Regular Text Research Articles

Exploring the lack of a disfluency effect: evidence from eye movements

An eye-tracking study with 60 native Swedish speakers (18–30 years) was conducted to investigate the positive effects on learning outcomes predicted by the disfluency effect. Subtle low-pass filtering was used as a disfluency manipulation and compared with a control condition using regular text. The text was presented on four separate text presentation screens (TPSs), and eye movements were recorded. A free recall task was given 25 min later, and working memory capacity (WMC) was assessed to test if it would moderate learning outcomes. The disfluency manipulation had no effect on learning outcomes, total reading times on words or lines, first- or second-pass reading on lines, or average fixation durations. Moreover, the disfluency effect was not moderated by students’ WMC or self-reported prior knowledge of the topic. However, an adaptation to the disfluency manipulation was found. Total reading times on both words and lines were shorter in TPS 1 and 2 in the disfluency condition compared with the control condition, whereas reading times were longer in TPS 3 and 4. It is discussed if failures to replicate the disfluency effect arise from material features, with positive adaptations to disfluency (i.e., higher effort investment) possibly requiring more comprehensive materials.

Tecla: a telephone- and text-message based telemedical concept for patients with severe mental health disorders--study protocol for a controlled, randomized, study.

BackgroundSevere mental disorders like psychotic disorders including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders have a 12-month-prevalence of 2.6, bipolar disorders of 1.5 % in Germany. The relapse risk is high; so many patients need intensive monitoring and lifelong treatment. A high medication adherence is essential for a successful treatment. But in practice, medication adherence is low and decreases over time. Telemedical care concepts might improve treatment and bridge gaps between in- and outpatient treatment.A telemedical care concept based on regular telephone calls and short text messages was developed. The primary objective is to assess whether regular telephone calls and text messages can improve the medication adherence of patients. Secondary objectives are the reduction of rehospitalization rates, the improvement of quality of life and of the severity of symptoms.Methods/designThe Tecla study (Post stationary telemedical care of patients with severe psychiatric disorders) is a two-armed prospective randomized controlled trial. The participants in the intervention group receive in addition to usual care regular telephone calls every 2 weeks and weekly text messages on patient-individual topics during a 6 months period. Patients in the control group receive only regular care. Inclusion criteria are a physician-diagnosed bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder or schizophrenia and a signed informed consent. Exclusion criteria are planned inpatient treatments within the next 6 months and being non-reachable by phone. After 3 and 6 months both groups receive follow up assessments.DiscussionThe primary objective of this study is the medication adherence that is measured with the Medication Adherence Report Scale, German version (MARS-D). The MARS-D is a self-report with five items. Adherent behaviour is mostly overestimated using self-reports. The strength of the MARS-D is to detect non-adherent behaviour. The original Medication Adherence Report Scale in English language (MARS-5) was developed to encourage the patient to answer truthfully to the questions that are asked in a non-threatening and non-judgmental way to minimize social desirability bias in admitting non-adherent behaviour.Trial registrationThis study is registered at 2015\\05\\21at the German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00008548.

Learning history by composing synthesis texts: Effects of an instructional programme on learning, reading and writing processes, and text quality

The aim of the present study was to improve learning from texts via strategies that train students how to process synthesis texts. Processing such texts requires goal-oriented interaction between reading and writing activities. The participants were 62 sixth-grade students, 33 in the experimental and 29 in the control group. In a pretest-posttest design -with a control group- the effects of an experimental programme were tested on (a) the level of learning achieved, (b) the quality of the written texts produced, and (c) the synthesis text-processing activities (in a sub-sample of 32 participants). The experimental group was trained in the processes involved in writing a synthesis using two expository texts about history via a strategy-oriented programme, while the control group worked on the same content using the more conventional tasks in their regular text book. Findings show that the experimental group outperformed the control group on a deep-learning content measure, wrote better texts, and exhibited more sophisticated text-processing activities.

