Review Of Journal Articles Research Articles

Sources of information influencing the state-of-the-science gap in hormone replacement therapy usage.

ObjectiveMedical reviews and research comprise a key information source for news media stories on medical therapies and innovations as well as for physicians in updating their practice. The present study examined medical review journal articles, physician surveys and news media coverage of hormone replacement therapy (HT) to assess the relationship between the three information sources and whether/if they contributed to a state-of-the-science gap (a condition when the evaluation of a medical condition or therapy ascertained by the highest standards of investigation is incongruent with the science-in-practice such as physician recommendations and patient actions).MethodsWe content-analyzed 177 randomly sampled HT medical reviews between 2002 and 2014, and HT news valence in three major TV networks, newspapers and magazines/internet sites in 2002–2003, 2008–2009 and 2012–14. The focus in both analyses was whether HT benefits outweighed risks, risks outweighed benefits or both risks and benefits were presented. We also qualitatively content-analyzed all 19 surveys of US physicians’ HT recommendations from 2002 to 2009, and 2012 to 2014.ResultsMedical reviews yielded a mixed picture about HT (40.1% benefits, 26.0% risks, and 33.9% both benefits and risks). While a majority of physician surveys were pro-HT 10/19), eight showed varied attitudes and one was negative. Newspaper and television coverage reflected a pro and con balance while magazine stories were more positive in the later reporting period.ConclusionMedical journal review articles, physicians, and media reports all provide varying view points towards hormone therapy use thus leading to limited knowledge about the actual risks and benefits of HT among peri- and menopausal women and a state-of-the-science gap.

A bibliometric review of progress in micro air vehicle research

Micro air vehicle research has exponentially expanded since the first articles began to be published in the late 1990s. This article presents a comprehensive bibliometric review of journal articles published on micro air vehicle research from 1998 until 2015. The articles are classified into three types of micro air vehicle: fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and flapping-wing (biomimetic). These types are based upon their primary means of generating lift and propulsive thrust. The specific type of research in these articles is also examined, divided into subcategories of: aerodynamics; guidance, navigation, and control; propulsion; structures and materials; and system design. Numerous bibliometric indicators are presented and analyzed to understand how micro air vehicle research is expanding, which authoring organizations are leading the research, which external sponsoring organizations are providing funding, and the challenges that remain for future researchers. The analysis shows that the majority of the research articles are being written by organizations from the US, China, UK, France, and South Korea. Although biomimetic micro air vehicles are currently the most popular type of micro air vehicle, in recent years the growing popularity of rotary-wing micro air vehicles (especially as a guidance, navigation, and control test platform) has caused it to rival biomimetic micro air vehicles in popularity.

Fifteen Years after the Bellingham ISSRM: An Empirical Evaluation of Frederick Buttel's Differentiating Criteria for Environmental and Resource Sociology

AbstractThe sociology of natural resources and the environment constitutes a major field of inquiry in the research on human–environmental interactions. A constructive debate and dialogue on the relationships between environmental sociology (ES) and the sociology of natural resources (SNR) began at the 2000 International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (ISSRM) in Bellingham, Washington. Frederick Buttel argued that the two subdisciplines had different subject matters, levels of analysis, spatial focuses, theoretical orientations, policy relevance, and interdisciplinary commitments. These distinctive tendencies have been widely accepted in environmental and natural resource social science but have not been systematically analyzed. The primary objective of this research is to conduct an empirical test of Buttel's differentiating criteria through a systematic review of sample American sociological journal articles published in 2000 and 2014. The multivalue qualitative comparative analysis revealed that there was no clear‐cut divide between the two subfields regarding the combinations of empirical research characteristics, while the general tendencies within both of them became more diverse over time. The overall lack of empirical research evidence for rigid ES–SNR distinctions also indicates that there is more potential than typically realized to build an integrative environmental and resource sociology in the American context and beyond.

