.

PubMed

Brinton, Bonnie; Fujiki, Martin

2003-05-01

Best practice in speech-language pathology should be informed by current research findings. Traditional research methods are not always geared to address some of the complex, individual questions that arise in clinical intervention, however. Qualitative research methods may provide useful tools for bridging the gap from research to practice. Combinations of qualitative and quantitative procedures may be particularly helpful in sorting out some of the important issues surrounding language intervention in both clinical and research contexts. Examples of research blending qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as the case study of Sid, an 11-year-old boy with specific language impairment, are presented to illustrate how a combination of procedures can be used to enhance language research and intervention.

Developing a Research Program Using Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Cheryl Tatano

1997-01-01

A research program on postpartum depression is used to illustrate the use of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The direction of a research program is thus not limited by the type of methods in which a researcher has expertise. (SK)

Measurements in quantitative research: how to select and report on research instruments.

PubMed

Hagan, Teresa L

2014-07-01

Measures exist to numerically represent degrees of attributes. Quantitative research is based on measurement and is conducted in a systematic, controlled manner. These measures enable researchers to perform statistical tests, analyze differences between groups, and determine the effectiveness of treatments. If something is not measurable, it cannot be tested.

Quantitative phase analysis and microstructure characterization of magnetite nanocrystals obtained by microwave assisted non-hydrolytic sol–gel synthesis

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

Sciancalepore, Corrado, E-mail: corrado.sciancalepore@unimore.it; Bondioli, Federica; INSTM Consortium, Via G. Giusti 9, 51121 Firenze

2015-02-15

An innovative preparation procedure, based on microwave assisted non-hydrolytic sol–gel synthesis, to obtain spherical magnetite nanoparticles was reported together with a detailed quantitative phase analysis and microstructure characterization of the synthetic products. The nanoparticle growth was analyzed as a function of the synthesis time and was described in terms of crystallization degree employing the Rietveld method on the magnetic nanostructured system for the determination of the amorphous content using hematite as internal standard. Product crystallinity increases as the microwave thermal treatment is increased and reaches very high percentages for synthesis times longer than 1 h. Microstructural evolution of nanocrystals wasmore » followed by the integral breadth methods to obtain information on the crystallite size-strain distribution. The results of diffraction line profile analysis were compared with nanoparticle grain distribution estimated by dimensional analysis of the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. A variation both in the average grain size and in the distribution of the coherently diffraction domains is evidenced, allowing to suppose a relationship between the two quantities. The traditional integral breadth methods have proven to be valid for a rapid assessment of the diffraction line broadening effects in the above-mentioned nanostructured systems and the basic assumption for the correct use of these methods are discussed as well. - Highlights: • Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocrystals were obtained by MW-assisted non-hydrolytic sol–gel synthesis. • Quantitative phase analysis revealed that crystallinity up to 95% was reached. • The strategy of Rietveld refinements was discussed in details. • Dimensional analysis showed nanoparticles ranging from 4 to 8 nm. • Results of integral breadth methods were compared with microscopic analysis.« less

Quantitative magnetic resonance micro-imaging methods for pharmaceutical research.

PubMed

Mantle, M D

2011-09-30

The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a tool in pharmaceutical research is now well established and the current literature covers a multitude of different pharmaceutically relevant research areas. This review focuses on the use of quantitative magnetic resonance micro-imaging techniques and how they have been exploited to extract information that is of direct relevance to the pharmaceutical industry. The article is divided into two main areas. The first half outlines the theoretical aspects of magnetic resonance and deals with basic magnetic resonance theory, the effects of nuclear spin-lattice (T(1)), spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation and molecular diffusion upon image quantitation, and discusses the applications of rapid magnetic resonance imaging techniques. In addition to the theory, the review aims to provide some practical guidelines for the pharmaceutical researcher with an interest in MRI as to which MRI pulse sequences/protocols should be used and when. The second half of the article reviews the recent advances and developments that have appeared in the literature concerning the use of quantitative micro-imaging methods to pharmaceutically relevant research. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Breeding and quantitative genetics advances in sunflower Sclerotinia research

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genetic research of the sunflower research unit, USDA-ARS, in Fargo, ND, was discussed in a presentation to a group of producers, industry representatives, and scientists. The need for sunflower quantitative genetics research to find and capture Sclerotinia resistance is increasing with every year t...

Revisiting the Quantitative-Qualitative Debate: Implications for Mixed-Methods Research

PubMed Central

SALE, JOANNA E. M.; LOHFELD, LYNNE H.; BRAZIL, KEVIN

2015-01-01

Health care research includes many studies that combine quantitative and qualitative methods. In this paper, we revisit the quantitative-qualitative debate and review the arguments for and against using mixed-methods. In addition, we discuss the implications stemming from our view, that the paradigms upon which the methods are based have a different view of reality and therefore a different view of the phenomenon under study. Because the two paradigms do not study the same phenomena, quantitative and qualitative methods cannot be combined for cross-validation or triangulation purposes. However, they can be combined for complementary purposes. Future standards for mixed-methods research should clearly reflect this recommendation. PMID:26523073

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS OF SUICIDE RESEARCH IN OLD AGE.

PubMed

Ojagbemi, A

2017-06-01

This paper examines the merits of the qualitative and quantitative methods of suicide research in the elderly using two studies identified through a free search of the Pubmed database for articles that might have direct bearing on suicidality in the elderly. The studies have been purposively selected for critical appraisal because they meaningfully reflect the quantitative and qualitative divide as well as the social, economic, and cultural boundaries between the elderly living in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. The paper concludes that an integration of both the qualitative and quantitative research approaches may provide a better platform for unraveling the complex phenomenon of suicide in the elderly.

Understanding the information needs of people with haematological cancers. A meta-ethnography of quantitative and qualitative research.

PubMed

Atherton, K; Young, B; Salmon, P

2017-11-01

Clinical practice in haematological oncology often involves difficult diagnostic and treatment decisions. In this context, understanding patients' information needs and the functions that information serves for them is particularly important. We systematically reviewed qualitative and quantitative evidence on haematological oncology patients' information needs to inform how these needs can best be addressed in clinical practice. PsycINFO, Medline and CINAHL Plus electronic databases were searched for relevant empirical papers published from January 2003 to July 2016. Synthesis of the findings drew on meta-ethnography and meta-study. Most quantitative studies used a survey design and indicated that patients are largely content with the information they receive from physicians, however much or little they actually receive, although a minority of patients are not content with information. Qualitative studies suggest that a sense of being in a caring relationship with a physician allows patients to feel content with the information they have been given, whereas patients who lack such a relationship want more information. The qualitative evidence can help explain the lack of association between the amount of information received and contentment with it in the quantitative research. Trusting relationships are integral to helping patients feel that their information needs have been met. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quantitative Reporting Practices in Middle-Grades Research Journals: Lessons to Learn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capraro, Robert M.; Capraro, Mary Margaret

2009-01-01

This study examines two journals specific to the middles grades where original quantitative empirical articles are published, Research in Middle Level Education and Middle Grades Research Journal to determine what quantitative statistics are used, how they are used, and what study designs are used. Important for those who write for the…

[Quantitative and qualitative research methods, can they coexist yet?].

PubMed

Hunt, Elena; Lavoie, Anne-Marise

2011-06-01

Qualitative design is gaining ground in Nursing research. In spite of a relative progress however, the evidence based practice movement continues to dominate and to underline the exclusive value of quantitative design (particularly that of randomized clinical trials) for clinical decision making. In the actual context convenient to those in power making utilitarian decisions on one hand, and facing nursing criticism of the establishment in favor of qualitative research on the other hand, it is difficult to chose a practical and ethical path that values the nursing role within the health care system, keeping us committed to quality care and maintaining researcher's integrity. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have advantages and disadvantages, and clearly, none of them can, by itself, capture, describe and explain reality adequately. Therefore, a balance between the two methods is needed. Researchers bare responsibility to society and science, and they should opt for the appropriate design susceptible to answering the research question, not promote the design favored by the research funding distributors.

Using Qualitative Metasummary to Synthesize Qualitative and Quantitative Descriptive Findings

PubMed Central

Sandelowski, Margarete; Barroso, Julie; Voils, Corrine I.

2008-01-01

The new imperative in the health disciplines to be more methodologically inclusive has generated a growing interest in mixed research synthesis, or the integration of qualitative and quantitative research findings. Qualitative metasummary is a quantitatively oriented aggregation of qualitative findings originally developed to accommodate the distinctive features of qualitative surveys. Yet these findings are similar in form and mode of production to the descriptive findings researchers often present in addition to the results of bivariate and multivariable analyses. Qualitative metasummary, which includes the extraction, grouping, and formatting of findings, and the calculation of frequency and intensity effect sizes, can be used to produce mixed research syntheses and to conduct a posteriori analyses of the relationship between reports and findings. PMID:17243111

Nuclear medicine and quantitative imaging research (instrumentation and quantitative methods of evaluation)

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

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

1990-09-01

This report summarizes goals and accomplishments of the research program supported under DOE Grant No. FG02-86ER60418 entitled Instrumentation and Quantitative Methods of Evaluation, with R. Beck, P. I. and M. Cooper, Co-P.I. during the period January 15, 1990 through September 1, 1990. This program addresses the problems involving the basic science and technology underlying the physical and conceptual tools of radioactive tracer methodology as they relate to the measurement of structural and functional parameters of physiologic importance in health and disease. The principal tool is quantitative radionuclide imaging. The overall objective of this program is to further the development andmore » transfer of radiotracer methodology from basic theory to routine clinical practice in order that individual patients and society as a whole will receive the maximum net benefit from the new knowledge gained. The focus of the research is on the development of new instruments and radiopharmaceuticals, and the evaluation of these through the phase of clinical feasibility. 7 figs.« less

The influence of the design matrix on treatment effect estimates in the quantitative analyses of single-subject experimental design research.

PubMed

Moeyaert, Mariola; Ugille, Maaike; Ferron, John M; Beretvas, S Natasha; Van den Noortgate, Wim

2014-09-01

The quantitative methods for analyzing single-subject experimental data have expanded during the last decade, including the use of regression models to statistically analyze the data, but still a lot of questions remain. One question is how to specify predictors in a regression model to account for the specifics of the design and estimate the effect size of interest. These quantitative effect sizes are used in retrospective analyses and allow synthesis of single-subject experimental study results which is informative for evidence-based decision making, research and theory building, and policy discussions. We discuss different design matrices that can be used for the most common single-subject experimental designs (SSEDs), namely, the multiple-baseline designs, reversal designs, and alternating treatment designs, and provide empirical illustrations. The purpose of this article is to guide single-subject experimental data analysts interested in analyzing and meta-analyzing SSED data. © The Author(s) 2014.

Quantitative comparison of cognitive behavioral therapy and music therapy research: a methodological best-practices analysis to guide future investigation for adult psychiatric patients.

PubMed

Silverman, Michael J

2008-01-01

components for existing quantitative psychiatric music therapy research with adult consumers, thus highlighting potential areas and elements for future investigations. A second table depicts a number of potential dependent measures and their sources to be evaluated in future music therapy studies. A third table providing suggestions for future research is derived from a synthesis of the tables and is included to guide researchers and encourage the advancement and expansion of the current literature base. The body of the paper is a discussion of the results of the literature analysis derived from the tables, meta-analyses, and reviews of literature. It is hoped that this report will lead to the addition of future high-quality quantitative research to the psychiatric music therapy literature base and thus provide evidence-based services to as many persons with mental illnesses as possible.

Critically appraising qualitative research: a guide for clinicians more familiar with quantitative techniques.

PubMed

Kisely, Stephen; Kendall, Elizabeth

2011-08-01

Papers using qualitative methods are increasingly common in psychiatric journals. This overview is an introduction to critically appraising a qualitative paper for clinicians who are more familiar with quantitative methods. Qualitative research uses data from interviews (semi-structured or unstructured), focus groups, observations or written materials. Data analysis is inductive, allowing meaning to emerge from the data, rather than the more deductive, hypothesis centred approach of quantitative research. This overview compares and contrasts quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative concepts such as reliability, validity, statistical power, bias and generalisability have qualitative equivalents. These include triangulation, trustworthiness, saturation, reflexivity and applicability. Reflexivity also shares features of transference. Qualitative approaches include: ethnography, action-assessment, grounded theory, case studies and mixed methods. Qualitative research can complement quantitative approaches. An understanding of both is useful in critically appraising the psychiatric literature.

Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews

PubMed Central

Thomas, James; Harden, Angela

2008-01-01

Background There is a growing recognition of the value of synthesising qualitative research in the evidence base in order to facilitate effective and appropriate health care. In response to this, methods for undertaking these syntheses are currently being developed. Thematic analysis is a method that is often used to analyse data in primary qualitative research. This paper reports on the use of this type of analysis in systematic reviews to bring together and integrate the findings of multiple qualitative studies. Methods We describe thematic synthesis, outline several steps for its conduct and illustrate the process and outcome of this approach using a completed review of health promotion research. Thematic synthesis has three stages: the coding of text 'line-by-line'; the development of 'descriptive themes'; and the generation of 'analytical themes'. While the development of descriptive themes remains 'close' to the primary studies, the analytical themes represent a stage of interpretation whereby the reviewers 'go beyond' the primary studies and generate new interpretive constructs, explanations or hypotheses. The use of computer software can facilitate this method of synthesis; detailed guidance is given on how this can be achieved. Results We used thematic synthesis to combine the studies of children's views and identified key themes to explore in the intervention studies. Most interventions were based in school and often combined learning about health benefits with 'hands-on' experience. The studies of children's views suggested that fruit and vegetables should be treated in different ways, and that messages should not focus on health warnings. Interventions that were in line with these suggestions tended to be more effective. Thematic synthesis enabled us to stay 'close' to the results of the primary studies, synthesising them in a transparent way, and facilitating the explicit production of new concepts and hypotheses. Conclusion We compare thematic

Shaping Social Work Science: What Should Quantitative Researchers Do?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Shenyang

2015-01-01

Based on a review of economists' debates on mathematical economics, this article discusses a key issue for shaping the science of social work--research methodology. The article describes three important tasks quantitative researchers need to fulfill in order to enhance the scientific rigor of social work research. First, to test theories using…

Combining qualitative and quantitative research within mixed method research designs: a methodological review.

PubMed

Östlund, Ulrika; Kidd, Lisa; Wengström, Yvonne; Rowa-Dewar, Neneh

2011-03-01

It has been argued that mixed methods research can be useful in nursing and health science because of the complexity of the phenomena studied. However, the integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches continues to be one of much debate and there is a need for a rigorous framework for designing and interpreting mixed methods research. This paper explores the analytical approaches (i.e. parallel, concurrent or sequential) used in mixed methods studies within healthcare and exemplifies the use of triangulation as a methodological metaphor for drawing inferences from qualitative and quantitative findings originating from such analyses. This review of the literature used systematic principles in searching CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO for healthcare research studies which employed a mixed methods approach and were published in the English language between January 1999 and September 2009. In total, 168 studies were included in the results. Most studies originated in the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. The analytic approach most widely used was parallel data analysis. A number of studies used sequential data analysis; far fewer studies employed concurrent data analysis. Very few of these studies clearly articulated the purpose for using a mixed methods design. The use of the methodological metaphor of triangulation on convergent, complementary, and divergent results from mixed methods studies is exemplified and an example of developing theory from such data is provided. A trend for conducting parallel data analysis on quantitative and qualitative data in mixed methods healthcare research has been identified in the studies included in this review. Using triangulation as a methodological metaphor can facilitate the integration of qualitative and quantitative findings, help researchers to clarify their theoretical propositions and the basis of their results. This can offer a better understanding of the links between theory and

The Relevancy of Large-Scale, Quantitative Methodologies in Middle Grades Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mertens, Steven B.

2006-01-01

This article examines the relevancy of large-scale, quantitative methodologies in middle grades education research. Based on recommendations from national advocacy organizations, the need for more large-scale, quantitative research, combined with the application of more rigorous methodologies, is presented. Subsequent sections describe and discuss…

Synthesis of discipline-based education research in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Docktor, Jennifer L.; Mestre, José P.

2014-12-01

This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of physics education research at the undergraduate level. It is based on work originally commissioned by the National Academies. Six topical areas are covered: (1) conceptual understanding, (2) problem solving, (3) curriculum and instruction, (4) assessment, (5) cognitive psychology, and (6) attitudes and beliefs about teaching and learning. Each topical section includes sample research questions, theoretical frameworks, common research methodologies, a summary of key findings, strengths and limitations of the research, and areas for future study. Supplemental material proposes promising future directions in physics education research.

URBAN DISADVANTAGED PUPILS, A SYNTHESIS OF 99 RESEARCH REPORTS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MCCLOSKEY, ELINOR F.

THIS DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF URBAN DISADVANTAGED PUPILS IS A SYNTHESIS OF 99 RESEARCH REPORTS. THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT SUCH CHILDREN LIVE IN A WORLD OF ISOLATION, LIMITED EXPERIENCE, AND REJECTION. HOUSING CONDITIONS, A DEMORALIZING NEIGHBORHOOD, AND A DISORGANIZED FAMILY LIFE ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE…

Methodology in Our Education Research Culture: Toward a Stronger Collective Quantitative Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henson, Robin K.; Hull, Darrell M.; Williams, Cynthia S.

2010-01-01

How doctoral programs train future researchers in quantitative methods has important implications for the quality of scientifically based research in education. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to examine how quantitative methods are used in the literature and taught in doctoral programs. Evidence points to deficiencies in quantitative…

Parent Involvement in Homework: A Research Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patall, Erika A.; Cooper, Harris; Robinson, Jorgianne Civey

2008-01-01

New emphasis is being placed on the importance of parent involvement in children's education. In a synthesis of research on the effects of parent involvement in homework, a meta-analysis of 14 studies that manipulated parent training for homework involvement reveals that training parents to be involved in their child's homework results in (a)…

Guidance for using mixed methods design in nursing practice research.

PubMed

Chiang-Hanisko, Lenny; Newman, David; Dyess, Susan; Piyakong, Duangporn; Liehr, Patricia

2016-08-01

The mixed methods approach purposefully combines both quantitative and qualitative techniques, enabling a multi-faceted understanding of nursing phenomena. The purpose of this article is to introduce three mixed methods designs (parallel; sequential; conversion) and highlight interpretive processes that occur with the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings. Real world examples of research studies conducted by the authors will demonstrate the processes leading to the merger of data. The examples include: research questions; data collection procedures and analysis with a focus on synthesizing findings. Based on experience with mixed methods studied, the authors introduce two synthesis patterns (complementary; contrasting), considering application for practice and implications for research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A writer's guide to education scholarship: Quantitative methodologies for medical education research (part 1).

PubMed

Thoma, Brent; Camorlinga, Paola; Chan, Teresa M; Hall, Andrew Koch; Murnaghan, Aleisha; Sherbino, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Quantitative research is one of the many research methods used to help educators advance their understanding of questions in medical education. However, little research has been done on how to succeed in publishing in this area. We conducted a scoping review to identify key recommendations and reporting guidelines for quantitative educational research and scholarship. Medline, ERIC, and Google Scholar were searched for English-language articles published between 2006 and January 2016 using the search terms, "research design," "quantitative," "quantitative methods," and "medical education." A hand search was completed for additional references during the full-text review. Titles/abstracts were reviewed by two authors (BT, PC) and included if they focused on quantitative research in medical education and outlined reporting guidelines, or provided recommendations on conducting quantitative research. One hundred articles were reviewed in parallel with the first 30 used for calibration and the subsequent 70 to calculate Cohen's kappa coefficient. Two reviewers (BT, PC) conducted a full text review and extracted recommendations and reporting guidelines. A simple thematic analysis summarized the extracted recommendations. Sixty-one articles were reviewed in full, and 157 recommendations were extracted. The thematic analysis identified 86 items, 14 categories, and 3 themes. Fourteen quality evaluation tools and reporting guidelines were found. Discussion This paper provides guidance for junior researchers in the form of key quality markers and reporting guidelines. We hope that quantitative researchers in medical education will be informed by the results and that further work will be done to refine the list of recommendations.

Clinical research data sharing: what an open science world means for researchers involved in evidence synthesis.

PubMed

Ross, Joseph S

2016-09-20

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recently announced a bold step forward to require data generated by interventional clinical trials that are published in its member journals to be responsibly shared with external investigators. The movement toward a clinical research culture that supports data sharing has important implications for the design, conduct, and reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. While data sharing is likely to enhance the science of evidence synthesis, facilitating the identification and inclusion of all relevant research, it will also pose key challenges, such as requiring broader search strategies and more thorough scrutiny of identified research. Furthermore, the adoption of data sharing initiatives by the clinical research community should challenge the community of researchers involved in evidence synthesis to follow suit, including the widespread adoption of systematic review registration, results reporting, and data sharing, to promote transparency and enhance the integrity of the research process.

Teaching and Learning Children's Human Rights: A Research Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brantefors, Lotta; Quennerstedt, Ann

2016-01-01

The study presented in this paper is a research synthesis examining how issues relating to the teaching and learning of children's human rights have been approached in educational research. Drawing theoretically on the European Didaktik tradition, the purpose of the paper is to map and synthesise the educational interest in children's rights…

Reporting and Interpreting Effect Size in Quantitative Agricultural Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotrlik, Joe W.; Williams, Heather A.; Jabor, M. Khata

2011-01-01

The Journal of Agricultural Education (JAE) requires authors to follow the guidelines stated in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association [APA] (2009) in preparing research manuscripts, and to utilize accepted research and statistical methods in conducting quantitative research studies. The APA recommends the reporting of…

Safety Issues in Agricultural Education Laboratories: A Synthesis of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyer, James E.; Andreasen, Randall J.

1999-01-01

Synthesis of research on safety in agricultural education laboratories found most research focused on agricultural mechanics. Labs appeared to be potentially hazardous places, and teachers have inadequate knowledge of safety laws and ways to provide a safe working environment. (SK)

Quantitative proteomics in cardiovascular research: global and targeted strategies

PubMed Central

Shen, Xiaomeng; Young, Rebeccah; Canty, John M.; Qu, Jun

2014-01-01

Extensive technical advances in the past decade have substantially expanded quantitative proteomics in cardiovascular research. This has great promise for elucidating the mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and the discovery of cardiac biomarkers used for diagnosis and treatment evaluation. Global and targeted proteomics are the two major avenues of quantitative proteomics. While global approaches enable unbiased discovery of altered proteins via relative quantification at the proteome level, targeted techniques provide higher sensitivity and accuracy, and are capable of multiplexed absolute quantification in numerous clinical/biological samples. While promising, technical challenges need to be overcome to enable full utilization of these techniques in cardiovascular medicine. Here we discuss recent advances in quantitative proteomics and summarize applications in cardiovascular research with an emphasis on biomarker discovery and elucidating molecular mechanisms of disease. We propose the integration of global and targeted strategies as a high-throughput pipeline for cardiovascular proteomics. Targeted approaches enable rapid, extensive validation of biomarker candidates discovered by global proteomics. These approaches provide a promising alternative to immunoassays and other low-throughput means currently used for limited validation. PMID:24920501

Understanding Quantitative and Qualitative Research in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, William L.; Goodwin, Laura D.

This book describes the research process in order to facilitate understanding of the process and its products, especially as they pertain to early childhood education. It examines both quantitative and qualitative research methods, emphasizing ways in which they can be used together to fully study a given phenomenon or topic. Chapter 1 examines…

[Instruments for quantitative methods of nursing research].

PubMed

Vellone, E

2000-01-01

Instruments for quantitative nursing research are a mean to objectify and measure a variable or a phenomenon in the scientific research. There are direct instruments to measure concrete variables and indirect instruments to measure abstract concepts (Burns, Grove, 1997). Indirect instruments measure the attributes by which a concept is made of. Furthermore, there are instruments for physiologic variables (e.g. for the weight), observational instruments (Check-lists e Rating Scales), interviews, questionnaires, diaries and the scales (Check-lists, Rating Scales, Likert Scales, Semantic Differential Scales e Visual Anologue Scales). The choice to select an instrument or another one depends on the research question and design. Instruments research are very useful in research both to describe the variables and to see statistical significant relationships. Very carefully should be their use in the clinical practice for diagnostic assessment.

Misconceived Relationships between Logical Positivism and Quantitative Research: An Analysis in the Framework of Ian Hacking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Chong Ho

Although quantitative research methodology is widely applied by psychological researchers, there is a common misconception that quantitative research is based on logical positivism. This paper examines the relationship between quantitative research and eight major notions of logical positivism: (1) verification; (2) pro-observation; (3)…

Coping with Teacher Stress: A Research Synthesis for Pacific Educators. Research Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Zoe Ann; Uehara, Denise L.

This research synthesis reviews the negative effects of teacher stress, focusing on teachers in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific. It describes teaching techniques for reducing these detrimental effects and discusses the relevance of such techniques within the cultures of the Pacific region. Section 1 describes what stress is. Section 2 examines the…

The research evidence published in high impact nursing journals between 2000 and 2006: a quantitative content analysis.

PubMed

Mantzoukas, Stefanos

2009-04-01

Evidence-based practice has become an imperative for efficient, effective and safe practice. Furthermore, evidences emerging from published research are considered as valid knowledge sources to guiding practice. The aim of this paper is to review all research articles published in the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006 to identify the methodologies used, the types of evidence these studies produced and the issues upon which they endeavored. Quantitative content analysis was implemented to study all published research papers of the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006. The top 10 general nursing journals were included in the study. The abstracts of all research articles were analysed with regards the methodologies of enquiry, the types of evidence produced and the issues of study they endeavored upon. Percentages were developed as to enable conclusions to be drawn. The results for the category methodologies used were 7% experimental, 6% quasi-experimental, 39% non-experimental, 2% ethnographical studies, 7% phenomenological, 4% grounded theory, 1% action research, 1% case study, 15% unspecified, 5.5% other, 0.5% meta-synthesis, 2% meta-analysis, 5% literature reviews and 3% secondary analysis. For the category types of evidence were 4% hypothesis/theory testing, 11% evaluative, 5% comparative, 2% correlational, 46% descriptive, 5% interpretative and 27% exploratory. For the category issues of study were 45% practice/clinical, 8% educational, 11% professional, 3% spiritual/ethical/metaphysical, 26% health promotion and 7% managerial/policy. Published studies can provide adequate evidences for practice if nursing journals conceptualise evidence emerging from non-experimental and qualitative studies as relevant types of evidences for practice and develop appropriate mechanisms for assessing their validity. Also, nursing journals need to increase and encourage the publication of studies that implement RCT methodology, systematic

Synthesis of Discipline-Based Education Research in Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Docktor, Jennifer L.; Mestre, José P.

2014-01-01

This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of physics education research at the undergraduate level. It is based on work originally commissioned by the National Academies. Six topical areas are covered: (1) conceptual understanding, (2) problem solving, (3) curriculum and instruction, (4) assessment, (5) cognitive psychology, and (6) attitudes…

Selecting the most appropriate inferential statistical test for your quantitative research study.

PubMed

Bettany-Saltikov, Josette; Whittaker, Victoria Jane

2014-06-01

To discuss the issues and processes relating to the selection of the most appropriate statistical test. A review of the basic research concepts together with a number of clinical scenarios is used to illustrate this. Quantitative nursing research generally features the use of empirical data which necessitates the selection of both descriptive and statistical tests. Different types of research questions can be answered by different types of research designs, which in turn need to be matched to a specific statistical test(s). Discursive paper. This paper discusses the issues relating to the selection of the most appropriate statistical test and makes some recommendations as to how these might be dealt with. When conducting empirical quantitative studies, a number of key issues need to be considered. Considerations for selecting the most appropriate statistical tests are discussed and flow charts provided to facilitate this process. When nursing clinicians and researchers conduct quantitative research studies, it is crucial that the most appropriate statistical test is selected to enable valid conclusions to be made. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rethinking research in the medical humanities: a scoping review and narrative synthesis of quantitative outcome studies.

PubMed

Dennhardt, Silke; Apramian, Tavis; Lingard, Lorelei; Torabi, Nazi; Arntfield, Shannon

2016-03-01

The rise of medical humanities teaching in medical education has introduced pressure to prove efficacy and utility. Review articles on the available evidence have been criticised for poor methodology and unwarranted conclusions. To support a more nuanced discussion of how the medical humanities work, we conducted a scoping review of quantitative studies of medical humanities teaching. Using a search strategy involving MEDLINE, EMBASE and ERIC, and hand searching, our scoping review located 11 045 articles that referred to the use of medical humanities teaching in medical education. Of these, 62 studies using quantitative evaluation methods were selected for review. Three iterations of analysis were performed: descriptive, conceptual, and discursive. Descriptive analysis revealed that the medical humanities as a whole cannot be easily systematised based on simple descriptive categories. Conceptual analysis supported the development of a conceptual framework in which the foci of the arts and humanities in medical education can be mapped alongside their related epistemic functions for teaching and learning. Within the framework, art functioned as expertise, as dialogue or as a means of expression and transformation. In the discursive analysis, we found three main ways in which the relationship between the arts and humanities and medicine was constructed as, respectively, intrinsic, additive and curative. This review offers a nuanced framework of how different types of medical humanities work. The epistemological assumptions and discursive positioning of medical humanities teaching frame the forms of outcomes research that are considered relevant to curriculum decision making, and shed light on why dominant review methodologies make some functions of medical humanities teaching visible and render others invisible. We recommend the use of this framework to improve the rigor and relevance of future explorations of the efficacy and utility of medical humanities teaching

Discovering the Quantity of Quality: Scoring "Regional Identity" for Quantitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Daniel A.

2008-01-01

The variationist paradigm in sociolinguistics is at a disadvantage when dealing with variables that are traditionally treated qualitatively, e.g., "identity". This study essays to level the accuracy and descriptive value of qualitative research in a quantitative setting by rendering such a variable quantitatively accessible. To this end,…

Embedding the perceptions of people with dementia into quantitative research design.

PubMed

O'Rourke, Hannah M; Duggleby, Wendy; Fraser, Kimberly D

2015-05-01

Patient perspectives about quality of life are often found in the results of qualitative research and could be applied to steer the direction of future research. The purpose of this paper was to describe how findings from a body of qualitative research on patient perspectives about quality of life were linked to a clinical administrative dataset and then used to design a subsequent quantitative study. Themes from two systematic reviews of qualitative evidence (i.e., metasyntheses) identified what affects quality of life according to people with dementia. Selected themes and their sub-concepts were then mapped to an administrative dataset (the Resident Assessment Instrument 2.0) to determine the study focus, formulate nine hypotheses, and select a patient-reported outcome. A literature review followed to confirm existence of a knowledge gap, identify adjustment variables, and support design decisions. A quantitative study to test the association between conflict and sadness for people with dementia in long-term care was derived from metasynthesis themes. Challenges included (1) mapping broad themes to the administrative dataset; (2) decisions associated with inclusion of variables not identified by people with dementia from the qualitative research; and (3) selecting a patient-reported outcome, when the dataset lacked a valid subjective quality-of-life measure. Themes derived from a body of qualitative research capturing a target populations' perspective can be linked to administrative data and used to design a quantitative study. Using this approach, the quantitative findings will be meaningful with respect to the quality of life of the target population.

Retention of Nontraditional Students: A Quantitative Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Shirley J.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to investigate, describe, and measure factors influencing retention of nontraditional first and second year students at a university located in the Midwestern United States. Retention of adult students has become a major issue for many institutions of higher education and many…

Para-Quantitative Methodology: Reclaiming Experimentalism in Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shabani Varaki, Bakhtiar; Floden, Robert E.; Javidi Kalatehjafarabadi, Tahereh

2015-01-01

This article focuses on the criticisms of current approaches in educational research methodology. It summarizes rationales for mixed methods and argues that the mixing quantitative paradigm and qualitative paradigm is problematic due to practical and philosophical arguments. It is also indicated that the current rise of mixed methods work has…

Past, Present, and Future of Critical Quantitative Research in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Ryan S.; Stage, Frances K.

2014-01-01

This chapter discusses the evolution of the critical quantitative paradigm with an emphasis on extending this approach to new populations and new methods. Along with this extension of critical quantitative work, however, come continued challenges and tensions for researchers. This chapter recaps and responds to each chapter in the volume, and…

Research using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods and choice based on the research.

PubMed

McCusker, K; Gunaydin, S

2015-10-01

Research is fundamental to the advancement of medicine and critical to identifying the most optimal therapies unique to particular societies. This is easily observed through the dynamics associated with pharmacology, surgical technique and the medical equipment used today versus short years ago. Advancements in knowledge synthesis and reporting guidelines enhance the quality, scope and applicability of results; thus, improving health science and clinical practice and advancing health policy. While advancements are critical to the progression of optimal health care, the high cost associated with these endeavors cannot be ignored. Research fundamentally needs to be evaluated to identify the most efficient methods of evaluation. The primary objective of this paper is to look at a specific research methodology when applied to the area of clinical research, especially extracorporeal circulation and its prognosis for the future. © The Author(s) 2014.

Ohmic Heating: An Emerging Concept in Organic Synthesis.

PubMed

Silva, Vera L M; Santos, Luis M N B F; Silva, Artur M S

2017-06-12

The ohmic heating also known as direct Joule heating, is an advanced thermal processing method, mainly used in the food industry to rapidly increase the temperature for either cooking or sterilization purposes. Its use in organic synthesis, in the heating of chemical reactors, is an emerging method that shows great potential, the development of which has started recently. This Concept article focuses on the use of ohmic heating as a new tool for organic synthesis. It presents the fundamentals of ohmic heating and makes a qualitative and quantitative comparison with other common heating methods. A brief description of the ohmic reactor prototype in operation is presented as well as recent examples of its use in organic synthesis at laboratory scale, thus showing the current state of the research. The advantages and limitations of this heating method, as well as its main current applications are also discussed. Finally, the prospects and potential implications of ohmic heating in future research in chemical synthesis are proposed. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research on Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men in Western Countries.

PubMed

Shi Shiu, Chen; Voisin, Dexter R; Chen, Wet-Ti; Lo, Yi-An; Hardestry, Melissa; Nguyen, Huong

2016-05-01

Over the past two decades, there has emerged a body of literature documenting a number of risk factors associated with Asian/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men's unsafe sexual behaviors. This study aims to systematically review existing empirical studies and synthesize research results into a social-ecological framework using a mixed research synthesis. Empirical research articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and June 2013 were identified in six databases, including PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstract, CINAL, and Web of Knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Two analysts independently reviewed the articles, and findings were organized on a social-ecological framework. Twenty-two articles were included in the analysis; among these 13 were quantitative, 8 were qualitative, and 1 was mixed-methods research. Results indicated that demographic characteristics, psychological resources, behavioral patterns, relationships with family and friends, dynamics with romantic or sexual partners, community involvement, culture, discrimination, and institutional factors were related to unprotected anal intercourse. This article presents a critique of this literature and discusses implications for future research with this population. It concludes with prevention/intervention initiatives based on review findings. © The Author(s) 2015.

A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research on Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men in Western Countries

PubMed Central

Shiu, Chen Shi; Voisin, Dexter R.; Chen, Wet-Ti; Lo, Yi-An; Hardestry, Melissa; Nguyen, Huong

2017-01-01

Over the past two decades, there has emerged a body of literature documenting a number of risk factors associated with Asian/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men’s unsafe sexual behaviors. This study aims to systematically review existing empirical studies and synthesize research results into a social–ecological framework using a mixed research synthesis. Empirical research articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and June 2013 were identified in six databases, including PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstract, CINAL, and Web of Knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Two analysts independently reviewed the articles, and findings were organized on a social–ecological framework. Twenty-two articles were included in the analysis; among these 13 were quantitative, 8 were qualitative, and 1 was mixed-methods research. Results indicated that demographic characteristics, psychological resources, behavioral patterns, relationships with family and friends, dynamics with romantic or sexual partners, community involvement, culture, discrimination, and institutional factors were related to unprotected anal intercourse. This article presents a critique of this literature and discusses implications for future research with this population. It concludes with prevention/intervention initiatives based on review findings. PMID:25563383

The other half of the story: effect size analysis in quantitative research.

PubMed

Maher, Jessica Middlemis; Markey, Jonathan C; Ebert-May, Diane

2013-01-01

Statistical significance testing is the cornerstone of quantitative research, but studies that fail to report measures of effect size are potentially missing a robust part of the analysis. We provide a rationale for why effect size measures should be included in quantitative discipline-based education research. Examples from both biological and educational research demonstrate the utility of effect size for evaluating practical significance. We also provide details about some effect size indices that are paired with common statistical significance tests used in educational research and offer general suggestions for interpreting effect size measures. Finally, we discuss some inherent limitations of effect size measures and provide further recommendations about reporting confidence intervals.

A Review and Synthesis of Recent Research in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fang, Yu-Shen; Lee, Lung-Sheng

2009-01-01

Purpose: Applications of online Second Life (SL) prevail over the world. The purpose of this paper is to make a review and synthesis of recent research studies on SL. Design/methodology/approach: Documental analysis is employed. Totally, 135 research publications, published in 2006-2008, are reviewed and synthesized. Findings: Findings are as…

Methodological Reporting in Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Health Services Research Articles

PubMed Central

Wisdom, Jennifer P; Cavaleri, Mary A; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J; Green, Carla A

2012-01-01

Objectives Methodologically sound mixed methods research can improve our understanding of health services by providing a more comprehensive picture of health services than either method can alone. This study describes the frequency of mixed methods in published health services research and compares the presence of methodological components indicative of rigorous approaches across mixed methods, qualitative, and quantitative articles. Data Sources All empirical articles (n = 1,651) published between 2003 and 2007 from four top-ranked health services journals. Study Design All mixed methods articles (n = 47) and random samples of qualitative and quantitative articles were evaluated to identify reporting of key components indicating rigor for each method, based on accepted standards for evaluating the quality of research reports (e.g., use of p-values in quantitative reports, description of context in qualitative reports, and integration in mixed method reports). We used chi-square tests to evaluate differences between article types for each component. Principal Findings Mixed methods articles comprised 2.85 percent (n = 47) of empirical articles, quantitative articles 90.98 percent (n = 1,502), and qualitative articles 6.18 percent (n = 102). There was a statistically significant difference (χ2(1) = 12.20, p = .0005, Cramer's V = 0.09, odds ratio = 1.49 [95% confidence interval = 1,27, 1.74]) in the proportion of quantitative methodological components present in mixed methods compared to quantitative papers (21.94 versus 47.07 percent, respectively) but no statistically significant difference (χ2(1) = 0.02, p = .89, Cramer's V = 0.01) in the proportion of qualitative methodological components in mixed methods compared to qualitative papers (21.34 versus 25.47 percent, respectively). Conclusion Few published health services research articles use mixed methods. The frequency of key methodological components is variable. Suggestions are provided to increase the

Text-in-context: a method for extracting findings in mixed-methods mixed research synthesis studies.

