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Publication Year (publication + year)
Selected AbstractsA meta-analysis of national research: Effects of teaching strategies on student achievement in science in the United StatesJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2007Carolyn M. Schroeder This project consisted of a meta-analysis of U.S. research published from 1980 to 2004 on the effect of specific science teaching strategies on student achievement. The six phases of the project included study acquisition, study coding, determination of intercoder objectivity, establishing criteria for inclusion of studies, computation of effect sizes for statistical analysis, and conducting the analyses. Studies were required to have been carried out in the United States, been experimental or quasi-experimental, and must have included effect size or the statistics necessary to calculate effect size. Sixty-one studies met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The following eight categories of teaching strategies were revealed during analysis of the studies (effect sizes in parentheses): Questioning Strategies (0.74); Manipulation Strategies (0.57); Enhanced Material Strategies (0.29); Assessment Strategies (0.51); Inquiry Strategies (0.65); Enhanced Context Strategies (1.48); Instructional Technology (IT) Strategies (0.48); and Collaborative Learning Strategies (0.95). All these effect sizes were judged to be significant. Regression analysis revealed that internal validity was influenced by Publication Type, Type of Study, and Test Type. External validity was not influenced by Publication Year, Grade Level, Test Content, or Treatment Categories. The major implication of this research is that we have generated empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of alternative teaching strategies in science. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 1436,1460, 2007 [source] Gender differences in dream recall: a meta-analysisJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008MICHAEL SCHREDL Summary Many studies have reported gender differences in dream recall. Data from 175 independent studies have been included in the analyses. Overall, estimated effect sizes in five age groups of healthy persons differed significantly from zero. Variables like measurement method and publication year did not affect the gender difference but age groups showed different effect sizes. The smallest effect size was found for children (0.097), the largest for adolescents (0.364), whereas the three adult groups ranged from 0.242 to 0.270. The findings suggest that the age-dependent gender differences in dream recall might be explained by gender-specific ,dream socialization'. Longitudinal studies in this area, however, are still lacking. [source] Not just another case of nausea and vomiting: A review of postinfectious gastroparesisJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 3 2010Allison R. Thorn MSN, FNP-BC (Family Nurse Practitioner) Purpose: To review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of postinfectious gastroparesis (PIGP). Data sources: Review of literature using Medscape, the Internet, and PubMed. The following search terms were used: gastroparesis, postinfectious gastroparesis, postviral gastroparesis, and idiopathic gastroparesis. There was no limitation placed on publication year. Only articles in English were used. Conclusions: PIGP is a rare illness that can affect all ages and both genders, although more prominent in middle-aged women. It is defined as delayed gastric emptying after an acute self-limited viral infection in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Limited research is available on PIGP. It is a complicated disorder with an unclear pathogenesis and narrow treatment options, therefore affecting the patient's quality of life significantly. Fortunately, the prognosis of PIGP is good, although in some instances it can take years to recover completely. Implications for practice: There is a huge lack of awareness of PIGP among primary care providers (PCPs). The importance of this illness is greatly underestimated. Educating PCPs about PIGP leads to quicker referrals and therefore faster treatment for patients, which in turn improves their health and quality of life, and thereby decreases healthcare costs as well. [source] Against the grain: An overview of celiac diseaseJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 5 2008FNP-C Clinical Instructor, Suzanne Martin RN Abstract Purpose: To review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of celiac disease (CD). Data sources: Review of literature using Pub Med and Access Medicine. The following search terms were used: celiac disease, malabsorption syndromes, diarrhea, and gluten-free diet (GFD). There was no limitation placed on publication year. Only articles written in English were included. Conclusions: CD is a chronic systemic autoimmune disorder triggered in genetically susceptible individuals by the ingestion of gluten proteins (wheat, barley, and rye). CD often presents atypically, and diagnosis delays are common. Currently, the only effective treatment for CD is strict adherence to a GFD. This is a difficult diet to comprehend and follow. Adherence to a GFD requires ongoing education and support from a multidisciplinary healthcare team, support groups, family, and friends. Implications for practice: Once considered a rare disease of childhood, CD is now recognized as a common disorder that can occur at any age. Clinicians need to be cognizant of risk factors, clinical manifestations, conditions, and complications associated with CD in order to make a timely diagnosis, ameliorate symptoms, and minimize disease complications. [source] Schumpeter 1911: Farsighted Visions on Economic DevelopmentAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Markus C. Becker This paper presents to the English-speaking reader a sample of material contained only in Schumpeter's first German edition (1911) of Theorie der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung, material subsequently omitted from later German editions and from the English translation. The newly-translated material, presented here for the first time in English, comprises a substantial part of the second chapter, only available in a completely rewritten version, and fully half of the famous seventh chapter, which has not been previously available at all in English. This material merits attention today because it contains remarkable and farsighted visions on economic theory that may inspire current efforts to devise models of economic and social evolution. In order to better appreciate the original text, we briefly introduce the "background" to Theorie and its revisions, briefly describing the social and intellectual environment of the time. We then discuss how the entrepreneur evolved over the three editions of Theorie (from 1911 to 1934) in view of the