Thank you for the music – or not? The effects of in-store music in service settings

Managers believe that in-store music has positive effects on customers' responses; consequently, it is widely used in different service settings such as supermarkets and coffee shops. However, prior research shows inconclusive results about the effects of in-store music – namely positive, non-significant and even negative effects. To shed more light on the actual effects of in-store music, the authors provide a systematic literature review of journal articles to explore such effects in six frequently studied service settings: supermarkets, retail, restaurants, bars, cafeterias and banks. The present literature review has three objectives. First, the authors develop a conceptual framework to provide structure and guidance to the research stream about in-store music in service settings. Second, the authors take a closer look at the existence of in-store music (i.e., whether the presence of in-store music helps, has no effect, or ‘hurts’) as well as on the design of in-store music for each service setting separately (i.e., how in-store music has to be designed to have beneficial effects). Third, after elaborating the status quo (what do we know?), this review identifies areas for future research (what do we need to know?).

Review of Recent Large-Scale Burn Disasters Worldwide in Comparison to Preparedness Guidelines.

The US National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program indicates that each care facility must have "a plan to care for at least 50 cases per million people for patients suffering burns or trauma" to receive national funding disaster preparedness. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether this directive is commensurate with the severity recent burn disasters, both nationally and internationally. We conducted a review of medical journal articles, investigative fire reports, and media news sources for major burn disasters dating from 1990 to present day. We defined a major burn disaster as any incident with ≥50 burn injuries and/or ≥ 30 burn-related deaths. We compared existing preparedness guidelines with the magnitude of recent burn disasters using as reference the 2005 U.S. Health and Human Services directive that each locale must "have a plan to care for at least 50 cases per million people for patients suffering burns or trauma." We reported the number of actual casualties for each incident, and estimated the number of burn beds theoretically available if the "50 [burn-injury] cases per million people" directive were to be applied to metropolitan areas outside the United States. Seven hundred fifty-two burn disaster incidents met our inclusion criteria. The majority of burn disasters occurred in Asia/Middle East. The incidence of major burn disasters from structural fires and industrial blasts remains constant in high-income and resource-restricted countries during this study period. The incidence of terrorist attacks increased 20-fold from 2001 to 2015 compared with 1990 to 2000. Recent incidents demonstrate that if current preparedness guidelines were to be adopted internationally, local resources including burn-bed availability would be insufficient to care for the total number of burn casualties. These findings underscore an urgent need to organize better regional, national, and international collaboration in burn disaster response.

Level of Stakeholder Engagement and Participation in Monitoring and Evaluation of Construction Projects in Ghana

Globally, the construction industry is acknowledged as complex and capital intensive. The need for transparency in monitoring and evaluation to promote organizational learning and accountability in project delivery cannot be overemphasized, hence the need for stakeholder engagement and participation. This paper reports on the level of stakeholder engagement in project delivery and participation in monitoring and evaluation of public construction projects in Ghana. Both structured interview guide and questionnaire schedule were used to collect relevant data for the study. A desk review of journal articles, books, conference proceedings, published and unpublished thesis work from the institutions’ database and internet sources relevant to the study ware adopted to underpin the study. Project implementation minutes and meeting attendance were also perused. Data was descriptively analyzed. Six key stakeholders were identified in local government project delivery in Ghana. It was evident from the study that there was a high level of stakeholder engagement in project delivery whiles participation of stakeholders in monitoring and evaluation of public projects at the local government level was very poor. This was attributed to lack of knowledge, understanding, involvement and time devoted for monitoring and evaluation of projects by stakeholders. In conclusion, the poor participation of stakeholders in monitoring and evaluation of local government project delivery may have contributed to the many challenges faced in local government project delivery in Ghana. These challenges included procurement lapses which resulted in bad payment schedules, non-conformity to project specification, delayed project delivery, lack of health and safety compliance, client's dissatisfaction, and corrupt practices in the construction industry. The study advocates for participatory monitoring and evaluation through stakeholder management at the local government level project delivery. This can be promoted through community based development project (CBDP) delivery. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on the level of stakeholder engagement and participation in monitoring and evaluation and its implication in local government project delivery in Ghana.