PubMed

Sandelowski, Margarete; Leeman, Jennifer; Knafl, Kathleen; Crandell, Jamie L

2013-06-01

Our purpose in this paper is to propose a new method for extracting findings from research reports included in mixed-methods mixed research synthesis studies. International initiatives in the domains of systematic review and evidence synthesis have been focused on broadening the conceptualization of evidence, increased methodological inclusiveness and the production of evidence syntheses that will be accessible to and usable by a wider range of consumers. Initiatives in the general mixed-methods research field have been focused on developing truly integrative approaches to data analysis and interpretation. The data extraction challenges described here were encountered, and the method proposed for addressing these challenges was developed, in the first year of the ongoing (2011-2016) study: Mixed-Methods Synthesis of Research on Childhood Chronic Conditions and Family. To preserve the text-in-context of findings in research reports, we describe a method whereby findings are transformed into portable statements that anchor results to relevant information about sample, source of information, time, comparative reference point, magnitude and significance and study-specific conceptions of phenomena. The data extraction method featured here was developed specifically to accommodate mixed-methods mixed research synthesis studies conducted in nursing and other health sciences, but reviewers might find it useful in other kinds of research synthesis studies. This data extraction method itself constitutes a type of integration to preserve the methodological context of findings when statements are read individually and in comparison to each other. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Methodological reporting in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods health services research articles.

PubMed

Wisdom, Jennifer P; Cavaleri, Mary A; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J; Green, Carla A

2012-04-01

Methodologically sound mixed methods research can improve our understanding of health services by providing a more comprehensive picture of health services than either method can alone. This study describes the frequency of mixed methods in published health services research and compares the presence of methodological components indicative of rigorous approaches across mixed methods, qualitative, and quantitative articles. All empirical articles (n = 1,651) published between 2003 and 2007 from four top-ranked health services journals. All mixed methods articles (n = 47) and random samples of qualitative and quantitative articles were evaluated to identify reporting of key components indicating rigor for each method, based on accepted standards for evaluating the quality of research reports (e.g., use of p-values in quantitative reports, description of context in qualitative reports, and integration in mixed method reports). We used chi-square tests to evaluate differences between article types for each component. Mixed methods articles comprised 2.85 percent (n = 47) of empirical articles, quantitative articles 90.98 percent (n = 1,502), and qualitative articles 6.18 percent (n = 102). There was a statistically significant difference (χ(2) (1) = 12.20, p = .0005, Cramer's V = 0.09, odds ratio = 1.49 [95% confidence interval = 1,27, 1.74]) in the proportion of quantitative methodological components present in mixed methods compared to quantitative papers (21.94 versus 47.07 percent, respectively) but no statistically significant difference (χ(2) (1) = 0.02, p = .89, Cramer's V = 0.01) in the proportion of qualitative methodological components in mixed methods compared to qualitative papers (21.34 versus 25.47 percent, respectively). Few published health services research articles use mixed methods. The frequency of key methodological components is variable. Suggestions are provided to increase the transparency of mixed methods studies and

A Review of Research on Mobile Learning in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baran, Evrim

2014-01-01

Mobile devices have become attractive learning devices for education. While the majority of the existing research has focused primarily on the value of mobile learning for students, researchers have recently started exploring its potentials within teacher development. The present qualitative synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research aimed…

Summer Synthesis Institutes: A Novel Approach for Transformative Research and Student Career Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, J.; Hermans, C. M.

2010-12-01

It is believed that breakthroughs tend to occur when small groups of highly motivated scientists are driven by challenges encountered in real problem-solving situations and given the freedom to experiment with new ideas. Summer synthesis institutes provide a mechanism to facilitiate these breakthroughs and by which graduate students may engage in interdisciplinary research in a way that is not often available in their normal course of study. In this presentation we examine two complementary models of summer synthesis institutes in hydrology, how these intensive programs facilitate scientific outcomes and the impact of synthesis and the summer institute model on student perceptions of academic roles, collaboration opportunities and team science. Five summer synthesis institutes were held over three years, sharing similar duration and structure but different degrees of participant interdisciplinarity and focus questions. Through informal assessments, this presentation will demonstrate how these programs offered a unique opportunity for the development of student-student and student-mentor relationships and facilitated deeper understanding of a student’s own research as well as new techniques, perspective and disciplines. Additionally, though the summer synthesis institute model offers a unique ability to leverage limited funding (on the order of a single graduate student) to advance earth sciences, the model also presents specific challenges for research follow-through and may require specific content and interpersonal dynamics for optimum success.

Synthesis of Upper Verde River research and monitoring 1993-2008

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; Alvin L. Medina; John N. Rinne

2012-01-01

This volume is a state-of-knowledge synthesis of monitoring and research conducted on the Upper Verde River (UVR) of Arizona. It contains information on the history, hydrology, soils, geomorphology, vegetation, and fish fauna of the area that can help land managers and other scientists in successfully conducting ecosystem management and future monitoring and research...

Quantitative Characterization of Nanostructured Materials

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

Dr. Frank

The two-and-a-half day symposium on the "Quantitative Characterization of Nanostructured Materials" will be the first comprehensive meeting on this topic held under the auspices of a major U.S. professional society. Spring MRS Meetings provide a natural venue for this symposium as they attract a broad audience of researchers that represents a cross-section of the state-of-the-art regarding synthesis, structure-property relations, and applications of nanostructured materials. Close interactions among the experts in local structure measurements and materials researchers will help both to identify measurement needs pertinent to real-world materials problems and to familiarize the materials research community with the state-of-the-art local structuremore » measurement techniques. We have chosen invited speakers that reflect the multidisciplinary and international nature of this topic and the need to continually nurture productive interfaces among university, government and industrial laboratories. The intent of the symposium is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for discussion and exchange of ideas on the recent progress in quantitative characterization of structural order in nanomaterials using different experimental techniques and theory. The symposium is expected to facilitate discussions on optimal approaches for determining atomic structure at the nanoscale using combined inputs from multiple measurement techniques.« less

Empirical research in bioethical journals. A quantitative analysis

PubMed Central

Borry, P; Schotsmans, P; Dierickx, K

2006-01-01

Objectives The objective of this research is to analyse the evolution and nature of published empirical research in the fields of medical ethics and bioethics. Design Retrospective quantitative study of nine peer reviewed journals in the field of bioethics and medical ethics (Bioethics, Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, Hastings Center Report, Journal of Clinical Ethics, Journal of Medical Ethics, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, Nursing Ethics, Christian Bioethics, andTheoretical Medicine and Bioethics). Results In total, 4029 articles published between 1990 and 2003 were retrieved from the journals studied. Over this period, 435 (10.8%) studies used an empirical design. The highest percentage of empirical research articles appeared in Nursing Ethics (n = 145, 39.5%), followed by the Journal of Medical Ethics (n = 128, 16.8%) and the Journal of Clinical Ethics (n = 93, 15.4%). These three journals account for 84.1% of all empirical research in bioethics published in this period. The results of the χ2 test for two independent samples for the entire dataset indicate that the period 1997–2003 presented a higher number of empirical studies (n = 309) than did the period 1990–1996 (n = 126). This increase is statistically significant (χ2 = 49.0264, p<.0001). Most empirical studies employed a quantitative paradigm (64.6%, n = 281). The main topic of research was prolongation of life and euthanasia (n = 68). Conclusions We conclude that the proportion of empirical research in the nine journals increased steadily from 5.4% in 1990 to 15.4% in 2003. It is likely that the importance of empirical methods in medical ethics and bioethics will continue to increase. PMID:16574880

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

PubMed

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

2012-02-01

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

Text-in-Context: A Method for Extracting Findings in Mixed-Methods Mixed Research Synthesis Studies

PubMed Central

Leeman, Jennifer; Knafl, Kathleen; Crandell, Jamie L.

2012-01-01

Aim Our purpose in this paper is to propose a new method for extracting findings from research reports included in mixed-methods mixed research synthesis studies. Background International initiatives in the domains of systematic review and evidence synthesis have been focused on broadening the conceptualization of evidence, increased methodological inclusiveness and the production of evidence syntheses that will be accessible to and usable by a wider range of consumers. Initiatives in the general mixed-methods research field have been focused on developing truly integrative approaches to data analysis and interpretation. Data source The data extraction challenges described here were encountered and the method proposed for addressing these challenges was developed, in the first year of the ongoing (2011–2016) study: Mixed-Methods Synthesis of Research on Childhood Chronic Conditions and Family. Discussion To preserve the text-in-context of findings in research reports, we describe a method whereby findings are transformed into portable statements that anchor results to relevant information about sample, source of information, time, comparative reference point, magnitude and significance and study-specific conceptions of phenomena. Implications for nursing The data extraction method featured here was developed specifically to accommodate mixed-methods mixed research synthesis studies conducted in nursing and other health sciences, but reviewers might find it useful in other kinds of research synthesis studies. Conclusion This data extraction method itself constitutes a type of integration to preserve the methodological context of findings when statements are read individually and in comparison to each other. PMID:22924808

Knowledge synthesis and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is Canada's premier health-research funding agency. We fund nearly 14,000 researchers and trainees in four theme areas: biomedical, clinical, health services, and population and public-health research. Our mandate is 'to excel according to international standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system'. Knowledge synthesis is a key element of the knowledge-translation objectives of CIHR, as outlined in our definition of knowledge-translation. PMID:22587985

Students' conceptual performance on synthesis physics problems with varying mathematical complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Bashirah; Ding, Lin; Heckler, Andrew F.; White, Daniel R.; Badeau, Ryan

2017-06-01

A body of research on physics problem solving has focused on single-concept problems. In this study we use "synthesis problems" that involve multiple concepts typically taught in different chapters. We use two types of synthesis problems, sequential and simultaneous synthesis tasks. Sequential problems require a consecutive application of fundamental principles, and simultaneous problems require a concurrent application of pertinent concepts. We explore students' conceptual performance when they solve quantitative synthesis problems with varying mathematical complexity. Conceptual performance refers to the identification, follow-up, and correct application of the pertinent concepts. Mathematical complexity is determined by the type and the number of equations to be manipulated concurrently due to the number of unknowns in each equation. Data were collected from written tasks and individual interviews administered to physics major students (N =179 ) enrolled in a second year mechanics course. The results indicate that mathematical complexity does not impact students' conceptual performance on the sequential tasks. In contrast, for the simultaneous problems, mathematical complexity negatively influences the students' conceptual performance. This difference may be explained by the students' familiarity with and confidence in particular concepts coupled with cognitive load associated with manipulating complex quantitative equations. Another explanation pertains to the type of synthesis problems, either sequential or simultaneous task. The students split the situation presented in the sequential synthesis tasks into segments but treated the situation in the simultaneous synthesis tasks as a single event.

Treating Offenders with Mental Illness: A Research Synthesis

PubMed Central

Morgan, Robert D.; Flora, David B.; Kroner, Daryl G.; Mills, Jeremy F.; Varghese, Femina; Steffan, Jarrod S.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research synthesis was to examine treatment effects across studies of the service providers to offenders with mental illness. Meta-analytic techniques were applied to 26 empirical studies obtained from a review of 12,154 research documents. Outcomes of interest in this review included measures of both psychiatric and criminal functioning. Although meta-analytic results are based on a small sample of available studies, results suggest interventions with offenders with mental illness effectively reduced symptoms of distress, improving offender’s ability to cope with their problems, and resulted in improved behavioral markers including institutional adjustment and behavioral functioning. Furthermore, interventions specifically designed to meet the psychiatric and criminal justice needs of offenders with mental illness have shown to produce significant reductions in psychiatric and criminal recidivism. Finally, this review highlighted admission policies and treatment strategies (e.g., use of homework), which produced the most positive benefits. Results of this research synthesis are directly relevant for service providers in both criminal justice and mental health systems (e.g., psychiatric hospitals) as well as community settings by informing treatment strategies for the first time, which are based on empirical evidence. In addition, the implications of these results to policy makers tasked with the responsibility of designating services for this special needs population are highlighted. PMID:22471384

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on aesthetics and fuels management

Treesearch

Robert L. Ryan

2005-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on research addressing aesthetic considerations of fuels management. A general finding is that fuels management activities can contribute to the visual quality of a landscape. Topics covered in the synthesis include research findings on...

Quantitative Market Research Regarding Funding of District 8 Construction Projects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-05-01

The primary objective of this quantitative research is to provide information : for more effective decision making regarding the level of investment in various : transportation systems in District 8. : This objective was accomplished by establishing ...

The impact of dual bronchodilation on cardiovascular serious adverse events and mortality in COPD: a quantitative synthesis

PubMed Central

Rogliani, Paola; Matera, Maria Gabriella; Ora, Josuel; Cazzola, Mario; Calzetta, Luigino

2017-01-01

Objective Long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) and long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) are burdened by the potential risk of inducing cardiovascular serious adverse events (SAEs) in COPD patients. Since the risk of combining a LABA with a LAMA could be greater, we have carried out a quantitative synthesis to investigate the cardiovascular safety profile of LABA/LAMA fixed-dose combinations (FDCs). Methods A pair-wise and network meta-analysis was performed by using the data of the repository database ClinicalTrials.gov concerning the impact of approved LABA/LAMA FDCs versus monocomponents and/or placebo on cardiovascular SAEs in COPD. Results Overall, LABA/LAMA FDCs did not significantly (P>0.05) modulate the risk of cardiovascular SAEs versus monocomponents. However, the network meta-analysis indicated that aclidinium/formoterol 400/12 µg and tiotropium/olodaterol 5/5 µg were the safest FDCs, followed by umeclidinium/vilanterol 62.5/25 µg which was as safe as placebo, whereas glycopyrronium/formoterol 14.9/9.6, glycopyrronium/indacaterol 15.6/27.5 µg, and glycopyrronium/indacaterol 50/110 µg were the least safe FDCs. No impact on mortality was detected for each specific FDC. Conclusion This meta-analysis indicates that LABA/LAMA FDC therapy is characterized by an excellent cardiovascular safety profile in COPD patients. However, the findings of this quantitative synthesis have been obtained from populations that participated in randomized clinical trials, and were devoid of major cardiovascular diseases. Thus, post-marketing surveillance and observational studies may help to better define the real impact of specific FDCs with regard to the cardiovascular risk. PMID:29255354

Solving Quantitative Problems: Guidelines for Teaching Derived from Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramers-Pals, H.; Pilot, A.

1988-01-01

Presents four guidelines for teaching quantitative problem-solving based on research results: analyze difficulties of students, develop a system of heuristics, select and map key relations, and design instruction with proper orientation, exercise, and feedback. Discusses the four guidelines and uses flow charts and diagrams to show how the…

Risk of vicarious trauma in nursing research: a focused mapping review and synthesis.

PubMed

Taylor, Julie; Bradbury-Jones, Caroline; Breckenridge, Jenna P; Jones, Christine; Herber, Oliver Rudolf

2016-10-01

To provide a snapshot of how vicarious trauma is considered within the published nursing research literature. Vicarious trauma (secondary traumatic stress) has been the focus of attention in nursing practice for many years. The most pertinent areas to invoke vicarious trauma in research have been suggested as abuse/violence and death/dying. What is not known is how researchers account for the risks of vicarious trauma in research. Focused mapping review and synthesis. Empirical studies meeting criteria for abuse/violence or death/dying in relevant Scopus ranked top nursing journals (n = 6) January 2009 to December 2014. Relevant papers were scrutinised for the extent to which researchers discussed the risk of vicarious trauma. Aspects of the studies were mapped systematically to a pre-defined template, allowing patterns and gaps in authors' reporting to be determined. These were synthesised into a coherent profile of current reporting practices and from this, a new conceptualisation seeking to anticipate and address the risk of vicarious trauma was developed. Two thousand five hundred and three papers were published during the review period, of which 104 met the inclusion criteria. Studies were distributed evenly by method (52 qualitative; 51 quantitative; one mixed methods) and by focus (54 abuse/violence; 50 death/dying). The majority of studies (98) were carried out in adult populations. Only two papers reported on vicarious trauma. The conceptualisation of vicarious trauma takes account of both sensitivity of the substantive data collected, and closeness of those involved with the research. This might assist researchers in designing ethical and protective research and foreground the importance of managing risks of vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is not well considered in research into clinically important topics. Our proposed framework allows for consideration of these so that precautionary measures can be put in place to minimise harm to staff. © 2016

Synthesis of IES-Funded Research on Mathematics: 2002-2013. NCER 2016-2003

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rittle-Johnson, Bethany; Jordan, Nancy C.

2016-01-01

The focus of the present synthesis reflects the research on programs, practices, and policies intended to improve mathematics outcomes funded through the Institute of Education Sciences' (IES's) National Center for Education Research (NCER) and National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). The authors were asked to review those published…

Is the time right for quantitative public health guidelines on sitting? A narrative review of sedentary behaviour research paradigms and findings.

PubMed

Stamatakis, Emmanuel; Ekelund, Ulf; Ding, Ding; Hamer, Mark; Bauman, Adrian E; Lee, I-Min

2018-06-10

Sedentary behaviour (SB) has been proposed as an 'independent' risk factor for chronic disease risk, attracting much research and media attention. Many countries have included generic, non-quantitative reductions in SB in their public health guidelines and calls for quantitative SB targets are increasing. The aim of this narrative review is to critically evaluate key evidence areas relating to the development of guidance on sitting for adults. We carried out a non-systematic narrative evidence synthesis across seven key areas: (1) definition of SB, (2) independence of sitting from physical activity, (3) use of television viewing as a proxy of sitting, (4) interpretation of SB evidence, (5) evidence on 'sedentary breaks', (6) evidence on objectively measured sedentary SB and mortality and (7) dose response of sitting and mortality/cardiovascular disease. Despite research progress, we still know little about the independent detrimental health effects of sitting, and the possibility that sitting is mostly the inverse of physical activity remains. Unresolved issues include an unclear definition, inconsistencies between mechanistic and epidemiological studies, over-reliance on surrogate outcomes, a very weak epidemiological evidence base to support the inclusion of 'sedentary breaks' in guidelines, reliance on self-reported sitting measures, and misinterpretation of data whereby methodologically inconsistent associations are claimed to be strong evidence. In conclusion, public health guidance requires a consistent evidence base but this is lacking for SB. The development of quantitative SB guidance, using an underdeveloped evidence base, is premature; any further recommendations for sedentary behaviour require development of the evidence base and refinement of the research paradigms used in the field. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise

Expressing Certainty in Discussion Sections of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobakhti, Leila

2013-01-01

This paper investigates how boosters are used by qualitative and quantitative research article writers to express certainty. Boosters are words such as "definitely," "sure," "demonstrate" which signal writers' assurance in what they say. Drawing on a corpus of 200 research articles in Applied Linguistics, this study…

Protocol for a thematic synthesis to identify key themes and messages from a palliative care research network.

PubMed

Nicholson, Emma; Murphy, Tara; Larkin, Philip; Normand, Charles; Guerin, Suzanne

2016-10-21

Research networks that facilitate collaborative research are increasing both regionally and globally and such collaborations contribute greatly to knowledge transfer particularly in health research. The Palliative Care Research Network is an Irish-based network that seeks to create opportunities and engender a collaborative environment to encourage innovative research that is relevant for policy and practice. The current review outlines a methodology to identify cross-cutting messages to identify how dissemination outputs can be optimized to ensure that key messages from this research reaches all knowledge users. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocol guidelines will inform the search and analysis plan to ensure that the synthesis of the data is as rigorous as possible. An approach based on critical interpretative synthesis will be adapted to include a thematic synthesis for the identification of higher-order themes and messages from a body of dissemination products generated by the Palliative Care Research Network. The thematic synthesis outlined in the present protocol offers a novel method of synthesising data from a focused research network that employs a variety of dissemination materials as a means of identifying key themes and messages from a specific body of research. The high-level themes and messages will be identified from the thematic synthesis, widely disseminated and targeted towards a range of stakeholders and knowledge users such as carers, health and social care professionals, policy makers and researchers.

Core Themes in Music Therapy Clinical Improvisation: An Arts-Informed Qualitative Research Synthesis.

PubMed

Meadows, Anthony; Wimpenny, Katherine

2017-07-01

Although clinical improvisation continues to be an important focus of music therapy research and practice, less attention has been given to integrating qualitative research in this area. As a result, this knowledge base tends to be contained within specific areas of practice rather than integrated across practices and approaches. This qualitative research synthesis profiles, integrates, and re-presents qualitative research focused on the ways music therapists and clients engage in, and make meaning from, clinical improvisation. Further, as a conduit for broadening dialogues, opening up this landscape fully, and sharing our response to the analysis and interpretation process, we present an arts-informed re-presentation of this synthesis. Following an eight-step methodological sequence, 13 qualitative studies were synthesized. This included reciprocal and refutational processes associated with synthesizing the primary studies, and additional steps associated with an arts-informed representation. Three themes, professional artistry, performing self, and meaning-making, are presented. Each theme is explored and exemplified through the selected articles, and discussed within a larger theoretical framework. An artistic re-presentation of the data is also presented. Music therapists use complex frameworks through which to engage clients in, and make meaning from, improvisational experiences. Artistic representation of the findings offers an added dimension to the synthesis process, challenging our understanding of representation, and thereby advancing synthesis methodology. © the American Music Therapy Association 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Comparison of methodologic quality and study/report characteristics between quantitative clinical nursing and nursing education research articles.

PubMed

Schneider, Barbara St Pierre; Nicholas, Jennifer; Kurrus, Jeffrey E

2013-01-01

To compare the methodologic quality and study/report characteristics between quantitative clinical nursing and nursing education research articles. The methodologic quality of quantitative nursing education research needs to advance to a higher level. Clinical research can provide guidance for nursing education to reach this level. One hundred quantitative clinical research articles from-high impact journals published in 2007 and 37 education research articles from high impact journals published in 2006 to 2007 were chosen for analysis. Clinical articles had significantly higher quality scores than education articles in three domains: number of institutions studied, type of data, and outcomes. The findings indicate three ways in which nursing education researchers can strengthen the methodologic quality of their quantitative research. With this approach, greater funding may be secured for advancing the science of nursing education.

Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS Second edition Daniel Muijs Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS Second edition £24.99 264pp 9781849203241 1849203245 [Formula: see text].

PubMed

2012-07-19

THIS TEXT is a straightforward, no nonsense guide for novice researchers venturing into research involving quantitative methodologies. It is also an excellent resource to refresh more experienced researchers. It is well written in plain English and encourages researchers to carry out their own analyses.

Synthesis in land change science: methodological patterns, challenges, and guidelines.

PubMed

Magliocca, Nicholas R; Rudel, Thomas K; Verburg, Peter H; McConnell, William J; Mertz, Ole; Gerstner, Katharina; Heinimann, Andreas; Ellis, Erle C

Global and regional economic and environmental changes are increasingly influencing local land-use, livelihoods, and ecosystems. At the same time, cumulative local land changes are driving global and regional changes in biodiversity and the environment. To understand the causes and consequences of these changes, land change science (LCS) draws on a wide array synthetic and meta-study techniques to generate global and regional knowledge from local case studies of land change. Here, we review the characteristics and applications of synthesis methods in LCS and assess the current state of synthetic research based on a meta-analysis of synthesis studies from 1995 to 2012. Publication of synthesis research is accelerating, with a clear trend toward increasingly sophisticated and quantitative methods, including meta-analysis. Detailed trends in synthesis objectives, methods, and land change phenomena and world regions most commonly studied are presented. Significant challenges to successful synthesis research in LCS are also identified, including issues of interpretability and comparability across case-studies and the limits of and biases in the geographic coverage of case studies. Nevertheless, synthesis methods based on local case studies will remain essential for generating systematic global and regional understanding of local land change for the foreseeable future, and multiple opportunities exist to accelerate and enhance the reliability of synthetic LCS research in the future. Demand for global and regional knowledge generation will continue to grow to support adaptation and mitigation policies consistent with both the local realities and regional and global environmental and economic contexts of land change.

Quantitative trait loci and metabolic pathways

PubMed Central

McMullen, M. D.; Byrne, P. F.; Snook, M. E.; Wiseman, B. R.; Lee, E. A.; Widstrom, N. W.; Coe, E. H.

1998-01-01

The interpretation of quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies is limited by the lack of information on metabolic pathways leading to most economic traits. Inferences about the roles of the underlying genes with a pathway or the nature of their interaction with other loci are generally not possible. An exception is resistance to the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) in maize (Zea mays L.) because of maysin, a C-glycosyl flavone synthesized in silks via a branch of the well characterized flavonoid pathway. Our results using flavone synthesis as a model QTL system indicate: (i) the importance of regulatory loci as QTLs, (ii) the importance of interconnecting biochemical pathways on product levels, (iii) evidence for “channeling” of intermediates, allowing independent synthesis of related compounds, (iv) the utility of QTL analysis in clarifying the role of specific genes in a biochemical pathway, and (v) identification of a previously unknown locus on chromosome 9S affecting flavone level. A greater understanding of the genetic basis of maysin synthesis and associated corn earworm resistance should lead to improved breeding strategies. More broadly, the insights gained in relating a defined genetic and biochemical pathway affecting a quantitative trait should enhance interpretation of the biological basis of variation for other quantitative traits. PMID:9482823

Mixed methods in gerontological research: Do the qualitative and quantitative data “touch”?

PubMed Central

Happ, Mary Beth

2010-01-01

This paper distinguishes between parallel and integrated mixed methods research approaches. Barriers to integrated mixed methods approaches in gerontological research are discussed and critiqued. The author presents examples of mixed methods gerontological research to illustrate approaches to data integration at the levels of data analysis, interpretation, and research reporting. As a summary of the methodological literature, four basic levels of mixed methods data combination are proposed. Opportunities for mixing qualitative and quantitative data are explored using contemporary examples from published studies. Data transformation and visual display, judiciously applied, are proposed as pathways to fuller mixed methods data integration and analysis. Finally, practical strategies for mixing qualitative and quantitative data types are explicated as gerontological research moves beyond parallel mixed methods approaches to achieve data integration. PMID:20077973

Synthesis of Iowa research to address rural safety : [tech transfer summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

Information about roadway departures, rural intersections, and : rural speed management countermeasures relevant to Iowa was : summarized on webpages (www.ctre.iastate.edu/research-synthesis/) : to allow agencies to more effectively target specific t...

Academic and Occupational Performance: A Quantitative Synthesis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samson, Gordon E.; And Others

1984-01-01

A synthesis of results from 35 studies of the association between academic and occupational performance in various fields indicated that academic indicators such as grades and test scores account for only 2.4 percent of the variance in occupational performance criteria such as income, job satisfaction, and effectiveness ratings. (Author/BW)

Characteristics of urban parks associated with park use and physical activity: a review of qualitative research.

PubMed

McCormack, Gavin R; Rock, Melanie; Toohey, Ann M; Hignell, Danica

2010-07-01

Given that recent literature reviews on physical activity in urban parks deliberately excluded qualitative findings, we reviewed qualitative research on this topic informed by a published classification scheme based on quantitative research. Twenty-one studies met our inclusion criteria. These studies relied mainly on semi-structured interviews with individuals or in focus groups; only five studies involved in situ observation. Our synthesis aligns with previous quantitative research showing that attributes including safety, aesthetics, amenities, maintenance, and proximity are important for encouraging park use. Furthermore, our synthesis of qualitative research suggests that perceptions of the social environment entwine inextricably with perceptions of the physical environment. If so, physical attributes of parks as well as perceptions of these attributes (formed in relation to broader social contexts) may influence physical activity patterns. Both qualitative and quantitative methods provide useful information for interpreting such patterns, and in particular, when designing and assessing interventions intended to improve the amount and intensity of physical activity. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Refined Synthesis and Characterization of Controlled Diameter, Narrow Size Distribution Microparticles for Aerospace Research Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiemsin, Pacita I.; Wohl, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Flow visualization using polystyrene microspheres (PSL)s has enabled researchers to learn a tremendous amount of information via particle based diagnostic techniques. To better accommodate wind tunnel researchers needs, PSL synthesis via dispersion polymerization has been carried out at NASA Langley Research Center since the late 1980s. When utilizing seed material for flow visualization, size and size distribution are of paramount importance. Therefore, the work described here focused on further refinement of PSL synthesis and characterization. Through controlled variation of synthetic conditions (chemical concentrations, solution stirring speed, temperature, etc.) a robust, controllable procedure was developed. The relationship between particle size and salt concentration, MgSO4, was identified enabling the determination of PSL diameters a priori. Suggestions of future topics related to PSL synthesis, stability, and size variation are also described.

Can We Integrate Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Science Education?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niaz, Mansoor

The main objective of this paper is to emphasize the importance of integrating qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in science education. It is argued that the Kuhnian in commensurability thesis (a major source of inspiration for qualitative researchers) represents an obstacle for this integration. A major thesis of the paper is that qualitative researchers have interpreted the increased popularity of their paradigm (research programme) as a revolutionary break through in the Kuhnian sense. A review of the literature in areas relevant to science education shows that researchers are far from advocating qualitative research as the only methodology. It is concluded that competition between divergent approaches to research in science education (cf. Lakatos, 1970) would provide a better forum for a productive sharing of research experiences.

Incorporating an Interactive Statistics Workshop into an Introductory Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Enhances Students' Statistical Reasoning and Quantitative Literacy Skills.

PubMed

Olimpo, Jeffrey T; Pevey, Ryan S; McCabe, Thomas M

2018-01-01

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide an avenue for student participation in authentic scientific opportunities. Within the context of such coursework, students are often expected to collect, analyze, and evaluate data obtained from their own investigations. Yet, limited research has been conducted that examines mechanisms for supporting students in these endeavors. In this article, we discuss the development and evaluation of an interactive statistics workshop that was expressly designed to provide students with an open platform for graduate teaching assistant (GTA)-mentored data processing, statistical testing, and synthesis of their own research findings. Mixed methods analyses of pre/post-intervention survey data indicated a statistically significant increase in students' reasoning and quantitative literacy abilities in the domain, as well as enhancement of student self-reported confidence in and knowledge of the application of various statistical metrics to real-world contexts. Collectively, these data reify an important role for scaffolded instruction in statistics in preparing emergent scientists to be data-savvy researchers in a globally expansive STEM workforce.

Challenge in Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of Variable Measurements in Quantitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kee, Chang Peng; Osman, Kamisah; Ahmad, Fauziah

2013-01-01

Statistical analysis is one component that cannot be avoided in a quantitative research. Initial observations noted that students in higher education institution faced difficulty analysing quantitative data which were attributed to the confusions of various variable measurements. This paper aims to compare the outcomes of two approaches applied in…

Culturally Sensitive Parent Education: A Critical Review of Quantitative Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorman, Jean Cheng; Balter, Lawrence

1997-01-01

Critically reviews the quantitative literature on culturally sensitive parent education programs, discussing issues of research methodology and program efficacy in producing change among ethnic minority parents and their children. Culturally sensitive programs for African American and Hispanic families are described in detail. Methodological flaws…

Lost in translation? The hazards of applying social constructionism to quantitative research on sexual orientation development.

PubMed

Robboy, Caroline Alex

2002-01-01

This article explores the hazards faced by social constructionists who attempt to conduct quantitative research on sexual orientation development. By critically reviewing two quantitative research studies, this article explores the ways in which the very nature of social constructionist arguments may be incongruous with the methodological requirements of quantitative studies. I suggest this conflict is a result of the differing natures of these two modes of scholarly inquiry. While research requires the acceptance of certain analytical categories, the strength of social constructionism comes from its reflexive scrutiny and problematization of those very categories. Ultimately, social constructionists who try to apply their theories/perspectives must necessarily conform to the methodological constraints of quantitative research. The intent of this article is not to suggest that it is futile or self-contradictory for social constructionists to attempt empirical research, but that these are two distinct modes of scholarly inquiry which can, and should, co-exist in a dialectical relationship to each other.

A global research synthesis of HIV and STI biobehavioral risks in female-to-male (FTM) transgender adults

PubMed Central

Reisner, Sari L.; Murchison, Gabriel R.

2016-01-01

There is a growing interest in HIV infection and sexually transmitted infection (STI) disease burden and risk among transgender people globally; however, the majority of work has been conducted with male-to-female (MTF) transgender populations. This research synthesis comprehensively reviews HIV and STI research in female-to-male (FTM) transgender adults. A paucity of research exists about HIV and STIs in FTMs. Only 25 peer-reviewed papers (18 quantitative, 7 qualitative) and 11 ‘grey literature’ reports were identified, most in the U.S. or Canada, that include data identifying HIV and STI risks in FTMs (five with fully laboratory-confirmed HIV and/or STIs, and five with partial laboratory confirmation). Little is known about the sexual and drug use risk behaviors contributing to HIV and STIs in FTMs. Future directions are suggested, including the need for routine surveillance and monitoring of HIV and STIs globally by transgender identity, more standardized sexual risk assessment measures, targeted data collection in lower and middle income countries, and explicit consideration of the rationale for inclusion/exclusion of FTMs in category-based prevention approaches with MSM and transgender people. Implications for research, policy, programming, and interventions are discussed, including the need to address diverse sexual identities, attractions, and behaviors and engage local FTM communities. PMID:26785800

Levels of reconstruction as complementarity in mixed methods research: a social theory-based conceptual framework for integrating qualitative and quantitative research.

PubMed

Carroll, Linda J; Rothe, J Peter

2010-09-01

Like other areas of health research, there has been increasing use of qualitative methods to study public health problems such as injuries and injury prevention. Likewise, the integration of qualitative and quantitative research (mixed-methods) is beginning to assume a more prominent role in public health studies. Likewise, using mixed-methods has great potential for gaining a broad and comprehensive understanding of injuries and their prevention. However, qualitative and quantitative research methods are based on two inherently different paradigms, and their integration requires a conceptual framework that permits the unity of these two methods. We present a theory-driven framework for viewing qualitative and quantitative research, which enables us to integrate them in a conceptually sound and useful manner. This framework has its foundation within the philosophical concept of complementarity, as espoused in the physical and social sciences, and draws on Bergson's metaphysical work on the 'ways of knowing'. Through understanding how data are constructed and reconstructed, and the different levels of meaning that can be ascribed to qualitative and quantitative findings, we can use a mixed-methods approach to gain a conceptually sound, holistic knowledge about injury phenomena that will enhance our development of relevant and successful interventions.

[Application and Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods in Intervention Studies in Rehabilitation Research].

PubMed

Wirtz, M A; Strohmer, J

2016-06-01

In order to develop and evaluate interventions in rehabilitation research a wide range of empirical research methods may be adopted. Qualitative research methods emphasize the relevance of an open research focus and a natural proximity to research objects. Accordingly, using qualitative methods special benefits may arise if researchers strive to identify and organize unknown information aspects (inductive purpose). Particularly, quantitative research methods require a high degree of standardization and transparency of the research process. Furthermore, a clear definition of efficacy and effectiveness exists (deductive purpose). These paradigmatic approaches are characterized by almost opposite key characteristics, application standards, purposes and quality criteria. Hence, specific aspects have to be regarded if researchers aim to select or combine those approaches in order to ensure an optimal gain in knowledge. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Virtualising the Quantitative Research Methods Course: An Island-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baglin, James; Reece, John; Baker, Jenalle

2015-01-01

Many recent improvements in pedagogical practice have been enabled by the rapid development of innovative technologies, particularly for teaching quantitative research methods and statistics. This study describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a series of specialised computer laboratory sessions. The sessions combined the use of an…

Guidelines for Reporting Quantitative Methods and Results in Primary Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norris, John M.; Plonsky, Luke; Ross, Steven J.; Schoonen, Rob

2015-01-01

Adequate reporting of quantitative research about language learning involves careful consideration of the logic, rationale, and actions underlying both study designs and the ways in which data are analyzed. These guidelines, commissioned and vetted by the board of directors of "Language Learning," outline the basic expectations for…

University Students' Understanding of the Concepts Empirical, Theoretical, Qualitative and Quantitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murtonen, Mari

2015-01-01

University research education in many disciplines is frequently confronted by problems with students' weak level of understanding of research concepts. A mind map technique was used to investigate how students understand central methodological concepts of empirical, theoretical, qualitative and quantitative. The main hypothesis was that some…

A review of state-of-the-art stereology for better quantitative 3D morphology in cardiac research.

PubMed

Mühlfeld, Christian; Nyengaard, Jens Randel; Mayhew, Terry M

2010-01-01

The aim of stereological methods in biomedical research is to obtain quantitative information about three-dimensional (3D) features of tissues, cells, or organelles from two-dimensional physical or optical sections. With immunogold labeling, stereology can even be used for the quantitative analysis of the distribution of molecules within tissues and cells. Nowadays, a large number of design-based stereological methods offer an efficient quantitative approach to intriguing questions in cardiac research, such as "Is there a significant loss of cardiomyocytes during progression from ventricular hypertrophy to heart failure?" or "Does a specific treatment reduce the degree of fibrosis in the heart?" Nevertheless, the use of stereological methods in cardiac research is rare. The present review article demonstrates how some of the potential pitfalls in quantitative microscopy may be avoided. To this end, we outline the concepts of design-based stereology and illustrate their practical applications to a wide range of biological questions in cardiac research. We hope that the present article will stimulate researchers in cardiac research to incorporate design-based stereology into their study designs, thus promoting an unbiased quantitative 3D microscopy.

Preliminary research on eddy current bobbin quantitative test for heat exchange tube in nuclear power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Pan; Shao, Wenbin; Liao, Shusheng

2016-02-01

For quantitative defects detection research on heat transfer tube in nuclear power plants (NPP), two parts of work are carried out based on the crack as the main research objects. (1) Production optimization of calibration tube. Firstly, ASME, RSEM and homemade crack calibration tubes are applied to quantitatively analyze the defects depth on other designed crack test tubes, and then the judgment with quantitative results under crack calibration tube with more accuracy is given. Base on that, weight analysis of influence factors for crack depth quantitative test such as crack orientation, length, volume and so on can be undertaken, which will optimize manufacture technology of calibration tubes. (2) Quantitative optimization of crack depth. Neural network model with multi-calibration curve adopted to optimize natural crack test depth generated in in-service tubes shows preliminary ability to improve quantitative accuracy.

