Rethinking Stardom: A Relativistic Approach to Studying the Absolute Best Performers

Epidemiology research.

A growing body of research has identified health-related quality-of-life effects for caregivers and family members of ill patients (i.e. 'spillover effects'), yet these are rarely considered in cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs). The objective of this study was to catalog spillover-related health utilities to facilitate their consideration in CEAs. We systematically reviewed the medical and economic literatures (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and EconLit, from inception through 3 April 2018) to identify articles that reported preference-based measures of spillover effects. We used keywords for utility measures combined with caregivers, family members, and burden. Of 3695 articles identified, 80 remained after screening: 8(10%) reported spillover utility per se, as utility or disutility (i.e. utility loss); 25 (30%) reported a comparison group, either population values (n = 9) or matched, non-caregiver/family member or unaffected individuals' utilities (n = 16; 3 reported both spillover and a comparison group); and 50 (63%) reported caregiver/family member utilities only. Alzheimer's disease/dementia was the most commonly studied disease/condition, and the EQ-5D was the most commonly used measurement instrument. This comprehensive catalog of utilities showcases the spectrum of diseases and conditions for which caregiver and family members' spillover effects have been measured, and the variation in measurement methods used. In general, utilities indicated a loss in quality of life associated with being a caregiver or family member of an ill relative. Most studies reported caregiver/family member utility without any comparator, limiting the ability to infer spillover effects. Nevertheless, these values provide a starting point for considering spillover effects in the context of CEA, opening the door for more comprehensive analyses.

Protocol for a Systematic Review: Teach For America (TFA) for Improving Math, Language Arts, and Science Achievement of Primary and Secondary Students in the United States: A Systematic Review

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book Forum: BUILDING CLINICAL SCIENCEFull AccessResearch Design in Clinical Psychology, 3rd ed.Somaia Mohamed, M.D., Ph.D., Somaia MohamedSearch for more papers by this author, M.D., Ph.D., Iowa City, IowaPublished Online:1 Jul 1998https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.155.7.990aAboutSectionsView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail A well-known clinical researcher and author of several works on the topics of research design, clinical psychology, child and adolescent therapy, psychotherapy, and cognitive behavior therapy, Alan Kazdin is Professor and Chairman, Department of Psychology, and Professor, Child Study Center, Yale University. This book is the third edition of a work originally published in 1980 and 1992. The third edition includes significant additions, revisions, and updates from the earlier editions.This informative, interesting, and well-organized book describes and explains methodology and research design in clinical psychology. Its contents are also certainly relevant to research in disciplines such as psychiatry, counseling, education, school psychology, and social work.The book covers methodological practices and procedures employed by clinical psychologists as well as the underpinnings, rationale, and purposes of these practices. It addressees in detail experimental design, assessment, sources of artifact and bias, data evaluation and interpretation, and ethical and professional issues raised by research. The 18 chapters of the book take the reader step-by-step in a problem-solving approach through the process of planning and executing clinical research. The book begins by defining and describing the various types of validity and continues by discussing the selection of research problems and designs and the publication and communication of research findings. It covers topics such as drawing valid inferences, control and comparison groups, observational research, the single-case research design, and statistical methods of data evaluation. It offers neat summaries and lists of further readings at the end of each chapter.One of the strengths of this book is the meticulous and unsparing critical discussion of the relative merit and limitations of alternative approaches. Central to Kazdin's thesis is that “drawing valid inferences is not sacrificed when one leaves the methodological comforts of the laboratory. However, thoughtful and creative application of design strategies assumes greater importance to ensure that valid inferences can be identified.”The book is an excellent one. Unlike many books dealing with research methods, this volume is written in an easy style that is a pleasure to read. Examples are interesting and constructive as models. Research Design in Clinical Psychology is highly recommended, particularly to graduate students, beginning investigators, and board candidates. One can read the entire book and become well informed about the complex topic of research design in psychology and psychiatry, or one can use the book as a useful reference to different research methods.by Alan E. Kazdin. Needham Heights, Mass., Allyn & Bacon, 1998, 472 pp., $49.95. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByNone Volume 155Issue 7 July 1998Pages 990a-991 Metrics History Published online 1 July 1998 Published in print 1 July 1998

