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Study Limitations (study + limitation)
Selected AbstractsBenefiting from mistakes: The impact of guided errors on learning, performance, and self-efficacyHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2005Steven J. Lorenzet We conducted an experiment using training in a software package for presentations. Ninety undergraduate students with no previous experience received either training that guided them to commit common errors or alternatively training that sought to prevent errors from occurring. From previous research and relevant theory, a typology for manipulating errors is presented. In addition, we offer and test a new way of using errors in training, based on guided errors. Before training, a subject matter expert identified common errors that occur when first learning the software package. Trainees in the guided-errors condition were then guided into and out of mistakes during training. Findings revealed superior performance (accuracy and speed) and self-efficacy associated with using guided errors during training. Study limitations and implications for research and practice are also discussed. [source] Flexible Endoscopic Clip-Assisted Zenker's Diverticulotomy: The First Case Series (With Videos),THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 7 2008Shou-jiang Tang MD Abstract Background: In treating Zenker's diverticulum (ZD), there are potential risks associated with performing flexible endoscopic diverticulotomy without suturing or stapling. We recently introduced flexible endoscopic clip-assisted diverticulotomy (ECD) in treating ZD by securing the septum prior to dissection. Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of ECD for complete septum dissection. Study Design: Case series at an academic center. Seven consecutive patients (mean age 71 y; range 48,91 y) with symptomatic ZD of various craniocaudal sizes based on radiographic measurements (mean 2.6 cm; range 0.8 cm,4.5 cm) were included. The mean depth of the septum was 1.73 cm (range 0.3 cm,3.1 cm). The mean duration of symptoms was 4.8 years (range 0.5,10 y). Methods: After endoclips were placed on either side of the cricopharyngeal bar, the septum was dissected between these two clips down to the inferior end of the diverticulum with a needle-knife. Procedures including "one-step ECD" (n = 1), "stepwise ECD" (n = 3), and "bottom ECD" (n = 2) were performed based on the septum depth of the ZD during endoscopy. ECD was not performed on one patient due to severe mucosal fragility of the esophageal inlet. Iatrogenic blunt dissection of the septum by the endoscopic hood occurred secondary to patient retching during the procedure. Main outcome measurements were symptom resolution and complications. Results: All patients (n = 6) who underwent ECD had complete resolution of esophageal symptoms at a minimum 6-month follow-up. There were no procedural complications. The patient who did not undergo ECD developed an esophageal perforation. She was managed conservatively without surgical intervention. On follow-up, her dysphagia was completely resolved. Conclusions: ECD is feasible, safe, and effective for complete septum dissection. ECD and endoscopic stapler-assisted diverticulotomy are complimentary rather than competing strategies in approaching ZD. Study limitations include the case series design and limited follow-up period. [source] Cognitive strategy use by children with Asperger's syndrome during intervention for motor-based goalsAUSTRALIAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Sylvia Rodger Background:,Cognitive Orientation for (daily) Occupational Performance (CO-OP) is a cognitive approach utilised by occupational therapists to help guide children in the discovery of appropriate strategies for effective task performance through a structured problem-solving process. There has been limited research into its utility for children with Asperger's syndrome (AS). These children often present with motor difficulties, although these are not required for diagnosis of the syndrome. A recent study found that children with AS were able to use the CO-OP framework to enhance their performance of motor-based goals. Methods:,This paper presents two case studies demonstrating the use of CO-OP with children with AS, and explores the global and domain-specific strategies and types of guidance utilised to improve their task performance. Two children with AS, aged 9 and 11, with above average intellectual ability, engaged in 10 sessions of CO-OP. All sessions were videotaped. One hundred minutes of randomly selected footage were coded per child using the Observer Software Package version 5.0. Results:,The mean interrater agreement for the two children was 94.06% and 89.30%. Both children (i) utilised the global strategies ,do', followed by ,plan' and ,check', (ii) used at least three domain-specific strategies in each session with ,task specification/modification' and ,body position' utilised most, and (iii) used limited verbal self-guidance. Conclusion:,These two children with AS were able to utilise cognitive strategies to effectively solve their motor performance problems. Children with AS and those with DCD used similar strategies to achieve motor goals. CO-OP appears to have potential as an effective intervention for children with AS. Study limitations, clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. [source] Student characteristics and subculture trends in interpersonal skills workshopsINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 3 2002C ert E d, J. Gilmartin P h D Abstract The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of student nurses when learning interpersonal skills and to examine the impact of small group work. A qualitative methodology was used. The sample comprised 50 student nurses who were undertaking the preregistration