Mixing qualitative and quantitative research in developmental science: uses and methodological choices.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Weisner, Thomas S; Kalil, Ariel; Way, Niobe

2008-03-01

Multiple methods are vital to understanding development as a dynamic, transactional process. This article focuses on the ways in which quantitative and qualitative methodologies can be combined to enrich developmental science and the study of human development, focusing on the practical questions of "when" and "how." Research situations that may be especially suited to mixing qualitative and quantitative approaches are described. The authors also discuss potential choices for using mixed quantitative- qualitative approaches in study design, sampling, construction of measures or interview protocols, collaborations, and data analysis relevant to developmental science. Finally, they discuss some common pitfalls that occur in mixing these methods and include suggestions for surmounting them.

Incorporating an Interactive Statistics Workshop into an Introductory Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Enhances Students’ Statistical Reasoning and Quantitative Literacy Skills †

PubMed Central

Olimpo, Jeffrey T.; Pevey, Ryan S.; McCabe, Thomas M.

2018-01-01

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide an avenue for student participation in authentic scientific opportunities. Within the context of such coursework, students are often expected to collect, analyze, and evaluate data obtained from their own investigations. Yet, limited research has been conducted that examines mechanisms for supporting students in these endeavors. In this article, we discuss the development and evaluation of an interactive statistics workshop that was expressly designed to provide students with an open platform for graduate teaching assistant (GTA)-mentored data processing, statistical testing, and synthesis of their own research findings. Mixed methods analyses of pre/post-intervention survey data indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ reasoning and quantitative literacy abilities in the domain, as well as enhancement of student self-reported confidence in and knowledge of the application of various statistical metrics to real-world contexts. Collectively, these data reify an important role for scaffolded instruction in statistics in preparing emergent scientists to be data-savvy researchers in a globally expansive STEM workforce. PMID:29904549

Quantitative Image Informatics for Cancer Research (QIICR) | Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR)

Cancer.gov

Imaging has enormous untapped potential to improve cancer research through software to extract and process morphometric and functional biomarkers. In the era of non-cytotoxic treatment agents, multi- modality image-guided ablative therapies and rapidly evolving computational resources, quantitative imaging software can be transformative in enabling minimally invasive, objective and reproducible evaluation of cancer treatment response. Post-processing algorithms are integral to high-throughput analysis and fine- grained differentiation of multiple molecular targets.

Undergraduate Research as Chemical Education--A Symposium: An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment: The Total Synthesis of Maytansine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Thomas E.

1984-01-01

An undergraduate research program in natural product synthesis was established at a small liberal arts college. Discusses program goals (including the total synthesis of maytansine), objectives, and accomplishments to date. Guidelines for establishing such programs are offered. (JN)

Integrating Sociological Research into Large Introductory Courses: Learning Content and Increasing Quantitative Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Maxine P.; Czaja, Ronald F.; Brewster, Zachary B.

2006-01-01

Sociologists can make meaningful contributions to quantitative literacy by teaching sociological research skills in sociology classes, including introductory courses. We report on the effectiveness of requiring a research module in a large introductory class. The module is designed to teach both basic research skills and to increase awareness of…

The Evolution of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Classes when Delivered via Distance Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hecht, Jeffrey B.; Klass, Patricia H.

This study examined whether new streamed Internet audio and video technology could be used for primary instruction in off-campus research classes. Several different off-campus student cohorts at Illinois State university enrolled in both a fall semester qualitative research methods class and a spring semester quantitative research methods class.…

L-Phenylalanine catabolism and 2-phenylethanol synthesis in Yarrowia lipolytica--mapping molecular identities through whole-proteome quantitative mass spectrometry analysis.

PubMed

Celińska, Ewelina; Olkowicz, Mariola; Grajek, Włodzimierz

2015-08-01

A world-wide effort is now being pursued towards the development of flavors and fragrances (F&F) production independently from traditional sources, as well as autonomously from depleting fossil fuel supplies. Biotechnological production of F&F by microbes has emerged as a vivid solution to the current market limitations. Amongst a wide variety of fragrant chemicals, 2-PE is of significant interest to both scientific and industrial community. Although the general overview of the 2-PE synthesis pathway is commonly known, involvement of particular molecular identities in this pathway has not been elucidated in Yarrowia lipolytica to date. The aim of this study was mapping molecular identities involved in 2-PE synthesis in Y. lipolytica. To acquire a comprehensive landscape of the proteins that are directly and indirectly involved in L-Phe degradation and 2-PE synthesis, we took advantage of comprehensibility and sensitivity of high-throughput LC-MS/MS-quantitative analysis. Amongst a number of proteins involved in amino acid turnover and the central carbon metabolism, enzymes involved in L-Phe conversion to 2-PE have been identified. Results on yeast-to-hyphae transition in relation to the character of the provided nitrogen source have been presented. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Content Analysis of Quantitative Research in Journal of Marital and Family Therapy: A 10-Year Review.

PubMed

Parker, Elizabeth O; Chang, Jennifer; Thomas, Volker

2016-01-01

We examined the trends of quantitative research over the past 10 years in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT). Specifically, within the JMFT, we investigated the types and trends of research design and statistical analysis within the quantitative research that was published in JMFT from 2005 to 2014. We found that while the amount of peer-reviewed articles have increased over time, the percentage of quantitative research has remained constant. We discussed the types and trends of statistical analysis and the implications for clinical work and training programs in the field of marriage and family therapy. © 2016 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Exploring the use of storytelling in quantitative research fields using a multiple case study method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, Lori N. Hamlet

The purpose of this study was to explore the emerging use of storytelling in quantitative research fields. The focus was not on examining storytelling in research, but rather how stories are used in various ways within the social context of quantitative research environments. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven professionals who had experience using storytelling in their work and my personal experience with the subject matter was also used as a source of data according to the notion of researcher-as-instrument. This study is qualitative in nature and is guided by two supporting theoretical frameworks, the sociological perspective and narrative inquiry. A multiple case study methodology was used to gain insight about why participants decided to use stories or storytelling in a quantitative research environment that may not be traditionally open to such methods. This study also attempted to identify how storytelling can strengthen or supplement existing research, as well as what value stories can provide to the practice of research in general. Five thematic findings emerged from the data and were grouped under two headings, "Experiencing Research" and "Story Work." The themes were found to be consistent with four main theoretical functions of storytelling identified in existing scholarly literature: (a) sense-making; (b) meaning-making; (c) culture; and (d) communal function. The five thematic themes that emerged from this study and were consistent with the existing literature include: (a) social context; (b) quantitative versus qualitative; (c) we think and learn in terms of stories; (d) stories tie experiences together; and (e) making sense and meaning. Recommendations are offered in the form of implications for various social contexts and topics for further research are presented as well.

Alternative Fuel Research in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Surgenor, Angela D.; Klettlinger, Jennifer L.; Yen, Chia H.; Nakley, Leah M.

2011-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center has recently constructed an Alternative Fuels Laboratory which is solely being used to perform Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) reactor studies, novel catalyst development and thermal stability experiments. Facility systems have demonstrated reliability and consistency for continuous and safe operations in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The purpose of this test facility is to conduct bench scale Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) catalyst screening experiments while focusing on reducing energy inputs, reducing CO2 emissions and increasing product yields within the F-T process. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is considered a gas to liquid process which reacts syn-gas (a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide), over the surface of a catalyst material which is then converted into liquids of various hydrocarbon chain length and product distributions1. These hydrocarbons can then be further processed into higher quality liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel. The experiments performed in this laboratory will enable the investigation of F-T reaction kinetics to focus on newly formulated catalysts, improved process conditions and enhanced catalyst activation methods. Currently the facility has the capability of performing three simultaneous reactor screening tests, along with a fourth fixed-bed reactor used solely for cobalt catalyst activation.

A Systematic Review of Research on the Flipped Learning Method in Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karabulut-Ilgu, Aliye; Jaramillo Cherrez, Nadia; Jahren, Charles T.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the current state of knowledge and practice in the flipped learning approach in engineering education and to provide guidance for practitioners by critically appraising and summarizing existing research. This article is a qualitative synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research investigating the…

Quantitative Non-canonical Amino Acid Tagging (QuaNCAT) Proteomics Identifies Distinct Patterns of Protein Synthesis Rapidly Induced by Hypertrophic Agents in Cardiomyocytes, Revealing New Aspects of Metabolic Remodeling*

PubMed Central

Liu, Rui; Kenney, Justin W.; Manousopoulou, Antigoni; Johnston, Harvey E.; Kamei, Makoto; Woelk, Christopher H.; Xie, Jianling; Schwarzer, Michael; Proud, Christopher G.

2016-01-01

Cardiomyocytes undergo growth and remodeling in response to specific pathological or physiological conditions. In the former, myocardial growth is a risk factor for cardiac failure and faster protein synthesis is a major factor driving cardiomyocyte growth. Our goal was to quantify the rapid effects of different pro-hypertrophic stimuli on the synthesis of specific proteins in ARVC and to determine whether such effects are caused by alterations on mRNA abundance or the translation of specific mRNAs. Cardiomyocytes have very low rates of protein synthesis, posing a challenging problem in terms of studying changes in the synthesis of specific proteins, which also applies to other nondividing primary cells. To study the rates of accumulation of specific proteins in these cells, we developed an optimized version of the Quantitative Noncanonical Amino acid Tagging LC/MS proteomic method to label and selectively enrich newly synthesized proteins in these primary cells while eliminating the suppressive effects of pre-existing and highly abundant nonisotope-tagged polypeptides. Our data revealed that a classical pathologic (phenylephrine; PE) and the recently identified insulin stimulus that also contributes to the development of pathological cardiac hypertrophy (insulin), both increased the synthesis of proteins involved in, e.g. glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and beta-oxidation, and sarcomeric components. However, insulin increased synthesis of many metabolic enzymes to a greater extent than PE. Using a novel validation method, we confirmed that synthesis of selected candidates is indeed up-regulated by PE and insulin. Synthesis of all proteins studied was up-regulated by signaling through mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 without changes in their mRNA levels, showing the key importance of translational control in the rapid effects of hypertrophic stimuli. Expression of PKM2 was up-regulated in rat hearts following TAC. This isoform possesses specific regulatory

Fostering Self-Regulation of Students with Learning Disabilities: Insights from 30 Years of Reading Comprehension Intervention Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkeley, Sheri; Larsen, Anna

2018-01-01

Thirty years of intervention research on the effects of reading comprehension strategies for students with learning disabilities was reviewed in this quantitative synthesis. Specifically, researchers targeted studies that contained self-regulated learning components. A systematic search yielded 18 studies from nine research journals that met…

Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches Creswell John W Sage 320 £29 0761924426 0761924426 [Formula: see text].

PubMed

2004-09-01

The second edition of Creswell's book has been significantly revised and updated. The author clearly sets out three approaches to research: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. As someone who has used mixed methods in my research, it is refreshing to read a textbook that addresses this. The differences between the approaches are clearly identified and a rationale for using each methodological stance provided.

Using mixed methods in health research

PubMed Central

Woodman, Jenny

2013-01-01

Summary Mixed methods research is the use of quantitative and qualitative methods in a single study or series of studies. It is an emergent methodology which is increasingly used by health researchers, especially within health services research. There is a growing literature on the theory, design and critical appraisal of mixed methods research. However, there are few papers that summarize this methodological approach for health practitioners who wish to conduct or critically engage with mixed methods studies. The objective of this paper is to provide an accessible introduction to mixed methods for clinicians and researchers unfamiliar with this approach. We present a synthesis of key methodological literature on mixed methods research, with examples from our own work and that of others, to illustrate the practical applications of this approach within health research. We summarize definitions of mixed methods research, the value of this approach, key aspects of study design and analysis, and discuss the potential challenges of combining quantitative and qualitative methods and data. One of the key challenges within mixed methods research is the successful integration of quantitative and qualitative data during analysis and interpretation. However, the integration of different types of data can generate insights into a research question, resulting in enriched understanding of complex health research problems. PMID:23885291

Quantitative chemical proteomics profiling of de novo protein synthesis during starvation-mediated autophagy

PubMed Central

Wang, Jigang; Zhang, Jianbin; Lee, Yew-Mun; Koh, Pin-Lang; Ng, Shukie; Bao, Feichao; Lin, Qingsong; Shen, Han-Ming

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Autophagy is an intracellular degradation mechanism in response to nutrient starvation. Via autophagy, some nonessential cellular constituents are degraded in a lysosome-dependent manner to generate biomolecules that can be utilized for maintaining the metabolic homeostasis. Although it is known that under starvation the global protein synthesis is significantly reduced mainly due to suppression of MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin serine/threonine kinase), emerging evidence demonstrates that de novo protein synthesis is involved in the autophagic process. However, characterizing these de novo proteins has been an issue with current techniques. Here, we developed a novel method to identify newly synthesized proteins during starvation-mediated autophagy by combining bio-orthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQTM). Using bio-orthogonal metabolic tagging, L-azidohomoalanine (AHA) was incorporated into newly synthesized proteins which were then enriched with avidin beads after a click reaction between alkyne-bearing biotin and AHA's bio-orthogonal azide moiety. The enriched proteins were subjected to iTRAQ labeling for protein identification and quantification using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Via the above approach, we identified and quantified a total of 1176 proteins and among them 711 proteins were found to meet our defined criteria as de novo synthesized proteins during starvation-mediated autophagy. The characterized functional profiles of the 711 newly synthesized proteins by bioinformatics analysis suggest their roles in ensuring the prosurvival outcome of autophagy. Finally, we performed validation assays for some selected proteins and found that knockdown of some genes has a significant impact on starvation-induced autophagy. Thus, we think that the BONCAT-iTRAQ approach is effective in the identification of newly synthesized proteins and

Quantitative chemical proteomics profiling of de novo protein synthesis during starvation-mediated autophagy.

PubMed

Wang, Jigang; Zhang, Jianbin; Lee, Yew-Mun; Koh, Pin-Lang; Ng, Shukie; Bao, Feichao; Lin, Qingsong; Shen, Han-Ming

2016-10-02

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation mechanism in response to nutrient starvation. Via autophagy, some nonessential cellular constituents are degraded in a lysosome-dependent manner to generate biomolecules that can be utilized for maintaining the metabolic homeostasis. Although it is known that under starvation the global protein synthesis is significantly reduced mainly due to suppression of MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin serine/threonine kinase), emerging evidence demonstrates that de novo protein synthesis is involved in the autophagic process. However, characterizing these de novo proteins has been an issue with current techniques. Here, we developed a novel method to identify newly synthesized proteins during starvation-mediated autophagy by combining bio-orthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ TM ). Using bio-orthogonal metabolic tagging, L-azidohomoalanine (AHA) was incorporated into newly synthesized proteins which were then enriched with avidin beads after a click reaction between alkyne-bearing biotin and AHA's bio-orthogonal azide moiety. The enriched proteins were subjected to iTRAQ labeling for protein identification and quantification using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Via the above approach, we identified and quantified a total of 1176 proteins and among them 711 proteins were found to meet our defined criteria as de novo synthesized proteins during starvation-mediated autophagy. The characterized functional profiles of the 711 newly synthesized proteins by bioinformatics analysis suggest their roles in ensuring the prosurvival outcome of autophagy. Finally, we performed validation assays for some selected proteins and found that knockdown of some genes has a significant impact on starvation-induced autophagy. Thus, we think that the BONCAT-iTRAQ approach is effective in the identification of newly synthesized proteins and provides

Quantitative analysis of the synthesis and secretion of type VII collagen in cultured human dermal fibroblasts with a sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay.

PubMed

Amano, Satoshi; Ogura, Yuki; Akutsu, Nobuko; Nishiyama, Toshio

2007-02-01

Type VII collagen is the major component of anchoring fibrils in the epidermal basement membrane. Its expression has been analyzed by immunostaining or Northern blotting, but rarely at the protein level. In this study, we have quantitatively examined the effects of ascorbic acid and various cytokines/growth factors on the protein synthesis and secretion of type VII collagen by human dermal fibroblasts in culture, using a developed, highly sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay with two kinds of specific monoclonal antibodies against the non-collagenous domain-1. Ascorbic acid and its derivative induced a twofold increase in type VII collagen synthesis, and markedly increased the secretion of type VII collagen into the medium when compared with the control culture. This effect was not influenced by the presence of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). The synthesis of type VII collagen was elevated by TGF-beta1, platelet-derived growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1beta, but not by TGF-alpha. Thus, our data indicate that the synthesis and secretion of type VII collagen in human dermal fibroblasts are regulated by ascorbate and the enhancement of type VII collagen gene expression by cytokines/growth factors is accompanied with elevated production of type VII collagen at the protein level.

Race, Ethnicity, and Higher Education Policy: The Use of Critical Quantitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teranishi, Robert T.

2007-01-01

Cross-sectional frameworks, or between-group approaches, in quantitative research in higher education have limitations that hinder what we know about the intersection of race and educational opportunities and outcomes. (Contains 5 figures.)

Click mechanochemistry: quantitative synthesis of "ready to use" chiral organocatalysts by efficient two-fold thiourea coupling to vicinal diamines.

PubMed

Štrukil, Vjekoslav; Igrc, Marina D; Eckert-Maksić, Mirjana; Friščić, Tomislav

2012-07-02

Mechanochemical methods of neat grinding and liquid-assisted grinding have been applied to the synthesis of mono- and bis(thiourea)s by using the click coupling of aromatic and aliphatic diamines with aromatic isothiocyanates. The ability to modify the reaction conditions allowed the optimization of each reaction, leading to the quantitative formation of chiral bis(thiourea)s with known uses as organocatalysts or anion sensors. Quantitative reaction yields, combined with the fact that mechanochemical reaction conditions avoid the use of bulk solvents, enabled solution-based purification methods (such as chromatography or recrystallization) to be completely avoided. Importantly, by using selected model reactions, we also show that the described mechanochemical reaction procedures can be readily scaled up to at least the one-gram scale. In that way, mechanochemical synthesis provides a facile method to fully transform valuable enantiomerically pure reagents into useful products that can immediately be applied in their designed purpose. This was demonstrated by using some of the mechanochemically prepared reagents as organocatalysts in a model Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction and as cyanide ion sensors in organic solvents. The use of electronically and sterically hindered ortho-phenylenediamine revealed that mechanochemical reaction conditions can be readily optimized to form either the 1:1 or the 1:2 click-coupling product, demonstrating that reaction stoichiometry can be more efficiently controlled under these conditions than in solution-based syntheses. In this way, it was shown that excellent stoichiometric control by mechanochemistry, previously established for mechanochemical syntheses of cocrystals and coordination polymers, can also be achieved in the context of covalent-bond formation. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Quantitative methods used in Australian health promotion research: a review of publications from 1992-2002.

PubMed

Smith, Ben J; Zehle, Katharina; Bauman, Adrian E; Chau, Josephine; Hawkshaw, Barbara; Frost, Steven; Thomas, Margaret

2006-04-01

This study examined the use of quantitative methods in Australian health promotion research in order to identify methodological trends and priorities for strengthening the evidence base for health promotion. Australian health promotion articles were identified by hand searching publications from 1992-2002 in six journals: Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Australian and New Zealand journal of Public Health, Health Promotion International, Health Education Research, Health Education and Behavior and the American Journal of Health Promotion. The study designs and statistical methods used in articles presenting quantitative research were recorded. 591 (57.7%) of the 1,025 articles used quantitative methods. Cross-sectional designs were used in the majority (54.3%) of studies with pre- and post-test (14.6%) and post-test only (9.5%) the next most common designs. Bivariate statistical methods were used in 45.9% of papers, multivariate methods in 27.1% and simple numbers and proportions in 25.4%. Few studies used higher-level statistical techniques. While most studies used quantitative methods, the majority were descriptive in nature. The study designs and statistical methods used provided limited scope for demonstrating intervention effects or understanding the determinants of change.

Best practices for achieving and measuring pavement smoothness, a synthesis of state-of-practice : research project capsule.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

The objective of this research is to provide a synthesis of state-of-practice : that will summarize existing practices for achieving the desired ride quality : for asphalt and concrete paving. The specic goals of this synthesis will : be to docume...

APA Reporting Standards in Quantitative Research Dissertations from an Online EdD Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salgado, Griselle

2013-01-01

This study was an investigation of the reporting practices in dissertations with quantitative research designs produced by students enrolled in an online Doctor of Education (EdD) program, one that follows the American Psychological Association (APA) standards for reporting research. Limited, empirical information exists about the competencies in…

A Quantitative Proteomics Approach to Clinical Research with Non-Traditional Samples

PubMed Central

Licier, Rígel; Miranda, Eric; Serrano, Horacio

2016-01-01

The proper handling of samples to be analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS) can guarantee excellent results and a greater depth of analysis when working in quantitative proteomics. This is critical when trying to assess non-traditional sources such as ear wax, saliva, vitreous humor, aqueous humor, tears, nipple aspirate fluid, breast milk/colostrum, cervical-vaginal fluid, nasal secretions, bronco-alveolar lavage fluid, and stools. We intend to provide the investigator with relevant aspects of quantitative proteomics and to recognize the most recent clinical research work conducted with atypical samples and analyzed by quantitative proteomics. Having as reference the most recent and different approaches used with non-traditional sources allows us to compare new strategies in the development of novel experimental models. On the other hand, these references help us to contribute significantly to the understanding of the proportions of proteins in different proteomes of clinical interest and may lead to potential advances in the emerging field of precision medicine. PMID:28248241

A Quantitative Proteomics Approach to Clinical Research with Non-Traditional Samples.

PubMed

Licier, Rígel; Miranda, Eric; Serrano, Horacio

2016-10-17

The proper handling of samples to be analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS) can guarantee excellent results and a greater depth of analysis when working in quantitative proteomics. This is critical when trying to assess non-traditional sources such as ear wax, saliva, vitreous humor, aqueous humor, tears, nipple aspirate fluid, breast milk/colostrum, cervical-vaginal fluid, nasal secretions, bronco-alveolar lavage fluid, and stools. We intend to provide the investigator with relevant aspects of quantitative proteomics and to recognize the most recent clinical research work conducted with atypical samples and analyzed by quantitative proteomics. Having as reference the most recent and different approaches used with non-traditional sources allows us to compare new strategies in the development of novel experimental models. On the other hand, these references help us to contribute significantly to the understanding of the proportions of proteins in different proteomes of clinical interest and may lead to potential advances in the emerging field of precision medicine.

Advancing the study of violence against women using mixed methods: integrating qualitative methods into a quantitative research program.

PubMed

Testa, Maria; Livingston, Jennifer A; VanZile-Tamsen, Carol

2011-02-01

A mixed methods approach, combining quantitative with qualitative data methods and analysis, offers a promising means of advancing the study of violence. Integrating semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis into a quantitative program of research on women's sexual victimization has resulted in valuable scientific insight and generation of novel hypotheses for testing. This mixed methods approach is described and recommendations for integrating qualitative data into quantitative research are provided.

Managing the Public Sector Research and Development Portfolio Selection Process: A Case Study of Quantitative Selection and Optimization

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

PUBLIC SECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO SELECTION PROCESS: A CASE STUDY OF QUANTITATIVE SELECTION AND OPTIMIZATION by Jason A. Schwartz...PUBLIC SECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO SELECTION PROCESS: A CASE STUDY OF QUANTITATIVE SELECTION AND OPTIMIZATION 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6...describing how public sector organizations can implement a research and development (R&D) portfolio optimization strategy to maximize the cost

A Synthesis of the Research on Alternative Assessment Methods in Teacher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glowacki, Margaret L.; Steele, D. Joyce

This synthesis of research on alternative assessment methods in teacher education reviews literature on performance assessment, describing the various types of assessment discussed by M. Priestley (1982), including: (1) actual performance assessments (work-sample tests, identification tests, supervisor ratings, peer ratings, and self-assessments);…

Evaluating interventions against Salmonella in broiler chickens: applying synthesis research in support of quantitative exposure assessment.

PubMed

Bucher, O; Fazil, A; Rajić, A; Farrar, A; Wills, R; McEwen, S A

2012-05-01

A scoping study and systematic review-meta-analyses (SR-MAs) were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of various interventions for Salmonella in broiler chicken, from grow-out farm to secondary processing. The resulting information was used to inform a quantitative exposure assessment (QEA) comparing various control options within the context of broiler chicken production in Ontario, Canada. Multiple scenarios, including use of two separate on-farm interventions (CF3 competitive exclusion culture and a 2% lactose water additive), a package of processing interventions (a sodium hydroxide scald water disinfectant, a chlorinated post-evisceration spray, a trisodium phosphate pre-chill spray and chlorinated immersion chilling) a package consisting of these farm and processing interventions and a hypothetical scenario (reductions in between-flock prevalence and post-transport concentration), were simulated and compared to a baseline scenario. The package of on-farm and processing interventions was the most effective in achieving relative reductions (compared to baseline with no interventions) in the concentration and prevalence of Salmonella by the end of chilling ranging from 89·94% to 99·87% and 43·88% to 87·78%, respectively. Contaminated carcasses entering defeathering, reductions in concentration due to scalding and post-evisceration washing, and the potential for cross-contamination during chilling had the largest influence on the model outcomes under the current assumptions. Scoping study provided a transparent process for mapping out and selecting promising interventions, while SR-MA was useful for generating more precise and robust intervention effect estimates for QEA. Realization of the full potential of these methods was hampered by low methodological soundness and reporting of primary research in this area.

Field Usage of Alternative Deicers for Snow and Ice Control : Transportation Research Synthesis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-09-01

This Transportation Research Synthesis (TRS) summarizes non-chloride based deicers available on the market at this time, including acetate, formate, glycol, and succinate based deicing products. This report explores their feasibility for use as alter...

Regional intelligence and suicide rate: new data for Australia and a synthesis of research.

PubMed

Voracek, Martin

2007-08-01

Previous research has shown for the most part positive correlations between intelligence and suicide prevalence on the national level. However, this study found proxies for regional intelligence in Australia (international average domain scores from the PISA 2000 study) to be significantly negatively correlated with the total, male, and female suicide rates of the different administrative divisions of Australia, and this finding was independent of regional wealth. A research synthesis of the current results and those from similar studies of other countries (positive correlations for Austria, Belarus, The British Isles, Denmark, and The Netherlands; inconclusive findings for France, Germany, and the USA) was conducted. This synthesis of research findings showed that positive ecological correlations of intelligence with suicide rate were more likely observed for nations with higher suicide rates and poorer general living conditions, whereas there was no relation with national IQ.

Examining the Inclusion of Quantitative Research in a Meta-Ethnographic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booker, Rhae-Ann Richardson

2010-01-01

This study explored how one might extend meta-ethnography to quantitative research for the advancement of interpretive review methods. Using the same population of 139 studies on racial-ethnic matching as data, my investigation entailed an extended meta-ethnography (EME) and comparison of its results to a published meta-analysis (PMA). Adhering to…

ADVANCING THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN USING MIXED METHODS: INTEGRATING QUALITATIVE METHODS INTO A QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

PubMed Central

Testa, Maria; Livingston, Jennifer A.; VanZile-Tamsen, Carol

2011-01-01

A mixed methods approach, combining quantitative with qualitative data methods and analysis, offers a promising means of advancing the study of violence. Integrating semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis into a quantitative program of research on women’s sexual victimization has resulted in valuable scientific insight and generation of novel hypotheses for testing. This mixed methods approach is described and recommendations for integrating qualitative data into quantitative research are provided. PMID:21307032

The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education: A Synthesis of Research across Content Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aronson, Brittany; Laughter, Judson

2016-01-01

Many teachers and educational researchers have claimed to adopt tenets of culturally relevant education (CRE). However, recent work describes how standardized curricula and testing have marginalized CRE in educational reform discourses. In this synthesis of research, we sought examples of research connecting CRE to positive student outcomes across…

Investigating Vocabulary and Reading Strategies with Middle Grades English Language Learners: A Research Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cisco, Brooke Kandel; Padron, Yolanda

2012-01-01

Recent data indicate that many adolescent English language learners (ELLs) comprehend English texts at only a limited literal level. The purpose of this research synthesis was to systematically identify and describe the research related to the English reading comprehension of middle grades ELLs while also making practical connections to…

Parenting and childhood obesity research: a quantitative content analysis of published research 2009-2015.

PubMed

Gicevic, S; Aftosmes-Tobio, A; Manganello, J A; Ganter, C; Simon, C L; Newlan, S; Davison, K K

2016-08-01

A quantitative content analysis of research on parenting and childhood obesity was conducted to describe the recent literature and to identify gaps to address in future research. Studies were identified from multiple databases and screened according to an a priori defined protocol. Eligible studies included non-intervention studies, published in English (January 2009-December 2015) that focused on parenting and childhood obesity and included parent participants. Studies eligible for inclusion (N = 667) focused on diet (57%), physical activity (23%) and sedentary behaviours (12%). The vast majority of studies used quantitative methods (80%) and a cross-sectional design (86%). Few studies focused exclusively on fathers (1%) or included non-residential (1%), non-biological (4%), indigenous (1%), immigrant (7%), ethnic/racial minority (15%) or low-socioeconomic status (19%) parents. While results illustrate that parenting in the context of childhood obesity is a robust, global and multidisciplinary area of inquiry, it is also evident that the vast majority of studies are conducted among Caucasian, female, biological caregivers living in westernized countries. Expansion of study foci and design is recommended to capture a wider range of caregiver types and obesity-related parenting constructs, improve the validity and generalizability of findings and inform the development of culture-specific childhood obesity prevention interventions and policies. © 2016 World Obesity. © 2016 World Obesity.

Advanced quantitative measurement methodology in physics education research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jing

The ultimate goal of physics education research (PER) is to develop a theoretical framework to understand and improve the learning process. In this journey of discovery, assessment serves as our headlamp and alpenstock. It sometimes detects signals in student mental structures, and sometimes presents the difference between expert understanding and novice understanding. Quantitative assessment is an important area in PER. Developing research-based effective assessment instruments and making meaningful inferences based on these instruments have always been important goals of the PER community. Quantitative studies are often conducted to provide bases for test development and result interpretation. Statistics are frequently used in quantitative studies. The selection of statistical methods and interpretation of the results obtained by these methods shall be connected to the education background. In this connecting process, the issues of educational models are often raised. Many widely used statistical methods do not make assumptions on the mental structure of subjects, nor do they provide explanations tailored to the educational audience. There are also other methods that consider the mental structure and are tailored to provide strong connections between statistics and education. These methods often involve model assumption and parameter estimation, and are complicated mathematically. The dissertation provides a practical view of some advanced quantitative assessment methods. The common feature of these methods is that they all make educational/psychological model assumptions beyond the minimum mathematical model. The purpose of the study is to provide a comparison between these advanced methods and the pure mathematical methods. The comparison is based on the performance of the two types of methods under physics education settings. In particular, the comparison uses both physics content assessments and scientific ability assessments. The dissertation includes three

A Synthesis on Digital Games in Education: What the Research Literature Says from 2000 to 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritzhaupt, Albert; Poling, Nathaniel; Frey, Christopher; Johnson, Margeaux

2014-01-01

This research reports the results of a literature synthesis conducted on digital gaming in education research literature. Seventy-three digital gaming research articles in education were identified through a systematic literature search and were coded across several relevant criteria. Our research indicates trends and patterns from empirical…

Criteria for quantitative and qualitative data integration: mixed-methods research methodology.

PubMed

Lee, Seonah; Smith, Carrol A M

2012-05-01

Many studies have emphasized the need and importance of a mixed-methods approach for evaluation of clinical information systems. However, those studies had no criteria to guide integration of multiple data sets. Integrating different data sets serves to actualize the paradigm that a mixed-methods approach argues; thus, we require criteria that provide the right direction to integrate quantitative and qualitative data. The first author used a set of criteria organized from a literature search for integration of multiple data sets from mixed-methods research. The purpose of this article was to reorganize the identified criteria. Through critical appraisal of the reasons for designing mixed-methods research, three criteria resulted: validation, complementarity, and discrepancy. In applying the criteria to empirical data of a previous mixed methods study, integration of quantitative and qualitative data was achieved in a systematic manner. It helped us obtain a better organized understanding of the results. The criteria of this article offer the potential to produce insightful analyses of mixed-methods evaluations of health information systems.

Exploring Views on Heritage Language Use and Bilingual Acquisition: Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence from Teachers and Immigrant Students in the Greek Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griva, Eleni; Kiliari, Angeliki; Stamou, Anastasia G.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a synthesis of a series of studies, carried out by our research groups, from the Greek educational context on teachers' and immigrant students' views on issues of bilingual acquisition and of heritage language learning and teaching. Albeit including heterogeneous samples and employing quantitative and qualitative…

Intersecting Interests: Qualitative Research Synthesis on Art in the Social Work Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wehbi, Samantha; Cowell, Amanda; Perreault-Laird, Jordyn; El-Lahib, Yahya; Straka, Silvia

2017-01-01

This paper reports on a qualitative research synthesis that explored the intersections between art and social work. The scholarship notes a rise in interest in integrating creative arts practices in social work classrooms from assignment design to classroom activities. Also highlighted are the potential contributions of these artsinformed…

Further assessment of a method to estimate reliability and validity of qualitative research findings.

PubMed

Hinds, P S; Scandrett-Hibden, S; McAulay, L S

1990-04-01

The reliability and validity of qualitative research findings are viewed with scepticism by some scientists. This scepticism is derived from the belief that qualitative researchers give insufficient attention to estimating reliability and validity of data, and the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods in assessing data. The danger of this scepticism is that relevant and applicable research findings will not be used. Our purpose is to describe an evaluative strategy for use with qualitative data, a strategy that is a synthesis of quantitative and qualitative assessment methods. Results of the strategy and factors that influence its use are also described.

The Methodological Underdog: A Review of Quantitative Research in the Key Adult Education Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeren, Ellen

2018-01-01

An examination of articles published in leading adult education journals demonstrates that qualitative research dominates. To better understand this situation, a review of journal articles reporting on quantitative research has been undertaken by the author of this article. Differences in methodological strengths and weaknesses between…

Conducting Quantitative Medical Education Research: From Design to Dissemination.

PubMed

Abramson, Erika L; Paul, Caroline R; Petershack, Jean; Serwint, Janet; Fischel, Janet E; Rocha, Mary; Treitz, Meghan; McPhillips, Heather; Lockspeiser, Tai; Hicks, Patricia; Tewksbury, Linda; Vasquez, Margarita; Tancredi, Daniel J; Li, Su-Ting T

2018-03-01

Rigorous medical education research is critical to effectively develop and evaluate the training we provide our learners. Yet many clinical medical educators lack the training and skills needed to conduct high-quality medical education research. We offer guidance on conducting sound quantitative medical education research. Our aim is to equip readers with the key skills and strategies necessary to conduct successful research projects, highlighting new concepts and controversies in the field. We utilize Glassick's criteria for scholarship as a framework to discuss strategies to ensure that the research question of interest is worthy of further study and how to use existing literature and conceptual frameworks to strengthen a research study. Through discussions of the strengths and limitations of commonly used study designs, we expose the reader to particular nuances of these decisions in medical education research and discuss outcomes generally focused on, as well as strategies for determining the significance of consequent findings. We conclude with information on critiquing research findings and preparing results for dissemination to a broad audience. Practical planning worksheets and comprehensive tables illustrating key concepts are provided in order to guide researchers through each step of the process. Medical education research provides wonderful opportunities to improve how we teach our learners, to satisfy our own intellectual curiosity, and ultimately to enhance the care provided to patients. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A proposal for a quantitative indicator of original research output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onofrio, Roberto

2017-12-01

The use of quantitative indicators of scientific productivity seems now quite widespread for assessing researchers and research institutions. There is a general perception, however, that these indicators are not necessarily representative of the originality of the research carried out, being primarily indicative of a more or less prolific scientific activity and of the size of the targeted scientific subcommunity. We first discuss some of the drawbacks of the broadly adopted h-index and of the fact that it represents, in an average sense, an indicator derivable from the total number of citations. Then we propose an indicator which, although not immune from biases, seems more in line with the general expectations for quantifying what is typically considered original work. Qualitative arguments on how different indicators may shape the future of science are finally discussed.

The Impact of Making Music on Aural Perception and Language Skills: A Research Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallam, Susan

2017-01-01

This paper provides a synthesis of research on the relationship between music and language, drawing on evidence from neuroscience, psychology, sociology and education. It sets out why it has become necessary to justify the role of music in the school curriculum and summarizes the different methodologies adopted by researchers in the field. It…

Quantitative Research Methods in Chaos and Complexity: From Probability to Post Hoc Regression Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilstrap, Donald L.

2013-01-01

In addition to qualitative methods presented in chaos and complexity theories in educational research, this article addresses quantitative methods that may show potential for future research studies. Although much in the social and behavioral sciences literature has focused on computer simulations, this article explores current chaos and…

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on assessing social acceptability of fuels treatments

Treesearch

Terry C. Daniel; Michael Valdiserri; Carrie R. Daniel; Pamela Jakes; Pamela Jakes; Susan Barro

2005-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on research for assessing the social acceptability of fuels treatments. The synthesis is structured around six important considerations for any social acceptability assessment: defining the fuels treatments being assessed; representing...

Structured Qualitative Research: Organizing “Mountains of Words” for Data Analysis, both Qualitative and Quantitative

PubMed Central

Johnson, Bruce D.; Dunlap, Eloise; Benoit, Ellen

2008-01-01

Qualitative research creates mountains of words. U.S. federal funding supports mostly structured qualitative research, which is designed to test hypotheses using semi-quantitative coding and analysis. The authors have 30 years of experience in designing and completing major qualitative research projects, mainly funded by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA]. This article reports on strategies for planning, organizing, collecting, managing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and writing about qualitative data so as to most efficiently manage the mountains of words collected in large-scale ethnographic projects. Multiple benefits accrue from this approach. Several different staff members can contribute to the data collection, even when working from remote locations. Field expenditures are linked to units of work so productivity is measured, many staff in various locations have access to use and analyze the data, quantitative data can be derived from data that is primarily qualitative, and improved efficiencies of resources are developed. The major difficulties involve a need for staff who can program and manage large databases, and who can be skillful analysts of both qualitative and quantitative data. PMID:20222777

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches and Methods in Language "Testing and Assessment" Research: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahman, Md Shidur

2017-01-01

The researchers of various disciplines often use qualitative and quantitative research methods and approaches for their studies. Some of these researchers like to be known as qualitative researchers; others like to be regarded as quantitative researchers. The researchers, thus, are sharply polarised; and they involve in a competition of pointing…

Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, Enhanced Pearson eText with Loose-Leaf Version--Access Card Package. Fifth Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creswell, John W.