Reviews: Index

Journal Article Reviews: Index: (Reviewers’ names in parentheses) Get access Music and Letters, Volume 97, Issue 4, November 2016, Pages 692–694, https://doi.org/10.1093/ml/gcw109 Published: 15 March 2017

The Role of Color in Healthcare Environments, Emergent Bodies of Evidence-based Design Approach

The objective of this study is to overview the literature relative to color, as an environmental constituent, and its impacts in healthcare environments. Borrowing from the environmental behavioral paradigm, this study attempts to decipher myths and misconceptions as well as highlight well-evidenced research findings. Broad Literature review journal articles and reports of empirical studies in multiple disciplines were studied to identify theories, which could have design implications for color in healthcare design. Despite the incongruity and fragmentation of previous studies, it emerges from this overview that color impacts healthcare outcomes by reducing medical errors, promoting the sense of well-being, reducing stress, improving patients sleep, reducing length of stay, reducing spatial disorientation, increasing patient satisfaction, and increasing staff morale and productivity. While the review of literature indicates major findings relative to the impact of color on healthcare environments, yet ambiguities remained to be addressed. Previous studies on the use of color in healthcare environment have illustrated that there are some obvious, replicable, behavioral and perceptual effects from color that addressed their use in certain ways for design. However, color must be observed and analyzed in the contextual application to avoid generalizations about color perception and mood affects.

Integrating lean and green management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to perform a literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles investigating the relationship between Lean and Green management in light of developing an integrated management model.Design/methodology/approachAfter an extensive search, 60 articles from 1996 to 2016 were identified as relevant to this study.FindingsThe evidence of successful integration of Lean and Green management has largely been weak. The strongest positive evidence between the two management philosophies has been for Lean implementation pushing Green outcomes through operational waste reduction, thus improving environmental performance. The majority of studies suggest highly optimistic outcomes from integrating Lean and Green, however, an integrated operating model of the firm relating Lean and Green is lacking.Research limitations/implicationsThe literature review suggests the necessary elements for proposing an integrated operating model of the firm.Practical implicationsThe paper offers interesting implications for managers. While most Lean implementations have resulted in some positive environmental outcomes, both management philosophies tend to be implemented independently. Integrating the implementation of Lean and Green offers the potential for synergistic returns.Originality/valueThe findings are derived from a systematic literature review of articles that have studied the relation between Lean and Green management, resulting in a proposed integrated model of firm performance.

Defining greenspace: Multiple uses across multiple disciplines

Greenspace research has been driven by an emerging interest in the impact that biodiversity and ecosystem function has on life in urban areas. Studies from multiple disciplines across the life, physical and social sciences investigate the interactions with or within greenspace, creating a wide range of potentially related, but disparate findings. In order to understand whether these unconnected findings might be integrated, it is important to be able to make comparisons and build meta-analyses. In a review of journal articles about greenspace, we found that less than half of the 125 journal articles reviewed defined what greenspace was in their study; although many articles implied a definition. In those that provided a definition, we identified two overarching interpretations of greenspace using six different definition types. Perhaps arising from how the term has been lexicalized, this suggests that researchers do not have the same understanding of greenspace and limits the ability of researchers to draw meaning from multiple contexts or create syntheses. Rather than suggest a single, prescriptive understanding of greenspace, we propose that researchers construct a definition of greenspace for the context of their research that utilises both qualitative and quantitative aspects.