diploma course. In-depth interviews were employed to collect the data. The findings indicated that many students resisted learning owing to a range of personal characteristics that influenced the learning process. A student typology was constructed which highlighted four types of student characteristics that emerged from the data. Significant characteristics relating to each type of student behaviour are emphasized. This report also combines the student typology with the emergence of three distinct subcultures that frequently both interrupt and enhance learning. In presenting the subcultures the implications for group work are considered in conjunction with study limitations. [source] Serving God and Country?JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 4 2009Military Service Among Young Adult Men, Religious Involvement Despite important connections between religion and military action throughout world history, scholars have seldom explored the association between religiosity and military enlistment. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we used a person-oriented analysis to categorize young men according to patterns of adolescent religious involvement. Youth indentified as "highly religious evangelical" are more likely to enlist in the military compared to their "highly religious nonevangelical" and "nonreligious" counterparts; however, these findings hold only for those young men without college experience. These findings are discussed along with study limitations and promising directions for future research. [source] The Influence of Fear of AIDS and Expectancies About Employees With AIDS on the Decision to Fire Employees With AIDSJOURNAL OF APPLIED BIOBEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006Michael J. Vest This research investigated the relationship of managers' fear of AIDS and expectancies about employees with AIDS (EWAs; e.g., managers' beliefs about EWAs' ability to perform the job) to the likelihood of firing EWAs. In addition, the relationship of fear of AIDS to expectancies about EWAs also was assessed. Path analysis was used to test the proposed relationships using a sample of 194 managers. Fear of AIDS and expectancies about disruptions in the workplace and reductions in revenue were related significantly to likelihood of firing EWAs. Fear of AIDS also was related significantly to expectancies about disruptions in the workplace, reduced revenue, and increased insurance costs. Suggestions for future research, implications, and study limitations are discussed. [source] Evaluation of cognitively accessible software to increase independent access to cellphone technology for people with intellectual disabilityJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 12 2008S. E. Stock Abstract Background There are over two billion telephones in use worldwide. Yet, for millions of Americans with intellectual disabilities (ID), access to the benefits of cellphone technology is limited because of deficits in literacy, numerical comprehension, the proliferation of features and shrinking size of cellphone hardware and user interfaces. Developments in smart phone technology and PDA-based cellphones provide an opportunity to make the social and safety benefits of cellphones more independently accessible to this population. Method This project involved employment of universal design and other specialised software development methods to create a multimedia cellphone interface prototype which was compared with a typical mainstream cellphone in a usability evaluation for individuals with ID. Participants completed a structured set of incoming/outgoing phone tasks using both the experimental and control conditions. Usability measurements included the amount of assistance needed and errors made in completing the cellphone use sequence. Results A total of 22 individuals with ID participated in the research by engaging in a series of incoming and outgoing cellphone calls using both the multimedia cellphone prototype system and a mainstream Nokia 6360 cellphone. Test subjects required significantly less help (P = 0.001) and made significantly fewer errors (P < 0.001) when completing eight calls using the specialised multimedia phone system as compared with the mainstream phone. Conclusions The statistical evidence of both usability results provide promising evidence of the feasibility of implementing universal design and other specialised software development methodologies for increasing independent access to the benefits of cellphone technologies for students and adults with ID. Issues related to designing cognitively accessible interfaces, study limitations and future directions are discussed. [source] Quality of Reporting of Clinical Trials of Dogs and Cats and Associations with Treatment EffectsJOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2010J.M. Sargeant Background: To address concerns about the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials, and the potential for biased treatment effects in poorly reported trials, medical journals have adopted a common set of reporting guidelines, the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement, to improve the reporting of randomized controlled trials. Hypothesis: The reporting of clinical trials involving dogs and cats might not be ideal, and this might be associated with biased treatment effects. Animals: Dogs and cats used in 100 randomly selected reports of clinical trials. Methods: Data related to methodological quality and completeness of reporting were extracted from each trial. Associations between reporting of trial features and the proportion of positive treatment effects within trials were evaluated by generalized linear models. Results: There were substantive deficiencies in reporting of key trial features. An increased proportion of positive treatment effects within a trial was associated with not reporting: the method used to generate the random allocation sequence (P < .001), the use of double blinding (P < .001), the inclusion criteria for study subjects (P= .003), baseline differences between treatment groups (P= .006), the measurement used for all outcomes (P= .002), and possible study limitations (P= .03). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Many clinical trials involving dogs and cats in the literature do not report details related to methodological quality and aspects necessary to evaluate external validity. There is some evidence that these deficiencies are associated with treatment effects. There is a need to improve reporting of clinical trials, and guidelines, such as the CONSORT statement, can provide a valuable tool for meeting this need. [source] Folic acid and orofacial clefts: a review of the evidenceORAL DISEASES, Issue 1 2010GL Wehby Orofacial clefts are common and burdensome birth defects with a complex genetic and environmental etiology. The contribution of nutritional factors and supplements to the etiology of orofacial clefts has long been theorized and studied. Multiple studies have evaluated the role of folic acid in the occurrence and recurrence of orofacial clefts, using observational and non-randomized interventional designs. While preventive effects of folic acid on orofacial clefts are commonly reported, the evidence remains generally inconsistent. This paper reviews the findings of the main studies of the effects of folic acid on orofacial clefts, summarizes study limitations, and discusses research needs with a focus on studying the effects of high dosage folic acid on the recurrence of oral clefts using a randomized clinical trial design. The role of folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defects is also briefly summarized and discussed as a reference model for orofacial clefts. [source] Presenting Rhythm in Sudden Deaths Temporally Proximate to Discharge of TASER Conducted Electrical WeaponsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 8 2009Charles D. Swerdlow MD Abstract Objectives:, Sudden deaths proximate to use of conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) have been attributed to cardiac electrical stimulation. The rhythm in death caused by rapid, cardiac electrical stimulation usually is ventricular fibrillation (VF); electrical stimulation has not been reported to cause asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA). The authors studied the presenting rhythms in sudden deaths temporally proximate to use of TASER CEWs to estimate the likelihood that these deaths could be caused by cardiac electrical stimulation. Methods:, This was a retrospective review of CEW-associated, nontraumatic sudden deaths from 2001 to 2008. Emergency medical services (EMS), autopsy, and law enforcement reports were requested and analyzed. Subjects were included if they collapsed within 15 minutes of CEW discharge and the first cardiac arrest rhythm was reported. Results:, Records for 200 cases were received. The presenting rhythm was reported for 56 of 118 subjects who collapsed within 15 minutes (47%). The rhythm was VF in four subjects (7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3% to 17%) and bradycardia-asystole or PEA in 52 subjects (93%; 95% CI = 83% to 97%). None of the eight subjects who collapsed during electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring had VF. Only one subject (2%) collapsed immediately after CEW discharge. This was the only death typical of electrically induced VF (2%, 95% CI = 0% to 9%). An additional 4 subjects (7%) collapsed within 1 minute, and the remaining 51 subjects (91%) collapsed more than 1 minute later. The time from collapse to first recorded rhythm was 3 minutes or less in 35 subjects (62%) and 5 minutes or less in 43 subjects (77%). Conclusions:, In sudden deaths proximate to CEW discharge, immediate collapse is unusual, and VF is an uncommon VF presenting rhythm. Within study limitations, including selection bias and the possibility that VF terminated before the presenting rhythm was recorded, these data do not support electrically induced VF as a common mechanism of these sudden deaths. [source] A systematic review of the reliability of frequency-volume charts in urological research and its implications for the optimum chart durationBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2007Tet L. Yap There are four reviews in this section; two of these relate to prostate cancer, one to paediatric urology, and one to bladder function. The prostate cancer mini-reviews concern two important areas that are talking points in urological oncology. Multidisciplinary team management, which is a very attractive idea to many, remains controversial in the eyes of some. This concept is discussed in detail, as is another controversial idea, the use of high-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of prostate cancer. OBJECTIVE To determine how the reliability of frequency-volume charts (FVCs) vary with their duration when used to assess patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and whether the duration influences patient compliance. METHODS Peer-reviewed studies involving patients with LUTS were searched systematically, with the selected studies assessed for their internal and external validity and statistical quality. Details of the patients and type of FVC used were summarized, and reliability coefficients and levels of compliance were extracted for commonly assessed FVC variables. RESULTS In all, 13 studies were considered to meet the review criteria; they assessed the reliability of FVCs lasting 1, 2, 3 and 7 days. The reliability coefficients for 3- and 7-day FVCs were generally >0.8; those for shorter charts tended to be lower, but strong conclusions could not be drawn due to study limitations. There was no obvious relationship