Improving neonatal care in district and community health facilities in South Africa

A high standard of newborn care, especially at a primary level, is needed to address the neonatal mortality rate in South Africa. The current approach to continuing training of health-care workers uses traditional methods of centralised teaching by formal tutors away from the place of work. This is no longer affordable, achievable or desirable, particularly in rural areas. An innovative system of self-directed learning by groups of nurses caring for mothers and their newborn infants uses specially prepared course books without the need for trainers. Using self-study supported by peer discussion groups, nurses can take responsibility for their own professional growth. This builds competence, confidence and a sense of pride.Since 1993, the Perinatal Education Programme has provided continuing learning opportunities for thousands of nurses in Southern Africa. A number of prospective trials have demonstrated that study groups can significantly improve knowledge and understanding, attitudes, clinical skills and quality of care provided to mothers and infants. A recent review of 10,000 successful participants across a wide range of provinces, ages and home languages documented the success of the project.Using a question-and-answer format to promote problem-solving, case studies, simple skills workshops and multiple choice tests, each module addresses common conditions with appropriate care practices such as thorough drying at birth, delayed cord-clamping, skin-to-skin care, breast feeding, basic resuscitation, correct use of oxygen therapy, hand-washing, blood glucose monitoring and promotion of parental bonding.The training material is now also available free of charge on an on-line website as well as being presented as e-books which can be downloaded onto personal computers, tablet readers and smart phones. This is supplemented by regular SMS text messages providing nurses with relevant ‘knowledge bites’. All nurses caring for newborn infants now have easy, affordable access to continuing education which promises nationwide improvements in newborn care.

Measuring the Average Impact of an iPad Algebra Program A Report of Findings from an RCT in Four School Districts Considering One as a Special Case

Introduction: In spring 2010, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) began planning a pilot of an application for the Apple iPad, HMH Fuse: Algebra 1, which was then in development. The application was to be piloted in four California school districts during the 2010-2011 school year. HMH contracted with Empirical Education Inc. to conduct a one-year randomized experiment aimed at producing evidence of the effectiveness of HMH Fuse for increasing algebra achievement and student attitudes toward math for seventh and eighth grade students.HMH Fuse for the Apple iPad contains the content of the Holt McDougal Algebra 1 2011© text and includes interactive lessons, explanations, quizzes, and problem solving. In addition, HMH Fuse comes with the 300 videos that are also available online to students using the traditional print version of the text. We compared classes using HMH Fuse on the iPad with classes using the conventional text containing the same content. Findings: We found no impact of HMH Fuse on the primary measure of algebra achievement, the California Standards Test (CST), on average across the four districts. One of the school districts, Riverside Unified, initiated its own investigation of the data for the participating students and found what appeared to be a strong impact. We used the same statistical modeling approach to examine impacts for this district and for the other three. For the other three, and consistent with the overall results, there was no discernible difference between HMH Fuse and control. For Riverside, however, we found a substantial impact equivalent to a nine-point increase in percentile standing (p=.023). The following figure represents the differential effect of HMH Fuse in the other three districts compared to the effect in Riverside.It is also noteworthy that the teachers in Riverside were selected for the pilot on the basis of their experience with technology innovations and reported more time instructing with HMH Fuse than reported by most of the other teachers in the study.On average across the districts, we found no impact on a second measure, the End of Course Assessment. We have some confidence of a positive impact on student attitudes toward math as measured by the Student Attitude Questionnaire. It is notable that students with positive attitudes toward math were found to achieve higher scores on the CST.We also gathered implementation data via student and teacher surveys. Conditions for implementation were generally good across both groups; teachers received the necessary materials within the first few weeks of school although many teachers reported technical difficulties. We have some confidence in an impact of HMH Fuse on time spent on the algebra program outside the class, number of videos watched, and student attitude towards math. At the end of the school year, nine of the eleven teachers would choose to continue teaching with HMH Fuse over the control curriculum. Research Methods: This was a randomized control trial (RCT) in which we randomly assigned one algebra period for each participating teacher to the program condition, in which they use HMH Fuse. Each teacher’s remaining algebra sections formed the control group assigned to use the regular text version of the program. Across the four districts we had six schools and 11 teachers. In the control group there were 23 sections of Algebra 1 and 625 students with CST posttests. In HMH Fuse group there were 11 sections (one per teacher) and 318 students with CST posttests. Riverside had two teachers with seven control sections with 197 students and two HMH Fuse sections with 64 students. Because randomization was blocked by teacher, the two teachers and nine sections in Riverside constituted a very small, yet independent RCT. Statistical modeling took full advantage of the pretest and demographic information to provide appropriate controls and adjustments were made for clustering of students in sections. Conclusion: After a one-year pilot implementation with HMH Fuse, we do not have evidence of a generalizable effect of the program on algebra achievement. We did find clear evidence that the effect was dependent on local conditions. For two teachers in one school — selected for the study on the basis of experience with technology innovations — there was an impact. While we cannot generalize the results beyond these two teachers, the study is suggestive of approaches that may lead to success with applications such as HMH Fuse.