Leanness assessment: a literature review

Purpose Assessing the outcome of lean transformation journey has been of interest to both researchers and practitioners. Various qualitative and quantitative assessment methodologies have been proposed in literature to track and measure the degree of leanness attained. The purpose of this paper is to understand the evolution of this leanness assessment literature over different attributes and identify gaps for future research. Design/methodology/approach A detailed literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers addressing leanness assessment was performed. Content analysis methodology involving a four-step process suggested by Mayring (2004) was adopted for this study. Findings The number of studies in literature on leanness assessment is low when compared to that in the area of lean implementation. Assessment methodologies developed are of wide range, varying from simple qualitative checklist to complex quantitative mathematical models. Following the trend of lean implementation literature, lean thinking assessment literature is also getting transformed from process-level monitoring to enterprise-level monitoring. Finally, based on this review, a simplified leanness assessment framework is proposed for future validation. Research limitations/implications Only peer-reviewed journals and conference papers were analyzed, while excluding the manuals, reports, and white papers from practice. Clustering of leanness assessment literature revealed that future studies in this domain would fall into two major categories, namely manufacturing leanness assessment and service leanness assessment. Practical implications Practitioners can use this review study to choose a suitable methodology for assessing the leanness attained in their organization by controlling for the structural attributes identified. Originality/value This is the first paper to review the topic “leanness assessment.” The review analyzes the entire literature available on leanness assessment to summarize its current status and identify potential future directions.

Social media based value creation and business models

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to create an organized picture of the current understanding of social media-based value creation and business models. Design/methodology/approach Following the process model presented by Fink (2005), a systematic literature review of academic journal articles published between 2005 and 2014 was conducted. The research was grounded on the theoretical foundations of service-dominant logic. Findings This study offers detailed descriptions and analyses of the major social media mechanisms affecting how value is created in social media-based value networks and the kinds of impact social media can have on present and future business models. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to academic research literature on business organizations, excluding all studies related to public and non-profit organizations. Practical implications Attention is given to developing an in-depth understanding of the functions and concrete value creation mechanisms of social media-based co-creation within the different organizational processes (e.g. in product and service development and customer services) and to updating the related practices and knowledge. Originality/value This study provides new insight into the challenges related to research models and frameworks commonly used for observing value creation, thus highlighting the need for further studies and updates.

In search of effective remediation for students with developmental dyslexia – a review of contemporary English literature

Abstract Although developmental dyslexia is frequently diagnosed in Poland, little knowledge of effective treatment for this disorder is available in Polish society. Remedial teachers for many years have applied traditional methods aimed at correction and compensation for affected cognitive functions and academic skills. Otherwise, although western therapies are regularly advertised in the media, their effectiveness has rarely been subject to scientific investigation. Since the assumptions underlying some approaches are not consistent with current understanding of cognitive function, they may attract negative expert appraisal. Unfortunately, it seems that fashion in dyslexia therapy is resistant to rare expressions of criticism from the scientific community. The purpose of this article is to promote awareness about effective treatment for specific reading disorders. Teachers’ greater understanding in this area should help Polish dyslexic children and their parents, who may be confused by offers of misguided therapy and sharp business practise. It is hoped that this article will clarify the situation. In this review of modern English journal articles, focus is on remedial teaching of reading, and more specifically, support for dyslexic students experiencing difficulties in decoding. Here we are concerned only with therapy in alphabetic languages in which individual speech sounds correspond to letters. Analysis of articles from the last six years leads to the conclusion that the most effective therapy for the reading disorder is training in phonological awareness and consolidation of letter-sound knowledge. However, these skills should be practised in the context of reading.