between the duration of the FVC and the level of compliance. CONCLUSIONS Strong recommendations cannot be made about what duration of an FVC should be used to assess or monitor patients with LUTS. The current consensus on using FVCs of ,,3 days seems to be the most defensible policy, but more research of high quality is required, especially into the relationship of FVC duration with compliance. [source] Civic Engagement Among Low-Income and Low-Wealth Families: In Their WordsFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 2 2006Amanda Moore McBride Abstract: Using in-depth interviews, we explored civic engagement that included volunteering through religious organizations, neighboring, involvement in children's activities, and contributing. The sample consisted of 84 low-income, low-wealth families. Findings indicate that although people of limited resources may be engaged, they face substantial challenges to active engagement. Data are suggestive of a modified life cycle theory, a resource or "stakeholding" theory, and institutional theories regarding challenges to engagement. In the context of the study's limitations, implications are discussed for measurement, research, and interventions. [source] Market Orientation and R&D Effectiveness in High-Technology Firms: An Empirical Investigation in the Biotechnology Industry,THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2010Luigi M. De Luca There seems to be lack of consensus among informed scholars about the importance a of market orientation for high-technology firms. This paper gives a comprehensive review of existing empirical studies on the relationship between market orientation and innovation performance and pinpoints two limitations in this research stream that might be at the origin of such controversy. First, extant research often overlooked key innovation outcomes for high-technology firms, such as those related to research and development (R&D) performance. Second, organizational conditions that can ensure an optimal integration of market knowledge in the innovation process have been less analyzed in the case of these firms. Against this background, the present study contributes to the literature by providing a test of the effect of market orientation on R&D effectiveness and the moderating role of knowledge integration in this relationship, using a sample of Italian biotechnology firms. The study's objectives are addressed in two steps. The first one consists of an in-depth qualitative study based on semistructured interviews in five biotechnology firms. The second step consists of a follow-up survey of 50 biotechnology firms. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis show that the different dimensions of a market orientation have diverse effects on R&D effectiveness of high-technology firms: whereas interfunctional coordination has a positive main effect, the effect of customer orientation is moderated by knowledge integration, and competitor orientation has no effect on R&D effectiveness. Post hoc analyses also show two additional results involving a broader set of dependent variables. First, R&D effectiveness mediates the effects of customer orientation and interfunctional coordination on organizational performance. Second, market orientation does not appear to significantly affect R&D efficiency. The present study contributes to current literature in two main respects. First, it adds to previous work on market orientation and innovation by proposing a new dependent variable,R&D effectiveness,which offers a better perspective to understand the impact of market orientation on innovation performance in high-technology contexts. Second, while part of the current debate on the role of market orientation in high-tech markets seems to be polarized by positions that sustain its potential drawbacks or, on the contrary, its advantages, this study's findings on the moderating role of knowledge integration shed light on important contingency factors, such as organizational capabilities. The authors discuss the study's limitations and provide directions for future research. [source] Cancer incidence and mortality in a New Zealand community potentially exposed to 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin from 2, 4, 5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid manufactureAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2007Deborah Read Objective: To investigate whether the rates of all cancers and four cancers (soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia) associated with dioxin exposure are higher in New Plymouth, the site of a former 2, 4, 5-T manufacturing plant, than for the rest of New Zealand. Methods: Analysis of 1970,2001 cancer data from the New Zealand Cancer Registry was undertaken for New Plymouth and the rest of New Zealand. Results: There is no evidence of an increased cancer risk apart from one period (1970-74), which falls partly outside the 1962,1987 manufacturing period if 10-year latency is assumed. For 1970-74, there was an elevated risk for all cancer incidence (SIR=111, 95% CI 104,119), and for two of the four specific cancers that are associated with dioxin exposure (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma SIR=175, 95% CI 121,246 and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia SIR=251, 95% CI 144,408). Conclusions and Implications: The results do not suggest an increased cancer risk among the New Plymouth population related to the period of 2, 4, 5-T manufacture, although the study's limitations mean the possibility of an undetectable small elevation in cancer risk cannot be excluded. Although TCDD exposure in the first few years of 2, 4, 5-T manufacture may have contributed to cancer incidence in 1970-74, unknown exposure(s) before the start of 2, 4, 5-T manufacture and chance are also possible explanations. [source] | ||||||||||||||||