2015-01-01

"Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research" offers a truly balanced, inclusive, and integrated overview of the processes involved in educational research. This text first examines the general steps in the research process and then details the procedures for conducting specific types…

STC synthesis of real-time driver information for congestion management : research project capsule.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-02-01

The main focus of this synthesis report is to compile a technical summary of past and current research, as : well as the state of the practice, on the role of real-time information in congestion mitigation programs. The : speci c objectives are to...

Reconciling incongruous qualitative and quantitative findings in mixed methods research: exemplars from research with drug using populations.

PubMed

Wagner, Karla D; Davidson, Peter J; Pollini, Robin A; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Washburn, Rachel; Palinkas, Lawrence A

2012-01-01

Mixed methods research is increasingly being promoted in the health sciences as a way to gain more comprehensive understandings of how social processes and individual behaviours shape human health. Mixed methods research most commonly combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis strategies. Often, integrating findings from multiple methods is assumed to confirm or validate the findings from one method with the findings from another, seeking convergence or agreement between methods. Cases in which findings from different methods are congruous are generally thought of as ideal, whilst conflicting findings may, at first glance, appear problematic. However, the latter situation provides the opportunity for a process through which apparently discordant results are reconciled, potentially leading to new emergent understandings of complex social phenomena. This paper presents three case studies drawn from the authors' research on HIV risk amongst injection drug users in which mixed methods studies yielded apparently discrepant results. We use these case studies (involving injection drug users [IDUs] using a Needle/Syringe Exchange Program in Los Angeles, CA, USA; IDUs seeking to purchase needle/syringes at pharmacies in Tijuana, Mexico; and young street-based IDUs in San Francisco, CA, USA) to identify challenges associated with integrating findings from mixed methods projects, summarize lessons learned, and make recommendations for how to more successfully anticipate and manage the integration of findings. Despite the challenges inherent in reconciling apparently conflicting findings from qualitative and quantitative approaches, in keeping with others who have argued in favour of integrating mixed methods findings, we contend that such an undertaking has the potential to yield benefits that emerge only through the struggle to reconcile discrepant results and may provide a sum that is greater than the individual qualitative and quantitative parts

Reconciling incongruous qualitative and quantitative findings in mixed methods research: exemplars from research with drug using populations

PubMed Central

Wagner, Karla D.; Davidson, Peter J.; Pollini, Robin A.; Strathdee, Steffanie A.; Washburn, Rachel; Palinkas, Lawrence A.

2011-01-01

Mixed methods research is increasingly being promoted in the health sciences as a way to gain more comprehensive understandings of how social processes and individual behaviours shape human health. Mixed methods research most commonly combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis strategies. Often, integrating findings from multiple methods is assumed to confirm or validate the findings from one method with the findings from another, seeking convergence or agreement between methods. Cases in which findings from different methods are congruous are generally thought of as ideal, while conflicting findings may, at first glance, appear problematic. However, the latter situation provides the opportunity for a process through which apparently discordant results are reconciled, potentially leading to new emergent understandings of complex social phenomena. This paper presents three case studies drawn from the authors’ research on HIV risk among injection drug users in which mixed methods studies yielded apparently discrepant results. We use these case studies (involving injection drug users [IDUs] using a needle/syringe exchange program in Los Angeles, California, USA; IDUs seeking to purchase needle/syringes at pharmacies in Tijuana, Mexico; and young street-based IDUs in San Francisco, CA, USA) to identify challenges associated with integrating findings from mixed methods projects, summarize lessons learned, and make recommendations for how to more successfully anticipate and manage the integration of findings. Despite the challenges inherent in reconciling apparently conflicting findings from qualitative and quantitative approaches, in keeping with others who have argued in favour of integrating mixed methods findings, we contend that such an undertaking has the potential to yield benefits that emerge only through the struggle to reconcile discrepant results and may provide a sum that is greater than the individual qualitative and quantitative

Reconciling Divergent Perspectives: Judith Wallerstein, Quantitative Family Research, and Children of Divorce.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amato, Paul R.

2003-01-01

Although Judith Wallerstein's research on children with divorced parents has been influential, many quantitative family scholars have criticized her methods and conclusions. This article provides examples from the Marital Instability Over the Life Course study to illustrate the magnitude of divorce effects and concludes with a call for a…

Developing Investigative Entry Points: Exploring the Use of Quantitative Methods in English Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGraner, Kristin L.; Robbins, Daniel

2010-01-01

Although many research questions in English education demand the use of qualitative methods, this paper will briefly explore how English education researchers and doctoral students may use statistics and quantitative methods to inform, complement, and/or deepen their inquiries. First, the authors will provide a general overview of the survey areas…

Inquiry-Based Science Instruction--What Is It and Does It Matter? Results from a Research Synthesis Years 1984 to 2002

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minner, Daphne D.; Levy, Abigail Jurist; Century, Jeanne

2010-01-01

The goal of the Inquiry Synthesis Project was to synthesize findings from research conducted between 1984 and 2002 to address the research question, "What is the impact of inquiry science instruction on K-12 student outcomes?" The timeframe of 1984 to 2002 was selected to continue a line of synthesis work last completed in 1983 by Bredderman…

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on collaboration.

Treesearch

Victoria Sturtevant; Margaret Ann Moote; Pamela Jakes; Anthony S. Cheng

2005-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on collaboration research, and offers knowledge and tools to improve collaboration in the planning and implementation of wildland fire and fuels management projects. It covers a variety of topics including benefits of collaboration,...

Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Developmental Science: Uses and Methodological Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Weisner, Thomas S.; Kalil, Ariel; Way, Niobe

2008-01-01

Multiple methods are vital to understanding development as a dynamic, transactional process. This article focuses on the ways in which quantitative and qualitative methodologies can be combined to enrich developmental science and the study of human development, focusing on the practical questions of "when" and "how." Research situations that may…

A systematic review of the health and well-being impacts of school gardening: synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence.

PubMed

Ohly, Heather; Gentry, Sarah; Wigglesworth, Rachel; Bethel, Alison; Lovell, Rebecca; Garside, Ruth

2016-03-25

School gardening programmes are increasingly popular, with suggested benefits including healthier eating and increased physical activity. Our objectives were to understand the health and well-being impacts of school gardens and the factors that help or hinder their success. We conducted a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence (PROSPERO CRD42014007181). We searched multiple databases and used a range of supplementary approaches. Studies about school gardens were included if they reported on physical or mental health or well-being. Quantitative studies had to include a comparison group. Studies were quality appraised using appropriate tools. Findings were narratively synthesised and the qualitative evidence used to produce a conceptual framework to illustrate how benefits might be accrued. Evidence from 40 articles (21 quantitative studies; 16 qualitative studies; 3 mixed methods studies) was included. Generally the quantitative research was poor. Evidence for changes in fruit and vegetable intake was limited and based on self-report. The qualitative research was better quality and ascribed a range of health and well-being impacts to school gardens, with some idealistic expectations for their impact in the long term. Groups of pupils who do not excel in classroom activities were thought to particularly benefit. Lack of funding and over reliance on volunteers were thought to threaten success, while involvement with local communities and integration of gardening activities into the school curriculum were thought to support success. More robust quantitative research is needed to convincingly support the qualitative evidence suggesting wide ranging benefits from school gardens.

Towards a Creative Synthesis of Participant Observation and Participatory Research: Reflections on Doing Research "with" and "on" Young Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Rosalind

2013-01-01

This article responds to Wright and Nelson's (1995) call for a "creative synthesis" of participant observation and participatory research, which may allow the limitations of both methods to be addressed. It does so by reflecting on the experience of doing long-term research both with and on young Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Although…

Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Traditions: Epistemological, Theoretical, and Methodological Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Kaya

2013-01-01

There has been much discussion about quantitative and qualitative approaches to research in different disciplines. In the behavioural and social sciences, these two paradigms are compared to reveal their relative strengths and weaknesses. But the debate about both traditions has commonly taken place in academic books. It is hard to find an article…

Assessment of Intrathecal Free Light Chain Synthesis: Comparison of Different Quantitative Methods with the Detection of Oligoclonal Free Light Chains by Isoelectric Focusing and Affinity-Mediated Immunoblotting.

PubMed

Zeman, David; Kušnierová, Pavlína; Švagera, Zdeněk; Všianský, František; Byrtusová, Monika; Hradílek, Pavel; Kurková, Barbora; Zapletalová, Olga; Bartoš, Vladimír

2016-01-01

We aimed to compare various methods for free light chain (fLC) quantitation in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum and to determine whether quantitative CSF measurements could reliably predict intrathecal fLC synthesis. In addition, we wished to determine the relationship between free kappa and free lambda light chain concentrations in CSF and serum in various disease groups. We analysed 166 paired CSF and serum samples by at least one of the following methods: turbidimetry (Freelite™, SPAPLUS), nephelometry (N Latex FLC™, BN ProSpec), and two different (commercially available and in-house developed) sandwich ELISAs. The results were compared with oligoclonal fLC detected by affinity-mediated immunoblotting after isoelectric focusing. Although the correlations between quantitative methods were good, both proportional and systematic differences were discerned. However, no major differences were observed in the prediction of positive oligoclonal fLC test. Surprisingly, CSF free kappa/free lambda light chain ratios were lower than those in serum in about 75% of samples with negative oligoclonal fLC test. In about a half of patients with multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndrome, profoundly increased free kappa/free lambda light chain ratios were found in the CSF. Our results show that using appropriate method-specific cut-offs, different methods of CSF fLC quantitation can be used for the prediction of intrathecal fLC synthesis. The reason for unexpectedly low free kappa/free lambda light chain ratios in normal CSFs remains to be elucidated. Whereas CSF free kappa light chain concentration is increased in most patients with multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndrome, CSF free lambda light chain values show large interindividual variability in these patients and should be investigated further for possible immunopathological and prognostic significance.

Assessment of Intrathecal Free Light Chain Synthesis: Comparison of Different Quantitative Methods with the Detection of Oligoclonal Free Light Chains by Isoelectric Focusing and Affinity-Mediated Immunoblotting

PubMed Central

Kušnierová, Pavlína; Švagera, Zdeněk; Všianský, František; Byrtusová, Monika; Hradílek, Pavel; Kurková, Barbora; Zapletalová, Olga; Bartoš, Vladimír

2016-01-01

Objectives We aimed to compare various methods for free light chain (fLC) quantitation in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum and to determine whether quantitative CSF measurements could reliably predict intrathecal fLC synthesis. In addition, we wished to determine the relationship between free kappa and free lambda light chain concentrations in CSF and serum in various disease groups. Methods We analysed 166 paired CSF and serum samples by at least one of the following methods: turbidimetry (Freelite™, SPAPLUS), nephelometry (N Latex FLC™, BN ProSpec), and two different (commercially available and in-house developed) sandwich ELISAs. The results were compared with oligoclonal fLC detected by affinity-mediated immunoblotting after isoelectric focusing. Results Although the correlations between quantitative methods were good, both proportional and systematic differences were discerned. However, no major differences were observed in the prediction of positive oligoclonal fLC test. Surprisingly, CSF free kappa/free lambda light chain ratios were lower than those in serum in about 75% of samples with negative oligoclonal fLC test. In about a half of patients with multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndrome, profoundly increased free kappa/free lambda light chain ratios were found in the CSF. Conclusions Our results show that using appropriate method-specific cut-offs, different methods of CSF fLC quantitation can be used for the prediction of intrathecal fLC synthesis. The reason for unexpectedly low free kappa/free lambda light chain ratios in normal CSFs remains to be elucidated. Whereas CSF free kappa light chain concentration is increased in most patients with multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndrome, CSF free lambda light chain values show large interindividual variability in these patients and should be investigated further for possible immunopathological and prognostic significance. PMID:27846293

Critical Quantitative Inquiry in Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stage, Frances K.; Wells, Ryan S.

2014-01-01

This chapter briefly traces the development of the concept of critical quantitative inquiry, provides an expanded conceptualization of the tasks of critical quantitative research, offers theoretical explanation and justification for critical research using quantitative methods, and previews the work of quantitative criticalists presented in this…

Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Data in Mixed Methods Research--Challenges and Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almalki, Sami

2016-01-01

This paper is concerned with investigating the integration of quantitative and qualitative data in mixed methods research and whether, in spite of its challenges, it can be of positive benefit to many investigative studies. The paper introduces the topic, defines the terms with which this subject deals and undertakes a literature review to outline…

Role Models as Facilitators of Social Capital for Deaf Individuals: A Research Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cawthon, Stephanie W.; Johnson, Paige M.; Garberoglio, Carrie Lou; Schoffstall, Sarah J.

2016-01-01

In a variety of contexts, deaf individuals often must navigate multiple societal, psychological, and physical barriers. It is frequently proposed that role models meet an important need for successful navigation in such contexts. The present article, a research synthesis, explores available literature on role models for deaf individuals, drawing…

Complexity, Accuracy, Fluency and Lexis in Task-Based Performance: A Synthesis of the Ealing Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skehan, Peter; Foster, Pauline

2012-01-01

This chapter will present a research synthesis of a series of studies, termed here the Ealing research. The studies use the same general framework to conceptualise tasks and task performance, enabling easier comparability. The different studies, although each is self-contained, build into a wider picture of task performance. The major point of…

Quantitative Methodology: A Guide for Emerging Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haegele, Justin A.; Hodge, Samuel R.

2015-01-01

Emerging professionals, particularly senior-level undergraduate and graduate students in kinesiology who have an interest in physical education for individuals with and without disabilities, should understand the basic assumptions of the quantitative research paradigm. Knowledge of basic assumptions is critical for conducting, analyzing, and…

Quantitative analysis of cellular proteome alterations in human influenza A virus-infected mammalian cell lines.

PubMed

Vester, Diana; Rapp, Erdmann; Gade, Dörte; Genzel, Yvonne; Reichl, Udo

2009-06-01

Over the last years virus-host cell interactions were investigated in numerous studies. Viral strategies for evasion of innate immune response, inhibition of cellular protein synthesis and permission of viral RNA and protein production were disclosed. With quantitative proteome technology, comprehensive studies concerning the impact of viruses on the cellular machinery of their host cells at protein level are possible. Therefore, 2-D DIGE and nanoHPLC-nanoESI-MS/MS analysis were used to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the dynamic cellular proteome responses of two mammalian cell lines to human influenza A virus infection. A cell line used for vaccine production (MDCK) was compared with a human lung carcinoma cell line (A549) as a reference model. Analyzing 2-D gels of the proteomes of uninfected and influenza-infected host cells, 16 quantitatively altered protein spots (at least +/-1.7-fold change in relative abundance, p<0.001) were identified for both cell lines. Most significant changes were found for keratins, major components of the cytoskeleton system, and for Mx proteins, interferon-induced key components of the host cell defense. Time series analysis of infection processes allowed the identification of further proteins that are described to be involved in protein synthesis, signal transduction and apoptosis events. Most likely, these proteins are required for supporting functions during influenza viral life cycle or host cell stress response. Quantitative proteome-wide profiling of virus infection can provide insights into complexity and dynamics of virus-host cell interactions and may accelerate antiviral research and support optimization of vaccine manufacturing processes.

Exploring and Implementing Participatory Action Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wimpenny, Katherine; Savin-Baden, Maggi

2012-01-01

This article presents participatory action synthesis as a new approach to qualitative synthesis which may be used to facilitate the promotion and use of qualitative research for policy and practice. The authors begin by outlining different forms of qualitative research synthesis and then present participatory action synthesis, a collaborative…

Primary health care research in Saudi Arabia: A quantitative analysis.

PubMed

Jahan, Saulat; Al-Saigul, Abdullah Mohammed

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the published primary health care (PHC) research conducted in Saudi Arabia quantitatively and to determine the distribution of these research publications according to the topic, time, geographical location, and institution. In this descriptive study, we conducted literature search in PubMed and Google Scholar. The Medical Subject Headings terms: "Primary Health" AND "Saudi" and "Primary Care" AND "Saudi" were used for searching relevant journal articles. Relevant information about the journal articles, published till December 2011, was recorded on a coding instrument. From 1983 to 2011, a total of 655 PHC research articles were found. The publication output showed an increase with time. Original research articles (85.6%) were the main type of publications, and the most common study design was cross-sectional (93.4%). "Chronic diseases" and "health services research" were the main topics addressed. Riyadh province had the highest proportion (46.3%) of publications, and the universities (56.2%), followed by the Saudi Ministry of Health (24.9%), were the main institutions publishing the research. Despite a well-established PHC setup in Saudi Arabia, the research outputs are low. Most of the published articles are cross-sectional studies and are conducted by the universities. Enhancing the PHC research by creating a supportive environment will lead to an increased evidence base for PHC and its effective translation into service delivery.

Nuclear medicine and imaging research (quantitative studies in radiopharmaceutical science)

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

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

1990-09-01

This is a report of progress in Year Two (January 1, 1990--December 31, 1990) of Grant FG02-86ER60438, Quantitative Studies in Radiopharmaceutical Science,'' awarded for the three-year period January 1, 1989--December 31, 1991 as a competitive renewal following site visit in the fall of 1988. This program addresses the problems involving the basic science and technology underlying the physical and conceptual tools of radioactive tracer methodology as they relate to the measurement of structural and functional parameters of physiologic importance in health and disease. The principal tool is quantitative radionuclide imaging. The overall objective of this program is to further themore » development and transfer of radiotracer methodology from basic theory to routine clinical practice in order that individual patients and society as a whole will receive the maximum net benefit from the new knowledge gained. The focus of the research is on the development of new instruments and radiopharmaceuticals, and the evaluation of these through the phase of clinical feasibility. 25 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab.« less

Qualitative and Quantitative Management Tools Used by Financial Officers in Public Research Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trexler, Grant Lewis

2012-01-01

This dissertation set out to identify effective qualitative and quantitative management tools used by financial officers (CFOs) in carrying out their management functions of planning, decision making, organizing, staffing, communicating, motivating, leading and controlling at a public research university. In addition, impediments to the use of…

Automated optimization techniques for aircraft synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanderplaats, G. N.

1976-01-01

Application of numerical optimization techniques to automated conceptual aircraft design is examined. These methods are shown to be a general and efficient way to obtain quantitative information for evaluating alternative new vehicle projects. Fully automated design is compared with traditional point design methods and time and resource requirements for automated design are given. The NASA Ames Research Center aircraft synthesis program (ACSYNT) is described with special attention to calculation of the weight of a vehicle to fly a specified mission. The ACSYNT procedures for automatically obtaining sensitivity of the design (aircraft weight, performance and cost) to various vehicle, mission, and material technology parameters are presented. Examples are used to demonstrate the efficient application of these techniques.

Taking stock of four decades of quantitative research on stakeholder participation and evaluation use: a systematic map.

PubMed

Daigneault, Pierre-Marc

2014-08-01

Stakeholder participation and evaluation use have attracted a lot of attention from practitioners, theorists and researchers. A common hypothesis is that participation is positively associated with evaluation use. Whereas the number of empirical studies conducted on this topic is impressive, quantitative research has held a minority position within this scientific production. This study mobilizes systematic review methods to 'map' the empirical literature that has quantitatively studied participation and use. The goal is to take stock and assess the strength of evidence of this literature (but not to synthesize the findings) and, based on this assessment, to provide directions for future research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching Note--"By Any Means Necessary!" Infusing Socioeconomic Justice Content into Quantitative Research Course Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slayter, Elspeth M.

2017-01-01

Existing research suggests a majority of faculty include social justice content in research courses but not through the use of existing quantitative data for in-class activities that foster mastery of data analysis and interpretation and curiosity about social justice-related topics. By modeling data-driven dialogue and the deconstruction of…

Evidence-based surgery: barriers, solutions, and the role of evidence synthesis.

PubMed

Garas, George; Ibrahim, Amel; Ashrafian, Hutan; Ahmed, Kamran; Patel, Vanash; Okabayashi, Koji; Skapinakis, Petros; Darzi, Ara; Athanasiou, Thanos

2012-08-01

Surgery is a rapidly evolving field, making the rigorous testing of emerging innovations vital. However, most surgical research fails to employ randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and has particularly been based on low-quality study designs. Subsequently, the analysis of data through meta-analysis and evidence synthesis is particularly difficult. Through a systematic review of the literature, this article explores the barriers to achieving a strong evidence base in surgery and offers potential solutions to overcome the barriers. Many barriers exist to evidence-based surgical research. They include enabling factors, such as funding, time, infrastructure, patient preference, ethical issues, and additionally barriers associated with specific attributes related to researchers, methodologies, or interventions. Novel evidence synthesis techniques in surgery are discussed, including graphics synthesis, treatment networks, and network meta-analyses that help overcome many of the limitations associated with existing techniques. They offer the opportunity to assess gaps and quantitatively present inconsistencies within the existing evidence of RCTs. Poorly or inadequately performed RCTs and meta-analyses can give rise to incorrect results and thus fail to inform clinical practice or revise policy. The above barriers can be overcome by providing academic leadership and good organizational support to ensure that adequate personnel, resources, and funding are allocated to the researcher. Training in research methodology and data interpretation can ensure that trials are conducted correctly and evidence is adequately synthesized and disseminated. The ultimate goal of overcoming the barriers to evidence-based surgery includes the improved quality of patient care in addition to enhanced patient outcomes.

Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of Iranian Researchers' Scientific Production in Dentistry Subfields.

PubMed

Yaminfirooz, Mousa; Motallebnejad, Mina; Gholinia, Hemmat; Esbakian, Somayeh

2015-10-01

As in other fields of medicine, scientific production in the field of dentistry has significant placement. This study aimed at quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating Iranian researchers' scientific output in the field of dentistry and determining their contribution in each of dentistry subfields and branches. This research was a scientometric study that applied quantitative and qualitative indices of Web of Science (WoS). Research population consisted of927indexed documents published under the name of Iran in the time span of 1993-2012 which were extracted from WoS on 10 March 2013. The Mann-Whitney test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to data analyses in SPSS 19. 777 (83. 73%) of indexed items of all scientific output in WoS were scientific articles. The highest growth rate of scientific productionwith90% belonged to endodontic sub field. The correlation coefficient test showed that there was a significant positive relationship between the number of documents and their publication age (P < 0. 0001). There was a significant difference between the mean number of published articles in the first ten- year (1993-2003) and that of the second one (2004-2013), in favor of the latter (P = 0. 001). The distribution frequencies of scientific production in various subfields of dentistry were very different. It needs to reinforce the infrastructure for more balanced scientific production in the field and its related subfields.

Quantitative analysis of ecological effects for land use planning based on ecological footprint method: a case research in Nanyang City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jing; Liu, Yaolin; Chen, Xinming

2008-10-01

The research of coordinated development between land use and ecological building is a new problem with the development of country economy, whose intention is to improve economy development and protect eco-environment in order to realize regional sustainable development. Evaluating human effects on the ecosystem by a comprehensive, scientific and quantitative method is a critical issue in the process of general land use planning. At present, ecological footprint methodology, as an excellent educational tool applicable to global issues, is essential for quantifying humanity's consumption of natural capital, for overall assessments of human impact on earth as well as for general land use planning. However, quantitative studies on the development trends of ecological footprint (EF) time series and biological capacity (BC) time series in a given region are still rare. Taking Nanyang City as a case study, this paper presents two quantitative estimate indices over time scale called the change rate and scissors difference to quantitatively analyze the trends of EF and BC over the planning period in general land use planning form 1997-2004 and to evaluate the ecological effects of the land use general planning form 1997 to.2010. The results showed that: 1 In Nanyang city, trends of the per capita EF and BC were on the way round, and the ecological deficit enhanced from 1997 to 2010. 2 The difference between the two development trends of per capita EF and BC had been increasing rapidly and the conflict between the EF and BC was aggravated from 1997 to 2010. 3 The general land use planning (1997 - 2010) of Nanyang city had produced some positive effects on the local ecosystem, but the expected biological capacity in 2010 can hardly be realized following this trend. Therefore, this paper introduces a "trinity" land use model in the guidelines of environment- friendly land use pattern and based on the actual situation of Nanyang city, with the systemic synthesis of land

Effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System as a Functional Communication Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Practice-Based Research Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tien, Kai-Chien

2008-01-01

This research synthesis verifies the effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) for improving the functional communication skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The research synthesis was focused on the degree to which variations in PECS training are associated with variations in functional…

Recent Research Trends on the Enzymatic Synthesis of Structured Lipids.

PubMed

Kim, Byung Hee; Akoh, Casimir C

2015-08-01

Structured lipids (SLs) are lipids that have been chemically or enzymatically modified from their natural biosynthetic form. Because SLs are made to possess desired nutritional, physicochemical, or textural properties for various applications in the food industry, many research activities have been aimed at their commercialization. The production of SLs by enzymatic procedures has a great potential in the future market because of the specificity of lipases and phospholipases used as the biocatalysts. The aim of this review is to provide concise information on the recent research trends on the enzymatic synthesis of SLs of commercial interest, such as medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols, human milk fat substitutes, cocoa butter equivalents, trans-free or low-trans plastic fats (such as margarines and shortenings), low-calorie fats/oils, health-beneficial fatty acid-rich fats/oils, mono- or diacylglycerols, and structurally modified phospholipids. This limited review covers 108 research articles published between 2010 and 2014 which were searched in Web of Science. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

From screening to synthesis: using nvivo to enhance transparency in qualitative evidence synthesis.

PubMed

Houghton, Catherine; Murphy, Kathy; Meehan, Ben; Thomas, James; Brooker, Dawn; Casey, Dympna

2017-03-01

To explore the experiences and perceptions of healthcare staff caring for people with dementia in the acute setting. This article focuses on the methodological process of conducting framework synthesis using nvivo for each stage of the review: screening, data extraction, synthesis and critical appraisal. Qualitative evidence synthesis brings together many research findings in a meaningful way that can be used to guide practice and policy development. For this purpose, synthesis must be conducted in a comprehensive and rigorous way. There has been previous discussion on how using nvivo can assist in enhancing and illustrate the rigorous processes involved. Qualitative framework synthesis. Twelve documents, or research reports, based on nine studies, were included for synthesis. The benefits of using nvivo are outlined in terms of facilitating teams of researchers to systematically and rigorously synthesise findings. nvivo functions were used to conduct a sensitivity analysis. Some valuable lessons were learned, and these are presented to assist and guide researchers who wish to use similar methods in future. Ultimately, good qualitative evidence synthesis will provide practitioners and policymakers with significant information that will guide decision-making on many aspects of clinical practice. The example provided explored how people with dementia are cared for acute settings. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Research in health sciences library and information science: a quantitative analysis.

PubMed Central

Dimitroff, A

1992-01-01

A content analysis of research articles published between 1966 and 1990 in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association was undertaken. Four specific questions were addressed: What subjects are of interest to health sciences librarians? Who is conducting this research? How do health sciences librarians conduct their research? Do health sciences librarians obtain funding for their research activities? Bibliometric characteristics of the research articles are described and compared to characteristics of research in library and information science as a whole in terms of subject and methodology. General findings were that most research in health sciences librarianship is conducted by librarians affiliated with academic health sciences libraries (51.8%); most deals with an applied (45.7%) or a theoretical (29.2%) topic; survey (41.0%) or observational (20.7%) research methodologies are used; descriptive quantitative analytical techniques are used (83.5%); and over 25% of research is funded. The average number of authors was 1.85, average article length was 7.25 pages, and average number of citations per article was 9.23. These findings are consistent with those reported in the general library and information science literature for the most part, although specific differences do exist in methodological and analytical areas. PMID:1422504

Bridges between multiple-point geostatistics and texture synthesis: Review and guidelines for future research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariethoz, Gregoire; Lefebvre, Sylvain

2014-05-01

Multiple-Point Simulations (MPS) is a family of geostatistical tools that has received a lot of attention in recent years for the characterization of spatial phenomena in geosciences. It relies on the definition of training images to represent a given type of spatial variability, or texture. We show that the algorithmic tools used are similar in many ways to techniques developed in computer graphics, where there is a need to generate large amounts of realistic textures for applications such as video games and animated movies. Similarly to MPS, these texture synthesis methods use training images, or exemplars, to generate realistic-looking graphical textures. Both domains of multiple-point geostatistics and example-based texture synthesis present similarities in their historic development and share similar concepts. These disciplines have however remained separated, and as a result significant algorithmic innovations in each discipline have not been universally adopted. Texture synthesis algorithms present drastically increased computational efficiency, patterns reproduction and user control. At the same time, MPS developed ways to condition models to spatial data and to produce 3D stochastic realizations, which have not been thoroughly investigated in the field of texture synthesis. In this paper we review the possible links between these disciplines and show the potential and limitations of using concepts and approaches from texture synthesis in MPS. We also provide guidelines on how recent developments could benefit both fields of research, and what challenges remain open.

R as a Lingua Franca: Advantages of Using R for Quantitative Research in Applied Linguistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mizumoto, Atsushi; Plonsky, Luke

2016-01-01

In this article, we suggest that using R, a statistical software environment, is advantageous for quantitative researchers in applied linguistics. We first provide a brief overview of the reasons why R is popular among researchers in other fields and why we recommend its use for analyses in applied linguistics. In order to illustrate these…

A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Qualitative Research: The Influence of School Context on Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gwernan-Jones, Ruth; Moore, Darren A.; Cooper, Paul; Russell, Abigail Emma; Richardson, Michelle; Rogers, Morwenna; Thompson-Coon, Jo; Stein, Ken; Ford, Tamsin J.; Garside, Ruth

2016-01-01

This systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research explored contextual factors relevant to non-pharmacological interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in schools. We conducted meta-ethnography to synthesise 34 studies, using theories of stigma to further develop the synthesis. Studies suggested that the…

A Meta-Analysis of Dunn and Dunn Model Correlational Research with Adult Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangino, Christine

2004-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to conduct a quantitative synthesis of correlational research that focused on the Dunn and Dunn Learning-Style Model and was concerned with adult populations. A total of 8,661 participants from the 47 original investigations provided 386 individual effect sizes for this meta-analysis. The mean effect size was…

[The positioning of nursing research in the academic studies: the origin and development of qualitative and quantitative studies].

PubMed

Lu, Pei-Pei; Ting, Shing-Shiang; Chen, Mei-Ling; Tang, Woung-Ru

2005-12-01

The purpose of this study is to discuss the historical context of qualitative and quantitative research so as to explain the principle of qualitative study and examine the positioning of nursing research within academic study as a whole. This paper guides the readers towards the historical context from empirical science, discusses the influences of qualitative and quantitative research on nursing research, then investigates the nature of research paradigms, examines the positioning of nursing research, which includes the characteristics of fields such as natural science, humanity and social studies, and science, and lastly, presents the research standard proposed by Yardley in 2000. The research paradigms include Positivism, Postpositivism, Criticism, and Constructivism, which can be compared with Ontology, Epistemology, and Methodology. The nature of the paradigm is to determine the assumption of the paradigm on the basis of Ontology, Epistemology, and Methodology. The paradigm determines how the researcher views the world and decides on what to answer, how to research, and how to answer. The difference in academic environment is reflected in the long-term dialogue between qualitative and quantitative studies, as well as the standard for criticism. This paper introduces the method of evaluation of the quality of qualitative study proposed by Yardley in 2002, namely the sensitivity of the context, the promise and conscientiousness, transparency and consistency, influence and significance. The paper is intended to provide a guideline for readers in evaluating the quality of qualitative study.

Synthesis and Characterization of New Phosphazene Polymers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-21

reaction of a poly( alkyl /arylphosphazene). In this study, one-half of the methyl groups in [Ph(Me)PN]n (chosen for its solubility in THF as opposed to...polymerization reaction ; and (5) the derivative chemistry of the preformed poly( alkyl /arylphosphazenes)., Synthesis of Poly( alkyl /arylphosphazenes) SC A... vessels , these phosphoranimines quantitatively eliminate the silyl ether byproduct, Me3SiOCH2CF 3 , to form the poly( alkyl /arylphosphazenes). The synthesis

Quantitative and qualitative methods in medical education research: AMEE Guide No 90: Part II.

PubMed

Tavakol, Mohsen; Sandars, John

2014-10-01

Abstract Medical educators need to understand and conduct medical education research in order to make informed decisions based on the best evidence, rather than rely on their own hunches. The purpose of this Guide is to provide medical educators, especially those who are new to medical education research, with a basic understanding of how quantitative and qualitative methods contribute to the medical education evidence base through their different inquiry approaches and also how to select the most appropriate inquiry approach to answer their research questions.

Quantitative and qualitative methods in medical education research: AMEE Guide No 90: Part I.

PubMed

Tavakol, Mohsen; Sandars, John

2014-09-01

Medical educators need to understand and conduct medical education research in order to make informed decisions based on the best evidence, rather than rely on their own hunches. The purpose of this Guide is to provide medical educators, especially those who are new to medical education research, with a basic understanding of how quantitative and qualitative methods contribute to the medical education evidence base through their different inquiry approaches and also how to select the most appropriate inquiry approach to answer their research questions.

Issues to Consider When Measuring and Applying Socioeconomic Position Quantitatively in Immigrant Health Research

PubMed Central

Nielsen, Signe Smith; Hempler, Nana Folmann; Krasnik, Allan

2013-01-01

The relationship between migration and health is complex, yet, immigrant-related inequalities in health are largely influenced by socioeconomic position. Drawing upon previous findings, this paper discusses issues to consider when measuring and applying socioeconomic position in quantitative immigrant health research. When measuring socioeconomic position, it is important to be aware of four aspects: (1) there is a lack of clarity about how socioeconomic position should be measured; (2) different types of socioeconomic position may be relevant to immigrants compared with the native-born population; (3) choices of measures of socioeconomic position in quantitative analyses often rely on data availability; and (4) different measures of socioeconomic position have different effects in population groups. Therefore, caution should be used in the collection, presentation, analyses, and interpretation of data and researchers need to display their proposed conceptual models and data limitations as well as apply different approaches for analyses. PMID:24287857

Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities or Difficulty Learning Mathematics: A Synthesis of the Intervention Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gersten, Russell; Chard, David J.; Jayanthi, Madhavi; Baker, Scott K.; Morphy, Paul; Flojo, Jonathan

2008-01-01

This meta-analysis synthesizes experimental and quasi-experimental research on instruction that enhances the mathematics performance of K-12 students with learning disabilities. It reports the findings from this synthesis, discusses the implications for practice, and suggests next steps for research and professional development efforts in this…

Efficacy of Abbreviated Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training: A Quantitative Review of Behavioral Medicine Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Charles R.; Hoyle, Rick H.

1993-01-01

Conducted quantitative review of research in which abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation training (APRT) was used as intervention for psychophysiological and stress-related disorders. Calculated strength of association between APRT and outcome measures for 29 experiments published after 1980. APRT was most strongly associated with improvement…

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods: Old Wine in New Bottles? On Understanding and Interpreting Educational Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smeyers, Paul

2008-01-01

Generally educational research is grounded in the empirical traditions of the social sciences (commonly called quantitative and qualitative methods) and is as such distinguished from other forms of scholarship such as theoretical, conceptual or methodological essays, critiques of research traditions and practices and those studies grounded in the…

Interprofessional collaboration from nurses and physicians – A triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data

PubMed

Schärli, Marianne; Müller, Rita; Martin, Jacqueline S; Spichiger, Elisabeth; Spirig, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Background: Interprofessional collaboration between nurses and physicians is a recurrent challenge in daily clinical practice. To ameliorate the situation, quantitative or qualitative studies are conducted. However, the results of these studies have often been limited by the methods chosen. Aim: To describe the synthesis of interprofessional collaboration from the nursing perspective by triangulating quantitative and qualitative data. Method: Data triangulation was performed as a sub-project of the interprofessional Sinergia DRG Research program. Initially, quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately in a mixed methods design. By means of triangulation a „meta-matrix“ resulted in a four-step process. Results: The „meta-matrix“ displays all relevant quantitative and qualitative results as well as their interrelations on one page. Relevance, influencing factors as well as consequences of interprofessional collaboration for patients, relatives and systems become visible. Conclusion: For the first time, the interprofessional collaboration from the nursing perspective at five Swiss hospitals is shown in a „meta-matrix“. The consequences of insufficient collaboration between nurses and physicians are considerable. This is why it’s necessary to invest in interprofessional concepts. In the „meta-matrix“ the factors which influence the interprofessional collaboration positively or negatively are visible.

Functionalization of SBA-15 mesoporous silica by Cu-phosphonate units: Probing of synthesis route

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

Laskowski, Lukasz, E-mail: lukasz.laskowski@kik.pcz.pl; Czestochowa University of Technology, Institute of Physics, Al. Armii Krajowej 19, 42-201 Czestochowa; Laskowska, Magdalena, E-mail: magdalena.laskowska@onet.pl

2014-12-15

Mesoporous silica SBA-15 containing propyl-copper phosphonate units was investigated. The structure of mesoporous samples was tested by N{sub 2} isothermal sorption (BET and BHJ analysis), TEM microscopy and X-Ray scattering. Quantitative analysis EDX has given information about proportions between component atoms in the sample. Quantitative elemental analysis has been carried out to support EDX. To examine bounding between copper atoms and phosphonic units the Raman spectroscopy was carried out. As a support of Raman scattering, the theoretical calculations were made based on density functional theory, with the B3LYP method. By comparison of the calculated vibrational spectra of the molecule withmore » experimental results, distribution of the active units inside silica matrix has been determined. - Graphical abstract: The present study is devoted to mesoporous silica SBA-15 containing propyl-copper phosphonate units. The species were investigated to confirm of synthesis procedure correctness by the micro-Raman technique combined with DFT numerical simulations. Complementary research was carried out to test the structure of mesoporous samples. - Highlights: • SBA-15 silica functionalized with propyl-copper phosphonate units was synthesized. • Synthesis efficiency probed by Raman study supported with DFT simulations. • Homogenous distribution of active units was proved. • Synthesis route enables precise control of distance between copper ions.« less

Elements for harnessing participatory action research to strengthen health managers' capacity: a critical interpretative synthesis.