Establishing a research agenda for Foundation Phasei initial teacher education: A systematic review (1994–2014)

Poor literacy and numeracy levels in schools have raised questions in South Africa, as they have internationally, on the quality and appropriateness of initial teacher education for preparing teachers for the complexities faced in schools generally and for the mediation of literacy and numeracy in the early years in particular. This paper profiles empirical research relating to initial teacher education over two decades of South African democracy, derived from a systematic review of journal articles, with the aim of proposing an agenda for research into foundation phase initial teacher education. It concludes that in the period between the birth of South Africa’s democracy and the present, there is little evidence of sustained research on initial teacher education in general, and a dearth of research focused on teacher preparation for the foundation phase in particular. The paper argues for the development of a research agenda that better takes account of the iterative relationship between researching classrooms and researching initial teacher education, especially as it relates to the foundation phase, where research is patchy and unsystematic. Evidence from such research might not only provide a base for policy and curriculum decisions but also lead to more responsive and contextually relevant teacher preparation. Keywords: diversity; foundation phase; literacy; numeracy; research agenda; teacher education

Diabetes and Sexuality

Deterioration in sexual functioning is one of the major and serious complications of diabetes. This common metabolic disorder not only affects sexuality through microvascular and nerve damage but also has psychological aspects. In men, the primary complications are erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and loss of libido. Women similarly experience sexual problems, including decreased libido and painful intercourse. To summarize the effects of diabetes on sexuality, evaluate the impact of diabetes on sexual function, and assess the conventional and novel treatment approaches based on recent studies. A literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles and guidelines was performed. To assess the effects of diabetes on sexuality and to focus on treatment approaches. Male and female sexual dysfunctions are a significant complication of diabetes. Tight glycemic control seems to be beneficial in delaying the onset of sexual problems and ameliorating them when they are present. Erectile dysfunction occurs as one of the first problems. The current mainstay of treatment for erectile dysfunction is therapy with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and then a stepwise approach of management. Men also can experience ejaculation problems and loss of libido. Diabetes also can decrease testosterone levels, which further decreases libido. Hypogonadal men with diabetes might benefit from testosterone replacement therapy. Diabetic women also can have sexual problems. These problems mainly include loss of libido, decrease in arousal and lubrication resulting in painful intercourse, and loss of orgasm. All these challenges require a multidisciplinary approach. Diabetes has detrimental effects on the sexual function of patients. Diabetologists who primarily care for the patient should not only focus on the glycemic control of their patients but also address their sexual complaints, because these problems can significantly impair their quality of life. Urologists, gynecologists, endocrinologists, and psychiatrists should work in a multidisciplinary manner for the treatment of decreased sexual functioning as a result of diabetes.

The role of peer review activity on graduate student learning experiences

The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how a term paper peer review activity enhanced students’ collaboration and promoted their critical thinking skills. This study was conducted in a fully online graduate course, which was first offered in the Summer 2014 semester. Students were required to take the course as part of the Masters of Science in Global Health and Masters of Public Health programs. The course was offered via the Blackboard platform and utilized multiple strategies to enhance student participation. The course was designed in a modular format with course activities including individual watching streaming lecture videos, discussion blogs, journal article reviews and presentations in video delivery, synchronous case study in Blackboard Collaborate sessions, and term paper writing. The term paper peer review activity was added in the Summer 2015 semester. The purpose of the peer review activity was for students to learn from your peers' feedback as they work towards completing their term paper. Expected learning outcomes for the peer review were that students would become competent in scientific writing. Students’ feedback indicated their appreciation of the support from team members. Preliminary analysis indicated that students became more reflective during the writing process and a better quality of term paper was shown in their final grades. Faculty in either undergraduate or graduate program will learn the design of peer review and how it promotes students’ interaction and support in a group setting in online environments.

Reviews and Resources:Climate Change and Microbial Ecology: Current Research and Future Trends

As one might expect, this new text nicely reviews important topics in environmental microbiology research related to the increasing trends of global climate change. Editor Jurgen Marxsen does a great job with the breadth of coverage, including chapters on viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protists alike, in a range of environments from marine, freshwater, to soil. Chapters address both the data that is known regarding alterations in biochemistry, biogeology, and community interactions due to climate change, but also highlight areas where data is particularly lacking, such as in sediments and inland waters. The first chapters also incorporate relevance to rising pathogenic risks due to climate change through alterations in abundance of cyanobacteria or Vibrio species, or expansion of freshwater parasite ranges. With multiple black-and-white and color figures typical of journal review articles in each chapter, this is an impressive short overview of a topic with likely broad student appeal.

