Methodological Considerations Research Articles

Methodological considerations and opportunities for wildfire smoke and pregnancy and child development outcomes

Methodological considerations and opportunities for wildfire smoke and pregnancy and child development outcomes

Interobserver reliability of shoulder radiographic findings and correlation to MRI: a preliminary case series.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the interobserver reliability of measurements of the Acromiohumeral Distance (AHD) first described by Golding et al., the Critical Shoulder Angle (CSA), the Acromion Index with Glenoid Humeral (GH) and Glenoid Acromial (GA) distances, following the measuring method by Nyffeler et al., the Lateral Acromion Angle (LAA), as well as the morphology of the acromion according to Bigliani and the humeral head position according to Maloney in X-rays and MRI. Furthermore, the study assessed the correlation of measurement results in X-ray with those in MRI for AHD, CSA, GA, GH, AI, and LAA. A total of 187 patients who underwent shoulder joint X-ray and MRI examinations from 09/2016 to 05/2023 were included in the study. Patients with poor imaging quality, arthrosis or radical prior surgeries, like shoulder prosthetic surgery, status post humerus fractures, that have undergone surgery and therefore changed the anatomical features were excluded, what lead to a total study population of 78. X-ray measurements were performed by two observers in the true anteroposterior view, so that the humeral head and the glenoid are shown without overlap, providing a clear view into the joint space. MRI measurements were performed in oblique coronal MRI slices, using the most accurately depicted glenoid surface as a landmark. Interobserver measurement results showed a significance with p < 0.001 for the assessment of acromion type according to Bigliani, humeral head offset assessment according to Maloney, and AHD. No significance was found for interobserver reliability in measuring LAA. Additionally, there was a high correlation of measurement results in X-ray with measurements in MRI for, CSA, GH/GA, and consequently AI, a good correlation for AHD but no correlation could be shown for LAA. These findings provide valuable insights into the robustness of radiological parameters for evaluating shoulder pathology, offering promising prospects for clinical applications and further research. Nevertheless, the specific methodological considerations and patient characteristics should be taken into account when interpreting the results to ensure their accurate application in clinical practice.

Mixed Methods Research in Comparative and International Education: Philosophical and Methodological Considerations to Enhance Epistemological Pluralism

Mixed Methods Research in Comparative and International Education: Philosophical and Methodological Considerations to Enhance Epistemological Pluralism

Laboratory Testing for Celiac Disease: Clinical and Methodological Considerations.

Celiac disease (CeD) has an estimated prevalence of 1%-3%. The classical clinical presentation is malabsorption, but now patients may present with more subtle symptoms such as constipation, osteoporosis, or iron deficiency anemia. Children may also present with poor growth.CeD has a strong genetic component, and high-risk groups include first-degree relatives with CeD, patients with co-existing autoimmune diseases, and patients with chromosomal aberrations. Diagnostic tests for CeD include duodenal histology, serology, and genetic testing. Duodenal histology has traditionally been the gold standard of diagnosis. However, serological tests, especially IgA tissue transglutaminase antibodies (TTG-IgA), are widely used and diagnostic algorithms are based primarily on TTG-IgA as a starting point. Human leukocyte antigen typing may also be incorporated to determine genetic risk for CeD. Guidelines for children endorse biopsy avoidance provided high levels of TTG-IgA, with diagnostic accuracy being comparable to duodenal biopsy. Confirmation may be achieved by identifying IgA endomysial antibodies in a separate blood sample. Subjects with low positive TTG-IgA levels and subjects with IgA deficiency need a biopsy to establish a diagnosis of CeD. The clinical follow-up of CeD usually includes a repeat TTG-IgA examination. In adults, healing may be delayed or incomplete, and a rare consequence of refractory celiac disease is transformation to enteric T-cell lymphoma. Laboratory testing, in particular TTG-IgA, plays a central role in the diagnosis and has an accuracy comparable to histology. Diagnostic algorithms utilizing laboratory testing are critical for the development of novel strategies to improve diagnosis.