PubMed

Tetui, Moses; Zulu, Joseph Mumba; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; Ekirapa-Kiracho, Elizabeth; Kiwanuka, Suzanne N; Coe, Anna-Britt

2018-04-19

Health managers play a key role in ensuring that health services are responsive to the needs of the population. Participatory action research (PAR) is one of the approaches that have been used to strengthen managers' capacity. However, collated knowledge on elements for harnessing PAR to strengthen managers' capacity is missing. This paper bridges this gap by reviewing existing literature on the subject matter. A critical interpretive synthesis method was used to interrogate eight selected articles. These articles reported the use of PAR to strengthen health managers' capacity. The critical interpretive synthesis method's approach to analysis guided the synthesis. Here, the authors interpretively made connections and linkages between different elements identified in the literature. Finally, the Atun et al. (Heal Pol Plann, 25:104-111, 2010) framework on integration was used to model the elements synthesised in the literature into five main domains. Five elements with intricate bi-directional interactions were identified in the literature reviewed. These included a shared purpose, skilled facilitation and psychological safety, activity integration into organisational procedures, organisational support, and external supportive monitoring. A shared purpose of the managers' capacity strengthening initiative created commitment and motivation to learn. This purpose was built upon a set of facilitation skills that included promoting participation, self-efficacy and reflection, thereby creating a safe psychological space within which the managers interacted and learnt from each other and their actions. Additionally, an integrated intervention strengthened local capacity and harnessed organisational support for learning. Finally, supportive monitoring from external partners, such as researchers, ensured quality, building of local capacity and professional safety networks essential for continued learning. The five elements identified in this synthesis provide a basis upon

Contributions of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to Quality Education: A Synthesis of Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laurie, Robert; Nonoyama-Tarumi, Yuko; Mckeown, Rosalyn; Hopkins, Charles

2016-01-01

This research is a synthesis of studies carried out in 18 countries to identify contributions of education for sustainable development (ESD) to quality education. Five common questions were used for the interviews in each country to solicit education leaders and practitioners' views on the outcome and implementation of ESD. The analysis revealed…

Collaboration and Productivity in Scientific Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampton, Stephanie E.; Parker, John N.

2011-01-01

Scientific synthesis has transformed ecological research and presents opportunities for advancements across the sciences; to date, however, little is known about the antecedents of success in synthesis. Building on findings from 10 years of detailed research on social interactions in synthesis groups at the National Center for Ecological Analysis…

Refining Intervention Targets in Family-Based Research: Lessons From Quantitative Behavioral Genetics

PubMed Central

Leve, Leslie D.; Harold, Gordon T.; Ge, Xiaojia; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Patterson, Gerald

2010-01-01

The results from a large body of family-based research studies indicate that modifying the environment (specifically dimensions of the social environment) through intervention is an effective mechanism for achieving positive outcomes. Parallel to this work is a growing body of evidence from genetically informed studies indicating that social environmental factors are central to enhancing or offsetting genetic influences. Increased precision in the understanding of the role of the social environment in offsetting genetic risk might provide new information about environmental mechanisms that could be applied to prevention science. However, at present, the multifaceted conceptualization of the environment in prevention science is mismatched with the more limited measurement of the environment in many genetically informed studies. A framework for translating quantitative behavioral genetic research to inform the development of preventive interventions is presented in this article. The measurement of environmental indices amenable to modification is discussed within the context of quantitative behavioral genetic studies. In particular, emphasis is placed on the necessary elements that lead to benefits in prevention science, specifically the development of evidence-based interventions. An example from an ongoing prospective adoption study is provided to illustrate the potential of this translational process to inform the selection of preventive intervention targets. PMID:21188273

iTRAQ-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of the Initiation of Head Regeneration in Planarians.

PubMed

Geng, Xiaofang; Wang, Gaiping; Qin, Yanli; Zang, Xiayan; Li, Pengfei; Geng, Zhi; Xue, Deming; Dong, Zimei; Ma, Kexue; Chen, Guangwen; Xu, Cunshuan

2015-01-01

The planarian Dugesia japonica has amazing ability to regenerate a head from the anterior ends of the amputated stump with maintenance of the original anterior-posterior polarity. Although planarians present an attractive system for molecular investigation of regeneration and research has focused on clarifying the molecular mechanism of regeneration initiation in planarians at transcriptional level, but the initiation mechanism of planarian head regeneration (PHR) remains unclear at the protein level. Here, a global analysis of proteome dynamics during the early stage of PHR was performed using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomics strategy, and our data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002100. The results showed that 162 proteins were differentially expressed at 2 h and 6 h following amputation. Furthermore, the analysis of expression patterns and functional enrichment of the differentially expressed proteins showed that proteins involved in muscle contraction, oxidation reduction and protein synthesis were up-regulated in the initiation of PHR. Moreover, ingenuity pathway analysis showed that predominant signaling pathways such as ILK, calcium, EIF2 and mTOR signaling which were associated with cell migration, cell proliferation and protein synthesis were likely to be involved in the initiation of PHR. The results for the first time demonstrated that muscle contraction and ILK signaling might played important roles in the initiation of PHR at the global protein level. The findings of this research provide a molecular basis for further unraveling the mechanism of head regeneration initiation in planarians.

Ethnic Disparities in Graduate Education: A Selective Review of Quantitative Research, Social Theory, and Quality Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, Somer L.; Slate, John R.; Joyner, Sheila A.

2014-01-01

In this article, we analyzed research studies in the field of graduate education. In particular, we explored the issue of inequity in graduate education through three key lenses of social science analyses. Furthermore, we analyzed selected quantitative research studies that undertook a comparative examination of aggregate trends in enrollment and…

Synthesis strategy: building a culturally sensitive mid-range theory of risk perception using literary, quantitative, and qualitative methods.

PubMed

Siaki, Leilani A; Loescher, Lois J; Trego, Lori L

2013-03-01

This article presents a discussion of development of a mid-range theory of risk perception. Unhealthy behaviours contribute to the development of health inequalities worldwide. The link between perceived risk and successful health behaviour change is inconclusive, particularly in vulnerable populations. This may be attributed to inattention to culture. The synthesis strategy of theory building guided the process using three methods: (1) a systematic review of literature published between 2000-2011 targeting perceived risk in vulnerable populations; (2) qualitative and (3) quantitative data from a study of Samoan Pacific Islanders at high risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Main concepts of this theory include risk attention, appraisal processes, cognition, and affect. Overarching these concepts is health-world view: cultural ways of knowing, beliefs, values, images, and ideas. This theory proposes the following: (1) risk attention varies based on knowledge of the health risk in the context of health-world views; (2) risk appraisals are influenced by affect, health-world views, cultural customs, and protocols that intersect with the health risk; (3) strength of cultural beliefs, values, and images (cultural identity) mediate risk attention and risk appraisal influencing the likelihood that persons will engage in health-promoting behaviours that may contradict cultural customs/protocols. Interventions guided by a culturally sensitive mid-range theory may improve behaviour-related health inequalities in vulnerable populations. The synthesis strategy is an intensive process for developing a culturally sensitive mid-range theory. Testing of the theory will ascertain its usefulness for reducing health inequalities in vulnerable groups. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Gas Phase Nanoparticle Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granqvist, Claes; Kish, Laszlo; Marlow, William

This book deals with gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis and is intended for researchers and research students in nanomaterials science and engineering, condensed matter physics and chemistry, and aerosol science. Gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis is instrumental to nanotechnology - a field in current focus that raises hopes for environmentally benign, resource-lean manufacturing. Nanoparticles can be produced by many physical, chemical, and even biological routes. Gas-phase synthesis is particularly interesting since one can achieve accurate manufacturing control and hence industrial viability.

Transcending the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide with Mixed Methods Research: A Multidimensional Framework for Understanding Congruence and Completeness in the Study of Values

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLafferty, Charles L., Jr.; Slate, John R.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

2010-01-01

Quantitative research dominates published literature in the helping professions. Mixed methods research, which integrates quantitative and qualitative methodologies, has received a lukewarm reception. The authors address the iterative separation that infuses theory, praxis, philosophy, methodology, training, and public perception and propose a…

Modified Facile Synthesis for Quantitatively Fluorescent Carbon Dots.

PubMed

Hou, Xiaofang; Hu, Yin; Wang, Ping; Yang, Liju; Al Awak, Mohamad M; Tang, Yongan; Twara, Fridah K; Qian, Haijun; Sun, Ya-Ping

2017-10-01

A simple yet consequential modification was made to the popular carbonization processing of citric acid - polyethylenimine precursor mixtures to produce carbon dots (CDots). The modification was primarily on pushing the carbonization processing a little harder at a higher temperature, such as the hydrothermal processing condition of around 330 °C for 6 hours. The CDots thus produced are comparable in spectroscopic and other properties to those obtained in other more controlled syntheses including the deliberate chemical functionalization of preprocessed and selected small carbon nanoparticles, demonstrating the consistency in CDots and reaffirming their general definition as carbon nanoparticles with surface passivation by organic or other species. Equally significant is the finding that the modified processing of citric acid - polyethylenimine precursor mixtures could yield CDots of record-setting fluorescence performance, approaching the upper limit of being quantitatively fluorescent. Thus, the reported work serves as a demonstration on not only the need in selecting the right processing conditions and its associated opportunities in one-pot syntheses of CDots, but also the feasibility in pursuing the preparation of quantitatively fluorescent CDots, which represents an important milestone in the development and understanding of these fluorescent carbon nanomaterials.

Quantitative Method of Measuring Metastatic Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Dennis R. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

The metastatic potential of tumors can be evaluated by the quantitative detection of urokinase and DNA. The cell sample selected for examination is analyzed for the presence of high levels of urokinase and abnormal DNA using analytical flow cytometry and digital image analysis. Other factors such as membrane associated uroldnase, increased DNA synthesis rates and certain receptors can be used in the method for detection of potentially invasive tumors.

Patient needs and research priorities in the enteral nutrition market - a quantitative prioritization analysis.

PubMed

Weenen, T C; Jentink, A; Pronker, E S; Commandeur, H R; Claassen, E; Boirie, Y; Singer, P

2014-10-01

A quantitative systematic identification and prioritization of unmet needs and research opportunities in relation to enteral nutrition was conducted by means of a tailor-made health research prioritization process. The research objectives were reached by conducting qualitative interviews followed by quantitative questionnaires targeting enteral nutrition key opinion leaders (KOLs). (1) Define disease areas that deserve more research attention; (2) Rank importance of product characteristics of tube feeding (TF) and oral nutritional supplements (ONS); (3) Assess involvement of KOLs in enteral nutrition R&D process. KOLs ranked three product characteristics and three disease areas that deserve additional research attention. From these, overall priority scores were calculated by multiplying ranks for both product characteristics and disease areas. 17 qualitative interviews were conducted and 77 questionnaires (response rate 35%) were completed and returned. (1) Disease areas in ONS and TF with highest priorities are: ONS: general malnutrition & geriatrics, TF: intensive care. (2) TF product characteristics with highest priorities are: composition and clinical evidence from a KOL perspective; tolerance and ease of use from a patient perspective. ONS product characteristics with highest priorities are: composition, clinical evidence and taste from a KOL perspective; taste from a patient perspective. We find a high discrepancy between product characteristic prioritization from a KOL and patient perspective. (3) Although 62% of all KOLs give advice to enteral nutrition companies on patient needs, they under-influence the setting of research priorities by enteral nutrition companies. This study provides a systematic approach to achieve research prioritization in enteral nutrition. In addition to providing new directions for enteral nutrition research and development, this study highlights the relevance of involving KOLs in the identification of research priorities as they

Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of effect of phytogenic zinc nanoparticles on soil exo-enzymes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sri Sindhura, K.; Prasad, T. N. V. K. V.; Panner Selvam, P.; Hussain, O. M.

2014-10-01

Nanobiotechnology, the bio-branch of nanotechnology is considered to be one of the fastest emerging research fields. Biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles is currently under exploitation. Use of plant and plant materials for the synthesis of Zinc nanoparticles is relatively new and exciting research field. The biogenic zinc nanoparticles were synthesized using the leaves of Parthenium hysterophorous by green synthesis route. UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy was used to monitor the quantitative formation of zinc nanoparticles. The characteristics of the synthesized zinc nanoparticles were studied using scanning electron microscopy and nanoparticle analyzer. Zinc nanoparticles were observed to be spherical in shape with size range of 16 to 108.5 nm. The measured zeta potentials varied from 100.4 to 117.20 mV indicate high dispersion of the zinc nanoparticles. The synthesized zinc nanoparticles showed good enzymatic activity and microbial activity. The physiological parameters increased from 30 to 60 days of sowing when compared to control.

Quantitative benefit-harm assessment for setting research priorities: the example of roflumilast for patients with COPD.

PubMed

Puhan, Milo A; Yu, Tsung; Boyd, Cynthia M; Ter Riet, Gerben

2015-07-02

When faced with uncertainties about the effects of medical interventions regulatory agencies, guideline developers, clinicians, and researchers commonly ask for more research, and in particular for more randomized trials. The conduct of additional randomized trials is, however, sometimes not the most efficient way to reduce uncertainty. Instead, approaches such as value of information analysis or other approaches should be used to prioritize research that will most likely reduce uncertainty and inform decisions. In situations where additional research for specific interventions needs to be prioritized, we propose the use of quantitative benefit-harm assessments that illustrate how the benefit-harm balance may change as a consequence of additional research. The example of roflumilast for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease shows that additional research on patient preferences (e.g., how important are exacerbations relative to psychiatric harms?) or outcome risks (e.g., what is the incidence of psychiatric outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without treatment?) is sometimes more valuable than additional randomized trials. We propose that quantitative benefit-harm assessments have the potential to explore the impact of additional research and to identify research priorities Our approach may be seen as another type of value of information analysis and as a useful approach to stimulate specific new research that has the potential to change current estimates of the benefit-harm balance and decision making.

Skills Decay in Military Medical Training: A Meta-synthesis of Research Outcomes.

PubMed

Linde, Amber S; Caridha, Jona; Kunkler, Kevin J

2018-01-01

In fiscal year 2012, the Medical Simulation and Information Sciences Research Program released two Skills Decay (SD) research program announcements (PAs) under the Medical Readiness Initiative entitled "Medical Practice Initiative Breadth of Medical Practice & Disease Frequency Exposure (MPI-BMP)" and the "Medical Practice Initiative Procedural Skill Decay and Maintenance (MPI-PSD)." The Office of Naval Research also released a PA entitled "Medical Modeling and Simulation (MM&S) for Military Training and Education." A total investment of $12 M was made. This article provides a meta-synthesis of the Skills Decay research conducted under these efforts. The MSIRRP Medical Simulation Portfolio collected, reviewed, and analyzed the final reports of the Skills Decay research efforts from the three PAs. This paper provides a meta-synthesis of the outcomes of those studies. Focus of this study was to determine if the anticipated goals of the Skills Decay PAs were met as well as to provide a summary of lessons learned to the research community. Fourteen research questions posed by the PAs were structured into four main goals: (1) Skills Decay identification, (2) creation/validity of Skills Decay tools and feasibility and viability of data extraction project, (3) refreshment training to prevent or alleviate Skills Decay project, and (4) Skills Decay education content. Using a combination of training styles, choosing variables known to have Skills Decay predication value, and developing better ways of mining available data that can, in turn, provide feedback to training needs, it is possible for accurate Skills Decay models to be developed. These technologies have the ability not only capture the learner's reaction during the simulation, but to capture the simulation outcomes to predict a medical professional's level of experience and background. Lessons learned from the investments made by the government are extremely important in order to ensure that the outcomes of the

A Synthesis of Research on Informational Text Reading Interventions for Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciullo, Stephen; Lo, Yu-Ling Sabrina; Wanzek, Jeanne; Reed, Deborah K.

2016-01-01

This research synthesis was conducted to understand the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve learning from informational text for students with learning disabilities in elementary school (K-5). The authors identified 18 studies through a comprehensive search. The interventions were evaluated to determine treatment effects and to…

Quantitative and qualitative approaches in educational research — problems and examples of controlled understanding through interpretive methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Karl

1987-06-01

In the methodological discussion of recent years it has become apparent that many research problems, including problems relating to the theory of educational science, cannot be solved by using quantitative methods. The multifaceted aspects of human behaviour and all its environment-bound subtle nuances, especially the process of education or the development of identity, cannot fully be taken into account within a rigid neopositivist approach. In employing the paradigm of symbolic interactionism as a suitable model for the analysis of processes of education and formation, the research has generally to start out from complex reciprocal social interactions instead of unambigious connections of causes. In analysing several particular methodological problems, the article demonstrates some weaknesses of quantitative approaches and then shows the advantages in and the necessity for using qualitative research tools.

Quantitative and qualitative research across cultures and languages: cultural metrics and their application.

PubMed

Wagner, Wolfgang; Hansen, Karolina; Kronberger, Nicole

2014-12-01

Growing globalisation of the world draws attention to cultural differences between people from different countries or from different cultures within the countries. Notwithstanding the diversity of people's worldviews, current cross-cultural research still faces the challenge of how to avoid ethnocentrism; comparing Western-driven phenomena with like variables across countries without checking their conceptual equivalence clearly is highly problematic. In the present article we argue that simple comparison of measurements (in the quantitative domain) or of semantic interpretations (in the qualitative domain) across cultures easily leads to inadequate results. Questionnaire items or text produced in interviews or via open-ended questions have culturally laden meanings and cannot be mapped onto the same semantic metric. We call the culture-specific space and relationship between variables or meanings a 'cultural metric', that is a set of notions that are inter-related and that mutually specify each other's meaning. We illustrate the problems and their possible solutions with examples from quantitative and qualitative research. The suggested methods allow to respect the semantic space of notions in cultures and language groups and the resulting similarities or differences between cultures can be better understood and interpreted.

Non-pharmacological interventions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) delivered in school settings: systematic reviews of quantitative and qualitative research.

PubMed Central

Richardson, Michelle; Moore, Darren A; Gwernan-Jones, Ruth; Thompson-Coon, Jo; Ukoumunne, Obioha; Rogers, Morwenna; Whear, Rebecca; Newlove-Delgado, Tamsin V; Logan, Stuart; Morris, Christopher; Taylor, Eric; Cooper, Paul; Stein, Ken; Garside, Ruth; Ford, Tamsin J

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by age-inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. School can be particularly challenging for children with ADHD. Few reviews have considered non-pharmacological interventions in school settings. OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions delivered in school settings for pupils with, or at risk of, ADHD and to explore the factors that may enhance, or limit, their delivery. DATA SOURCES Twenty electronic databases (including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Education Resources Information Centre, The Cochrane Library and Education Research Complete) were searched from 1980 to February-August 2013. Three separate searches were conducted for four systematic reviews; they were supplemented with forward and backwards citation chasing, website searching, author recommendations and hand-searches of key journals. REVIEW METHODS The systematic reviews focused on (1) the effectiveness of school-based interventions for children with or at risk of ADHD; (2) quantitative research that explores attitudes towards school-based non-pharmacological interventions for pupils with ADHD; (3) qualitative research investigating the attitudes and experiences of children, teachers, parents and others using ADHD interventions in school settings; and (4) qualitative research exploring the experience of ADHD in school among pupils, their parents and teachers more generally. Methods of synthesis included a random-effects meta-analysis, meta-regression and narrative synthesis for review 1, narrative synthesis for review 2 and meta-ethnography and thematic analysis for reviews 3 and 4. RESULTS For review 1, 54 controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. For the 36 meta-analysed randomised controlled trials, beneficial effects (p < 0.05) were observed for several symptom and scholastic outcomes. Mean weighted effect sizes ranged from

Non-pharmacological interventions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) delivered in school settings: systematic reviews of quantitative and qualitative research.

PubMed

Richardson, Michelle; Moore, Darren A; Gwernan-Jones, Ruth; Thompson-Coon, Jo; Ukoumunne, Obioha; Rogers, Morwenna; Whear, Rebecca; Newlove-Delgado, Tamsin V; Logan, Stuart; Morris, Christopher; Taylor, Eric; Cooper, Paul; Stein, Ken; Garside, Ruth; Ford, Tamsin J

2015-06-01

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by age-inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. School can be particularly challenging for children with ADHD. Few reviews have considered non-pharmacological interventions in school settings. To assess the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions delivered in school settings for pupils with, or at risk of, ADHD and to explore the factors that may enhance, or limit, their delivery. Twenty electronic databases (including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Education Resources Information Centre, The Cochrane Library and Education Research Complete) were searched from 1980 to February-August 2013. Three separate searches were conducted for four systematic reviews; they were supplemented with forward and backwards citation chasing, website searching, author recommendations and hand-searches of key journals. The systematic reviews focused on (1) the effectiveness of school-based interventions for children with or at risk of ADHD; (2) quantitative research that explores attitudes towards school-based non-pharmacological interventions for pupils with ADHD; (3) qualitative research investigating the attitudes and experiences of children, teachers, parents and others using ADHD interventions in school settings; and (4) qualitative research exploring the experience of ADHD in school among pupils, their parents and teachers more generally. Methods of synthesis included a random-effects meta-analysis, meta-regression and narrative synthesis for review 1, narrative synthesis for review 2 and meta-ethnography and thematic analysis for reviews 3 and 4. For review 1, 54 controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. For the 36 meta-analysed randomised controlled trials, beneficial effects (p < 0.05) were observed for several symptom and scholastic outcomes. Mean weighted effect sizes ranged from very small (d + < 0.20) to large (d + ≥ 0.80), but

Anniversary Article--Interactional Feedback in Second Language Teaching and Learning: A Synthesis and Analysis of Current Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nassaji, Hossein

2016-01-01

The role of interactional feedback has long been of interest to both second language acquisition researchers and teachers and has continued to be the object of intensive empirical and theoretical inquiry. In this article, I provide a synthesis and analysis of recent research and developments in this area and their contributions to second language…

Quantitative multimodality imaging in cancer research and therapy.

PubMed

Yankeelov, Thomas E; Abramson, Richard G; Quarles, C Chad

2014-11-01

Advances in hardware and software have enabled the realization of clinically feasible, quantitative multimodality imaging of tissue pathophysiology. Earlier efforts relating to multimodality imaging of cancer have focused on the integration of anatomical and functional characteristics, such as PET-CT and single-photon emission CT (SPECT-CT), whereas more-recent advances and applications have involved the integration of multiple quantitative, functional measurements (for example, multiple PET tracers, varied MRI contrast mechanisms, and PET-MRI), thereby providing a more-comprehensive characterization of the tumour phenotype. The enormous amount of complementary quantitative data generated by such studies is beginning to offer unique insights into opportunities to optimize care for individual patients. Although important technical optimization and improved biological interpretation of multimodality imaging findings are needed, this approach can already be applied informatively in clinical trials of cancer therapeutics using existing tools. These concepts are discussed herein.

Reporting and Interpreting Quantitative Research Findings: What Gets Reported and Recommendations for the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson-Hall, Jenifer; Plonsky, Luke

2015-01-01

This paper presents a set of guidelines for reporting on five types of quantitative data issues: (1) Descriptive statistics, (2) Effect sizes and confidence intervals, (3) Instrument reliability, (4) Visual displays of data, and (5) Raw data. Our recommendations are derived mainly from various professional sources related to L2 research but…

Calculator Use on the "GRE"® Revised General Test Quantitative Reasoning Measure. ETS GRE® Board Research Report. ETS GRE®-14-02. ETS Research Report. RR-14-25

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attali, Yigal

2014-01-01

Previous research on calculator use in standardized assessments of quantitative ability focused on the effect of calculator availability on item difficulty and on whether test developers can predict these effects. With the introduction of an on-screen calculator on the Quantitative Reasoning measure of the "GRE"® revised General Test, it…

Methodological quality and scientific impact of quantitative nursing education research over 18 months.

PubMed

Yucha, Carolyn B; Schneider, Barbara St Pierre; Smyer, Tish; Kowalski, Susan; Stowers, Eva

2011-01-01

The methodological quality of nursing education research has not been rigorously studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the methodological quality and scientific impact of nursing education research reports. The methodological quality of 133 quantitative nursing education research articles published between July 2006 and December 2007 was evaluated using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI).The mean (+/- SD) MERSQI score was 9.8 +/- 2.2. It correlated (p < .05) with several scientific impact indicators: citation counts from Scopus (r = .223), Google Scholar (r = .224), and journal impact factor (r = .216); it was not associated with Web of Science citation count, funding, or h Index. The similarities between this study's MERSQI ratings for nursing literature and those reported for the medical literature, coupled with the association with citation counts, suggest that the MERSQI is an appropriate instrument to evaluate the quality of nursing education research.

Are Electronic Cigarettes an Effective Aid to Smoking Cessation or Reduction Among Vulnerable Groups? A Systematic Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence.

PubMed

Gentry, Sarah; Forouhi, Nita; Notley, Caitlin

2018-03-28

Smoking prevalence remains high in some vulnerable groups, including those who misuse substances, have a mental illness, are homeless or are involved with the criminal justice system. E-cigarette use is increasing and may support smoking cessation/reduction. Systematic review of quantitative and qualitative data on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation/reduction among vulnerable groups. Databases searched were MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, ASSIA, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses and Open Grey. Narrative synthesis of quantitative data and thematic synthesis of qualitative data. 2628 records and 46 full texts were screened; 9 studies were identified for inclusion. Due to low quality of evidence, it is uncertain whether e-cigarettes are effective for smoking cessation in vulnerable populations. A moderate quality study suggested e-cigarettes were as effective as nicotine replacement therapy. Four studies suggested significant smoking reduction, however three were uncontrolled and had sample sizes below 30. A prospective cohort study found no differences between e-cigarette users and non-users. No significant adverse events and minimal side effects were identified. Qualitative thematic synthesis revealed barriers and facilitators associated with each component of the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour) model, including practical barriers; perceptions of effectiveness for cessation/reduction; design features contributing to automatic and reflective motivation; smoking bans facilitating practical opportunity; and social connectedness increasing social opportunity. Further research is needed to identify the most appropriate device types for practicality and safety, level of support required in e-cigarette interventions, and to compare e-cigarettes with current best practice smoking cessation support among vulnerable groups. Smoking prevalence among people with mental illness, substance misuse, homelessness or criminal justice

Low-grade and character-marked hardwoods: A research review and synthesis of solid wood manufacturing and marketing

Treesearch

David Nicholls; Matt Bumgardner

2015-01-01

There is a substantial body of research from the past half-century addressing hardwood utilization and markets in North America. This synthesis is the first to our knowledge to consider two major (and related) aspects of this research concurrently: low-grade hardwood utilization and marketing of character-marked wood features. We first consider low-grade hardwood...

Study Quality in SLA: An Assessment of Designs, Analyses, and Reporting Practices in Quantitative L2 Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plonsky, Luke

2013-01-01

This study assesses research and reporting practices in quantitative second language (L2) research. A sample of 606 primary studies, published from 1990 to 2010 in "Language Learning and Studies in Second Language Acquisition," was collected and coded for designs, statistical analyses, reporting practices, and outcomes (i.e., effect…

Qualitative Methods Can Enrich Quantitative Research on Occupational Stress: An Example from One Occupational Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Farrell, Edwin

2010-01-01

The chapter examines the ways in which qualitative and quantitative methods support each other in research on occupational stress. Qualitative methods include eliciting from workers unconstrained descriptions of work experiences, careful first-hand observations of the workplace, and participant-observers describing "from the inside" a…

"What else are you worried about?" - Integrating textual responses into quantitative social science research.

PubMed

Rohrer, Julia M; Brümmer, Martin; Schmukle, Stefan C; Goebel, Jan; Wagner, Gert G

2017-01-01

Open-ended questions have routinely been included in large-scale survey and panel studies, yet there is some perplexity about how to actually incorporate the answers to such questions into quantitative social science research. Tools developed recently in the domain of natural language processing offer a wide range of options for the automated analysis of such textual data, but their implementation has lagged behind. In this study, we demonstrate straightforward procedures that can be applied to process and analyze textual data for the purposes of quantitative social science research. Using more than 35,000 textual answers to the question "What else are you worried about?" from participants of the German Socio-economic Panel Study (SOEP), we (1) analyzed characteristics of respondents that determined whether they answered the open-ended question, (2) used the textual data to detect relevant topics that were reported by the respondents, and (3) linked the features of the respondents to the worries they reported in their textual data. The potential uses as well as the limitations of the automated analysis of textual data are discussed.

Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Results in Health Science Mixed Methods Research Through Joint Displays.

PubMed

Guetterman, Timothy C; Fetters, Michael D; Creswell, John W

2015-11-01

Mixed methods research is becoming an important methodology to investigate complex health-related topics, yet the meaningful integration of qualitative and quantitative data remains elusive and needs further development. A promising innovation to facilitate integration is the use of visual joint displays that bring data together visually to draw out new insights. The purpose of this study was to identify exemplar joint displays by analyzing the various types of joint displays being used in published articles. We searched for empirical articles that included joint displays in 3 journals that publish state-of-the-art mixed methods research. We analyzed each of 19 identified joint displays to extract the type of display, mixed methods design, purpose, rationale, qualitative and quantitative data sources, integration approaches, and analytic strategies. Our analysis focused on what each display communicated and its representation of mixed methods analysis. The most prevalent types of joint displays were statistics-by-themes and side-by-side comparisons. Innovative joint displays connected findings to theoretical frameworks or recommendations. Researchers used joint displays for convergent, explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, and intervention designs. We identified exemplars for each of these designs by analyzing the inferences gained through using the joint display. Exemplars represented mixed methods integration, presented integrated results, and yielded new insights. Joint displays appear to provide a structure to discuss the integrated analysis and assist both researchers and readers in understanding how mixed methods provides new insights. We encourage researchers to use joint displays to integrate and represent mixed methods analysis and discuss their value. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Results in Health Science Mixed Methods Research Through Joint Displays

PubMed Central

Guetterman, Timothy C.; Fetters, Michael D.; Creswell, John W.

2015-01-01

PURPOSE Mixed methods research is becoming an important methodology to investigate complex health-related topics, yet the meaningful integration of qualitative and quantitative data remains elusive and needs further development. A promising innovation to facilitate integration is the use of visual joint displays that bring data together visually to draw out new insights. The purpose of this study was to identify exemplar joint displays by analyzing the various types of joint displays being used in published articles. METHODS We searched for empirical articles that included joint displays in 3 journals that publish state-of-the-art mixed methods research. We analyzed each of 19 identified joint displays to extract the type of display, mixed methods design, purpose, rationale, qualitative and quantitative data sources, integration approaches, and analytic strategies. Our analysis focused on what each display communicated and its representation of mixed methods analysis. RESULTS The most prevalent types of joint displays were statistics-by-themes and side-by-side comparisons. Innovative joint displays connected findings to theoretical frameworks or recommendations. Researchers used joint displays for convergent, explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, and intervention designs. We identified exemplars for each of these designs by analyzing the inferences gained through using the joint display. Exemplars represented mixed methods integration, presented integrated results, and yielded new insights. CONCLUSIONS Joint displays appear to provide a structure to discuss the integrated analysis and assist both researchers and readers in understanding how mixed methods provides new insights. We encourage researchers to use joint displays to integrate and represent mixed methods analysis and discuss their value. PMID:26553895

Quantitative reactive modeling and verification.

PubMed

Henzinger, Thomas A

Formal verification aims to improve the quality of software by detecting errors before they do harm. At the basis of formal verification is the logical notion of correctness , which purports to capture whether or not a program behaves as desired. We suggest that the boolean partition of software into correct and incorrect programs falls short of the practical need to assess the behavior of software in a more nuanced fashion against multiple criteria. We therefore propose to introduce quantitative fitness measures for programs, specifically for measuring the function, performance, and robustness of reactive programs such as concurrent processes. This article describes the goals of the ERC Advanced Investigator Project QUAREM. The project aims to build and evaluate a theory of quantitative fitness measures for reactive models. Such a theory must strive to obtain quantitative generalizations of the paradigms that have been success stories in qualitative reactive modeling, such as compositionality, property-preserving abstraction and abstraction refinement, model checking, and synthesis. The theory will be evaluated not only in the context of software and hardware engineering, but also in the context of systems biology. In particular, we will use the quantitative reactive models and fitness measures developed in this project for testing hypotheses about the mechanisms behind data from biological experiments.

Standards for reporting qualitative research: a synthesis of recommendations.

PubMed

O'Brien, Bridget C; Harris, Ilene B; Beckman, Thomas J; Reed, Darcy A; Cook, David A

2014-09-01

Standards for reporting exist for many types of quantitative research, but currently none exist for the broad spectrum of qualitative research. The purpose of the present study was to formulate and define standards for reporting qualitative research while preserving the requisite flexibility to accommodate various paradigms, approaches, and methods. The authors identified guidelines, reporting standards, and critical appraisal criteria for qualitative research by searching PubMed, Web of Science, and Google through July 2013; reviewing the reference lists of retrieved sources; and contacting experts. Specifically, two authors reviewed a sample of sources to generate an initial set of items that were potentially important in reporting qualitative research. Through an iterative process of reviewing sources, modifying the set of items, and coding all sources for items, the authors prepared a near-final list of items and descriptions and sent this list to five external reviewers for feedback. The final items and descriptions included in the reporting standards reflect this feedback. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) consists of 21 items. The authors define and explain key elements of each item and provide examples from recently published articles to illustrate ways in which the standards can be met. The SRQR aims to improve the transparency of all aspects of qualitative research by providing clear standards for reporting qualitative research. These standards will assist authors during manuscript preparation, editors and reviewers in evaluating a manuscript for potential publication, and readers when critically appraising, applying, and synthesizing study findings.

A systematic review of quantitative burn wound microbiology in the management of burns patients.

PubMed

Halstead, Fenella D; Lee, Kwang Chear; Kwei, Johnny; Dretzke, Janine; Oppenheim, Beryl A; Moiemen, Naiem S

2018-02-01

The early diagnosis of infection or sepsis in burns are important for patient care. Globally, a large number of burn centres advocate quantitative cultures of wound biopsies for patient management, since there is assumed to be a direct link between the bioburden of a burn wound and the risk of microbial invasion. Given the conflicting study findings in this area, a systematic review was warranted. Bibliographic databases were searched with no language restrictions to August 2015. Study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed in duplicate using pre-defined criteria. Substantial heterogeneity precluded quantitative synthesis, and findings were described narratively, sub-grouped by clinical question. Twenty six laboratory and/or clinical studies were included. Substantial heterogeneity hampered comparisons across studies and interpretation of findings. Limited evidence suggests that (i) more than one quantitative microbiology sample is required to obtain reliable estimates of bacterial load; (ii) biopsies are more sensitive than swabs in diagnosing or predicting sepsis; (iii) high bacterial loads may predict worse clinical outcomes, and (iv) both quantitative and semi-quantitative culture reports need to be interpreted with caution and in the context of other clinical risk factors. The evidence base for the utility and reliability of quantitative microbiology for diagnosing or predicting clinical outcomes in burns patients is limited and often poorly reported. Consequently future research is warranted. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of Person-Centered Approaches to Critical Quantitative Research: Exploring Inequities in College Financing Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malcom-Piqueux, Lindsey

2014-01-01

This chapter discusses the utility of person-centered approaches to critical quantitative researchers. These techniques, which identify groups of individuals who share similar attributes, experiences, or outcomes, are contrasted with more commonly used variable-centered approaches. An illustrative example of a latent class analysis of the college…

Quantitative evaluation research of glare from automotive headlamps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tiecheng; Qian, Rui; Cao, Ye; Gao, Mingqiu

2018-01-01

This study concerns the quantized evaluation research of glare from automotive headlamps. In the actual regulations, only one point in the test screen is set for judging whether driver can bear the light caused by headlamps of opposing vehicle. To evaluating practical effect of glare, we accept a glare zone with the probability distribution information of the oncoming driver's eye position. In this focus area, glare level of headlamp is represented by weighted luminous flux. To confirm the most comfortable illuminance value to human eyes at 50 m, we used test point B50L as observation position, and collected 1,000 subjective evaluation data from 20 test personnel in different ages during two months. Basing on the assessment results, we calculated 0.60 lx as recommended value for standardized testing procedure at 25 m. Then we figured out 0.38 lm as optimum value, and 0.25 / 1.20 lm as limiting values depending on regulations. We tested 40 sample vehicles with different levels to verify the sectional nonlinear quantitative evaluation method we designed, and analyzed the typical test results.

Synthesizing Quantitative Evidence for Evidence-based Nursing: Systematic Review.

PubMed

Oh, Eui Geum

2016-06-01

As evidence-based practice has become an important issue in healthcare settings, the educational needs for knowledge and skills for the generation and utilization of healthcare evidence are increasing. Systematic review (SR), a way of evidence generation, is a synthesis of primary scientific evidence, which summarizes the best evidence on a specific clinical question using a transparent, a priori protocol driven approach. SR methodology requires a critical appraisal of primary studies, data extraction in a reliable and repeatable way, and examination for validity of the results. SRs are considered hierarchically as the highest form of evidence as they are a systematic search, identification, and summarization of the available evidence to answer a focused clinical question with particular attention to the methodological quality of studies or the credibility of opinion and text. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an overview of the fundamental knowledge, principals and processes in SR. The focus of this paper is on SR especially for the synthesis of quantitative data from primary research studies that examines the effectiveness of healthcare interventions. To activate evidence-based nursing care in various healthcare settings, the best and available scientific evidence are essential components. This paper will include some examples to promote understandings. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

On Quantitative Comparative Research in Communication and Language Evolution

PubMed Central

Oller, D. Kimbrough; Griebel, Ulrike

2014-01-01

Quantitative comparison of human language and natural animal communication requires improved conceptualizations. We argue that an infrastructural approach to development and evolution incorporating an extended interpretation of the distinctions among illocution, perlocution, and meaning (Austin 1962; Oller and Griebel 2008) can help place the issues relevant to quantitative comparison in perspective. The approach can illuminate the controversy revolving around the notion of functional referentiality as applied to alarm calls, for example in the vervet monkey. We argue that referentiality offers a poor point of quantitative comparison across language and animal communication in the wild. Evidence shows that even newborn human cry could be deemed to show functional referentiality according to the criteria typically invoked by advocates of referentiality in animal communication. Exploring the essence of the idea of illocution, we illustrate an important realm of commonality among animal communication systems and human language, a commonality that opens the door to more productive, quantifiable comparisons. Finally, we delineate two examples of infrastructural communicative capabilities that should be particularly amenable to direct quantitative comparison across humans and our closest relatives. PMID:25285057

On Quantitative Comparative Research in Communication and Language Evolution.