While useful in some situations, randomization is not the “gold standard” for medical education research. More important is that decisions regarding methodology precede the intervention, that adequate numbers of subjects and iterations are used, that a comparison group is included, and that limitations are addressed in a thoughtful, thorough manner. In addition, the literature demonstrates quite definitively that medical learners will learn whatever we teach and also may supplement any teaching deficits to meet certification requirements.18 Thus, to increase our understanding of effective educational interventions, a new educational intervention should be compared to another effective intervention. Unlike clinical research, a placebo arm is rarely helpful. Comparing the new educational intervention to “usual” practices is productive as long as students are not “cued” to the novelty of the research arm—which may enhance (or negatively bias) their learning—and the usual practices are well described. Whether randomized or nonrandomized, medical education studies must carefully analyze sources of bias—unforeseen confounding variables—to explain the observed results and ensure that subsequent researchers will find these results reproducible. Rather than an obligatory listing of these potential sources of error in the discussion, researchers will enhance existing knowledge through a careful and detailed analysis of sources of bias that may have affected the results.3 Equally important, research designs must include a control group, concurrent if possible, to ensure equal likelihood of exposure to nonintervention events that could bias the results. If educators begin to work together, more collaborative, multi-institutional projects, perhaps akin to “pragmatic trials,”12 may be produced in the future. This is likely to add substantially to our understanding of effective resident education.

To design and evaluate an office-based intervention aimed at maintaining parent-adolescent teamwork in diabetes management tasks without increasing diabetes-related family conflict. There were 85 patients (aged 10-15 years, mean 12.6 years) with type 1 diabetes (mean duration 5.5 years; mean HbA1c 8.5%) who were randomly assigned to one of three study groups--teamwork, attention control, and standard care--and followed for 24 months. At each visit, parent involvement in insulin administration and blood glucose monitoring was assessed. The teamwork and attention control interventions were integrated into routine ambulatory visits over the first 12 months (four medical visits). Measures of diabetes-related family conflict were collected at baseline and after 12 months. All patients were followed for an additional 12 months with respect to glycemic control. In the teamwork group, there was no major deterioration (0%) in parent involvement in insulin administration, in contrast to 16% major deterioration in the combined comparison (attention control and standard care) group (P < 0.03). Similarly, no teamwork families showed major deterioration in parent involvement with blood glucose monitoring versus 11% in the comparison group (P < 0.07). On both the Diabetes Family Conflict Scale and the Diabetes Family Behavior Checklist, teamwork families reported significantly less conflict at 12 months. An analysis of HbA1c over the 12- to 24-month follow-up period indicated that more adolescents in the teamwork group (68%) than in the comparison group (47%) improved their HbA1c (P < 0.07). The data demonstrate that parent involvement in diabetes management tasks can be strengthened through a low-intensity intervention integrated into routine follow-up diabetes care. Moreover, despite increased engagement between teen and parent centered around diabetes tasks, the teamwork families showed decreased diabetes-related family conflict. Within the context of a broader cultural recognition of the protective function of parent involvement in the lives of adolescents, the findings of this study reinforce the potential value of a parent-adolescent partnership in managing chronic disease.

PROTOCOL: The Effects Of Economic Self‐Help Group Programs On Women's Empowerment: A Systematic Review