Populist autocratization and populist electoral autocracies: towards a unified conceptual framework

AbstractAlthough the research subjects of populism and autocratization studies are interconnected, the full potential of combining their focuses—the dynamic elements of political systems and institutional dimensions—into a comprehensive and systematic conceptual framework remains underexploited. This study makes a stride in this direction by reviewing and connecting these areas through the concepts of populist autocratization and populist electoral autocracies. These concepts aim to deepen our understanding of the nature of contemporary autocratization and the stability of autocracies. While the study is primarily theoretical-conceptual in nature, it also engages with methodological and operationalization considerations, and outlines a brief research agenda to demonstrate the empirical applicability of the analytical framework and lays the foundation for future research.

Methodological Considerations in Evaluating Breast Cancer Screening Studies.

In evidence-based medicine frameworks, the highest level of evidence is derived from quantitative synthesis of double-masked, high-quality, randomly assigned controlled trials. Meta-analyses of randomly assigned controlled trials have demonstrated that screening mammography reduces breast cancer deaths. In the United States, every major guideline-producing organization has recommended screening mammography in average-risk women; however, there are controversies about age and frequency. Carefully controlled observational research studies and statistical modeling studies can address evidence gaps and inform evidence-based, contemporary screening practices. As breast imaging radiologists develop and evaluate existing and new screening tests and technologies, they will need to understand the key methodological considerations and scientific criteria used by policy makers and health service researchers to support dissemination and implementation of evidence-based screening tests. The Wilson and Jungner principles and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force general analytic framework provide structured evaluations of the effectiveness of screening tests. Key considerations in both frameworks include public health significance, natural history of disease, cost-effectiveness, and characteristics of screening tests and treatments. Rigorous evaluation of screening tests using analytic frameworks can maximize the benefits of screening tests while reducing potential harms. The purpose of this article is to review key methodological considerations and analytic frameworks used to evaluate screening studies and develop evidence-based recommendations.

Capturing the complexity of child behavior and caregiver-child interactions in the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study using a rigorous and equitable approach

The HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study, a multi-site prospective longitudinal cohort study, will examine human brain, cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional development beginning prenatally and planned through early childhood. This article outlines methodological considerations and the decision-making process for measurement selection for child behavior, parenting/caregiver-child interactions, and the family/home environment for HBCD. The decision-making process is detailed, including formation of a national workgroup (WG-BEH) that focused on developmentally appropriate measures that take a rigorous and equitable approach and aligned with HBCD objectives. Multi-level-observational and caregiver-report measures were deemed necessary for capturing the desired constructs across multiple contexts while balancing the nuance of observational data with pragmatic considerations. WG-BEH prioritized developmentally sensitive, validated assessments with psychometrics supporting use in diverse populations and focused on mechanistic linkages and prediction of desired constructs. Other considerations included participant burden and retention, staff training needs, and cultural sensitivity. Innovation was permitted when it was grounded in evidence and filled key gaps. Finally, this article describes the rationale for the selected constructs (e.g., temperament, social-emotional development, parenting behaviors, family organization) and corresponding measures chosen for HBCD visits from early infancy through 17 months of age.

Educational level and social attitudes: unraveling patterns and methodological considerations

Educational level and social attitudes: unraveling patterns and methodological considerations

