Lack Of Relevant Studies Research Articles

THE IMPACT OF CLASSROOM ACOUSTICS ON TODDLERS’ COMMUNICATION AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION DURING TEACHING

<p>The present study aims at approaching a special issue from the field of communication literacy. Specifically, it intends to investigate the acoustics in kindergarten in regard to communication and active participation of toddlers during the teaching process. Within the theoretical framework of this study, there are approaches related to the main characteristics of classroom acoustics and their impact on toddlers’ communication, despite the lack of relevant studies on preschool education. After theoretical approaching the description of a study and its main stages follows, which are the method of the study including data collection instrument and sample. Actually, this is a case study based on a sample which consisted of toddlers and kindergarten teachers working with toddlers in municipal kindergartens. The results of the study reveal that classroom acoustics such as noise, eco, volume of teacher and/or children voice has an impact on toddlers’ communication and active participation during teaching as they strongly affect the quality of teaching and classroom climate as well.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0646/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Parental reports on digital devices use in infancy and early childhood

Digital devices have become more widespread in recent years and children’s interest in them has significantly changed their own learning habits. Individual interaction with digital devices in infancy and early childhood posits both benefits and risks in gaining informal learning experiences. The lack of relevant studies on the issue brings forward the aim of the research, which is to explore digital devices use for learning in infancy and early childhood as parents report it. 93 parents of 113 children aged 0–8 years old participated in an online survey to find out peculiarities of the children using digital devices for learning, frequency of using them, and parents’ mediation in this process. For each aspect, Cramer’s V and Somers’ D were employed to make statistical differences between three age groups: 0–3, 4–5, 6–8 years old. The findings showed that the number of children using digital devices for learning increased with their age. Devices with the touch screen were especially popular for viewing videos, self-development, and gaming. The parents restricted content and learning time of their children using digital devices, which still required careful regulation and control. It is recommended that parents select learning applications and games appropriate for their children’s age since digital devices impact on the children’s health and development.

Preconditioning rats with three lipid emulsions prior to acute lung injury affects cytokine production and cell apoptosis in the lung and liver

BackgroundCritically ill patients are at higher risk having acute lung injury (ALI) and more often in need of parenteral nutrition. We sought to study whether preconditioning with representative of lipid emulsions for one week could benefit rats from ALI.MethodsUsing a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI rat model and techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining.ResultsPGE2 production in the serum was highest in the LPS group, followed with Intralipid group, and the PGE2 level of these two groups was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the rest. Intralipid conditioning caused significantly less production of LTB4 than the LPS, Clinoleic, or Omegaven group. In contrast to Intralipid, rats pretreated with Clinoleic or Omegaven significantly decreased their production of inflammatory mediators (IL-1 β, IL-6 and TNF-α), had less apoptosis in the lung tissues, and Omegaven greatly improved liver function upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge.ConclusionsIn an ALI setting, preconditioning with Omegaven or Clinoleic was better than Intralipid in decreasing the intensity of the cytokine storm and apoptosis caused by LPS challenge, and Omegaven in addition had the potential to improve liver function. The results from the present study set a basis for further investigation of the molecular mechanisms of ALI, including the up- and downstream pathways of proinflammatory factor production, in search of (small) molecules intervening with the pathogenesis of ALI in order to translate relevant research findings into clinical benefit for patients with ALI. The use of Omegaven or Clinoleic, particularly in patients with ALI, is still characterized by uncertainty due to a lack of relevant studies. Future investigations must specifically focus on the route of administration and mode of application (enteral vs. parenteral/bolus vs. continuous), determining an optimal dose of Omegaven or Clinoleic, and the defining the best timepoint(s) for administration. Critically ill patients are at higher risk having acute lung injury (ALI) and more often in need of parenteral nutrition. The effect of lipid emulsion via parenteral nutrition on liver function was first time evaluated in rats in an ALI setting. The comparison of three forms of lipid emulsion in a rat model of acute lung injury was first time studied. The fish oil-based lipid emulsion decrease in PGE 2 and increase in LTB 4 was first time reported.

A realist review of which advocacy interventions work for which abused women under what circumstances.

A realist review of which advocacy interventions work for which abused women under what circumstances.