The Feasibility and Acceptability of a Technology-based Lifestyle Intervention for College Students

Objective: To investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a 2-month technology-based weight loss intervention to reduce overweight and obesity in undergraduate students. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: Twenty students (90% female, age 20.4 1.4 years, BMI 32.1 4.6 kg/m2) were randomized to either: (1) a technology-based intervention group or (2) an email education group. The technology-based group had access to the study website with nutrition lessons, YouTube exercise videos, a forum for social support, smartphone applications for self-monitoring, and social media including Pinterest and Facebook. Students were sent regular text message updates. The email education group received emails with the nutrition lessons and YouTube links. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: Height, weight, 24hour dietary recalls, and surveys were collected at baseline and 2months. Web-based focus groups were conducted after the intervention. Results: 95% of students completed the study. Over half the respondents in the technology-based group indicated that textmessaging wasmost helpful as well as the website, videos, nutrition facts, and smartphone applications. There were mixed responses about the forum, which was underutilized. Participants in the technology-based intervention group expressed a desire for additional accountability, support, and motivation and suggested using group Skype chats and mobile accessibility to further facilitate interaction on the forum. Conclusions and Implications: The findings support the potential for using technology to reach college students for weight loss programs. Findings will be used to improve a larger trial. Funding: None

A Heart-Breaking Case of Fever and Rash

In this series, a clinician extemporaneously discusses the diagnostic approach (regular text) to sequentially presented clinical information (bold). Additional commentary on the diagnostic reasoning process (italic) is interspersed throughout the discussion.

Using Lucene to index and search the digitized 1940 US Census

SUMMARYAn improved approach toward enabling search capabilities over large digitized document archives is described, in which Lucene indices were incorporated in a framework developed to provide automatic searchable access to the 1940 US Census, a collection composed of digitized handwritten forms. As an alternative to trying to recognize the handwritten text in the images, Word Spotting feature vectors are used to describe each cell's content. Instead of querying the system using regular ASCII text, any query is rendered as an image, and a ranked list of matching results is presented to the user. Among other preprocessing steps required by the framework, an index must be compiled to provide fast access to the feature vectors. The advantages and drawbacks of using Lucene to index these vectors instead of other indexing methods are discussed in light of the challenges confronted when dealing with digitized document collections of considerable size. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A 22-Year-Old Woman with Abdominal Pain

In this series, a clinician extemporaneously discusses the diagnostic approach (regular text) to sequentially presented clinical information (bold). Additional commentary on the diagnostic reasoning process (italics) is integrated throughout the discussion.