Symposium 1: Interactive and action-oriented instruction for a digital era

This paper explores and reflects what the methodological considerations are for a study of classroom practice as networked learning. The area of interest is instruction in reading children´s literature in the primary school classroom, i.e., emergent literature didactics. Digitalization processes in society and school involve new conditions for literature didactics and challenges in the classroom. In today`s society we not only communicate in the form of speech and writing, but the digitalization has resulted in that communication takes place through both texts, images, and sound, i. e. multimodal communication (Jewitt, 2008; Godhe et al., 2020). Except for these changed conditions, it is possible to observe decreasing reading frequency, changing attitudes towards reading, and declining reading comprehension among children and youth in Sweden today (Statens Medieråd, 2017; Skolverket, 2017). The overall aim of the PhD thesis is to contribute knowledge about how literature didactics is designed in primary school classrooms, with regards to how this instruction enables encounters with and comprehension of children’s literature, through the support of digital technology. The project consists of three empirical sub-studies with a mixed method approach. In combination with quantitative surveys, qualitative focused observations and interviews with teachers will target instruction in literature didactic, and the role and function of digital technology. Participants are pre- and in-service teachers. The presentation of sub-study I describes how thirty-seven preservice teachers observed classroom teaching during one school day in different primary schools, with the aim to investigate activities related to fiction reading and the role of digital technology in these settings. The study was analyzed by using a thematic content analysis. The preliminary results show that dialogic reading, where the teacher reads fictions texts aloud and orchestrate a dialogue about it with the pupils, is dominating. The activity is supported by document cameras. In the context of this paper, the dialogic reading is understood as part of many pedagogical practices within networked learning, which includes interplays between teacher and pupils or between pupils. The results raise questions about teachers’ motives for literature choices, design, activities, and uses of technology. The analytical tools used in the first study need to be improved, in order to gain a better understanding of the role and function of technology in reading instruction in primary school settings. In addition, complementary empirical data with different foci need to be collected and contrasted with the empirical results from sub-study I.

Dairy and Headaches: What is the Connection?

Headaches represent a prevalent and burdensome health condition, affecting individuals of all ages worldwide. While dietary factors have been implicated in headache pathophysiology, the association between dairy consumption and headaches remains controversial and inadequately understood. This comprehensive review systematically examines the existing literature to elucidate the relationship between dairy intake and headaches, addressing methodological challenges, potential biases, and gaps in the current knowledge. A thorough search of electronic databases identified relevant observational studies, clinical trials, and mechanistic investigations exploring the impact of dairy consumption on headache incidence, frequency, severity, and duration. Methodological considerations, including study design, measurement of exposure and outcome variables, confounding factors, and sources of bias, were critically evaluated to assess the strength of evidence and validity of findings. Despite heterogeneity across studies, emerging evidence suggests a complex and multifaceted relationship between dairy intake and headaches, influenced by individual characteristics, dietary patterns, headache subtype, and study context. While some studies report a positive association between dairy consumption and headaches, others indicate no significant effect or potential therapeutic benefits of dairy restriction. Mechanistic insights suggest plausible biological mechanisms, including neuroinflammatory pathways, neurotransmitter modulation, vascular effects, and gut-brain interactions, which may mediate the observed associations. Future research directions encompass longitudinal studies, mechanistic investigations, stratified analyses, randomized controlled trials, and exploration of the gut microbiota to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms and inform evidence-based dietary recommendations for headache management. This integrative review underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and personalized approaches to address the complex interplay between diet, headaches, and overall health.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Education in Emerging Infectious Disease Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to thoroughly examine the effectiveness of simulation-based education in the management of emerging infectious diseases, focusing on educational content and methods. Studies published between 2000 and 2022 were identified, and a meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model. The findings revealed that simulation-based education significantly enhances various competencies related to managing emerging infectious diseases, encompassing cognitive, negative-affective, positive-affective, and psychomotor outcomes. Subgroup analysis indicated that methods effective in improving competencies include the use of equipment with limited or full patient interaction, simulated or in situ settings, and scenarios involving some interruptions by educators or independent participation of trainees. This review underscores the importance of appropriate methodological considerations in simulation-based education, including equipment, settings, and scenario designs, to optimize educational outcomes in the management of emerging infectious diseases.