PubMed

Oller, D Kimbrough; Griebel, Ulrike

2014-09-01

Quantitative comparison of human language and natural animal communication requires improved conceptualizations. We argue that an infrastructural approach to development and evolution incorporating an extended interpretation of the distinctions among illocution, perlocution, and meaning (Austin 1962; Oller and Griebel 2008) can help place the issues relevant to quantitative comparison in perspective. The approach can illuminate the controversy revolving around the notion of functional referentiality as applied to alarm calls, for example in the vervet monkey. We argue that referentiality offers a poor point of quantitative comparison across language and animal communication in the wild. Evidence shows that even newborn human cry could be deemed to show functional referentiality according to the criteria typically invoked by advocates of referentiality in animal communication. Exploring the essence of the idea of illocution, we illustrate an important realm of commonality among animal communication systems and human language, a commonality that opens the door to more productive, quantifiable comparisons. Finally, we delineate two examples of infrastructural communicative capabilities that should be particularly amenable to direct quantitative comparison across humans and our closest relatives.

Perspectives and challenges of photon-upconversion nanoparticles - Part I: routes to brighter particles and quantitative spectroscopic studies.

PubMed

Resch-Genger, Ute; Gorris, Hans H

2017-10-01

Lanthanide-doped photon-upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been the focus of many research activities in materials and life sciences in the last 15 years because of their potential to convert light between different spectral regions and their unique photophysical properties. To fully exploit the application potential of these fascinating nanomaterials, a number of challenges have to be overcome, such as the low brightness, particularly of small UCNPs, and the reliable quantification of the excitation-power-density-dependent upconversion luminescence. In this series of critical reviews, recent developments in the design, synthesis, optical-spectroscopic characterization, and application of UCNPs are presented with special focus on bioanalysis and the life sciences. Here we guide the reader from the synthesis of UCNPs to different concepts to enhance their luminescence, including the required optical-spectroscopic assessment to quantify material performance; surface modification strategies and bioanalytical applications as well as selected examples of the use of UCNPs as reporters in different assay formats are addressed in part II. Future trends and challenges in the field of upconversion are discussed with special emphasis on UCNP synthesis and material characterization, particularly quantitative luminescence studies. Graphical Abstract Both synthesis and spectroscopy as well bioanalytical applications of UCNPs are driven and supported by COST Action CM1403 "The European Upconversion Network".

DNA-Encoded Solid-Phase Synthesis: Encoding Language Design and Complex Oligomer Library Synthesis.

PubMed

MacConnell, Andrew B; McEnaney, Patrick J; Cavett, Valerie J; Paegel, Brian M

2015-09-14

The promise of exploiting combinatorial synthesis for small molecule discovery remains unfulfilled due primarily to the "structure elucidation problem": the back-end mass spectrometric analysis that significantly restricts one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) library complexity. The very molecular features that confer binding potency and specificity, such as stereochemistry, regiochemistry, and scaffold rigidity, are conspicuously absent from most libraries because isomerism introduces mass redundancy and diverse scaffolds yield uninterpretable MS fragmentation. Here we present DNA-encoded solid-phase synthesis (DESPS), comprising parallel compound synthesis in organic solvent and aqueous enzymatic ligation of unprotected encoding dsDNA oligonucleotides. Computational encoding language design yielded 148 thermodynamically optimized sequences with Hamming string distance ≥ 3 and total read length <100 bases for facile sequencing. Ligation is efficient (70% yield), specific, and directional over 6 encoding positions. A series of isomers served as a testbed for DESPS's utility in split-and-pool diversification. Single-bead quantitative PCR detected 9 × 10(4) molecules/bead and sequencing allowed for elucidation of each compound's synthetic history. We applied DESPS to the combinatorial synthesis of a 75,645-member OBOC library containing scaffold, stereochemical and regiochemical diversity using mixed-scale resin (160-μm quality control beads and 10-μm screening beads). Tandem DNA sequencing/MALDI-TOF MS analysis of 19 quality control beads showed excellent agreement (<1 ppt) between DNA sequence-predicted mass and the observed mass. DESPS synergistically unites the advantages of solid-phase synthesis and DNA encoding, enabling single-bead structural elucidation of complex compounds and synthesis using reactions normally considered incompatible with unprotected DNA. The widespread availability of inexpensive oligonucleotide synthesis, enzymes, DNA sequencing, and PCR

Is Qualitative Research Second Class Science? A Quantitative Longitudinal Examination of Qualitative Research in Medical Journals

PubMed Central

Shuval, Kerem; Harker, Karen; Roudsari, Bahman; Groce, Nora E.; Mills, Britain; Siddiqi, Zoveen; Shachak, Aviv

2011-01-01

Background Qualitative research appears to be gaining acceptability in medical journals. Yet, little is actually known about the proportion of qualitative research and factors affecting its publication. This study describes the proportion of qualitative research over a 10 year period and correlates associated with its publication. Design A quantitative longitudinal examination of the proportion of original qualitative research in 67 journals of general medicine during a 10 year period (1998–2007). The proportion of qualitative research was determined by dividing original qualitative studies published (numerator) by all original research articles published (denominator). We used a generalized estimating equations approach to assess the longitudinal association between the proportion of qualitative studies and independent variables (i.e. journals' country of publication and impact factor; editorial/methodological papers discussing qualitative research; and specific journal guidelines pertaining to qualitative research). Findings A 2.9% absolute increase and 3.4-fold relative increase in qualitative research publications occurred over a 10 year period (1.2% in 1998 vs. 4.1% in 2007). The proportion of original qualitative research was independently and significantly associated with the publication of editorial/methodological papers in the journal (b = 3.688, P = 0.012); and with qualitative research specifically mentioned in guidelines for authors (b = 6.847, P<0.001). Additionally, a higher proportion of qualitative research was associated only with journals published in the UK in comparison to other countries, yet with borderline statistical significance (b = 1.776, P = 0.075). The journals' impact factor was not associated with the publication of qualitative research. Conclusions Despite an increase in the proportion of qualitative research in medical journals over a 10 year period, the proportion remains low. Journals' policies pertaining to

Fitting Square Pegs into round Holes: Doing Qualitative Nursing Research in a Quantitative World.

PubMed

Newton, Lorelei; Kimpson, Sally

2014-09-01

The authors, as doctoral candidates and registered nurses, took on a qualitative research project investigating nursing practice in a research-intensive organization. Their aims were to explore and describe how nurses in the ambulatory care setting assist patients and families, including how nursing practice was carried out, constraints to practice, and the influence of the interprofessional milieu. Their first finding, in part because of the qualitative research design used, concerned the potential impact of the organizational ethics review process on the project. The authors discuss how the language, definition of risk, and notion of informed consent articulated in the organizational review process influenced both the research timeline and (potentially) the study itself. While not dismissing the value of ethics review, they explore the tension of overlaying generic criteria for quantitative research, specifically randomized controlled trials, on nursing research from other traditions. Copyright© by Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University.

Challenges and strategies for quantitative and qualitative field research in the United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Aw, Tar-Ching; Zoubeidi, Taoufik; Al-Maskari, Fatma; Blair, Iain

2011-01-01

Clinical and public health research depends on factors including national systems, socio-cultural influences, and access to organisations and individuals. As a 'new' country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has yet to develop strong support for population research. However, there is interest in research. The challenges for quantitative and qualitative research include the varied composition and mobility of the UAE population, with limited health records and disease registries. Long-term follow-up of patients, and tracing foreign workers who may only be in the UAE for a few years, are two major obstacles for longitudinal studies. There can also be a reluctance shown by parts of the population to participate in studies, especially those that require responding to what is perceived as sensitive questions. Successful execution of population research in the UAE requires an understanding of socio-cultural aspects of the study population, and good communication between researchers and participants.

Mixed Methods in Prostate Cancer Prevention and Service Utilization Planning: Combining Focus Groups, Survey Research, and Community Engagement.

PubMed

Tataw, David Besong; Ekúndayò, Olúgbémiga T

2017-01-01

This article reports on the use of sequential and integrated mixed-methods approach in a focused population and small-area analysis. The study framework integrates focus groups, survey research, and community engagement strategies in a search for evidence related to prostate cancer screening services utilization as a component of cancer prevention planning in a marginalized African American community in the United States. Research and data analysis methods are synthesized by aggregation, configuration, and interpretive analysis. The results of synthesis show that qualitative and quantitative data validate and complement each other in advancing our knowledge of population characteristics, variable associations, the complex context in which variables exist, and the best options for prevention and service planning. Synthesis of findings and interpretive analysis provided two important explanations which seemed inexplicable in regression outputs: (a) Focus group data on the limitations of the church as an educational source explain the negative association between preferred educational channels and screening behavior found in quantitative analysis. (b) Focus group data on unwelcoming provider environments explain the inconsistent relationship between knowledge of local sites and screening services utilization found in quantitative analysis. The findings suggest that planners, evaluators, and scientists should grow their planning and evaluation evidence from the community they serve.

What Value Can Qualitative Research Add to Quantitative Research Design? An Example From an Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Trial Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Toye, Francine; Williamson, Esther; Williams, Mark A; Fairbank, Jeremy; Lamb, Sarah E

2016-08-09

Using an example of qualitative research embedded in a non-surgical feasibility trial, we explore the benefits of including qualitative research in trial design and reflect on epistemological challenges. We interviewed 18 trial participants and used methods of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Our findings demonstrate that qualitative research can make a valuable contribution by allowing trial stakeholders to see things from alternative perspectives. Specifically, it can help to make specific recommendations for improved trial design, generate questions which contextualize findings, and also explore disease experience beyond the trial. To make the most out of qualitative research embedded in quantitative design it would be useful to (a) agree specific qualitative study aims that underpin research design, (b) understand the impact of differences in epistemological truth claims, (c) provide clear thematic interpretations for trial researchers to utilize, and (d) include qualitative findings that explore experience beyond the trial setting within the impact plan. © The Author(s) 2016.

Managerial leadership for research use in nursing and allied health care professions: a narrative synthesis protocol

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Nurses and allied health care professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, dietitians) form more than half of the clinical health care workforce and play a central role in health service delivery. There is a potential to improve the quality of health care if these professionals routinely use research evidence to guide their clinical practice. However, the use of research evidence remains unpredictable and inconsistent. Leadership is consistently described in implementation research as critical to enhancing research use by health care professionals. However, this important literature has not yet been synthesized and there is a lack of clarity on what constitutes effective leadership for research use, or what kinds of intervention effectively develop leadership for the purpose of enabling and enhancing research use in clinical practice. We propose to synthesize the evidence on leadership behaviours amongst front line and senior managers that are associated with research evidence by nurses and allied health care professionals, and then determine the effectiveness of interventions that promote these behaviours. Methods/Design Using an integrated knowledge translation approach that supports a partnership between researchers and knowledge users throughout the research process, we will follow principles of knowledge synthesis using a systematic method to synthesize different types of evidence involving: searching the literature, study selection, data extraction and quality assessment, and analysis. A narrative synthesis will be conducted to explore relationships within and across studies and meta-analysis will be performed if sufficient homogeneity exists across studies employing experimental randomized control trial designs. Discussion With the engagement of knowledge users in leadership and practice, we will synthesize the research from a broad range of disciplines to understand the key elements of leadership

Managerial leadership for research use in nursing and allied health care professions: a narrative synthesis protocol.

PubMed

Gifford, Wendy A; Holyoke, Paul; Squires, Janet E; Angus, Douglas; Brosseau, Lucie; Egan, Mary; Graham, Ian D; Miller, Carol; Wallin, Lars

2014-06-05

Nurses and allied health care professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, dietitians) form more than half of the clinical health care workforce and play a central role in health service delivery. There is a potential to improve the quality of health care if these professionals routinely use research evidence to guide their clinical practice. However, the use of research evidence remains unpredictable and inconsistent. Leadership is consistently described in implementation research as critical to enhancing research use by health care professionals. However, this important literature has not yet been synthesized and there is a lack of clarity on what constitutes effective leadership for research use, or what kinds of intervention effectively develop leadership for the purpose of enabling and enhancing research use in clinical practice. We propose to synthesize the evidence on leadership behaviours amongst front line and senior managers that are associated with research evidence by nurses and allied health care professionals, and then determine the effectiveness of interventions that promote these behaviours. Using an integrated knowledge translation approach that supports a partnership between researchers and knowledge users throughout the research process, we will follow principles of knowledge synthesis using a systematic method to synthesize different types of evidence involving: searching the literature, study selection, data extraction and quality assessment, and analysis. A narrative synthesis will be conducted to explore relationships within and across studies and meta-analysis will be performed if sufficient homogeneity exists across studies employing experimental randomized control trial designs. With the engagement of knowledge users in leadership and practice, we will synthesize the research from a broad range of disciplines to understand the key elements of leadership that supports and enables research use

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on the impacts of wildland fires on communities

Treesearch

Stephen F. McCool; James Burchfield; Daniel R. Williams; Matt Carroll; Patricia Cohn; Yoshitaka Kumagai; Tam Ubben

2007-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. Focusing on research on the social impacts of wildland fire, this synthesis explores decisions and actions taken by communities before, during, and after a wildland fire to minimize its impacts. It then synthesizes the research studying (1) the consequences...

Attitudes of nurses towards the use of physical restraints in geriatric care: a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies.

PubMed

Möhler, Ralph; Meyer, Gabriele

2014-02-01

To examine nurses' attitudes towards the use of physical restraints in geriatric care. Systematic review and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative studies. The following databases were searched: Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Psyndex, PsychInfo, Social SciSearch, SciSearch, Forum Qualitative Social Research (1/1990 to 8/2013). We performed backward and forward citation tracking to all of the included studies. We included in the present review all qualitative and quantitative studies in English and German that investigated nurses' attitudes towards the use of physical restraints in geriatric care. Two independent reviewers selected the studies for inclusion and assessed the study quality. We performed a thematic synthesis for the qualitative studies and a content analysis of the questionnaires' items as well as a narrative synthesis for the quantitative surveys. We included 31 publications in the review: 20 quantitative surveys, 10 qualitative and 1 mixed-method study. In the qualitative studies, nurses' attitudes towards the use of physical restraints in geriatric care were predominately characterised by negative feelings towards the use of restraints; however, the nurses also described a perceived need for using restraints in clinical practice. This discrepancy led to moral conflicts, and nurses described several strategies for coping with these conflicts when restraints were used. When nurses were in doubt regarding the use of restraints, they decided predominantly in favour of using restraints. The results of the quantitative surveys were inconsistent regarding nurses' feelings towards the use of restraints in geriatric care. Prevention of falls was identified as a primary reason for using restraints. However, the items of the questionnaires focussed primarily on the reasons for the use of restraints rather than on the attitudes of nurses. Despite the lack of evidence regarding the benefits of restraints and the evidence on the adverse effects, nurses often

Religiosity, Religious Schools, and Their Relationship with the Achievement Gap: A Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeynes, William H.

2010-01-01

A research synthesis was conducted including three meta analyses, a review of the relevant literature, and supplemental analyses examining the relationship between personal faith and the reduction of the achievement gap. Personal faith included belief and adherence to any religion. The results of the three meta-analyses indicated that: (a)…

Applying Knowledge of Quantitative Design and Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baskas, Richard S.

2011-01-01

This study compared and contrasted two quantitative scholarly articles in relation to their research designs. Their designs were analyzed by the comparison of research references and research specific vocabulary to describe how various research methods were used. When researching and analyzing quantitative scholarly articles, it is imperative to…

Reading interventions with behavioral and social skill outcomes: a synthesis of research.

PubMed

Roberts, Garrett J; Solis, Michael; Ciullo, Stephen; McKenna, John W; Vaughn, Sharon

2015-01-01

Research findings have suggested that reading deficits and problem behaviors are positively related. This synthesis investigated how reading interventions impact behavioral/social skill outcomes by reviewing studies that included (a) a reading intervention without behavioral/social skill components, (b) behavioral/social skill dependent variables, and (c) students in Grades K-12. Fifteen articles were evaluated by the type of reading intervention, associations between positive reading effects and behavioral/social skill outcomes, and The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) determinants of study ratings. Findings suggested that reading interventions tended to have positive reading outcomes, while behavioral/social skill outcomes were small or negative. Research did not suggest an association between improved reading and behavioral performance, regardless of the WWC study determinants rating. Implications include reading instruction may not be sufficient to improve behavioral and social skill outcomes. Additional research is warranted to investigate the long-term impact of reading on behavioral and social skill outcomes. © The Author(s) 2014.

It's Not Just the Pills: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of HIV Antiretroviral Adherence Research.

PubMed

Barroso, Julie; Leblanc, Natalie M; Flores, Dalmacio

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) improves the health and longevity of people living with HIV infection (PLWH) and also prevents transmission of the virus. Yet, lack of adherence to ART regimens has been a persistent problem, even with simpler regimens. Guidelines that deal with ART adherence are based almost solely on quantitative studies; this focus ignores the context and complexity of patients' lives. Guidelines are also focused on the individual. We argue that the solution is to include the broader communities in which patients live, and to deal with systemic disparities that persist worldwide; this can be done in part through demedicalizing HIV care for healthy PLWH. We present findings from a qualitative meta-synthesis of 127 studies conducted around the world on the last two pillars of the HIV treatment cascade: starting and remaining on ART until optimal viral suppression is achieved. We use Maslow's hierarchy of needs to frame our findings. Copyright © 2017 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"What else are you worried about?" – Integrating textual responses into quantitative social science research

PubMed Central

Brümmer, Martin; Schmukle, Stefan C.; Goebel, Jan; Wagner, Gert G.

2017-01-01

Open-ended questions have routinely been included in large-scale survey and panel studies, yet there is some perplexity about how to actually incorporate the answers to such questions into quantitative social science research. Tools developed recently in the domain of natural language processing offer a wide range of options for the automated analysis of such textual data, but their implementation has lagged behind. In this study, we demonstrate straightforward procedures that can be applied to process and analyze textual data for the purposes of quantitative social science research. Using more than 35,000 textual answers to the question “What else are you worried about?” from participants of the German Socio-economic Panel Study (SOEP), we (1) analyzed characteristics of respondents that determined whether they answered the open-ended question, (2) used the textual data to detect relevant topics that were reported by the respondents, and (3) linked the features of the respondents to the worries they reported in their textual data. The potential uses as well as the limitations of the automated analysis of textual data are discussed. PMID:28759628

A Meta-Synthesis of Empirical Research on the Effectiveness of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) in SLA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Huifen

2015-01-01

This meta-analysis reports the results of a systematic synthesis of primary studies on the effectiveness of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in second language acquisition (SLA) for the period 2000-2012. By extracting information on 21 features from each primary study, this meta-analysis intends to summarize the CMC research literature for…

Robust control synthesis for uncertain dynamical systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byun, Kuk-Whan; Wie, Bong; Sunkel, John

1989-01-01

This paper presents robust control synthesis techniques for uncertain dynamical systems subject to structured parameter perturbation. Both QFT (quantitative feedback theory) and H-infinity control synthesis techniques are investigated. Although most H-infinity-related control techniques are not concerned with the structured parameter perturbation, a new way of incorporating the parameter uncertainty in the robust H-infinity control design is presented. A generic model of uncertain dynamical systems is used to illustrate the design methodologies investigated in this paper. It is shown that, for a certain noncolocated structural control problem, use of both techniques results in nonminimum phase compensation.

A synthesis theory for self-oscillating adaptive systems /SOAS/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horowitz, I.; Smay, J.; Shapiro, A.

1974-01-01

A quantitative synthesis theory is presented for the Self-Oscillating Adaptive System (SOAS), whose nonlinear element has a static, odd character with hard saturation. The synthesis theory is based upon the quasilinear properties of the SOAS to forced inputs, which permits the extension of quantitative linear feedback theory to the SOAS. A reasonable definition of optimum design is shown to be the minimization of the limit cycle frequency. The great advantages of the SOAS is its zero sensitivity to pure gain changes. However, quasilinearity and control of the limit cycle amplitude at the system output, impose additional constraints which partially or completely cancel this advantage, depending on the numerical values of the design parameters. By means of narrow-band filtering, an additional factor is introduced which permits trade-off between filter complexity and limit cycle frequency minimization.

Synthesizing Evidence: Synthesis Methods for Evidence Clearinghouses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valentine, Jeff; Lau, Timothy

2015-01-01

Following the theme of the first two presentations, this presentation will focus on the choices available for research synthesis when summarizing research evidence. The presenters will describe the current research synthesis practice of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) as well as several alternative models, including inverse-variance weighted…

The nature of outsourced preclinical research--the example of chemical synthesis.

PubMed

Festel, Gunter W

2013-09-01

The possibility to buy standardized external services or even new and innovative methods within drug discovery has increased dramatically during the last decades. Service providers are able to provide timely and efficient solutions to any given problem within preclinical research. The outsourcing behavior depends on the specific company type. Generally, the outsourcing level of emerging pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is much higher than established companies due to low or missing internal resources. Whereas the "make-or-buy" decisions of large and fully integrated pharmaceutical companies are mainly competency driven, those of mid-size and small pharmaceutical, as well as biotech companies show a specific combination of cost/capacity and competency. The three different cooperation models "price competition", "project selection," and "strategic partnership" were identified. For all types of companies, the cooperation model of "strategic partnership" offers access to high-level expertise while reducing fixed costs and complexity. This was shown using chemical synthesis as an example but is also true for other areas of preclinical research.

Economic evaluation of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis strategies: protocol for a methodological systematic review and quantitative synthesis.

PubMed

Thavorn, Kednapa; Kugathasan, Howsikan; Tan, Darrell H S; Moqueet, Nasheed; Baral, Stefan D; Skidmore, Becky; MacFadden, Derek; Simkin, Anna; Mishra, Sharmistha

2018-03-15

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with antiretrovirals is an efficacious and effective intervention to decrease the risk of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) acquisition. Yet drug and delivery costs prohibit access in many jurisdictions. In the absence of guidelines for the synthesis of economic evaluations, we developed a protocol for a systematic review of economic evaluation studies for PrEP by drawing on best practices in systematic reviews and the conduct and reporting of economic evaluations. We aim to estimate the incremental cost per health outcome of PrEP compared with placebo, no PrEP, or other HIV prevention strategies; assess the methodological variability in, and quality of, economic evaluations of PrEP; estimate the incremental cost per health outcome of different PrEP implementation strategies; and quantify the potential sources of heterogeneity in outcomes. We will systematically search electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase) and the gray literature. We will include economic evaluation studies that assess both costs and health outcomes of PrEP in HIV-uninfected individuals, without restricting language or year of publication. Two reviewers will independently screen studies using predefined inclusion criteria, extract data, and assess methodological quality using the Philips checklist, Second Panel on the Cost-effectiveness of Health and Medicines, and the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research recommendations. Outcomes of interest include incremental costs and outcomes in natural units or utilities, cost-effectiveness ratios, and net monetary benefit. We will perform descriptive and quantitative syntheses using sensitivity analyses of outcomes by population subgroups, HIV epidemic settings, study designs, baseline intervention contexts, key parameter inputs and assumptions, type of outcomes, economic perspectives, and willingness to pay values. Findings will guide future economic evaluation of PrEP strategies in terms of

Quantitative synthesis of genetically encoded glycopeptide libraries displayed on M13 phage.

PubMed

Ng, Simon; Jafari, Mohammad R; Matochko, Wadim L; Derda, Ratmir

2012-09-21

Phage display is a powerful technology that enables the discovery of peptide ligands for many targets. Chemical modification of phage libraries have allowed the identification of ligands with properties not encountered in natural polypeptides. In this report, we demonstrated the synthesis of 2 × 10(8) genetically encoded glycopeptides from a commercially available phage-displayed peptide library (Ph.D.-7) in a two-step, one-pot reaction in <1.5 h. Unlike previous reports, we bypassed genetic engineering of phage. The glycan moiety was introduced via an oxime ligation following oxidation of an N-terminal Ser/Thr; these residues are present in the peptide libraries at 20-30% abundance. The construction of libraries was facilitated by simple characterization, which directly assessed the yield and regioselectivity of chemical reactions performed on phage. This quantification method also allowed facile yield determination of reactions in 10(9) distinct molecules. We envision that the methodology described herein will find broad application in the synthesis of custom chemically modified phage libraries.

Making Social Work Count: A Curriculum Innovation to Teach Quantitative Research Methods and Statistical Analysis to Undergraduate Social Work Students in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teater, Barbra; Roy, Jessica; Carpenter, John; Forrester, Donald; Devaney, John; Scourfield, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Students in the United Kingdom (UK) are found to lack knowledge and skills in quantitative research methods. To address this gap, a quantitative research method and statistical analysis curriculum comprising 10 individual lessons was developed, piloted, and evaluated at two universities The evaluation found that BSW students' (N = 81)…

Outdoor blue spaces, human health and well-being: A systematic review of quantitative studies.

PubMed

Gascon, Mireia; Zijlema, Wilma; Vert, Cristina; White, Mathew P; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J

2017-11-01

A growing number of quantitative studies have investigated the potential benefits of outdoor blue spaces (lakes, rivers, sea, etc) and human health, but there is not yet a systematic review synthesizing this evidence. To systematically review the current quantitative evidence on human health and well-being benefits of outdoor blue spaces. Following PRISMA guidelines for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analysis, observational and experimental quantitative studies focusing on both residential and non-residential outdoor blue space exposure were searched using specific keywords. In total 35 studies were included in the current systematic review, most of them being classified as of "good quality" (N=22). The balance of evidence suggested a positive association between greater exposure to outdoor blue spaces and both benefits to mental health and well-being (N=12 studies) and levels of physical activity (N=13 studies). The evidence of an association between outdoor blue space exposure and general health (N=6 studies), obesity (N=8 studies) and cardiovascular (N=4 studies) and related outcomes was less consistent. Although encouraging, there remains relatively few studies and a large degree of heterogeneity in terms of study design, exposure metrics and outcome measures, making synthesis difficult. Further research is needed using longitudinal research and natural experiments, preferably across a broader range of countries, to better understand the causal associations between blue spaces, health and wellbeing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Business and Office Education: Review and Synthesis of the Research. 3rd Edition. Information Series No. 232.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambrecht, Judith J.; And Others

This review and synthesis of research in business and office education is based on doctoral dissertations and some independent studies completed between 1968 and 1980. Approximately twelve hundred studies are reviewed and represent the following major content areas: philosophy and objectives, educational environment, social and business…

Nuclear medicine and quantitative imaging research (quantitative studies in radiopharmaceutical science): Comprehensive progress report, April 1, 1986-December 31, 1988

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

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

1988-06-01

This document describes several years research to improve PET imaging and diagnostic techniques in man. This program addresses the problems involving the basic science and technology underlying the physical and conceptual tools of radioactive tracer methodology as they relate to the measurement of structural and functional parameters of physiologic importance in health and disease. The principal tool is quantitative radionuclide imaging. The overall objective of this program is to further the development and transfer of radiotracer methodology from basic theory to routine clinical practice in order that individual patients and society as a whole will receive the maximum net benefitmore » from the new knowledge gained. The focus of the research is on the development of new instruments and radiopharmaceuticals, and the evaluation of these through the phase of clinical feasibility. The reports in the study were processed separately for the data bases. (TEM)« less

Effect of Instruction on ESL Students' Synthesis Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Cui

2013-01-01

Synthesis writing has become the focus of much greater attention in the past 10 years in L2 EAP contexts. However, research on L2 synthesis writing has been limited, especially with respect to treatment studies that relate writing instruction to the development of synthesis writing abilities. To address this research gap, the present study…

Morphokinetic Reaction of Cells of Streptococcus faecalis (ATCC 9790) to Specific Inhibition of Macromolecular Synthesis: Dependence of Mesosome Growth on Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis

PubMed Central

Higgins, Michael L.; Daneo-Moore, Lolita

1972-01-01

The application of quantitative electron microscopy to thin sections of cells of Streptococcus faecalis specifically inhibited for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid, and protein synthesis shows that septal mesosomes (i) increase in size when protein synthesis is inhibited by at least 80% while DNA synthesis proceeds at no less than 50% of the control rate and (ii) decrease in size when DNA synthesis is inhibited 50% or more during the initial 10 min of treatment. This indicates that fluctuations in mesosome size are dependent on the extent of DNA synthesis. The fluctuations in mesosome areas observed on treatment do not correlate with the kinetics of glycerol incorporation per milliliter of a culture. However, when glycerol incorporation is placed on a per cell basis, a strong correlation is observed between increases in (i) the thickness of the electron-transparent layer of the cytoplasmic membrane and (ii) the amount of glycerol incorporated per cell. It seems that the electron-transparent membrane layer may thicken to accommodate changes in lipid content when protein and lipid synthesis are uncoupled. Images PMID:4110926

Human factors recommendations for airborne controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) systems : a synthesis of research results and literature

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-06-01

This document provides a synthesis of research results and literature : culminating in specific human factors recommendations for Controller-pilot Data : Link Communications (CPDLC) systems. The report concentrates on two major human : factors top ar...

Research synthesis and dissemination as a bridge to knowledge management: the Cochrane Collaboration.

PubMed Central

Volmink, Jimmy; Siegfried, Nandi; Robertson, Katharine; Gülmezoglu, A. Metin

2004-01-01

In the current information age, research synthesis is a particularly useful tool for keeping track of scientific research and making sense of the large volumes of frequently conflicting data derived from primary studies. The Cochrane Collaboration is a global initiative "to help people make well-informed decisions about health care by preparing, maintaining and promoting the accessibility of systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare interventions". In this paper we set the work of the Cochrane Collaboration in historical perspective, explain what a Cochrane review is, and describe initiatives for promoting worldwide dissemination of synthesized information. We also consider emerging evidence of the Cochrane Collaboration's impact on health-care practice, policy, research and education. Finally, we highlight the need for increased investment in the preparation and maintenance of Cochrane reviews, particularly those that address health issues that are relevant to people living in low- and middle-income countries. PMID:15643800

Prospective Middle-School Mathematics Teachers' Quantitative Reasoning and Their Support for Students' Quantitative Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabael, Tangul; Akin, Ayca

2018-01-01

The aim of this research is to examine prospective mathematics teachers' quantitative reasoning, their support for students' quantitative reasoning and the relationship between them, if any. The teaching experiment was used as the research method in this qualitatively designed study. The data of the study were collected through a series of…

Towards a Re-Conceptualization of Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs: Tackling Enduring Problems with the Quantitative Research and Moving On

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyatt, Mark

2014-01-01

Various commentators have argued for years that the study of teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) beliefs, largely dominated by quantitative research methodologies, has been confused. Contentious issues include the very conceptualization of these beliefs, how they are defined and accessed through research and how the research is used. One of the…

Mothering disrupted by illness: a narrative synthesis of qualitative research.

PubMed

Vallido, Tamara; Wilkes, Lesley; Carter, Bernie; Jackson, Debra

2010-07-01

This paper is a report of a literature review of qualitative empirical research investigating women's experiences of mothering disrupted by illness. As a primary identity, motherhood is endangered by illness. Illness can interfere with a woman's ability to mother her child/children. Healthcare professionals regularly fail to acknowledge a woman's dual identities of mother and patient. CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus and Sociological abstracts were searched 1980-2009. A narrative synthesis was used, with quality appraisal guided by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme method. Concepts were analysed thematically, explicating common experiences of women disrupted in their mothering by illness. This allowed for both descriptive and narrative synthesis to occur. Thirteen papers were included in the final review. Themes identified were: mechanism of disruption; reframing the mother role; protecting the children; experiencing guilt or shame; problems with healthcare professionals; and living to mother, mothering to live. Women disrupted in their mothering by illness view themselves as a mother first and a patient second. Women found themselves unsupported in their mothering role by healthcare professionals, and this may have left them reluctant to broach difficulties they had relinquishing mothering duties when ill. Nurses are well-positioned to support women in illness by acknowledging the importance of their identity as mothers, offering them opportunities to discuss how illness is disrupting their ability to mother, providing support to help them negotiate the social/emotional distress experienced when mothering is disrupted and, where necessary, referring them to other members of the healthcare team, such as social workers.

[Quantitative determination of 7-phenoxyacetamidodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid].

PubMed

Dzegilenko, N B; Riabova, N M; Zinchenko, E Ia; Korchagin, V B

1976-11-01

7-Phenoxyacetamidodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid, an intermediate product in synthesis of cephalexin, was prepared by oxydation of phenoxymethylpenicillin into the respective sulphoxide and transformation of the latter. The UV-spectra of the reaction products were studied. A quantitative method is proposed for determination of 7-phenoxyacetamidodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid in the finished products based on estimation os the coefficient of specific extinction of the ethanol solutions at a wave length of 268 um in the UV-spectrum region in combination with semiquantitative estimation of the admixtures with the method of thin-layer chromatography.

Barriers, facilitators, strategies and outcomes to engaging policymakers, healthcare managers and policy analysts in knowledge synthesis: a scoping review protocol

PubMed Central

Tricco, Andrea C; Zarin, Wasifa; Rios, Patricia; Pham, Ba’; Straus, Sharon E; Langlois, Etienne V

2016-01-01

Introduction Engaging policymakers, healthcare managers and policy analysts in the conduct of knowledge synthesis can help increase its impact. This is particularly important for knowledge synthesis studies commissioned by decision-makers with limited timelines, as well as reviews of health policy and systems research. A scoping review will be conducted to assess barriers, facilitators, strategies and outcomes of engaging these individuals in the knowledge synthesis process. Methods and analysis We will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance for scoping reviews. Literature searches of electronic databases (eg, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ERIC, PsycINFO) will be conducted from inception onwards. The electronic search will be supplemented by searching for sources that index unpublished/difficult to locate studies (eg, GreyNet International database), as well as through scanning of reference lists of reviews on related topics. All study designs using either qualitative or quantitative methodologies will be eligible if there is a description of the strategies, barriers or facilitators, and outcomes of engaging policymakers, healthcare managers and policy analysts in the knowledge synthesis process. Screening and data abstraction will be conducted by 2 team members independently after a calibration exercise across the team. A third team member will resolve all discrepancies. We will conduct frequency analysis and thematic analysis to chart and characterise the literature, identifying data gaps and opportunities for future research, as well as implications for policy. Ethics and dissemination This project was commissioned by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, WHO. The results will be used by Alliance Review Centers of health policy and systems research in low-income and middle-income countries that are conducting knowledge synthesis to inform health policymaking and decision-making. Our results will also be disseminated through conference

Quantitative Research Methods Training in Education Leadership and Administration Preparation Programs as Disciplined Inquiry for Building School Improvement Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowers, Alex J.

2017-01-01

The quantitative research methods course is a staple of graduate programs in education leadership and administration. Historically, these courses serve to train aspiring district and school leaders in fundamental statistical research topics. This article argues for programs to focus as well in these courses on helping aspiring leaders develop…

Quantitative Analysis of NAD Synthesis-Breakdown Fluxes.

PubMed

Liu, Ling; Su, Xiaoyang; Quinn, William J; Hui, Sheng; Krukenberg, Kristin; Frederick, David W; Redpath, Philip; Zhan, Le; Chellappa, Karthikeyani; White, Eileen; Migaud, Marie; Mitchison, Timothy J; Baur, Joseph A; Rabinowitz, Joshua D

2018-05-01

The redox cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) plays a central role in metabolism and is a substrate for signaling enzymes including poly-ADP-ribose-polymerases (PARPs) and sirtuins. NAD concentration falls during aging, which has triggered intense interest in strategies to boost NAD levels. A limitation in understanding NAD metabolism has been reliance on concentration measurements. Here, we present isotope-tracer methods for NAD flux quantitation. In cell lines, NAD was made from nicotinamide and consumed largely by PARPs and sirtuins. In vivo, NAD was made from tryptophan selectively in the liver, which then excreted nicotinamide. NAD fluxes varied widely across tissues, with high flux in the small intestine and spleen and low flux in the skeletal muscle. Intravenous administration of nicotinamide riboside or mononucleotide delivered intact molecules to multiple tissues, but the same agents given orally were metabolized to nicotinamide in the liver. Thus, flux analysis can reveal tissue-specific NAD metabolism. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The use of meta-analysis or research synthesis to combine driving simulation or naturalistic study results on driver distraction.

PubMed

Caird, Jeff K; Johnston, Katherine A; Willness, Chelsea R; Asbridge, Mark

2014-06-01

Three important and inter-related topics are addressed in this paper. First, the importance of meta-analysis and research synthesis methods to combine studies on traffic safety, in general, and on driver distraction, in particular, is briefly reviewed. Second, naturalistic, epidemiologic, and driving simulation studies on driver distraction are used to illustrate convergent and divergent results that have accumulated thus far in this domain of research. In particular, mobile phone conversation, passenger presence, and text messaging naturalistic studies use meta-analyses and research syntheses to illustrate important patterns of results that are in need of more in-depth study. Third, a number of driver distraction study limitations such as poorly defined dependent variables, lack of methodological detail, and omission of statistical information prevent the integration of many studies into meta-analyses. In addition, the overall quality of road safety studies suffers from these same limitations and suggestions for improvement are made to guide researchers and reviewers. Practical Applications. The use of research synthesis and meta-analysis provide comprehensive estimates of the impact of distractions on driving performance, which can be used to guide public policy and future research. Copyright © 2014 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nuclear medicine and imaging research (Instrumentation and quantitative methods of evaluation)

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

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

1989-09-01

This program addresses the problems involving the basic science and technology underlying the physical and conceptual tools of radioactive tracer methodology as they relate to the measurement of structural and functional parameters of physiologic importance in health and disease. The principal tool is quantitative radionuclide imaging. The overall objective of this program is to further the development and transfer of radiotracer methodology from basic theory to routine clinical practice in order that individual patients and society as a whole will receive the maximum net benefit from the new knowledge gained. The focus of the research is on the development ofmore » new instruments and radiopharmaceuticals, and the evaluation of these through the phase of clinical feasibility.« less

The metabolic burden of creatine synthesis.