Spectroscopic studies of chiral perovskite nanocrystals

As an emerging type of optically active material, semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) stabilized by chiral molecules have attracted much attention. Owing to the wide range of potential applications of chiral perovskite NCs, the development of these materials is of great importance, but there has been a lack of relevant studies. Here, we describe an investigation of the properties of chiral perovskite NCs obtained using post-synthetic ligand exchange (achiral ligand/chiral ligand). These are found to exhibit mirror-image circular dichroism spectra. It is the chirality of the ligand (enantiomeric 1,2-diaminocyclohexane, DACH) that is most likely responsible for the induction of chiroptical activity in these NCs. Furthermore, their chiroptical properties and the corresponding mechanisms are found to depend strongly on the amount of capping ligand. When excess DACH is used to cap the surface of the NCs, their chiroptical properties are induced mainly by aggregation of DACH on the surface in a chiral pattern. In contrast, when small amounts of DACH are used for the capping, it is mainly surface distortion (or defects) and electronic interaction mechanisms that contribute to the chiroptical behavior of the NCs. In both cases, the anisotropy factors of the NCs are of the order of 10−3, which is comparable to or larger than the values reported for other chiral semiconductor and metal NCs. This work opens the door toward further understanding of chiroptical perovskite NCs and their potential applications.

A Burned Area Mapping Algorithm for Chinese FengYun-3 MERSI Satellite Data

Biomass burning is a worldwide phenomenon, which emits large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and strongly influences the environment. Burned area is an important parameter in modeling the impacts of biomass burning on the climate and ecosystem. The Medium Resolution Spectral Imager (MERSI) onboard FengYun-3C (FY-3C) has shown great potential for burned area mapping research, but there is still a lack of relevant studies and applications. This paper describes an automated burned area mapping algorithm that was developed using daily MERSI data. The algorithm employs time-series analysis and multi-temporal 1000-m resolution data to obtain seed pixels. To identify the burned pixels automatically, region growing and Support Vector Machine) methods have been used together with 250-m resolution data. The algorithm was tested by applying it in two experimental areas, and the accuracy of the results was evaluated by comparing them to reference burned area maps, which were interpreted manually using Landsat 8 OLI data and the MODIS MCD64A1 burned area product. The results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm was able to improve the burned area mapping accuracy at the two study sites.

Nucleos(t)ide analogues for preventing HBV reactivation in immunosuppressed patients with hematological malignancies: a network meta-analysis

ABSTRACTBackground: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of five oral nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs), including lamivudine, entecavir, adefovir, telbivudine and tenofovir, for the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and HBV-related complications in chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infected patients with hematological malignancies receiving chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) by network meta-analysis.Methods: The search identified 28 articles involving 5 different prophylactic regimens covering 1478 participants.Results: Among five prophylactic regimes, tenofovir (predicted probability, 90%), was the most effective intervention followed by entecavir (88%) in preventing HBV reactivation. There was no significant difference between tenofovir and entecavir for preventing HBV reactivation. With regards to other outcomes, tenofovir and telbivudine was not included to evaluate due to lack of relevant studies. Entecavir was the most effective intervention in reducing the risk of HBV related hepatitis (100%), HBV related death (61%) and all other causes of hepatitis (98%).Conclusion: Tenofovir and entecavir might be the most potent regimes in prevention of HBV reactivation for CHB infected patients with hematological malignancies undergoing chemotherapy or HSCT.

소아근시에 대한 눈 주위혈 지압의 유효성 및 안전성 평가 연구

Objectives Myopia has a higher prevalence rate in eastern countries, which also have a higher rate of educational fever compared to western countries. Considering this, social costs paid for myopia will increase rapidly in Korea. Although the development of myopia treatment is necessary, there has been a lack of relevant studies. Thus, this study aims to produce data to prevent unnecessary treatments and medical expenses. Methods The objective is to evaluate the effect of periocular acupressure exerted by a medical massager for myopia. This is an open-label, prospective, single-arm, and pre and post superiority study. The subjects are 7~12-year-old myopia patients with under 5 D (diopter) of spherical equivalent. A total of 56 subjects were enrolled. The selected subjects will wear the massager for 15 minutes twice a day for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint is the refraction change. The secondary endpoint is the axial length change. Statistical analysis was performed at a significant level of 0.05, using a two-tailed test. The criterion for significantly improved refraction was <TEX>$-0.17{\pm}0.50$</TEX> D/6 months and that of axial length change was 0.126 mm. Results and Conclusions This study did not include a control group because children represent a vulnerable group. This objective study will bring some impact on Korean medical myopia treatment. A long-term confirmatory clinical study may be necessary in future.