Метаболічний синдром (МС), цукровий діабет (ЦД) 2-го типу та вінцева хвороба серця (ВХС) належать до глобальних проблем охорони здоров'я. Серцево-судинні захворювання (ССЗ) виявляють у 34,8% осіб з ЦД 2го типу та МС. За даними метааналізу 102 проспективних досліджень, з'ясовано, що наявність ЦД удвічі збільшує ризик серцево-судинних подій на тлі метаболічного синдрому. Згідно з даними ВООЗ, 39% населення старше 18 років мають надлишкову масу тіла або ожиріння, що зумовлює визнання даного стану пандемією, яка безпосередньо асоціюється з ВХС та ЦД 2-го типу. Пріоритетним напрямком, на нашу думку, є вивчення спорідненості патогенетичних ланок досліджуваних нозологій, що в даному випадку лежить в основі даної синтропічної патології. Для підтвердження патогенетичного їх взаємозв'язку нами вивчено особливості ліпідного спектра та гормонального обміну в пацієнтів з ВХС та ЦД 2-го типу на ґрунті МС. Мета дослідження -вивчити патогенетичні та клінічні особливості розвитку синтропічної патології на прикладі таких ускладнень метаболічного синдрому, як вінцева хвороба серця (ВХС) та цукровий діабет 2-го типу. Матеріал і методи. Досліджено 110 хворих (81 жінка, 29 чоловіків) з ЦД 2-го типу на ґрунті МС з та без ВХС, та розподілено на дві групи (дослідну і групу порівняння), зіставних за віком і статтю. До контрольної ґрупи увійшли 20 практично здорових осіб відповідного віку і статі. До дослідної групи (n = 75) увійшли пацієнти з ЦД 2-го типу на ґрунті МС з ВХС (жінок -51(68%),чоловіків-24(32%)). До групи порівняння увійшли 35 хворих на ЦД 2-го типу на ґрунті МС без ВХС (жінок -30(85,71%), чоловіків -5(14,29%)). Дизайн дослідження. На першому етапі дослідження пацієнтам проводили загальноклінічне обстеження з верифікацією цукрового діабету 2-го типу на ґрунті метаболічного синдрому та їх розподіл залежно від наявності чи відсутності ВХС до визначених двох основних клінічних груп: дослідної та групи порівняння. Комплексне обстеження включало: збір скарг та анамнезу, клінічний огляд, визначення антропометричних показників, вимірювання артеріального тиску; визначення в сироватці крові рівня глюкози крові, інсуліну, глікозильованого гемоглобіну. Додатково проводили дослідження ліпідного спектра, визначення рівня тиреотропного гормону гіпофіза, пролактину, кортизолу та вільного тироксину. Отримані результати досліджень порівнювали з відповідними даними групи контролю. Для з'ясування стану ліпідного метаболізму визначали показники загального холестеролу (ЗХС), холестеролу ліпопротеїдів низької щільності (ХС ЛПНЩ), холестеролу ліпопротеїдів дуже низької щільності (ХС ЛПДНЩ) холестеролу ліпопротеїдів високої щільності (ХС ЛПВЩ), тригліцеридів (ТГ), коефіцієнта атерогенності. У всіх пацієнтів досліджували вміст кортизолу, пролактину, вільного тироксину, тиреотропного гормону. Статистичну обробку результатів дослідження проведено після створення бази даних у Microsoft Excel. З метою визначення нормальності розподілу показників використано критерії Шапіро-Уілка та Колмогорова-Смірнова. Коли розподіл не відповідав закону нормальності (виявився негаусівським), статистичні характеристики подано у вигляді «медіана [нижній; верхній квартилі]». Відмінності між показниками були достовірними при р < 0,05. Результати дослідження. Виявлено, що у хворих обох груп (ДГ та ГП) середні значення кортизолу перевищували на 52,47% і 38,79% (р1= Р6-0=0,000001, р2= Р3-0=0,0001) значення контрольної групи, при цьомуу групі порівняння -на 14,28% менші, ніж у дослідній групі (р=0,03). У жінок дослідної групи виявлено

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have carried out ground breaking work over several years to put in place a robust, rigorous and innovative impact evaluation of the expanded Troubled Families Programme: a targeted intervention programme for families with multiple issues including crime, anti-social behaviour, truancy, unemployment, mental health problems and domestic abuse.&#x0D; The evaluation was set up in 2015 and runs until the end of the Programme in 2020. The research design allows us to observe the impact of the Programme at a national level on a wide range of outcomes it aims to affect, spanning the remit of several government departments. It also enables us to control for family and individual characteristics to ensure that a 'comparison group' can be used to derive a robust estimate of the impact of the Programme on those who have taken part.&#x0D; A key aspect of the evaluation is the use of matched nationally held administrative datasets, including the National Pupil Database (which provides educational attainment and attendance as well as data for Children in Need), the Police National Computer (which provides data on offending behaviour) and The Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (which provides data on employment and benefits). With the help of our trusted third party contractor (ONS), this data is collected and matched to individual level information of families eligible for the programme provided by local authorities (for both those on the programme and in the comparison group).&#x0D; There are many advantages of using administrative data to measure outcomes: we have access to a wealth of historical data on a large number of individuals and families which has allowed us to control for a range of covariates and to develop Propensity Score Matching models to compare the outcomes of those on the programme and the comparison group. The data collected from local authorities also means we can analyse the data at an individual and family level, this is extremely rare with datasets of this nature.&#x0D; The impact and wider evaluation findings have provided valuable evidence to support the development of the policy over the programme’s lifetime. The impact results have provided an assessment of what effect the programme is having on child and adult outcomes for those on the programme compared to those who have not yet started. In particular, it allows us to consider the impacts on service use, and attributing costs and benefits to these changes in use of services allows us to weigh up the overall public value of the programme. Other elements of the evaluation, such as the area level case studies and family survey have provided some context for our findings.&#x0D; The presentation will discuss the evaluation design, the impact results for child social care, crime, employment and benefits, along with findings from the cost-benefit analysis of the programme.