A framework of research priorities in COVID rehabilitation from the Rehabilitation Science Research Network for COVID: an international consultation involving qualitative and quantitative research

Purpose To identify research priorities related to COVID rehabilitation from the perspectives of persons with lived experiences, clinicians, researchers, community organization and policy representatives. Materials & Methods We conducted five international consultations to identify key issues and research priorities in COVID rehabilitation using (i) web-based questionnaires, (ii) synchronous discussions, and (iii) content analysis of COVID rehabilitation research conference presentations. We collated responses and notes and then analyzed data using content analytical techniques. Results The Framework of Research Priorities in COVID Rehabilitation includes five priorities that span health and disability across COVID-19 and Long COVID illness trajectories: (1) understanding experiences of episodic disability; (2) assessing episodic disability; (3) identifying and examining safe approaches to rehabilitation; (4) examining the role, implementation, and impact of models of rehabilitation care; and (5) examining access to safe, timely and appropriate rehabilitation and other health care provider services. The Framework identifies target populations, methodological considerations, and highlights the importance of integrated knowledge translation and exchange in advancing scientific evidence, clinical education, practice, and COVID rehabilitation policy. Conclusions This Framework provides a foundation to advance COVID, disability and rehabilitation research to advance the health and well-being of persons with COVID-19, Long COVID, and their caregivers. Implications for rehabilitation Persons with COVID-19 or Long COVID and their caregivers may experience multi-dimensional forms of disability spanning physical, cognitive, emotional health challenges, difficulties with daily function, and social inclusion, which individually and/or collectively may be unpredictable, episodic and/or chronic in nature. Rehabilitation has a role in preventing or mitigating disability and enhancing health outcomes for persons with COVID-19, Long COVID and their caregivers. The Framework of Research Priorities COVID Rehabilitation includes five overlapping research priorities spanning health and disability across COVID trajectories: (1) understanding experiences of episodic disability; (2) assessing episodic disability; (3) identifying and examining safe approaches to rehabilitation; (4) examining the role, implementation, and impact of models of rehabilitation care; and (5) examining access to safe, timely and appropriate rehabilitation and other health care provider services. The research priorities in the Framework represent a comprehensive approach to examine disability and rehabilitation across COVID illness trajectories and the broad continuums of rehabilitation care to provide a coordinated and collaborative approach to advancing evidence in COVID disability and rehabilitation. This Framework provides a foundation for international and interdisciplinary collaborations, to advance COVID disability and rehabilitation research to enhance health outcomes of persons with COVID-19, Long COVID, and their caregivers.

Chat messenger use in the care of patients with Parkinson's disease

The demand for chat messaging apps for communication between physicians, therapists and patients is increasing. The expectations for this form of communication and uncertainties regarding introduction and use are heterogeneous. The implementation of chat messengers in the care of patients with Parkinson's disease should be facilitated by recommendations regarding introduction and usage. Semi-structured interviews with neurologists and physiotherapists were conducted to capture the expectations and needs regarding the use of chat messengers. From the data analysis, recommendations were derived. The expectations for technical functionality exceeded the chat messenger functions. This concerns, e.g., the connection of the chat messenger to the electronic patient file. There is agreat deal of uncertainty, particularly when it comes to the applicable General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). The recommendations relating to the use of chat messengers, data protection aspects, the design of such tools and methodological considerations can help to implement the tool as an additional communication channel. Practical recommendations regarding functionality, the use of chat messengers in everyday life and in relation to data protection are derived from the results. By improving knowledge, physicians and therapists can contribute to the successful establishment of chat messengers as an additional communication tool.

Enhancing equity in arts-based research engagement: Methodological considerations from a policy-oriented community-development study

ABSTRACT This paper provides reflexive account of an arts-based communication tool used for a community development project in Manitoba, Canada. Drawing upon an intersectional perspective of social, health, and environmental inequalities, the multi-phase engagement involved citizens (n = 17; n = 9) as well as global policymakers (n = 6) in healthy cities, age-friendly cities, and sustainable city policy arenas. A visual graphic was employed to foster bidirectional dialogue between concerned local residents and global policymakers, forming the backbone of a community engagement strategy. Reflective analysis demonstrates how art can be mobilized toward reducing inequalities while notable challenges remain—including omission of highly-sidelined perspectives amidst complex interdisciplinarity; potential reductionism leading to manufactured consent; and considerations of communities inherently excluded in a qualitative, arts-based community engagement. The impacts of art on power hierarchies, emotion, project efficiency, and privilege are reviewed, with the objective of supporting more inclusive arts-based communications in future research.