Correlates of post-traumatic stress symptoms and growth in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships among demographic, medical, and psychosocial factors and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in oncology populations. A systematic search identified k = 116 relevant studies published between 1990 and 2012. Meta-analyses synthesized results from studies that reported data on correlates of PTSS (k = 26) or PTG (k = 48). A meta-analysis was performed for k = 5 studies reporting the correlation between PTSS and PTG. Post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with depression (r = 0.56), anxiety (r = 0.65), distress (r = 0.62), social support (r = -0.33), and physical quality of life (r = -0.44). PTG was associated with age (r = -0.08), gender (r = -0.15), distress (r = -0.16), depression (r = -0.06), social support (r = 0.30), optimism (r = 0.27), positive reappraisal (r = 0.46), spirituality (r = 0.33), and religious coping (r = 0.36). There was a small positive relationship between PTSS and PTG (r = 0.13). Post-traumatic stress symptoms and PTG appear to be independent constructs, rather than opposite ends of a single dimension. This is reflected in a small relationship between these variables and different psychosocial correlates. PTSS were strongly associated with variables reflecting a general state of negative affect. Optimism, spirituality, and positive coping styles were associated with PTG. It remains unclear how they are associated with PTSS, given the lack of relevant studies. Longitudinal research is required to examine how psychosocial factors influence the relationship between PTSS and PTG.

Enhancing the in vitro anti-cancer efficacy of artesunate by loading into poly-d,l-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) nanoparticles

Artesunate (ART)-a well-known anti-malarial agent is also known to have potential anti-proliferative activities but its instability, poor aqueous solubility, and lack of relevant studies have limited its application as an effective anti-cancer drug. To overcome these problems, ART was loaded in poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles using oil/water emulsion evaporation method. PLGA nanoparticles with small particle size and high entrapment efficiency were obtained. The PLGA nanoparticles were optimized by evaluating the effects of several formulation parameters on physicochemical properties of nanoparticles. The in vitro cytotoxicity of blank PLGA, free ART, and ART-PLGA on 3 human cancer cell lines viz. A549, SCC-7, and MCF-7 was conducted using MTT assay. The particles showed nanometric size (~170 nm), large entrapment efficiency (up to 83.4%), and excellent stability (evaluated for 1 month) after lyophilization with 5% mannitol. ART was dispersed inside particle core allowing a sustained release up to 48 h. The in vitro cytotoxicity results demonstrated strong activity of ART against cancer cell lines. The ART-PLGA formulation significantly reduced cell viability than the free ART. The formulation of ART loaded PLGA nanoparticles supported a potential application of ART as an anticancer agent.

PROTOCOL: The Effects of School‐Based Decision Making on Educational Outcomes in Low and Middle Income Contexts: A Systematic Review

PROTOCOL: The Effects of School‐Based Decision Making on Educational Outcomes in Low and Middle Income Contexts: A Systematic Review

Dentinoameloblastoma with ghost cells: A rare case report with emphasis on its biological behavior.

Ameloblastomas are regarded as a homogeneous group of neoplasms with locally invasive character. They generally do not show induction of dental hard tissue formation except in few cases. Biological behavior and histogenesis of these tumors is still unexplored as there is lack of relevant studies and long follow-up of these patients. So, we aimed to report this rare case of dentinoameloblastoma with unique presence of ghost cells in middle-aged female involving maxilla with emphasis on its biological behavior. We conclude that although histogenesis of this tumor is not clear but biological potential is similar to conventional ameloblastoma requiring wider excision.

Influence of creativity and knowledge sharing on performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of technological creativity for sports and knowledge sharing on individual performance, and to analyze the correlation among creativity for sports technologies, knowledge sharing, and individual performance, via the mediating effect of athletes' self‐efficacy.Design/methodology/approachThis study selected 250 current athletes, including tennis players, track and field athletes, volleyball players, etc. as the subjects. Statistical methods, such as Cronbach's α, factor analysis, Pearson's correlation, regression analysis, and path analysis, were used to perform analyses.FindingsIt was found that among the technological creativity for sports, athletes' creativity and analytic capacity had significant positive influence on task performance and team performance in athletes' individual performance. In other words, the improvement in athletes' self‐efficacy may improve their creativity and level of technological capacity, which further improves team performance and task performance.Originality/valueFor coaches it is necessary to constantly strengthen athletes' self‐efficacy and provide them with the space for the development of creativity and technological capacity in order to specifically improve their athletic performance. This study integrated relevant theories of technological creativity with those of self‐efficacy to investigate issues regarding improvements in athletes' performance. At present, there is a lack of relevant studies on technological creativity for sports. The research results can serve as a reference to future studies for continuous clarification of investigations into technological creativity for sports.