Research Design

The influence of rating levels and rating convergence on the spillover effects of sovereign credit actions

Background: A number of studies have contemplated aspects of cooperative learning that might emerge from a unit of sport education [Dyson, B., L. L. Griffin, and P. Hastie. 2004. “Sport Education, Tactical Games, and Cooperative Learning: Theoretical and Pedagogical Considerations.” Quest 56 (2): 226–240; Dyson, B. P., N. R. Linehan, and P. A. Hastie. 2010. “The Ecology of Cooperative Learning in Elementary Physical Education Classes.” Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 29 (2): 113–130]. None to date, however, has looked empirically at the influence sport education may have on individual team member accountability and other critical elements of cooperative learning. Purpose: The aim of this study was to present evidence that cooperative learning (or at least its critical elements) is a potential side effect of using sport education. Participants and settings: A total of 90 students (47 boys, 43 girls, 12.42 ± .56 years), enrolled in the same high school in Spain agreed to participate in the study. The school administration randomly distributed the students among four different year eight classes, and the research team randomly allocated two classes to the experimental group (n = 48), and two (n = 42) to the control (comparison) group. The experiment was conducted in a non-manipulated (i.e. intact) educational context. Prior to the mid-term break, both study groups experienced the same Football learning unit conducted using sport education. After the break, both groups experienced a Basketball learning unit. However, the teacher continued to use sport education with the experimental group (group A) and adopted a traditional instructional approach with the comparison group (group B). Therefore, students in group A experienced 24 consecutive sport education lessons, while those in group B experienced 12 sport education lessons followed by 12 traditional lessons. Research design: The study followed a pre-test, post-test, quasi-experimental, comparison group design. Data collection: All participants completed a previously designed and validated cooperative learning questionnaire. Data analysis: The statistical package SPSS (version 22.0) was used. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted. Findings: Results showed that group A enhanced their perceptions of Interpersonal Skills, Group Processing, Positive Interdependence, Promotive Interaction, Individual Accountability, and Global Cooperation significantly more than group B. Conclusions: Cooperative learning (or at least its critical elements including global cooperation) is a side effect of using sport education. As Casey and Quennerstedt [2020. “Cooperative Learning in Physical Education Encountering Dewey’s Educational Theory.” European Physical Education Review] argued, cooperation is not learnt but is practiced over successive lessons and units. Given the real-world importance of cooperative learning and given calls to broaden the pedagogical experiences of young people [Metzler, M. W. 2011. Instructional Models for Physical Education. 3rd ed. Scottsdale, AZ: Holcomb Hathaway], it seems important to have different approaches to help young people become more cooperative.

Covid19 pandemic has brought fears, challenges, and great changes to all sectors, not only in the Philippines but the entire world. The most affected sector would be education since the learning must continue despite the pandemic. It is a great challenge to pursue education and deliver a quality one, especially since the strategies to be used are novel, and teachers should be trained well before their implementation. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of localized Reading Materials among Grade 1 learners through a quasi-experimental research design. The two groups of participants serve as the comparison and experimental groups. A match-pairing technique was used to identify the 30 participants for each group. Weighted average mean, standard deviation, t-test, and independent t-test were utilized to analyze the data. Likewise, Cohen's D was used to determine the effect size or the size of the difference between the two test results. The findings revealed that most of the respondents in the experimental group obtained a higher mean score, while the comparison group was on average. The composite mean score and standard deviation obtained in the experimental and comparison group with a mean score and standard in the descriptive interpretation of experimental and comparison were average. The t-value yielded in the comparative analysis of formative scores of the experimental and comparison groups. The formative mean score of the Effect Size of Large implies the large statistical formative mean score of experimental and comparison groups.

Schooling and Labor Market Impacts of Bolivia's <i>Bono Juancito Pinto</i> Program

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the issue of trust in AI emerges as a paramount societal concern. Despite increased attention of researchers, the topic remains fragmented without a common conceptual and theoretical foundation. To facilitate systematic research on this topic, we develop a Foundational Trust Framework to provide a conceptual, theoretical, and methodological foundation for trust research in general. The framework positions trust in general and trust in AI specifically as a problem of interaction among systems and applies systems thinking and general systems theory to trust and trust in AI. The Foundational Trust Framework is then used to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of trust in AI. From doing so, a research agenda emerges that proposes significant questions to facilitate further advances in empirical, theoretical, and design research on trust in AI.