PubMed

Brosnan, John T; da Silva, Robin P; Brosnan, Margaret E

2011-05-01

Creatine synthesis is required in adult animals to replace creatine that is spontaneously converted to creatinine and excreted in the urine. Additionally, in growing animals it is necessary to provide creatine to the expanding tissue mass. Creatine synthesis requires three amino acids: glycine, methionine and arginine, and three enzymes: L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT), methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT). The entire glycine molecule is consumed in creatine synthesis but only the methyl and amidino groups, respectively, from methionine and arginine. Creatinine loss averages approximately 2 g (14.6 mmol) for 70 kg males in the 20- to 39-year age group. Creatinine loss is lower in females and in older age groups because of lower muscle mass. Approximately half of this creatine lost to creatinine can be replaced, in omnivorous individuals, by dietary creatine. However, since dietary creatine is only provided in animal products, principally in meat and fish, virtually all of the creatine loss in vegetarians must be replaced via endogenous synthesis. Creatine synthesis does not appear to place a major burden on glycine metabolism in adults since this amino acid is readily synthesized. However, creatine synthesis does account for approximately 40% of all of the labile methyl groups provided by S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and, as such, places an appreciable burden on the provision of such methyl groups, either from the diet or via de novo methylneogenesis. Creatine synthesis consumes some 20-30% of arginine's amidino groups, whether provided in the diet or synthesized within the body. Creatine synthesis is, therefore, a quantitatively major pathway in amino acid metabolism and imposes an appreciable burden on the metabolism of methionine and of arginine.

Do Quantitative Measures of Research Productivity Correlate with Academic Rank in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?

PubMed

Susarla, Srinivas M; Dodson, Thomas B; Lopez, Joseph; Swanson, Edward W; Calotta, Nicholas; Peacock, Zachary S

2015-08-01

Academic promotion is linked to research productivity. The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between quantitative measures of academic productivity and academic rank among academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons. This was a cross-sectional study of full-time academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States. The predictor variables were categorized as demographic (gender, medical degree, research doctorate, other advanced degree) and quantitative measures of academic productivity (total number of publications, total number of citations, maximum number of citations for a single article, I-10 index [number of publications with ≥ 10 citations], and h-index [number of publications h with ≥ h citations each]). The outcome variable was current academic rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, or endowed professor). Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple regression statistics were computed to evaluate associations between the predictors and academic rank. Receiver-operator characteristic curves were computed to identify thresholds for academic promotion. The sample consisted of 324 academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons, of whom 11.7% were female, 40% had medical degrees, and 8% had research doctorates. The h-index was the most strongly correlated with academic rank (ρ = 0.62, p < 0.001). H-indexes of ≥ 4, ≥ 8, and ≥ 13 were identified as thresholds for promotion to associate professor, professor, and endowed professor, respectively (p < 0.001). This study found that the h-index was strongly correlated with academic rank among oral and maxillofacial surgery faculty members and thus suggests that promotions committees should consider using the h-index as an additional method to assess research activity.

Telemetry research on elusive wildlife: A synthesis of studies on giant pandas.

PubMed

Connor, Thomas; Hull, Vanessa; Liu, Jianguo

2016-07-01

Telemetry studies that track animals through space and time can lead to advances in scientific understanding that are vital in conservation efforts. For example, telemetry studies of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) have shed light on many aspects of panda biology, but small sample sizes in each separate study make it difficult to draw broad conclusions. To overcome this problem we conducted the first synthesis of all 5 panda telemetry studies conducted to date. Using these data we investigated patterns in 6 main topics: home range, space-use interactions, core areas, movement patterns, seasonal migration and natal dispersal. We found that panda home range sizes do not vary between 2 main mountain ranges (Qionglai and Qinling), as was previously believed. Our results also suggest that female pandas increase their movement in the mating season: a behavior typically attributed only to males. We found and summarized telemetry and genetic evidence for female natal dispersal in the giant panda. Our synthesis highlights the need for additional research relating panda behavior to human disturbance factors, and can aid future studies on giant pandas as well as other species. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Arctic Synthesis Collaboratory: A Virtual Organization for Transformative Research and Education on a Changing Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warnick, W. K.; Wiggins, H. V.; Hinzman, L.; Holland, M.; Murray, M. S.; Vörösmarty, C.; Loring, A. J.

2008-12-01

About the Arctic Synthesis Collaboratory The Arctic Synthesis Collaboratory concept, developed through a series of NSF-funded workshops and town hall meetings, is envisioned as a cyber-enabled, technical, organizational, and social-synthesis framework to foster: • Interactions among interdisciplinary experts and stakeholders • Integrated data analysis and modeling activities • Training and development of the arctic science community • Delivery of outreach, education, and policy-relevant resources Scientific Rationale The rapid rate of arctic change and our incomplete understanding of the arctic system present the arctic community with a grand scientific challenge and three related issues. First, a wealth of observations now exists as disconnected data holdings, which must be coordinated and synthesized to fully detect and assess arctic change. Second, despite great strides in the development of arctic system simulations, we still have incomplete capabilities for modeling and predicting the behavior of the system as a whole. Third, policy-makers, stakeholders, and the public are increasingly making demands of the science community for forecasts and guidance in mitigation and adaptation strategies. Collaboratory Components The Arctic Synthesis Collaboratory is organized around four integrated functions that will be established virtually as a distributed set of activities, but also with the advantage of existing facilities that could sponsor some of the identified activities. Community Network "Meeting Grounds:" The Collaboratory will link distributed individuals, organizations, and activities to enable collaboration and foster new research initiatives. Specific activities could include: an expert directory, social networking services, and virtual and face-to-face meetings. Data Integration, Synthesis, and Modeling Activities: The Collaboratory will utilize appropriate tools to enable the combination of data and models. Specific activities could include: a web

Preliminary research on quantitative methods of water resources carrying capacity based on water resources balance sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yanqiu; Huang, Xiaorong; Gao, Linyun; Guo, Biying; Ma, Kai

2018-06-01

Water resources are not only basic natural resources, but also strategic economic resources and ecological control factors. Water resources carrying capacity constrains the sustainable development of regional economy and society. Studies of water resources carrying capacity can provide helpful information about how the socioeconomic system is both supported and restrained by the water resources system. Based on the research of different scholars, major problems in the study of water resources carrying capacity were summarized as follows: the definition of water resources carrying capacity is not yet unified; the methods of carrying capacity quantification based on the definition of inconsistency are poor in operability; the current quantitative research methods of water resources carrying capacity did not fully reflect the principles of sustainable development; it is difficult to quantify the relationship among the water resources, economic society and ecological environment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a better quantitative evaluation method to determine the regional water resources carrying capacity. This paper proposes a new approach to quantifying water resources carrying capacity (that is, through the compilation of the water resources balance sheet) to get a grasp of the regional water resources depletion and water environmental degradation (as well as regional water resources stock assets and liabilities), figure out the squeeze of socioeconomic activities on the environment, and discuss the quantitative calculation methods and technical route of water resources carrying capacity which are able to embody the substance of sustainable development.

Challenges of Interdisciplinary Research: Reconciling Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Understanding Human-Landscape Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lach, Denise

2014-01-01

While interdisciplinary research is increasingly practiced as a way to transcend the limitations of individual disciplines, our concepts, and methods are primarily rooted in the disciplines that shape the way we think about the world and how we conduct research. While natural and social scientists may share a general understanding of how science is conducted, disciplinary differences in methodologies quickly emerge during interdisciplinary research efforts. This paper briefly introduces and reviews different philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches and introduces the idea that a pragmatic, realistic approach may allow natural and social scientists to work together productively. While realism assumes that there is a reality that exists independently of our perceptions, the work of scientists is to explore the mechanisms by which actions cause meaningful outcomes and the conditions under which the mechanisms can act. Our task as interdisciplinary researchers is to use the insights of our disciplines in the context of the problem to co-produce an explanation for the variables of interest. Research on qualities necessary for successful interdisciplinary researchers is also discussed along with recent efforts by funding agencies and academia to increase capacities for interdisciplinary research.

Challenges of interdisciplinary research: reconciling qualitative and quantitative methods for understanding human-landscape systems.

PubMed

Lach, Denise

2014-01-01

While interdisciplinary research is increasingly practiced as a way to transcend the limitations of individual disciplines, our concepts, and methods are primarily rooted in the disciplines that shape the way we think about the world and how we conduct research. While natural and social scientists may share a general understanding of how science is conducted, disciplinary differences in methodologies quickly emerge during interdisciplinary research efforts. This paper briefly introduces and reviews different philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches and introduces the idea that a pragmatic, realistic approach may allow natural and social scientists to work together productively. While realism assumes that there is a reality that exists independently of our perceptions, the work of scientists is to explore the mechanisms by which actions cause meaningful outcomes and the conditions under which the mechanisms can act. Our task as interdisciplinary researchers is to use the insights of our disciplines in the context of the problem to co-produce an explanation for the variables of interest. Research on qualities necessary for successful interdisciplinary researchers is also discussed along with recent efforts by funding agencies and academia to increase capacities for interdisciplinary research.

A Literature Synthesis of Health Promotion Research in Salons and Barbershops

PubMed Central

Linnan, Laura A.; D’Angelo, Heather; Harrington, Cherise B.

2015-01-01

Context Barbershops and beauty salons are located in all communities and frequented by diverse groups of people, making them key settings for addressing health disparities. No studies have reviewed the growing body of literature describing studies promoting health in these settings. This review summarized the literature related to promoting health within barbershops and beauty salons to inform future approaches that target diverse populations in similar settings. Evidence Acquisition We identified and reviewed published research articles describing formative research, recruitment, and health-related interventions set in beauty salons and barbershops. PubMed and other secondary search engines were searched in 2010 and again in 2013 for English-language papers indexed from 1990 through August 2013. The search yielded 110 articles, 68 of which were formerly reviewed, and 54 were eligible for inclusion. Evidence Synthesis Included articles were categorized as formative research (n=27), recruitment (n=7), or intervention (n=20). Formative research studies showed that owners, barbers/stylists, and their customers were willing participants, clarifying the feasibility of promoting health in these settings. Recruitment studies demonstrated that salon/shop owners will join research studies and can enroll customers. Among intervention studies, level of stylist/barber involvement was categorized. More than 73.3% of intervention studies demonstrated statistically significant results, targeting mostly racial/ethnic minority groups and focusing on a variety of health topics. Conclusions Barbershops and beauty salons are promising settings for reaching populations most at risk for health disparities. Although these results are encouraging, more rigorous research and evaluation of future salon- and barbershop-based interventions are needed. PMID:24768037

Seeing How We See Each Other: Learning from Quantitative Research among Young People in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ap Siôn, Tania

2017-01-01

The quantitative strand of the Young People's Attitudes towards Religious Diversity Project, conducted by the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, set out to capture data from over 2000 students living in each of the four nations of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) and from London as a special case.…

GCIP water and energy budget synthesis (WEBS)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roads, J.; Lawford, R.; Bainto, E.; Berbery, E.; Chen, S.; Fekete, B.; Gallo, K.; Grundstein, A.; Higgins, W.; Kanamitsu, M.; Krajewski, W.; Lakshmi, V.; Leathers, D.; Lettenmaier, D.; Luo, L.; Maurer, E.; Meyers, T.; Miller, D.; Mitchell, Ken; Mote, T.; Pinker, R.; Reichler, T.; Robinson, D.; Robock, A.; Smith, J.; Srinivasan, G.; Verdin, K.; Vinnikov, K.; Vonder, Haar T.; Vorosmarty, C.; Williams, S.; Yarosh, E.

2003-01-01

As part of the World Climate Research Program's (WCRPs) Global Energy and Water-Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-scale International Project (GCIP), a preliminary water and energy budget synthesis (WEBS) was developed for the period 1996-1999 fromthe "best available" observations and models. Besides this summary paper, a companion CD-ROM with more extensive discussion, figures, tables, and raw data is available to the interested researcher from the GEWEX project office, the GAPP project office, or the first author. An updated online version of the CD-ROM is also available at http://ecpc.ucsd.edu/gcip/webs.htm/. Observations cannot adequately characterize or "close" budgets since too many fundamental processes are missing. Models that properly represent the many complicated atmospheric and near-surface interactions are also required. This preliminary synthesis therefore included a representative global general circulation model, regional climate model, and a macroscale hydrologic model as well as a global reanalysis and a regional analysis. By the qualitative agreement among the models and available observations, it did appear that we now qualitatively understand water and energy budgets of the Mississippi River Basin. However, there is still much quantitative uncertainty. In that regard, there did appear to be a clear advantage to using a regional analysis over a global analysis or a regional simulation over a global simulation to describe the Mississippi River Basin water and energy budgets. There also appeared to be some advantage to using a macroscale hydrologic model for at least the surface water budgets. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union.

Synthesis of Novel Hydrocarbon Soluble Multifunctional Anionic Initiators: Tools for Synthesis of Novel Dendrimer and Molecular Brush Polymer Architectures

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-09

Synthesis of Novel Dendrimer and Molecular Brush Polymer Architectures. Research Area:7.4 The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report...journals: Final Report: Synthesis of Novel Hydrocarbon Soluble Multifunctional Anionic Initiators: Tools for Synthesis of Novel Dendrimer and Molecular

Teaching and Learning Information Synthesis: An Intervention and Rubric Based Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundstrom, Kacy; Diekema, Anne R.; Leary, Heather; Haderlie, Sheri; Holliday, Wendy

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research was to determine how information synthesis skills can be taught effectively, and to discover how the level of synthesis in student writing can be effectively measured. The intervention was an information synthesis lesson that broke down the synthesis process into sequenced tasks. Researchers created a rubric which they…

Methodological quality of quantitative lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender nursing research from 2000 to 2010.

PubMed

Johnson, Michael; Smyer, Tish; Yucha, Carolyn

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the methodological quality of quantitative lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender nursing research from 2000 to 2010. Using a key word search in Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, 188 studies were identified and 40 met the criteria, which included descriptive, experimental, quasi-experimental, or observational (case control, cohort, and cross-sectional) design. The methodological quality of these studies was similar to that reported for medical and nursing educational research. The foci of these lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender studies were biased toward human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and sexually transmitted diseases, and 58.5% of the funded research was related to human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. To provide evidence-based health care to these populations, an understanding of the current state of research is crucial.

Virtual screening of inorganic materials synthesis parameters with deep learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Edward; Huang, Kevin; Jegelka, Stefanie; Olivetti, Elsa

2017-12-01

Virtual materials screening approaches have proliferated in the past decade, driven by rapid advances in first-principles computational techniques, and machine-learning algorithms. By comparison, computationally driven materials synthesis screening is still in its infancy, and is mired by the challenges of data sparsity and data scarcity: Synthesis routes exist in a sparse, high-dimensional parameter space that is difficult to optimize over directly, and, for some materials of interest, only scarce volumes of literature-reported syntheses are available. In this article, we present a framework for suggesting quantitative synthesis parameters and potential driving factors for synthesis outcomes. We use a variational autoencoder to compress sparse synthesis representations into a lower dimensional space, which is found to improve the performance of machine-learning tasks. To realize this screening framework even in cases where there are few literature data, we devise a novel data augmentation methodology that incorporates literature synthesis data from related materials systems. We apply this variational autoencoder framework to generate potential SrTiO3 synthesis parameter sets, propose driving factors for brookite TiO2 formation, and identify correlations between alkali-ion intercalation and MnO2 polymorph selection.

Synthesis of β-C-Glycopyranosyl Aldehydes and 2,6-Anhydro-heptitols.

PubMed

Khatri, Vinod; Kumar, Amit; Singh, Balram; Malhotra, Shashwat; Prasad, Ashok K

2015-11-06

A convenient route has been developed for the diastereoselective synthesis of β-C-glycopyranosyl aldehydes from D-glucose, D-mannose, and D-galactose. The key step in the synthesis of C-glycosyl aldehydes is the aryl driven reductive dehydration on 1-phenyl-2-(2',3',4',6'-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glycopyranosyl)ethanone to afford alkenes, which on oxidation afford the desired compounds in good yield. β-C-Glycopyranosyl aldehydes have been converted to 2,6-anhydro-heptitols in quantitative yields. The 2,6-anhydro-heptitols derived from D-mannose and D-galactose are enantiomeric and are useful linkers for the synthesis of macrocycles/amphiphiles of complementary chirality.

Multidimensional electrostatic repulsion-hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ERLIC) for quantitative analysis of the proteome and phosphoproteome in clinical and biomedical research.

PubMed

Loroch, Stefan; Schommartz, Tim; Brune, Wolfram; Zahedi, René Peiman; Sickmann, Albert

2015-05-01

Quantitative proteomics and phosphoproteomics have become key disciplines in understanding cellular processes. Fundamental research can be done using cell culture providing researchers with virtually infinite sample amounts. In contrast, clinical, pre-clinical and biomedical research is often restricted to minute sample amounts and requires an efficient analysis with only micrograms of protein. To address this issue, we generated a highly sensitive workflow for combined LC-MS-based quantitative proteomics and phosphoproteomics by refining an ERLIC-based 2D phosphoproteomics workflow into an ERLIC-based 3D workflow covering the global proteome as well. The resulting 3D strategy was successfully used for an in-depth quantitative analysis of both, the proteome and the phosphoproteome of murine cytomegalovirus-infected mouse fibroblasts, a model system for host cell manipulation by a virus. In a 2-plex SILAC experiment with 150 μg of a tryptic digest per condition, the 3D strategy enabled the quantification of ~75% more proteins and even ~134% more peptides compared to the 2D strategy. Additionally, we could quantify ~50% more phosphoproteins by non-phosphorylated peptides, concurrently yielding insights into changes on the levels of protein expression and phosphorylation. Beside its sensitivity, our novel three-dimensional ERLIC-strategy has the potential for semi-automated sample processing rendering it a suitable future perspective for clinical, pre-clinical and biomedical research. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Research-Based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments: 2012 Update. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieffer, Michael J.; Rivera, Mabel; Francis, David J.

2012-01-01

This report presents results from a new quantitative synthesis of research on the effectiveness and validity of test accommodations for English language learners (ELLs) taking large-scale assessments. In 2006, the Center on Instruction published a review of the literature on test accommodations for ELLs titled "Practical Guidelines for the…

Developing Geoscience Students' Quantitative Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manduca, C. A.; Hancock, G. S.

2005-12-01

Sophisticated quantitative skills are an essential tool for the professional geoscientist. While students learn many of these sophisticated skills in graduate school, it is increasingly important that they have a strong grounding in quantitative geoscience as undergraduates. Faculty have developed many strong approaches to teaching these skills in a wide variety of geoscience courses. A workshop in June 2005 brought together eight faculty teaching surface processes and climate change to discuss and refine activities they use and to publish them on the Teaching Quantitative Skills in the Geosciences website (serc.Carleton.edu/quantskills) for broader use. Workshop participants in consultation with two mathematics faculty who have expertise in math education developed six review criteria to guide discussion: 1) Are the quantitative and geologic goals central and important? (e.g. problem solving, mastery of important skill, modeling, relating theory to observation); 2) Does the activity lead to better problem solving? 3) Are the quantitative skills integrated with geoscience concepts in a way that makes sense for the learning environment and supports learning both quantitative skills and geoscience? 4) Does the methodology support learning? (e.g. motivate and engage students; use multiple representations, incorporate reflection, discussion and synthesis) 5) Are the materials complete and helpful to students? 6) How well has the activity worked when used? Workshop participants found that reviewing each others activities was very productive because they thought about new ways to teach and the experience of reviewing helped them think about their own activity from a different point of view. The review criteria focused their thinking about the activity and would be equally helpful in the design of a new activity. We invite a broad international discussion of the criteria(serc.Carleton.edu/quantskills/workshop05/review.html).The Teaching activities can be found on the

[Progress in stable isotope labeled quantitative proteomics methods].

PubMed

Zhou, Yuan; Shan, Yichu; Zhang, Lihua; Zhang, Yukui

2013-06-01

Quantitative proteomics is an important research field in post-genomics era. There are two strategies for proteome quantification: label-free methods and stable isotope labeling methods which have become the most important strategy for quantitative proteomics at present. In the past few years, a number of quantitative methods have been developed, which support the fast development in biology research. In this work, we discuss the progress in the stable isotope labeling methods for quantitative proteomics including relative and absolute quantitative proteomics, and then give our opinions on the outlook of proteome quantification methods.

Quantitative Methods in Psychology: Inevitable and Useless

PubMed Central

Toomela, Aaro

2010-01-01

Science begins with the question, what do I want to know? Science becomes science, however, only when this question is justified and the appropriate methodology is chosen for answering the research question. Research question should precede the other questions; methods should be chosen according to the research question and not vice versa. Modern quantitative psychology has accepted method as primary; research questions are adjusted to the methods. For understanding thinking in modern quantitative psychology, two epistemologies should be distinguished: structural-systemic that is based on Aristotelian thinking, and associative-quantitative that is based on Cartesian–Humean thinking. The first aims at understanding the structure that underlies the studied processes; the second looks for identification of cause–effect relationships between the events with no possible access to the understanding of the structures that underlie the processes. Quantitative methodology in particular as well as mathematical psychology in general, is useless for answering questions about structures and processes that underlie observed behaviors. Nevertheless, quantitative science is almost inevitable in a situation where the systemic-structural basis of behavior is not well understood; all sorts of applied decisions can be made on the basis of quantitative studies. In order to proceed, psychology should study structures; methodologically, constructive experiments should be added to observations and analytic experiments. PMID:21833199

Quantitative methods in psychology: inevitable and useless.

PubMed

Toomela, Aaro

2010-01-01

Science begins with the question, what do I want to know? Science becomes science, however, only when this question is justified and the appropriate methodology is chosen for answering the research question. Research question should precede the other questions; methods should be chosen according to the research question and not vice versa. Modern quantitative psychology has accepted method as primary; research questions are adjusted to the methods. For understanding thinking in modern quantitative psychology, two epistemologies should be distinguished: structural-systemic that is based on Aristotelian thinking, and associative-quantitative that is based on Cartesian-Humean thinking. The first aims at understanding the structure that underlies the studied processes; the second looks for identification of cause-effect relationships between the events with no possible access to the understanding of the structures that underlie the processes. Quantitative methodology in particular as well as mathematical psychology in general, is useless for answering questions about structures and processes that underlie observed behaviors. Nevertheless, quantitative science is almost inevitable in a situation where the systemic-structural basis of behavior is not well understood; all sorts of applied decisions can be made on the basis of quantitative studies. In order to proceed, psychology should study structures; methodologically, constructive experiments should be added to observations and analytic experiments.

Peer support for parents of children with chronic disabling conditions: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies.

PubMed

Shilling, Val; Morris, Christopher; Thompson-Coon, Jo; Ukoumunne, Obioha; Rogers, Morwenna; Logan, Stuart

2013-07-01

To review the qualitative and quantitative evidence of the benefits of peer support for parents of children with disabling conditions in the context of health, well-being, impact on family, and economic and service implications. We comprehensively searched multiple databases. Eligible studies evaluated parent-to-parent support and reported on the psychological health and experience of giving or receiving support. There were no limits on the child's condition, study design, language, date, or setting. We sought to aggregate quantitative data; findings of qualitative studies were combined using thematic analysis. Qualitative and quantitative data were brought together in a narrative synthesis. Seventeen papers were included: nine qualitative studies, seven quantitative studies, and one mixed-methods evaluation. Four themes were identified from qualitative studies: (1) shared social identity, (2) learning from the experiences of others, (3) personal growth, and (4) supporting others. Some quantitative studies reported a positive effect of peer support on psychological health and other outcomes; however, this was not consistently confirmed. It was not possible to aggregate data across studies. No costing data were identified. Qualitative studies strongly suggest that parents perceive benefit from peer support programmes, an effect seen across different types of support and conditions. However, quantitative studies provide inconsistent evidence of positive effects. Further research should explore whether this dissonance is substantive or an artefact of how outcomes have been measured. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2013 Mac Keith Press.

Synthesis and Characterization of Copper Complexes with a Tridentate Nitrogen-Donor Ligand: An Integrated Research Experiment for Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bussey, Katherine A.; Cavalier, Annie R.; Connell, Jennifer R.; Mraz, Margaret E.; Holderread, Ashley S.; Oshin, Kayode D.; Pintauer, Tomislav

2015-01-01

An integrated laboratory experiment applying concepts and techniques developed in organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and instrumental analysis is presented for use by students interested in undergraduate research. The experiment incorporates some advanced laboratory practices such as multistep organic synthesis and purification, detailed…

Quantitative Risks

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-24

Quantitative Risks Technical Report SERC -2015-TR-040-4 February 24, 2015 Principal Investigator: Dr. Gary Witus, Wayne State...0007, RT 107 Report No. SERC -2015-TR-040-4 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of...Research Center ( SERC ) is a federally funded University Affiliated Research Center managed by Stevens Institute of Technology. This material is

Nitrogen deposition and forest carbon sequestration: a quantitative synthesis from plot to global scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodale, C. L.; Thomas, R. Q.; Dentener, F. J.; Adams, M.; Baron, J.; Emmett, B.; Evans, C. B.; Fernandez, I. J.; Gundersen, P.; Hagedorn, F.; Kulmatiski, A.; Lovett, G. M.; McNulty, S.; Melvin, A. M.; Moldan, F.; Ollinger, S. V.; Schleppi, P.; Weiss, M.

2009-12-01

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition has long been proposed as a driver of terrestrial carbon sequestration, but its quantitative effect remains poorly constrained. Global models, observations along N deposition gradients, and plot-level forest N-addition experiments provide a range of estimates of the amount of C sequestered in response to added N. Synthesis of results from 48 multi-year N-addition studies in temperate forests show responses ranging from +53 to -95 kg C of live tree production per unit of N addition. Negative effects on live tree C occurred in stands with low rates of biomass accumulation, and occurred more rapidly with higher N application rates. More positive effects occurred in younger stands, and with greater efficiency of C gain at lower N addition rates. Observations of tree growth along N deposition gradients in Europe and the eastern U.S. produced broadly similar tree growth responses (19-56 kg C/kg N) as the N addition experiments. Soil C response increased with N addition rate, and averaged 4 + 12 kg C/kg N. These surface soil responses suggest modest suppression of soil decomposition induced by added N in some but not all sites due to several possible mechanisms, none of which are yet considered in global models. Global-scale estimates of N deposition effects on forest C sequestration have ranged from 0.1 to 2.0 Pg C/y depending on assumptions on the rate of N deposition to forests, its fate, and the C:N ratios of recipient C pools. A new group of biogeochemistry models designed for coupling with global climate models all simulate relatively limited terrestrial C sinks from atmospheric N deposition alone (0.2 - 0.4 PgC/y), more in combination with rising atmospheric CO2. Future model projections should benefit from rigorous comparisons with the range of observed C responses reviewed here.

The mathematics of cancer: integrating quantitative models.

PubMed

Altrock, Philipp M; Liu, Lin L; Michor, Franziska

2015-12-01

Mathematical modelling approaches have become increasingly abundant in cancer research. The complexity of cancer is well suited to quantitative approaches as it provides challenges and opportunities for new developments. In turn, mathematical modelling contributes to cancer research by helping to elucidate mechanisms and by providing quantitative predictions that can be validated. The recent expansion of quantitative models addresses many questions regarding tumour initiation, progression and metastases as well as intra-tumour heterogeneity, treatment responses and resistance. Mathematical models can complement experimental and clinical studies, but also challenge current paradigms, redefine our understanding of mechanisms driving tumorigenesis and shape future research in cancer biology.

An overview of quantitative approaches in Gestalt perception.

PubMed

Jäkel, Frank; Singh, Manish; Wichmann, Felix A; Herzog, Michael H

2016-09-01

Gestalt psychology is often criticized as lacking quantitative measurements and precise mathematical models. While this is true of the early Gestalt school, today there are many quantitative approaches in Gestalt perception and the special issue of Vision Research "Quantitative Approaches in Gestalt Perception" showcases the current state-of-the-art. In this article we give an overview of these current approaches. For example, ideal observer models are one of the standard quantitative tools in vision research and there is a clear trend to try and apply this tool to Gestalt perception and thereby integrate Gestalt perception into mainstream vision research. More generally, Bayesian models, long popular in other areas of vision research, are increasingly being employed to model perceptual grouping as well. Thus, although experimental and theoretical approaches to Gestalt perception remain quite diverse, we are hopeful that these quantitative trends will pave the way for a unified theory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Establishing confidence in the output of qualitative research synthesis: the ConQual approach.

PubMed

Munn, Zachary; Porritt, Kylie; Lockwood, Craig; Aromataris, Edoardo; Pearson, Alan

2014-09-20

The importance of findings derived from syntheses of qualitative research has been increasingly acknowledged. Findings that arise from qualitative syntheses inform questions of practice and policy in their own right and are commonly used to complement findings from quantitative research syntheses. The GRADE approach has been widely adopted by international organisations to rate the quality and confidence of the findings of quantitative systematic reviews. To date, there has been no widely accepted corresponding approach to assist health care professionals and policy makers in establishing confidence in the synthesised findings of qualitative systematic reviews. A methodological group was formed develop a process to assess the confidence in synthesised qualitative research findings and develop a Summary of Findings tables for meta-aggregative qualitative systematic reviews. Dependability and credibility are two elements considered by the methodological group to influence the confidence of qualitative synthesised findings. A set of critical appraisal questions are proposed to establish dependability, whilst credibility can be ranked according to the goodness of fit between the author's interpretation and the original data. By following the processes outlined in this article, an overall ranking can be assigned to rate the confidence of synthesised qualitative findings, a system we have labelled ConQual. The development and use of the ConQual approach will assist users of qualitative systematic reviews to establish confidence in the evidence produced in these types of reviews and can serve as a practical tool to assist in decision making.

Nucleic Acid Research Group (NARG) 2009-2010 Study : Optimal Priming Strategies for cDNA Synthesis in Real-Time RT-qPCR

PubMed Central

Hunter, T.C.; Knudtson, K.L.; Nadella, V.; Sol-Church, K.; Taylor, W.L.; Tighe, S.; Yueng, A.T.; Chittur, S.

2010-01-01

r1-1 Real-time reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a widely used technique for measuring transcript levels. Priming strategy and reverse transcriptase enzyme are key elements that affect sensitivity and variability of RT-qPCR and microarray results. Previously, the Nucleic Acid Research Group (NARG) had conducted preliminary studies within the group to examine the effects of priming strategy on generating cDNA for use with qPCR. This year's study was an open study in which the qPCR community was invited to participate. Participants received the RT primers and RNA template and were asked to perform the RT reaction using their preferred reaction conditions. Each participating laboratory was provided at least two RNA templates of varying quality. The RT products were returned to the NARG and all RT reactions were used in a qPCR reaction. The qPCR assays looked at three genes of varying abundance, b-actin (high copy), b-glucuronidase (medium copy) and TATA binding protein (low copy) as well as varying distance from the 3? end for each transcript. Results from participating laboratories will be evaluated to determine the impact of priming strategy, assay chemistry and experimental setup on the RT step. Additionally, we will address the impact of RNA integrity on cDNA synthesis.

Why do children decide not to participate in clinical research: a quantitative and qualitative study.

PubMed

Hein, Irma M; Troost, Pieter W; de Vries, Martine C; Knibbe, Catherijne A J; van Goudoever, Johannes B; Lindauer, Ramón J L

2015-07-01

More pediatric drug trials are needed, but although specific pediatric regulations warrant safety, recruitment of children for these trials remains one of the main difficulties. Therefore, we investigated potential determining factors of nonparticipation in clinical research, in order to optimize research participation of children by recommending improved recruitment strategies. Between 1 January 2012 and 1 January 2014, we performed a prospective study among161 pediatric patients, aged 6 to 18 y, who were eligible for clinical research. We quantitatively analyzed the association of potential explanatory variables (e.g., age, cognitive development, experience, ethnicity) with nonparticipation and qualitatively analyzed interviews on reasons for nonparticipation. Sixty percent of the children did not participate in the research project on offer (39% decided not to participate, 21% were indecisive). Lower age, less disease experience, and less complex research with lower risk were predictive for not participating. Time constraint and extra burden were expressed as decisive reasons for not participating. Strategies to optimize research participation should be aimed at younger children and their families, who are logistically challenged and unfamiliar with health care and research. Recommendations include informing pediatric patients and their families of the value of research; minimizing logistic burdens; and improving accessibility.

Quantitative proteomics in the field of microbiology.

PubMed

Otto, Andreas; Becher, Dörte; Schmidt, Frank

2014-03-01

Quantitative proteomics has become an indispensable analytical tool for microbial research. Modern microbial proteomics covers a wide range of topics in basic and applied research from in vitro characterization of single organisms to unravel the physiological implications of stress/starvation to description of the proteome content of a cell at a given time. With the techniques available, ranging from classical gel-based procedures to modern MS-based quantitative techniques, including metabolic and chemical labeling, as well as label-free techniques, quantitative proteomics is today highly successful in sophisticated settings of high complexity such as host-pathogen interactions, mixed microbial communities, and microbial metaproteomics. In this review, we will focus on the vast range of techniques practically applied in current research with an introduction of the workflows used for quantitative comparisons, a description of the advantages/disadvantages of the various methods, reference to hallmark publications and presentation of applications in current microbial research. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Comparative evaluation of two Rickettsia typhi-specific quantitative real-time PCRs for research and diagnostic purposes.

PubMed

Papp, Stefanie; Rauch, Jessica; Kuehl, Svenja; Richardt, Ulricke; Keller, Christian; Osterloh, Anke

2017-02-01

Rickettsioses are caused by intracellular bacteria of the family of Rickettsiaceae. Rickettsia (R.) typhi is the causative agent of endemic typhus. The disease occurs worldwide and is one of the most prevalent rickettsioses. Rickettsial diseases, however, are generally underdiagnosed which is mainly due to the lack of sensitive and specific methods. In addition, methods for quantitative detection of the bacteria for research purposes are rare. We established two qPCRs for the detection of R. typhi by amplification of the outer membrane protein B (ompB) and parvulin-type PPIase (prsA) genes. Both qPCRs are specific and exclusively recognize R. typhi but no other rickettsiae including the closest relative, R. prowazekii. The prsA-based qPCR revealed to be much more sensitive than the amplification of ompB and provided highly reproducible results in the detection of R. typhi in organs of infected mice. Furthermore, as a nested PCR the prsA qPCR was applicable for the detection of R. typhi in human blood samples. Collectively, the prsA-based qPCR represents a reliable method for the quantitative detection of R. typhi for research purposes and is a promising candidate for differential diagnosis.

The Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Science and Research Synthesis: Science to support land management in Southern Nevada

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers; Matthew L. Brooks; Burton K. Pendleton; Carol B. Raish

2013-01-01

This synthesis provides information related to the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) Science and Research Strategy Goal 1 - to restore, sustain and enhance southern Nevada’s ecosystems - and Goal 2 - to provide for responsible use of southern Nevada’s lands in a manner that preserves heritage resources and promotes an understanding of human interaction with the...

Quantitative research on critical thinking and predicting nursing students' NCLEX-RN performance.

PubMed

Romeo, Elizabeth M

2010-07-01

The concept of critical thinking has been influential in several disciplines. Both education and nursing in general have been attempting to define, teach, and measure this concept for decades. Nurse educators realize that critical thinking is the cornerstone of the objectives and goals for nursing students. The purpose of this article is to review and analyze quantitative research findings relevant to the measurement of critical thinking abilities and skills in undergraduate nursing students and the usefulness of critical thinking as a predictor of National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) performance. The specific issues that this integrative review examined include assessment and analysis of the theoretical and operational definitions of critical thinking, theoretical frameworks used to guide the studies, instruments used to evaluate critical thinking skills and abilities, and the role of critical thinking as a predictor of NCLEX-RN outcomes. A list of key assumptions related to critical thinking was formulated. The limitations and gaps in the literature were identified, as well as the types of future research needed in this arena. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

International gender bias in nursing research, 2005-2006: a quantitative content analysis.

PubMed

Polit, Denise F; Beck, Cheryl Tatano

2009-08-01

This paper reports a study that examined the extent to which nurse researchers internationally disproportionately include females as participants in their research. A bias toward predominantly male samples has been well-documented in medical research, but recently a gender bias favoring women in nursing research has been identified in studies published in four North American journals. We extracted information about study samples and characteristics of the studies and authors from a consecutive sample of 834 studies published in eight leading English-language nursing research journals in 2005-2006. The primary analyses involved one-sample t-tests that tested the null hypothesis that males and females are equally represented as participants in nursing studies. Studies from different countries, in different specialty areas, and with varying author and methodologic characteristics were compared with regard to the key outcome variable, percent of participants who were female. Overall, 71% of participants, on average, were female, including 68% in client-focused research and 83% in nurse-focused studies (all p<.001). Females were significantly overrepresented as participants in client-focused research in almost all specialty areas, particularly in mental health, community health, health promotion, and geriatrics. The bias favoring female participants in client-focused studies was especially strong in the United States and Canada, but was also present in European countries, most Asian countries, and in Australia. Female overrepresentation was persistent, regardless of methodological characteristics (e.g., qualitative versus quantitative), funding source, and most researcher characteristics (e.g., academic rank). Studies with male authors, however, had more sex-balanced samples. The mean percentage female in client-focused studies with a female lead author was 70.0, compared to 52.1 for male lead authors. Nurse researchers not only in North America but around the globe

The Government Finance Database: A Common Resource for Quantitative Research in Public Financial Analysis

PubMed Central

Pierson, Kawika; Hand, Michael L.; Thompson, Fred

2015-01-01

Quantitative public financial management research focused on local governments is limited by the absence of a common database for empirical analysis. While the U.S. Census Bureau distributes government finance data that some scholars have utilized, the arduous process of collecting, interpreting, and organizing the data has led its adoption to be prohibitive and inconsistent. In this article we offer a single, coherent resource that contains all of the government financial data from 1967-2012, uses easy to understand natural-language variable names, and will be extended when new data is available. PMID:26107821

The Government Finance Database: A Common Resource for Quantitative Research in Public Financial Analysis.

PubMed

Pierson, Kawika; Hand, Michael L; Thompson, Fred

2015-01-01

Quantitative public financial management research focused on local governments is limited by the absence of a common database for empirical analysis. While the U.S. Census Bureau distributes government finance data that some scholars have utilized, the arduous process of collecting, interpreting, and organizing the data has led its adoption to be prohibitive and inconsistent. In this article we offer a single, coherent resource that contains all of the government financial data from 1967-2012, uses easy to understand natural-language variable names, and will be extended when new data is available.