Text messaging to support off-campus clinical nursing facilitators: A descriptive survey

Managing large student cohorts can be a challenge for university academics, coordinating these units. Bachelor of Nursing programmes have the added challenge of managing multiple groups of students and clinical facilitators whilst completing clinical placement. Clear, time efficient and effective communication between coordinating academics and clinical facilitators is needed to ensure consistency between student and teaching groups and prompt management of emerging issues. This study used a descriptive survey to explore the use of text messaging via a mobile phone, sent from coordinating academics to off-campus clinical facilitators, as an approach to providing direction and support. The response rate was 47.8% (n=22). Correlations were found between the approachability of the coordinating academic and clinical facilitator perception that, a) the coordinating academic understood issues on clinical placement (r=0.785, p<0.001), and b) being part of the teaching team (r=0.768, p<0.001). Analysis of responses to qualitative questions revealed three themes: connection, approachability and collaboration. This study demonstrates that use of regular text messages improves communication between coordinating academics and clinical facilitators. Findings suggest improved connection, approachability and collaboration between the coordinating academic and clinical facilitation staff.

An HIV-Positive Patient with Back Pain: Too Many Choices

In this series, a clinician extemporaneously discusses the diagnostic approach (regular text) to sequentially presented clinical information (bold). Additional commentary on the diagnostic reasoning process (italics) is integrated throughout the discussion.

Exhausting the Differential

In this series, a clinician extemporaneously discusses the diagnostic approach (regular text) to sequentially presented clinical information (bold). Additional commentary on the diagnostic reasoning process (italic) is interspersed throughout the discussion.

There's an App for That! Promoting Antiretroviral Medication Adherence in Rural Georgia: The Music for Health Project

Consistent high levels of adherence to antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) are needed to sustain undectable viral loads (VL) in persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). The result is improved health and prevention of HIV transmission. Rural dwelling PLWH encounter barriers such as low health care resources, transportation, poverty, stigma, and depression that contribute to adherence challenges. The goal of the Music for Health smartphone app is to use technology to improve adherence to ART. The app consists of a music program called the LIVE Network that includes animated music videos specially developed and tailored for PLWH, a manual with web links, and a pill count survey. The program is designed to educate, motivate, and increase selfconfidence in rural PLWH to adhere to ART. We are conducting a randomized controlled clinical trial to study the efficacy of this app compared to an equivalent educational app in 240 rural PLWH in Georgia. Eligibility criteria include: HIV infected, initiating ART for the first time or changing a regimen due to side effects or ART drug resistance, ]18 years of age, English speaking, and willing to complete study activities. Once randomized at baseline, each participant will receive a smartphone loaded with the appropriate app and will have a supervised listening/viewing session. They will receive regular text message reminders to use the app and for monthly unannounced pill counts. Pill counts will also be collected via smart phone. All participants will be followed up at 3, 6, 9 months using computerized interviews, hair samples for ART drug levels, and lab values extracted from medical records. The app was pre-tested in 3 focus groups conducted in 3 different rural counties. Nine men and 4 women participated; 10 (77%) were African American. All reviewed the app and provided feedback. Only one person did not own a mobile phone and 7 (54%) owned a smart phone. After coaching all were able to use the smart phone and app. All songs and videos were rated ] 7 on a scale of 0 to 10 and 5 songs had a median score of 10. Participants found the songs relevant and many thought songs addressed a situation they were currently experiencing: ‘‘This is my first year living with HIV, so songs like that I can relate to ... dealing with issues and questions that I have in my own head ... that I don’t talk to people about.’’ Videos were edited to incorporate changes requested by the participants. Study recruitment will begin in 2014. If successful this app could transform the delivery of HIV adherence self-management care by overcoming barriers in this vulnerable group.

A 76-Year-Old Woman with Diaphoresis and Anxiety

In this series, a clinician extemporaneously discusses the diagnostic approach (regular text) to sequentially presented clinical information (bold). Additional commentary on the diagnostic reasoning process (italics) is integrated throughout the discussion.