Cellular and molecular large‐scale features of fetal adipose tissue: Is bovine perirenal adipose tissue Brown1685

Epidemiological and fetal programming studies point to the role of fetal growth in adult adipose tissue (AT) mass in large mammals. Despite the incidence of fetal AT growth for human health and animal production outcomes, there is still a lack of relevant studies. We determined the cellular and large-scale-molecular features of bovine fetal perirenal AT sampled at 110, 180, 210, and 260 days post-conception (dpc) with the aim of identifying key cellular and molecular events in AT growth. The increase in AT weight from 110 to 260 dpc resulted from an increase in adipocyte volume and particularly adipocyte number that were concomitant with temporal changes in the abundance of 142 proteins revealed by proteomics. At 110 and 180 dpc, we identified proteins such as TCP1, FKBP4, or HSPD1 that may regulate adipocyte precursor proliferation by controlling cell-cycle progression and/or apoptosis or delaying PPARγ-induced differentiation. From 180 dpc, the up-regulation of PPARγ-induced proteins, lipogenic and lipolytic enzymes, and adipokine expression may underpin the differentiation and increase in adipocyte volume. Also from 180 dpc, we unexpectedly observed up-regulations in the β-subunit of ATP synthase, which is normally bypassed in brown AT, as well as in aldehyde dehydrogenases ALDH2 and ALDH9A1, which were predominantly expressed in mouse white AT. These results, together with the observed abundant unilocular adipocytes at 180 and 260 dpc, strongly suggest that fetal bovine perirenal AT has much more in common with white than with brown AT.

Is Monotherapy as Good as Polypharmacy in Long—Term Treatment of Bipolar Disorder?

Can J Psychiatry. 2009;54(1 1):719-725. Can Trial and Error Become the Standard of Practice? During the last several decades, the number of available treatments for bipolar disorder (BD) has increased substantially. Nevertheless, the outcome of BD remains poor in many patients,1 fuelling debates about the merits of specific medications and their combinations. Treatment of BD has several facets - treatment of acute episodes of depression or mania, long-term treatment, and control of rapid cycling, cognitive dysfunction, or residual symptoms. Not all can be addressed in a brief paper. In the following, I will focus on long-term treatment, mainly as this is the key component in the disease management. Treatment of acute episodes is, perhaps, less controversial, particularly when it comes to manic episodes - using a combination treatment may shorten time to remission and, importantly, such treatments are typically used for a limited period of time. But even then some add-on trials in mania have produced equivocal data. The situation concerning bipolar depression is far more complicated, with many studies, including newer data, not supporting the use of combinations with antidepressants.2 Therefore, even when treating patients for acute episodes, physicians must carefully judge the risk-benefit balance (with risk of switch into mania, rapid cycling, or adverse effects). Are There Reasons to Use Combinations for Long-Term Treatment? A large proportion of patients with BD are being treated off label, and many are treated with combinations of not only 2, but frequently 3 or more medications aimed at mood stabilization. The evidence to support such management is practically nonexistent, as shown below. Before reviewing the evidence, I would like to stress 2 other points. First, physicians need to be able to determine accurately that a patient is better off because of a specific treatment and whether an alternative treatment might provide the same or greater benefit. This is not easy in an illness that is highly unpredictable in its pattern of recurrences (and spontaneous remissions). Many patients are treated for limited periods of time, making evaluation of treatment response difficult. Second, with more research we may eventually know if, on average, a randomly selected combination presents an advantage over randomly selected monotherapy. However, this is not the same as knowing if a combination is better than individualized treatment. There is a growing trend to find predictors of treatment response, including clinical features, biological markers, as well as genetic variants. Evidence-based selection of an effective treatment may make this present debate ultimately less relevant than it currently seems. For some drugs, for instance lithium, the long-term response can be already predicted quite accurately using clinical data alone.3 The limiting factor in deciding whether polypharmacy presents an advantage over monotherapy is the lack of relevant studies. Available data are not helpful to answer such simple questions as to whether one should initiate long-term treatment with drug combinations, or whether an ineffective medication should be switched or combined (augmented). Existing studies of combination treatments are either inconclusive, methodologically problematic, or answer another question altogether. A common reason for using drug combinations is monotherapy failure. No existing medication works for all cases of BD. After concluding that a person is not responding, a decision needs to be made about the future direction of the treatment. This may, but does not have to, be a medication change. Treatment outcome can be influenced by therapeutic alliance, improving compliance and providing patient education, as well as addressing side effects. In some cases, reassessment may show that the patient was initially misdiagnosed and requires a different treatment altogether. Data on effectiveness of combinations are scarce. …

Chapter 9. Consequences of being on sick leave

The possible consequences of sick leave can be measured at different levels in society. This chapter focuses on the consequences from the perspective of the sick-listed individual. Sick leave may have both positive and negative consequences for the individual, e.g. regarding disease, health, working life, social life, lifestyle, and emotional aspects. Some of these factors have been investigated in different studies. However, scientific evidence is insufficient since there are too few studies on the consequences of sickness absence and disability pension. The lack of relevant studies is the most striking observation from the review of studies on the consequences of being sick listed.