Decolonising intercultural theology and research: What role for cultural outsiders?

This article addresses some reasons and requirements for intercultural theologising as boundary-crossing interaction to be decolonised and hold decolonising potential itself. Decolonialism being concerned with both those in ‘marginalised’ and in ‘privileged’ positions, this article focusses on some of the latter’s challenges, responsibilities and opportunities. Grounding the argument in writings of scholars from disciplines like linguistics, cultural anthropology, decolonial studies and various strands of theology both from the Global South and the Global West, epistemological motivators for a decolonising theology will be sketched in the first step. The second step involves a consideration of an appropriate methodology called ‘chosen vulnerability’. Central to it would be the learning and using of vernacular languages in order to move towards cross-cultural understanding from emic perspectives. In step three, an attempt at implementing such will be portrayed that was a core component of a recently completed interdisciplinary PhD project. Based on contextual learning of isiXhosa, several church-related concepts in English and isiXhosa were investigated and compared in a subsidiary study. The findings are used to illustrate how chosen vulnerability can enable humble contributions to decolonising theologies. This is achieved through emic approaches and perspectivism.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article raises awareness for sometimes hidden epistemic inequalities and suggests ways in which those in relative cultural-linguistic power can reduce the imbalance. This is of relevance primarily to intercultural theology. In turn, such insights from intercultural theology can benefit academic research in cross-cultural contexts in general.

How adverse childhood experiences get under the skin: A systematic review, integration and methodological discussion on threat and reward learning mechanisms.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a major risk factor for the development of multiple psychopathological conditions, but the mechanisms underlying this link are poorly understood. Associative learning encompasses key mechanisms through which individuals learn to link important environmental inputs to emotional and behavioral responses. ACEs may impact the normative maturation of associative learning processes, resulting in their enduring maladaptive expression manifesting in psychopathology. In this review, we lay out a systematic and methodological overview and integration of the available evidence of the proposed association between ACEs and threat and reward learning processes. We summarize results from a systematic literature search (following PRISMA guidelines) which yielded a total of 81 articles (threat: n=38, reward: n=43). Across the threat and reward learning fields, behaviorally, we observed a converging pattern of aberrant learning in individuals with a history of ACEs, independent of other sample characteristics, specific ACE types, and outcome measures. Specifically, blunted threat learning was reflected in reduced discrimination between threat and safety cues, primarily driven by diminished responding to conditioned threat cues. Furthermore, attenuated reward learning manifested in reduced accuracy and learning rate in tasks involving acquisition of reward contingencies. Importantly, this pattern emerged despite substantial heterogeneity in ACE assessment and operationalization across both fields. We conclude that blunted threat and reward learning may represent a mechanistic route by which ACEs may become physiologically and neurobiologically embedded and ultimately confer greater risk for psychopathology. In closing, we discuss potentially fruitful future directions for the research field, including methodological and ACE assessment considerations.

Characterizing Chinese undergraduate students' empathizing-systemizing profiles: a person-centered approach.