shift in Schumpeter's personal and intellectual life and outline the most important implications raised by the first German edition of 1911. Finally, we use Schumpeter's own statements to settle the obstinate confusion on the publication year of Theorie in favour of the year 1911. [source] The role of microarthropods in terrestrial decomposition: a meta-analysis of 40 years of litterbag studiesBIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 3 2009Christian Kampichler ABSTRACT Litterbags have been utilized in soil ecology for about 50 years. They are useful because they confine organic material and thus enable the study of decomposition dynamics (mass loss and/or nutrient loss through time, colonization by soil biota) in situ, i.e. under field conditions. Researchers can easily restrict or permit access to certain size classes of soil fauna to determine their contribution to litter mass loss by choosing adequate mesh size or applying specific biocides. In particular, the mesofauna has received much attention since it comprises two very abundant and diverse microarthropod groups, the Collembola (springtails) and Acari (mites). We comprehensively searched the literature from the mid-1960s to the end of 2005 for reports on litterbag experiments investigating the role of microarthropods in terrestrial decomposition. Thirty papers reporting 101 experiments satisfied our selection criteria and were included in the database. Our meta-analysis revealed that microarthropods have a moderate but significant effect on mass loss. We discuss in detail the interactions of the microarthropod effect with study characteristics such as experimental design (e.g. number of bags, duration of experiment), type of exposed organic matter, climatic zone and land use of the study site. No publication bias was detected; however, we noticed a significant decrease in the microarthropod effect with publication year, indicating that, in the first decades of litterbag use, soil zoologists may have studied "promising" sites with a higher a priori probability of positive microarthropod effects on litter mass loss. A general weakness is that the treatments differ not only with respect to the presence or absence of microarthropods, but also with regard to mesh size (small to exclude microarthropods, wide to permit their access) or presence (to exclude microarthropods) and absence (to permit their access) of an insecticide. Consequently, the difference between the decomposition rates in the treatments is not a pure microarthropod effect but will be influenced by the additive effects of mesh size and insecticide. The relative contribution of the "true" microarthropod effect remains unknown without additional treatments controlling for the differential mesh size/insecticide effect. A meta-analysis including only those studies using different mesh size and for which the data were corrected by subtracting an estimated mesh size effect based on data from the literature yielded a significantly negative microarthropod effect on litter decomposition. These results cast doubt on the widely accepted hypothesis that microarthropods generally exert a positive effect on litter mass loss. We conclude that after 40 years of litterbag studies our knowledge on the role of microarthropods in litter mass loss remains limited and that the inclusion of a third treatment in future studies is a promising way to retain litterbags as a meaningful tool of soil biological studies. [source] A review of guidelines on benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms: are all guidelines the same?BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2003J. Irani The Clinical Practice Guidelines on BPH/LUTS are examined by authors from London and Poitiers. They found in their review of the literature that the overall and methodological quality of such guidelines varies widely. They acknowledge the difficulties in developing careful guidelines, but suggest a formal appraisal of quality and methods, as these are the ones more likely to help urologists in decision-making. There are three papers on the prevalence of symptoms relating to lower tract conditions. The first examines male urinary incontinence in four European centres, the second nocturia and its effect on quality of life and sleep in a US community sample, and a further paper describes the prevalence diagnosis and treatment of prostatitis in Italy. A study from Sydney describes the authors use of the Inflow intra-urethral device for managing acontractile bladders in female patients. They found that the device provides an effective method of bladder drainage, with an acceptable side-effect profile and a significant improvement in quality of life. OBJECTIVE To compare overall and methodological quality with content in national and supra-national Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), as the purpose of CPGs is to reduce unwanted variation in practice and improve patient care by setting agreed standards based on the best available evidence. METHODS An electronic search was used to identify Internet-based national and supra-national CPGs on BPH and LUTS available in 2001. Two independent assessors analysed the content and appraised the methodological quality of the CPGs using an existing and validated instrument (St. George's Hospital Medical School Health Care Evaluation Unit Appraisal Instrument) comprising 37 items grouped into three broad areas, i.e. rigour of development, context and content, and clinical application. RESULTS Eight CPGs were suitable for appraisal; there was much variation in overall and methodological quality. There was agreement that a patient history and physical examination (including a digital rectal examination) should be used in all symptomatic men. In addition, patients' symptoms should be assessed using a validated symptom score, e.g. the International Prostate Symptom Score. There was considerable variation in the number and type of diagnostic tests recommended for routine assessment. CPGs scoring low on the appraisal instrument (indicating poor overall and methodological quality) were more likely to recommend more diagnostic tests than those scoring high. There was general agreement between the guidelines on the treatment of BPH/LUTS and the importance of the patient's involvement in making management decisions. Guideline quality was independent of local health resources and publication year. CONCLUSION The overall and methodological quality of CPGs on BPH/LUTS varies considerably. There appears to be an inverse relationship between guideline quality and the number of diagnostic tests recommended for routine assessment. Using CPGs of high quality may prevent men with BPH/LUTS being exposed to tests of doubtful utility. Although this may reduce both resource use and exposure to potential harm, moving to a more minimalist approach to diagnosis may itself be potentially harmful to patients. [source] | ||||||||||