Highly efficient solid phase synthesis of oligonucleotide analogs containing phosphorodithioate linkages

PubMed Central

Capaldi, Daniel C.; Cole, Douglas L.; Ravikumar, Vasulinga T.

2000-01-01

A triester method for the synthesis of deoxynucleoside phosphorodithioate dimers is described. The phosphorodithioate linkage is introduced using a new dithiophosphorylating reagent DPSE-SP(S)Cl2 where DPSE = 2-diphenylmethylsilylethyl. This group is removed quickly using tetra-butylammonium fluoride leading to the quantitative formation of phosphorodithioate diesters uncontaminated with the corresponding phosphorothioates. The utility of this group is demonstrated by the synthesis of a pentadecathymidylic acid, [T(PS2)T(PO2)]7T, which contains alternating phosphorodithioate/phosphate diester internucleotide linkages. PMID:10756207

Highly efficient solid phase synthesis of oligonucleotide analogs containing phosphorodithioate linkages.

PubMed

Capaldi, D C; Cole, D L; Ravikumar, V T

2000-05-01

A triester method for the synthesis of deoxynucleoside phosphorodithioate dimers is described. The phosphorodithioate linkage is introduced using a new dithiophosphorylating reagent DPSE-SP(S)Cl(2)where DPSE = 2-diphenylmethylsilylethyl. This group is removed quickly using tetra-butylammonium fluoride leading to the quantitative formation of phosphorodithioate diesters uncontaminated with the corresponding phosphorothioates. The utility of this group is demonstrated by the synthesis of a penta-decathymidylic acid, [T(PS(2))T(PO(2))](7)T, which contains alternating phosphorodithioate/phosphate diester internucleotide linkages.

The current state of the art of quantitative phosphoproteomics and its applications to diabetes research

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

Chan, Chi Yuet X’avia; Gritsenko, Marina A.; Smith, Richard D.

Protein phosphorylation is a fundamental regulatory mechanism in many cellular processes and aberrant perturbation of phosphorylation has been revealed in various human diseases. Kinases and their cognate inhibitors have been hotspot for drug development. Therefore, the emerging tools, which enable a system-wide quantitative profiling of phosphoproteome, would offer a powerful impetus in unveiling novel signaling pathways, drug targets and/or biomarkers for the disease of interest. In this review, we will highlight recent advances in phosphoproteomics, the current state-of-the-art of the technologies, and the challenges and future perspectives of this research area. Finally, we will underscore some exemplary applications of phosphoproteomicsmore » in diabetes research.« less

Quantitative method of measuring cancer cell urokinase and metastatic potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Dennis R. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

The metastatic potential of tumors can be evaluated by the quantitative detection of urokinase and DNA. The cell sample selected for examination is analyzed for the presence of high levels of urokinase and abnormal DNA using analytical flow cytometry and digital image analysis. Other factors such as membrane associated urokinase, increased DNA synthesis rates and certain receptors can be used in the method for detection of potentially invasive tumors.

Quinazoline derivatives: synthesis and bioactivities

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Owing to the significant biological activities, quinazoline derivatives have drawn more and more attention in the synthesis and bioactivities research. This review summarizes the recent advances in the synthesis and biological activities investigations of quinazoline derivatives. According to the main method the authors adopted in their research design, those synthetic methods were divided into five main classifications, including Aza-reaction, Microwave-assisted reaction, Metal-mediated reaction, Ultrasound-promoted reaction and Phase-transfer catalysis reaction. The biological activities of the synthesized quinazoline derivatives also are discussed. PMID:23731671

Quantitative mass spectrometry: an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urban, Pawel L.

2016-10-01

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a mainstream chemical analysis technique in the twenty-first century. It has contributed to numerous discoveries in chemistry, physics and biochemistry. Hundreds of research laboratories scattered all over the world use MS every day to investigate fundamental phenomena on the molecular level. MS is also widely used by industry-especially in drug discovery, quality control and food safety protocols. In some cases, mass spectrometers are indispensable and irreplaceable by any other metrological tools. The uniqueness of MS is due to the fact that it enables direct identification of molecules based on the mass-to-charge ratios as well as fragmentation patterns. Thus, for several decades now, MS has been used in qualitative chemical analysis. To address the pressing need for quantitative molecular measurements, a number of laboratories focused on technological and methodological improvements that could render MS a fully quantitative metrological platform. In this theme issue, the experts working for some of those laboratories share their knowledge and enthusiasm about quantitative MS. I hope this theme issue will benefit readers, and foster fundamental and applied research based on quantitative MS measurements. This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantitative mass spectrometry'.

Research on Molecular Sieve Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Dhananjai B.; Hayhurst, David T.

1985-01-01

The zeolite synthesis and modification research program at Cleveland State University (Ohio) is described, including program philosophy and objectives, and research facilities. Also considers zeolite synthesis, adsorption on zeolites, kinetics of adsorption, and zeolite catalysis research. (JN)

Some New Methods of Music Synthesis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

AD-AO90 130 MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE LAB FOR COMPUTE-ETC F/6 9/2 OME ME NW METHODS OF MUSIC SYNTHESIS. (U) AUG 80 W & PASEMAN...METHODS OF MUSIC SYNHEIS William Gerhard Paseman ~- August 1980 This research was supported by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of...black number) Artif icial Intelligence Msic Ccirposition Real Time Music Synthesis 20 ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse stde it necessary and identity by

The substance of love when encountering suffering: an interpretative research synthesis with an abductive approach.

PubMed

Thorkildsen, Kari Marie; Eriksson, Katie; Råholm, Maj-Britt

2013-06-01

This study presents the results of an interpretative research synthesis undertaken to explore the essence of love when encountering suffering. The idea of caring as an expression of love and compassion belongs with ideas that have shaped caring for hundreds of years. Love and suffering are the core concepts in caring science and thus demand a basic research approach. The synthesis was undertaken by the interpretation of 15 articles focusing on love in different aspects, but within a caring science perspective. The research process was guided by a hermeneutical perspective with an abductive approach. The substance of love, when encountering suffering, reveals itself in three themes: love as a holy power, love as fundamental for being and love as an ethical act, which are to be found, respectively, within three dimensions: love as holiness, love as a communion and love as an art. Love is a holy power and encompasses everything; it is the well of strength that heals. No human can exist without love: this points to the ethical responsibility one has as a neighbour. In the ethical act, love is evident in concrete caring actions. The core of the substance of love within the three dimensions can be understood as agape. Agape connects and mirrors the dimensions, while at the same time it is clear that agape stems from and moves towards holiness, enabling love to be the ethical foundation when encountering suffering. Through the dimensions of love as communion and love as an art agape intertwine with eros forming caritas enabling the human being to move towards the dimension of holiness, which signifies becoming through suffering. © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Quantitative Reasoning in Environmental Science: A Learning Progression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayes, Robert Lee; Forrester, Jennifer Harris; Christus, Jennifer Schuttlefield; Peterson, Franziska Isabel; Bonilla, Rachel; Yestness, Nissa

2014-01-01

The ability of middle and high school students to reason quantitatively within the context of environmental science was investigated. A quantitative reasoning (QR) learning progression was created with three progress variables: quantification act, quantitative interpretation, and quantitative modeling. An iterative research design was used as it…

From themes to hypotheses: following up with quantitative methods.

PubMed

Morgan, David L

2015-06-01

One important category of mixed-methods research designs consists of quantitative studies that follow up on qualitative research. In this case, the themes that serve as the results from the qualitative methods generate hypotheses for testing through the quantitative methods. That process requires operationalization to translate the concepts from the qualitative themes into quantitative variables. This article illustrates these procedures with examples that range from simple operationalization to the evaluation of complex models. It concludes with an argument for not only following up qualitative work with quantitative studies but also the reverse, and doing so by going beyond integrating methods within single projects to include broader mutual attention from qualitative and quantitative researchers who work in the same field. © The Author(s) 2015.

Slides showing quantitative models for mineral-resource assessment of the Rolla 1 degree x 2 degrees Quadrangle, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, Kim-Marie; Jenson, S.K.; Francica, J.R.; Hastings, D.A.; Trautwein, C.M.; Pratt, W.P.

1983-01-01

Th.is report consists of nineteen 35-mm color slides sh.owing digital synthesis and quantitative modeling of five geologic recognition criteria for assessment of Mississippi Valley-type resource potential in the Rolla 1° x 2° quadrangle, Missouri. The digital synthesis and quantitative modeling (Pratt and others, 1982) was done to supplement an earlier manual synthesis and evaluation (Pratt, 1981). The five criteria synthesized in this study, and the sources of data used, are that most known deposits are: In dolomite of the Bonneterre Formation, near the limestone-dolomite interface, which is defined as ls:dol = 1:16 (Thacker and Anderson, 1979; Kisvarsanyi, 1982);Near areas where insoluble residues of "barren" Bonneterre Formation contain anomalously high amounts of base metals (Erickson and others, 1978);Near areas of faults and fractures in the Bonneterre Formation or in underlying rocks (Pratt, 1982);In "brown rock" (finely crystalline brown dolomite) near the interface with "white rock" (coarsely recrystallized, white or very light gray, vuggy, illite-bearing dolomite) (Kisvarsanyi, 1982);Near or within favorably situated digitate reef-complex facies (Kisvarsanyi , 1982).

Barriers, facilitators, strategies and outcomes to engaging policymakers, healthcare managers and policy analysts in knowledge synthesis: a scoping review protocol.

PubMed

Tricco, Andrea C; Zarin, Wasifa; Rios, Patricia; Pham, Ba'; Straus, Sharon E; Langlois, Etienne V

2016-12-23

Engaging policymakers, healthcare managers and policy analysts in the conduct of knowledge synthesis can help increase its impact. This is particularly important for knowledge synthesis studies commissioned by decision-makers with limited timelines, as well as reviews of health policy and systems research. A scoping review will be conducted to assess barriers, facilitators, strategies and outcomes of engaging these individuals in the knowledge synthesis process. We will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance for scoping reviews. Literature searches of electronic databases (eg, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ERIC, PsycINFO) will be conducted from inception onwards. The electronic search will be supplemented by searching for sources that index unpublished/difficult to locate studies (eg, GreyNet International database), as well as through scanning of reference lists of reviews on related topics. All study designs using either qualitative or quantitative methodologies will be eligible if there is a description of the strategies, barriers or facilitators, and outcomes of engaging policymakers, healthcare managers and policy analysts in the knowledge synthesis process. Screening and data abstraction will be conducted by 2 team members independently after a calibration exercise across the team. A third team member will resolve all discrepancies. We will conduct frequency analysis and thematic analysis to chart and characterise the literature, identifying data gaps and opportunities for future research, as well as implications for policy. This project was commissioned by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, WHO. The results will be used by Alliance Review Centers of health policy and systems research in low-income and middle-income countries that are conducting knowledge synthesis to inform health policymaking and decision-making. Our results will also be disseminated through conference presentations, train-the-trainer events, peer

DNA synthesis security.

PubMed

Nouri, Ali; Chyba, Christopher F

2012-01-01

It is generally assumed that genetic engineering advances will, inevitably, facilitate the misapplication of biotechnology toward the production of biological weapons. Unexpectedly, however, some of these very advances in the areas of DNA synthesis and sequencing may enable the implementation of automated and nonintrusive safeguards to avert the illicit applications of biotechnology. In the case of DNA synthesis, automated DNA screening tools could be built into DNA synthesizers in order to block the synthesis of hazardous agents. In addition, a comprehensive safety and security regime for dual-use genetic engineering research could include nonintrusive monitoring of DNA sequencing. This is increasingly feasible as laboratories outsource this service to just a few centralized sequencing factories. The adoption of automated, nonintrusive monitoring and surveillance of the DNA synthesis and sequencing pipelines may avert many risks associated with dual-use biotechnology. Here, we describe the historical background and current challenges associated with dual-use biotechnologies and propose strategies to address these challenges.

Synthesis and binding studies of Alzheimer ligands on solid support.

PubMed

Rzepecki, Petra; Geib, Nina; Peifer, Manuel; Biesemeier, Frank; Schrader, Thomas

2007-05-11

Aminopyrazole derivatives constitute the first class of nonpeptidic rationally designed beta-sheet ligands. Here we describe a double solid-phase protocol for both synthesis and affinity testing. The presented solid-phase synthesis of four types of hybrid compounds relies on the Fmoc strategy and circumvents subsequent HPLC purification by precipitating the final product from organic solution in pure form. Hexa- and octapeptide pendants with internal di- and tetrapeptide bridges are now amenable in high yields to combinatorial synthesis of compound libraries for high-throughput screening purposes. Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) on an acid-resistant PAM allows us, after PMB deprotection, to subject the free aminopyrazole binding sites in an immobilized state to on-bead assays with fluorescence-labeled peptides. From the fluorescence emission intensity decrease, individual binding constants can be calculated via reference curves by simple application of the law of mass action. Gratifyingly, host/guest complexation can be monitored quantitatively even for those ligands, which are almost insoluble in water.

A synthesis of qualitative research exploring the barriers to staying in work with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

PubMed

Toye, Francine; Seers, Kate; Allcock, Nick; Briggs, Michelle; Carr, Eloise; Barker, Karen

2016-01-01

Qualitative research can help to advance our understanding, management and prevention of work disability. Our aim was to integrate qualitative research findings in order to increase our understanding of barriers to stay in work with chronic pain. We searched five electronic bibliographic databases until September 2012, supplemented by citation tracking and hand-searching. We used meta-ethnography to synthesis our findings. Central to meta-ethnography is identifying “concepts” and developing a conceptual model. Concepts were compared and organised into categories. The following categories can have an impact on the decision to remain in work: struggling to affirm myself as a good worker; balancing life and work in the face of unpredictable symptoms; my work colleagues don't believe me; the system does not facilitate return to work; the battle for legitimacy. Our innovation is to present an internationally relevant model based on a conceptual synthesis. This model highlights the adversarial work experience of people with chronic. The papers span 15 years of qualitative research. A significant finding is that these themes continue to pervade the current work environment for those in pain, and this has clear implications for education, social care and policy. People with chronic pain face an adversarial struggle to maintain their credibility at work. Strategies to maintain personal credibility can have an adverse effect on working lives. Changes at a systems level are needed to facilitate continuance and return to work. Cultural changes in the way that we view people with pain would help to keep people in work.

Effects of Computer Programming on Students' Cognitive Performance: A Quantitative Synthesis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Yuen-Kuang Cliff

A meta-analysis was performed to synthesize existing data concerning the effects of computer programing on cognitive outcomes of students. Sixty-five studies were located from three sources, and their quantitative data were transformed into a common scale--Effect Size (ES). The analysis showed that 58 (89%) of the study-weighted ESs were positive…

The Dynamics of Pheromone Gland Synthesis and Release: a Paradigm Shift for Understanding Sex Pheromone Quantity in Female Moths.

PubMed

Foster, Stephen P; Anderson, Karin G; Casas, Jérôme

2018-05-10

Moths are exemplars of chemical communication, especially with regard to specificity and the minute amounts they use. Yet, little is known about how females manage synthesis and storage of pheromone to maintain release rates attractive to conspecific males and why such small amounts are used. We developed, for the first time, a quantitative model, based on an extensive empirical data set, describing the dynamical relationship among synthesis, storage (titer) and release of pheromone over time in a moth (Heliothis virescens). The model is compartmental, with one major state variable (titer), one time-varying (synthesis), and two constant (catabolism and release) rates. The model was a good fit, suggesting it accounted for the major processes. Overall, we found the relatively small amounts of pheromone stored and released were largely a function of high catabolism rather than a low rate of synthesis. A paradigm shift may be necessary to understand the low amounts released by female moths, away from the small quantities synthesized to the (relatively) large amounts catabolized. Future research on pheromone quantity should focus on structural and physicochemical processes that limit storage and release rate quantities. To our knowledge, this is the first time that pheromone gland function has been modeled for any animal.

Modeling methodology for supply chain synthesis and disruption analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Teresa; Blackhurst, Jennifer

2004-11-01

The concept of an integrated or synthesized supply chain is a strategy for managing today's globalized and customer driven supply chains in order to better meet customer demands. Synthesizing individual entities into an integrated supply chain can be a challenging task due to a variety of factors including conflicting objectives, mismatched incentives and constraints of the individual entities. Furthermore, understanding the effects of disruptions occurring at any point in the system is difficult when working toward synthesizing supply chain operations. Therefore, the goal of this research is to present a modeling methodology to manage the synthesis of a supply chain by linking hierarchical levels of the system and to model and analyze disruptions in the integrated supply chain. The contribution of this research is threefold: (1) supply chain systems can be modeled hierarchically (2) the performance of synthesized supply chain system can be evaluated quantitatively (3) reachability analysis is used to evaluate the system performance and verify whether a specific state is reachable, allowing the user to understand the extent of effects of a disruption.

Proteomic and functional analyses reveal MAPK1 regulates milk protein synthesis.

PubMed

Lu, Li-Min; Li, Qing-Zhang; Huang, Jian-Guo; Gao, Xue-Jun

2012-12-27

L-Lysine (L-Lys) is an essential amino acid that plays fundamental roles in protein synthesis. Many nuclear phosphorylated proteins such as Stat5 and mTOR regulate milk protein synthesis. However, the details of milk protein synthesis control at the transcript and translational levels are not well known. In this current study, a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE)/MS-based proteomic technology was used to identify phosphoproteins responsible for milk protein synthesis in dairy cow mammary epithelial cells (DCMECs). The effect of L-Lys on DCMECs was analyzed by CASY technology and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The results showed that cell proliferation ability and β-casein expression were enhanced in DCMECs treated with L-Lys. By phosphoproteomics analysis, six proteins, including MAPK1, were identified up-expressed in DCMECs treated with 1.2 mM L-Lys for 24 h, and were verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Overexpression and siRNA inhibition of MAPK1 experiments showed that MAPK1 upregulated milk protein synthesis through Stat5 and mTOR pathway. These findings that MAPK1 involves in regulation of milk synthesis shed new insights for understanding the mechanisms of milk protein synthesis.

Fluctuations and synchrony of RNA synthesis in nucleoli.

PubMed

Pliss, Artem; Kuzmin, Andrey N; Kachynski, Aliaksandr V; Baev, Alexander; Berezney, Ronald; Prasad, Paras N

2015-06-01

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences are synthesized at exceptionally high rates and, together with ribosomal proteins (r-proteins), are utilized as building blocks for the assembly of pre-ribosomal particles. Although it is widely acknowledged that tight regulation and coordination of rRNA and r-protein production are fundamentally important for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis, still little is known about the real-time kinetics of the ribosome component synthesis in individual cells. In this communication we introduce a label-free MicroRaman spectrometric approach for monitoring rRNA synthesis in live cultured cells. Remarkably high and rapid fluctuations of rRNA production rates were revealed by this technique. Strikingly, the changes in the rRNA output were synchronous for ribosomal genes located in separate nucleoli of the same cell. Our findings call for the development of new concepts to elucidate the coordination of ribosomal components production. In this regard, numerical modeling further demonstrated that the production of rRNA and r-proteins can be coordinated, regardless of the fluctuations in rRNA synthesis. Overall, our quantitative data reveal a spectacular interplay of inherently stochastic rates of RNA synthesis and the coordination of gene expression.

Failure to Report Effect Sizes: The Handling of Quantitative Results in Published Health Education and Behavior Research.

PubMed

Barry, Adam E; Szucs, Leigh E; Reyes, Jovanni V; Ji, Qian; Wilson, Kelly L; Thompson, Bruce

2016-10-01

Given the American Psychological Association's strong recommendation to always report effect sizes in research, scholars have a responsibility to provide complete information regarding their findings. The purposes of this study were to (a) determine the frequencies with which different effect sizes were reported in published, peer-reviewed articles in health education, promotion, and behavior journals and (b) discuss implications for reporting effect size in social science research. Across a 4-year time period (2010-2013), 1,950 peer-reviewed published articles were examined from the following six health education and behavior journals: American Journal of Health Behavior, American Journal of Health Promotion, Health Education & Behavior, Health Education Research, Journal of American College Health, and Journal of School Health Quantitative features from eligible manuscripts were documented using Qualtrics online survey software. Of the 1,245 articles in the final sample that reported quantitative data analyses, approximately 47.9% (n = 597) of the articles reported an effect size. While 16 unique types of effect size were reported across all included journals, many of the effect sizes were reported with little frequency across most journals. Overall, odds ratio/adjusted odds ratio (n = 340, 50.1%), Pearson r/r(2) (n = 162, 23.8%), and eta squared/partial eta squared (n = 46, 7.2%) accounted for the most frequently used effect size. Quality research practice requires both testing statistical significance and reporting effect size. However, our study shows that a substantial portion of published literature in health education and behavior lacks consistent reporting of effect size. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

Pilot-optimal augmentation synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, D. K.

1978-01-01

An augmentation synthesis method usable in the absence of quantitative handling qualities specifications, and yet explicitly including design objectives based on pilot-rating concepts, is presented. The algorithm involves the unique approach of simultaneously solving for the stability augmentation system (SAS) gains, pilot equalization and pilot rating prediction via optimal control techniques. Simultaneous solution is required in this case since the pilot model (gains, etc.) depends upon the augmented plant dynamics, and the augmentation is obviously not a priori known. Another special feature is the use of the pilot's objective function (from which the pilot model evolves) to design the SAS.

Evidence-based nursing: a stereotyped view of quantitative and experimental research could work against professional autonomy and authority.

PubMed

Bonell, C

1999-07-01

In recent years, there have been calls within the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) for evidence-based health care. These resonate with long-standing calls for nursing to become a research-based profession. Evidence-based practice could enable nurses to demonstrate their unique contribution to health care outcomes, and support their seeking greater professionalization, in terms of enhanced authority and autonomy. Nursing's professionalization project, and, within this, various practices comprising the 'new nursing', whilst sometimes not delivering all that was hoped of them, have been important in developing certain conditions conducive to developing evidence-based practice, notably a critical perspective on practice and a reluctance merely to follow physicians' orders. However, nursing has often been hesitant in its adoption of quantitative and experimental research. This hesitancy, it is argued, has been influenced by the propounding by some authors within the new nursing of a stereotyped view of quantitative/experimental methods which equates them with a number of methodological and philosophical points which are deemed, by at least some of these authors, as inimical to, or problematic within, nursing research. It is argued that, not only is the logic on which the various stereotyped views are based flawed, but further, that the wider influence of these viewpoints on nurses could lead to a greater marginalization of nurses in research and evidence-based practice initiatives, thus perhaps leading to evidence-based nursing being led by other groups. In the longer term, this might result in a form of evidence-based nursing emphasizing routinization, thus--ironically--working against strategies of professional authority and autonomy embedded in the new nursing. Nursing research should instead follow the example of nurse researchers who already embrace multiple methods. While the paper describes United Kingdom experiences and debates, points raised about

Streptococcus mutans Protein Synthesis during Mixed-Species Biofilm Development by High-Throughput Quantitative Proteomics

PubMed Central

Klein, Marlise I.; Xiao, Jin; Lu, Bingwen; Delahunty, Claire M.; Yates, John R.; Koo, Hyun

2012-01-01

Biofilms formed on tooth surfaces are comprised of mixed microbiota enmeshed in an extracellular matrix. Oral biofilms are constantly exposed to environmental changes, which influence the microbial composition, matrix formation and expression of virulence. Streptococcus mutans and sucrose are key modulators associated with the evolution of virulent-cariogenic biofilms. In this study, we used a high-throughput quantitative proteomics approach to examine how S. mutans produces relevant proteins that facilitate its establishment and optimal survival during mixed-species biofilms development induced by sucrose. Biofilms of S. mutans, alone or mixed with Actinomyces naeslundii and Streptococcus oralis, were initially formed onto saliva-coated hydroxyapatite surface under carbohydrate-limiting condition. Sucrose (1%, w/v) was then introduced to cause environmental changes, and to induce biofilm accumulation. Multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) approach detected up to 60% of proteins encoded by S. mutans within biofilms. Specific proteins associated with exopolysaccharide matrix assembly, metabolic and stress adaptation processes were highly abundant as the biofilm transit from earlier to later developmental stages following sucrose introduction. Our results indicate that S. mutans within a mixed-species biofilm community increases the expression of specific genes associated with glucan synthesis and remodeling (gtfBC, dexA) and glucan-binding (gbpB) during this transition (P<0.05). Furthermore, S. mutans up-regulates specific adaptation mechanisms to cope with acidic environments (F1F0-ATPase system, fatty acid biosynthesis, branched chain amino acids metabolism), and molecular chaperones (GroEL). Interestingly, the protein levels and gene expression are in general augmented when S. mutans form mixed-species biofilms (vs. single-species biofilms) demonstrating fundamental differences in the matrix assembly, survival and biofilm maintenance in the

Efficient synthesis of methylene exo-glycals: another use of glycosylthiomethyl chlorides.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiangming; Jin, Ying; Wickham, John

2007-03-30

A new approach to the synthesis of methylene exo-glycals is described. Oxidation of glycosylthiolmethyl chloride (GTM-Cl) with mCPBA afforded the corresponding glycosylchloromethyl sulfone in almost quantitative yield, which underwent KOtBu-induced Ramberg-Bäcklund rearrangement to furnish the desired methylene exo-glycal in excellent yield.

Survey of Quantitative Research Metrics to Assess Pilot Performance in Upset Recovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Le Vie, Lisa R.

2016-01-01

Accidents attributable to in-flight loss of control are the primary cause for fatal commercial jet accidents worldwide. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted a literature review to determine and identify the quantitative standards for assessing upset recovery performance. This review contains current recovery procedures for both military and commercial aviation and includes the metrics researchers use to assess aircraft recovery performance. Metrics include time to first input, recognition time and recovery time and whether that input was correct or incorrect. Other metrics included are: the state of the autopilot and autothrottle, control wheel/sidestick movement resulting in pitch and roll, and inputs to the throttle and rudder. In addition, airplane state measures, such as roll reversals, altitude loss/gain, maximum vertical speed, maximum/minimum air speed, maximum bank angle and maximum g loading are reviewed as well.

What Is "Good" Research? Revealing the Paradigmatic Tensions in Quantitative Criticalist Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernández, Ebelia

2014-01-01

If quantitative criticalism is thought to be a bridge between positivist epistemologies prevalent in quantitative work and social constructionism often found in critical qualitative work, then this bridge is fraught with challenges and tensions. This chapter examines the methodological issues, questions, and tensions that emerged from a research…

Green Chemistry Techniques for Gold Nanoparticles Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannavino, Sarah A.; King, Christy A.; Ferrara, Davon W.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are often utilized in many technological and research applications ranging from the detection of tumors, molecular and biological sensors, and as nanoantennas to probe physical processes. As these applications move from the research laboratory to industrial settings, there is a need to develop efficient and sustainable synthesis techniques. Recent research has shown that several food products and beverages containing polyphenols, a common antioxidant, can be used as reducing agents in the synthesis of AuNPs in solution. In this study, we explore a variety of products to determine which allow for the most reproducible solution of nanoparticles based on the size and shapes of particles present. We analyzed the AuNPs solutions using extinction spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. We also develop a laboratory activity to introduce introductory chemistry and physics students to AuNP synthesis techniques and analysis.

Graphic organizers and their effects on the reading comprehension of students with LD: a synthesis of research.

PubMed

Kim, Ae-Hwa; Vaughn, Sharon; Wanzek, Jeanne; Wei, Shangjin

2004-01-01

Previous research studies examining the effects of graphic organizers on reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities (LD) are reviewed. An extensive search of the professional literature between 1963 and June 2001 yielded a total of 21 group design intervention studies that met the criteria for inclusion in the synthesis. Using graphic organizers (i.e., semantic organizers, framed outlines, cognitive maps with and without a mnemonic) was associated with improved reading comprehension overall for students with LD. Compared to standardized reading measures, researcher-developed comprehension measures were associated with higher effect sizes. Initial gains demonstrated when using graphic organizers were not revealed during later comprehension tasks or on new comprehension tasks.

Teaching quantitative biology: goals, assessments, and resources

PubMed Central

Aikens, Melissa L.; Dolan, Erin L.

2014-01-01

More than a decade has passed since the publication of BIO2010, calling for an increased emphasis on quantitative skills in the undergraduate biology curriculum. In that time, relatively few papers have been published that describe educational innovations in quantitative biology or provide evidence of their effects on students. Using a “backward design” framework, we lay out quantitative skill and attitude goals, assessment strategies, and teaching resources to help biologists teach more quantitatively. Collaborations between quantitative biologists and education researchers are necessary to develop a broader and more appropriate suite of assessment tools, and to provide much-needed evidence on how particular teaching strategies affect biology students' quantitative skill development and attitudes toward quantitative work. PMID:25368425

The Health Effects of Climate Change: A Survey of Recent Quantitative Research

PubMed Central

Grasso, Margherita; Manera, Matteo; Chiabai, Aline; Markandya, Anil

2012-01-01

In recent years there has been a large scientific and public debate on climate change and its direct as well as indirect effects on human health. In particular, a large amount of research on the effects of climate changes on human health has addressed two fundamental questions. First, can historical data be of some help in revealing how short-run or long-run climate variations affect the occurrence of infectious diseases? Second, is it possible to build more accurate quantitative models which are capable of predicting the future effects of different climate conditions on the transmissibility of particularly dangerous infectious diseases? The primary goal of this paper is to review the most relevant contributions which have directly tackled those questions, both with respect to the effects of climate changes on the diffusion of non-infectious and infectious diseases, with malaria as a case study. Specific attention will be drawn on the methodological aspects of each study, which will be classified according to the type of quantitative model considered, namely time series models, panel data and spatial models, and non-statistical approaches. Since many different disciplines and approaches are involved, a broader view is necessary in order to provide a better understanding of the interactions between climate and health. In this respect, our paper also presents a critical summary of the recent literature related to more general aspects of the impacts of climate changes on human health, such as: the economics of climate change; how to manage the health effects of climate change; the establishment of Early Warning Systems for infectious diseases. PMID:22754455

The health effects of climate change: a survey of recent quantitative research.

PubMed

Grasso, Margherita; Manera, Matteo; Chiabai, Aline; Markandya, Anil

2012-05-01

In recent years there has been a large scientific and public debate on climate change and its direct as well as indirect effects on human health. In particular, a large amount of research on the effects of climate changes on human health has addressed two fundamental questions. First, can historical data be of some help in revealing how short-run or long-run climate variations affect the occurrence of infectious diseases? Second, is it possible to build more accurate quantitative models which are capable of predicting the future effects of different climate conditions on the transmissibility of particularly dangerous infectious diseases? The primary goal of this paper is to review the most relevant contributions which have directly tackled those questions, both with respect to the effects of climate changes on the diffusion of non-infectious and infectious diseases, with malaria as a case study. Specific attention will be drawn on the methodological aspects of each study, which will be classified according to the type of quantitative model considered, namely time series models, panel data and spatial models, and non-statistical approaches. Since many different disciplines and approaches are involved, a broader view is necessary in order to provide a better understanding of the interactions between climate and health. In this respect, our paper also presents a critical summary of the recent literature related to more general aspects of the impacts of climate changes on human health, such as: the economics of climate change; how to manage the health effects of climate change; the establishment of Early Warning Systems for infectious diseases.

1H MAS NMR (magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance) techniques for the quantitative determination of hydrogen types in solid catalysts and supports.

PubMed

Kennedy, Gordon J; Afeworki, Mobae; Calabro, David C; Chase, Clarence E; Smiley, Randolph J

2004-06-01

Distinct hydrogen species are present in important inorganic solids such as zeolites, silicoaluminophosphates (SAPOs), mesoporous materials, amorphous silicas, and aluminas. These H species include hydrogens associated with acidic sites such as Al(OH)Si, non-framework aluminum sites, silanols, and surface functionalities. Direct and quantitative methodology to identify, measure, and monitor these hydrogen species are key to monitoring catalyst activity, optimizing synthesis conditions, tracking post-synthesis structural modifications, and in the preparation of novel catalytic materials. Many workers have developed several techniques to address these issues, including 1H MAS NMR (magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance). 1H MAS NMR offers many potential advantages over other techniques, but care is needed in recognizing experimental limitations and developing sample handling and NMR methodology to obtain quantitatively reliable data. A simplified approach is described that permits vacuum dehydration of multiple samples simultaneously and directly in the MAS rotor without the need for epoxy, flame sealing, or extensive glovebox use. We have found that careful optimization of important NMR conditions, such as magnetic field homogeneity and magic angle setting are necessary to acquire quantitative, high-resolution spectra that accurately measure the concentrations of the different hydrogen species present. Details of this 1H MAS NMR methodology with representative applications to zeolites, SAPOs, M41S, and silicas as a function of synthesis conditions and post-synthesis treatments (i.e., steaming, thermal dehydroxylation, and functionalization) are presented.

Evidence synthesis software.

PubMed

Park, Sophie Elizabeth; Thomas, James

2018-06-07

It can be challenging to decide which evidence synthesis software to choose when doing a systematic review. This article discusses some of the important questions to consider in relation to the chosen method and synthesis approach. Software can support researchers in a range of ways. Here, a range of review conditions and software solutions. For example, facilitating contemporaneous collaboration across time and geographical space; in-built bias assessment tools; and line-by-line coding for qualitative textual analysis. EPPI-Reviewer is a review software for research synthesis managed by the EPPI-centre, UCL Institute of Education. EPPI-Reviewer has text mining automation technologies. Version 5 supports data sharing and re-use across the systematic review community. Open source software will soon be released. EPPI-Centre will continue to offer the software as a cloud-based service. The software is offered via a subscription with a one-month (extendible) trial available and volume discounts for 'site licences'. It is free to use for Cochrane and Campbell reviews. The next EPPI-Reviewer version is being built in collaboration with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence using 'surveillance' of newly published research to support 'living' iterative reviews. This is achieved using a combination of machine learning and traditional information retrieval technologies to identify the type of research each new publication describes and determine its relevance for a particular review, domain or guideline. While the amount of available knowledge and research is constantly increasing, the ways in which software can support the focus and relevance of data identification are also developing fast. Software advances are maximising the opportunities for the production of relevant and timely reviews. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise

Quantitative Modeling of Earth Surface Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelletier, Jon D.

This textbook describes some of the most effective and straightforward quantitative techniques for modeling Earth surface processes. By emphasizing a core set of equations and solution techniques, the book presents state-of-the-art models currently employed in Earth surface process research, as well as a set of simple but practical research tools. Detailed case studies demonstrate application of the methods to a wide variety of processes including hillslope, fluvial, aeolian, glacial, tectonic, and climatic systems. Exercises at the end of each chapter begin with simple calculations and then progress to more sophisticated problems that require computer programming. All the necessary computer codes are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521855976. Assuming some knowledge of calculus and basic programming experience, this quantitative textbook is designed for advanced geomorphology courses and as a reference book for professional researchers in Earth and planetary science looking for a quantitative approach to Earth surface processes.

Depletion of polycistronic transcripts using short interfering RNAs: cDNA synthesis method affects levels of non-targeted genes determined by quantitative PCR.

PubMed

Hanning, Jennifer E; Groves, Ian J; Pett, Mark R; Coleman, Nicholas

2013-05-21

Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are often used to deplete viral polycistronic transcripts, such as those encoded by human papillomavirus (HPV). There are conflicting data in the literature concerning how siRNAs targeting one HPV gene can affect levels of other genes in the polycistronic transcripts. We hypothesised that the conflict might be partly explained by the method of cDNA synthesis used prior to transcript quantification. We treated HPV16-positive cervical keratinocytes with siRNAs targeting the HPV16 E7 gene and used quantitative PCR to compare transcript levels of E7 with those of E6 and E2, viral genes located upstream and downstream of the target site respectively. We compared our findings from cDNA generated using oligo-dT primers alone with those from cDNA generated using a combination of random hexamer and oligo-dT primers. Our data show that when polycistronic transcripts are targeted by siRNAs, there is a period when untranslatable cleaved mRNA upstream of the siRNA binding site remains detectable by PCR, if cDNA is generated using random hexamer primers. Such false indications of mRNA abundance are avoided using oligo-dT primers. The period corresponds to the time taken for siRNA activity and degradation of the cleaved transcripts. Genes downstream of the siRNA binding site are detectable during this interval, regardless of how the cDNA is generated. These data emphasise the importance of the cDNA synthesis method used when measuring transcript abundance following siRNA depletion of polycistronic transcripts. They provide a partial explanation for erroneous reports suggesting that siRNAs targeting HPV E7 can have gene-specific effects.

Depletion of polycistronic transcripts using short interfering RNAs: cDNA synthesis method affects levels of non-targeted genes determined by quantitative PCR

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are often used to deplete viral polycistronic transcripts, such as those encoded by human papillomavirus (HPV). There are conflicting data in the literature concerning how siRNAs targeting one HPV gene can affect levels of other genes in the polycistronic transcripts. We hypothesised that the conflict might be partly explained by the method of cDNA synthesis used prior to transcript quantification. Findings We treated HPV16-positive cervical keratinocytes with siRNAs targeting the HPV16 E7 gene and used quantitative PCR to compare transcript levels of E7 with those of E6 and E2, viral genes located upstream and downstream of the target site respectively. We compared our findings from cDNA generated using oligo-dT primers alone with those from cDNA generated using a combination of random hexamer and oligo-dT primers. Our data show that when polycistronic transcripts are targeted by siRNAs, there is a period when untranslatable cleaved mRNA upstream of the siRNA binding site remains detectable by PCR, if cDNA is generated using random hexamer primers. Such false indications of mRNA abundance are avoided using oligo-dT primers. The period corresponds to the time taken for siRNA activity and degradation of the cleaved transcripts. Genes downstream of the siRNA binding site are detectable during this interval, regardless of how the cDNA is generated. Conclusions These data emphasise the importance of the cDNA synthesis method used when measuring transcript abundance following siRNA depletion of polycistronic transcripts. They provide a partial explanation for erroneous reports suggesting that siRNAs targeting HPV E7 can have gene-specific effects. PMID:23693071

Accelerate synthesis in ecology and environmental sciences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Synthesis of diverse knowledge is a central part of all sciences, but especially those such as ecology and environmental sciences which draw information from many disciplines. Research and education in ecology are intrinsically synthetic, and synthesis is increasingly needed to find solutions for en...

Amplification of unscheduled DNA synthesis signal enables fluorescence-based single cell quantification of transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair

PubMed Central