The Talmud and corporate citizenship

The Talmud is without doubt the most prominent text of rabbinic Judaism`s traditional literature which is replete with precepts that deal with corporate citizenship. Thus the Talmud can be used as a starting point for those who are interested in establishing financially successful companies. This article is based on a literature review of related journal articles and the Talmud. Some of the issues discussed in this article include: Talmud and ecology, caring for the environment, corporate charity, employer-employee relationship, honest weights and measures, community prosperity, buyer-seller relationship, transparency, honesty in business, fraud and theft, and corporate citizenship in the contemporary world. The author concludes that sustainable financial success is guaranteed through corporate citizenship. This article is of benefit to the academia, corporate citizenship advocates and the business community at large

Pornography Addiction in Adults: A Systematic Review of Definitions and Reported Impact

Self-perceived pornography addiction (SPPA) has increasingly emerged as a concept in research and popular culture, and commentators warn of the reported negative impact that it has. Despite this, "pornography or porn addiction" is not a formally recognized disorder and there is disagreement among researchers regarding its definition or even its existence. Therefore, how SPPA is operationalized often varies, and this is likely to influence the conclusions made about the impact of SPPA. This review aimed to examine what the supposed impact of SPPA is, and how the concept is operationalized. A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative peer-reviewed journal articles was conducted. The following databases were searched up to November 2015: CINAHL (2001-2015), Embase (1974-2015), Medline (1946-2015), PsychARTICLES (1980), and PsychInfo (1806-2015). Terms used were porn*, sexually explicit material, SEM, erotic*, nonparaphilic, cyberpornography, addict*, problematic, excess*, compul*, impul*, impact, effec*, behav*, and cause. An asterisk after a term means that all terms that begin with that root were included in the search. A review of the the current literature pertaining to SPPA and its reported impact. We found that SPPA is most frequently operationalized as excessive pornography use and negative consequences. As a result, researchers tended to focus on the frequency of pornography use and related impact as determinants of SPPA. SPPA is reported to affect users and their partners in similar ways, such as increased feelings of isolation and relationship breakdowns. However, we found some methodologic limitations of the primary studies, which limit the strength of the conclusions that can be drawn. Limitations include the lack of representative samples and inadequate measurements of SPPA and its impact. There still exist a debate regarding the definition and etiology of SPPA as distinct from self-perceived sex addiction. As such, the research landscape is shaped by different theoretical perspectives. Without evidence to suggest one theoretical position as superior to another, clinicians might be at risk of recommending treatment that is in line with their theoretical perspective (or personal biases) but at odds with the motivations driving an individual to engage in particular sexual behaviors. In light of these findings, the review concludes with recommendations for future research.

Approaches to induce behavioral changes with respect to electricity consumption

Facilitating behavioral changes is indispensable for reducing energy demand and ultimately achieving a sustainable society. However, individual methods by which to induce such behavioral changes have been considered in specific fields and disciplines. In the present study, we carried out an intensive review of academic journal articles and reports related to approaches, instruments, and practices of demand control in electricity and relevant behavioral changes across various fields and disciplines, such as engineering, economics, policy research, and psychology. Our goal is to discuss the effectiveness of these approaches and instruments and to discuss the relevant conditions for effective policy design to induce behavioral changes in a comprehensive manner. We selected and reviewed 110 papers published between 1978 and 2015 covering the practices in 17 countries that appear to be the most relevant to our research purposes. In general, empirical studies show that demand control approaches such as dynamic pricing and information feedback either shift the peak load or reduce electricity consumption. In addition, the effectiveness of an instrument depends on the characteristics of the location, the household, the industry, and the climate. We found only a small amount of literature on the life cycle impact on energy consumption and life cycle costs, although these studies are essential for better policy design for realizing energy savings and a sustainable society.