While the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory provides a valuable framework for explaining gender differences in STEM majors, previous studies suffer from methodological issues (i.e., the arbitrary cut-off criteria and WEIRD sampling) as well as discrepancies in the behavioral correlates of E-S types. To address the gaps, this study utilized a 3-step latent profile analysis to identify naturally occurring E-S profiles in a Chinese sample and explored the predictors and distal outcomes of the identified profiles. The study recruited 785 (aged 18-25 years, 60% female) Chinese undergraduates. Results revealed five E-S profiles: Disengaged, Empathizers, Navigating systemizers, Technological systemizers, and Self-declared allrounders. Controlling for socioeconomic status, being male predicted a higher likelihood of membership into the Technological systemizers. Besides, membership to the Navigating systemizers and Technological systemizers was associated with better intuitive physics performance. However, no significant variation was observed for social sensitivity performance across E-S profiles. Overall, our results partially conformed to previous findings, highlighting the importance of cultural adaptation and methodological considerations when classifying students' cognitive types.

Methodological considerations in assessing countermovement jumps with handheld accentuated eccentric loading

ABSTRACT This study aimed to compare the agreement between three-dimensional motion capture and vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) in identifying the point of dumbbell (DB) release during a countermovement jump with accentuated eccentric loading (CMJAEL), and to examine the influence of the vGRF analysis method on the reliability and magnitude of CMJAEL variables. Twenty participants (10 male, 10 female) completed five maximal effort CMJAEL at 20% and 30% of body mass (CMJAEL20 and CMJAEL30, respectively) using DBs. There was large variability between methods in both loading conditions, as indicated by the wide limits of agreement (CMJAEL20 = −0.22 to 0.07 s; CMJAEL30 = −0.29 to 0.14 s). Variables were calculated from the vGRF data, and compared between four methods (forward integration (FI), backward integration (BI), FI adjusted at bottom position (BP), FI adjusted at DB release point (DR)). Greater absolute reliability was observed for variables from DR (CV% ≤ 7.28) compared to BP (CV% ≤ 13.74), although relative reliability was superior following the BP method (ICC ≥ 0.781 vs ≥ 0.606, respectively). The vGRF method shows promise in pinpointing the DB release point when only force platforms are accessible, and a combination of FI and BI analyses is advised to understand CMJAEL dynamics.

Meaning-oriented thematic analysis grounded in reflective lifeworld research-A holistic approach for caring science research.

The aim of the present article is to describe meaning-oriented thematic analysis grounded in reflective lifeworld research and to illustrate how the thematic analysis can be integrated in the research process. The article is a methodological paper, including ontological and epistemological assumptions for lifeworld theory. Research based on lifeworld theory is directed towards lived experiences and meanings in everyday life. Research that is founded on the epistemology of the lifeworld can present existential issues important for caring and qualitative research can in particular contribute to existential knowledge needed to understand the world of the patient. Theoretical paper. Starting with a phenomenon of relevance for caring science, the article argues for lifeworld interviews as a data collection method that can contribute to depth and meaning, and then presents a description of how structures of meaning can be outlined through a meaning-oriented thematic analysis. The research of lived experiences in caring science demands an approach that includes a reflective attitude during the methodological considerations. This article highlights the importance of ontological and epistemological considerations when conducting a meaning-oriented thematic analysis. The article places meaning-oriented thematic analysis in a wider research process, considering all aspects from collection of data to the creation of meaning-oriented themes.

A consideration of racial/ethnic diversity conceptualization and measurement: Clarifying ambiguities and advancing scholarship

There has been little discussion of racial/ethnic diversity conceptualization and measurement in educational and psychological research. With the surge of research on school diversity and its significant social meaning, the lack of clarity on how diversity is conceptualized and operationalized warrants a systematic review. This article (1) reviews diversity concepts in the literature, (2) describes potential conceptual and methodological concerns, (3) proposes an alternative method to measure two specific types of diversity, and (4) highlights considerations for future research and methodology when studying diversity. More specifically, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the available measures that quantify diversity, mapped these measures onto existing diversity definitions, and elaborated on the similarities and differences of the existing diversity indices. Additionally, we proposed a new measure, the Frequentist-based Representative Diversity index, which can capture two different aspects of diversity, is easy to interpret, and potentially broadens the scope of diversity research. Future research directions and recommendations are also discussed.