How hypertext fosters children’s knowledge acquisition: The roles of text structure and graphical overview

Children in primary and secondary school are asked to go on the Internet for school purposes while research on hypertext has scarcely investigated how children process and learn from hypertext. We therefore examined how hypertext influences children’s knowledge acquisition from expository text. A group of 71 Dutch children (13years old) from one secondary school for pre-university education participated in the study. In a within-subjects design with four conditions, we compared: regular linear text, regular text with overview, hypertext, and hypertext with overview. Children’s (a) navigation (i.e., reading time and navigation pattern) and (b) learning (i.e., multiple choice knowledge questions and mind maps) was measured. Although reading times did not differ, the children navigated less linearly in both hypertext conditions than in the regular text with overview condition. The four types of text led to the same deep understanding as measured on the text base level. Analyses of the mind maps, however, showed the children to construct richer situation models after reading hypertext or hypertext with an overview relative to regular linear text and regular text with overview. We therefore conclude that hypertext fosters a deeper level of information processing when appropriately designed relative to regular linear text.

Infographics

Infographics were used to support the work of journalism back in 1980s. It may be used to accommodate newsletters, newspapers, magazines, and reports. Now the infographics have been applied for telling the story. Additionally, the changing lifestyle in digital age, data and information need to be quicker and easier processed. People scan for the headlines and graphics (usually in pictures, graphs, charts) that draw their interest. They spend less time to consider whether it is worth further reading. Interactive, Multimedia and Video infographics can be created in 3D to make it more appreciative than regular illustrative pictures and text, especially for the difficult and complicated contents. For the people who need to communicate quickly; the spoken or printed account is sometimes too difficult for understanding. With infographics can escalate the growth of e-entrepreneurship, they will be very useful as the well-organized, easy-to-understand, eye-catchy, and shareability marketing tools. The suggestive guidelines of infographics creation are also addressed. This paper also includes the history, importance, and benefit of infographics in general and introduces the tools for making infographics professionally.

From regular text to artistic writing and artworks: Fourier statistics of images with low and high aesthetic appeal.

The spatial characteristics of letters and their influence on readability and letter identification have been intensely studied during the last decades. There have been few studies, however, on statistical image properties that reflect more global aspects of text, for example properties that may relate to its aesthetic appeal. It has been shown that natural scenes and a large variety of visual artworks possess a scale-invariant Fourier power spectrum that falls off linearly with increasing frequency in log-log plots. We asked whether images of text share this property. As expected, the Fourier spectrum of images of regular typed or handwritten text is highly anisotropic, i.e., the spectral image properties in vertical, horizontal, and oblique orientations differ. Moreover, the spatial frequency spectra of text images are not scale-invariant in any direction. The decline is shallower in the low-frequency part of the spectrum for text than for aesthetic artworks, whereas, in the high-frequency part, it is steeper. These results indicate that, in general, images of regular text contain less global structure (low spatial frequencies) relative to fine detail (high spatial frequencies) than images of aesthetics artworks. Moreover, we studied images of text with artistic claim (ornate print and calligraphy) and ornamental art. For some measures, these images assume average values intermediate between regular text and aesthetic artworks. Finally, to answer the question of whether the statistical properties measured by us are universal amongst humans or are subject to intercultural differences, we compared images from three different cultural backgrounds (Western, East Asian, and Arabic). Results for different categories (regular text, aesthetic writing, ornamental art, and fine art) were similar across cultures.

The Multiresolution Image Format

In this paper we present a new method and file format which allows to create, store and manipulate multiresolution raster images. “Classic” raster images are built up by rasters (pixels) where in the same image each raster (pixel) has the same size. Multiresolution raster image (mri) are unlike the “classic” raster images. An mri file is a regular text file, conformed xml 1.0 standard and allows: 1) to store raster based images with different resolution in the same file and in the same time (i.e., allows to contain rasters with different size in the same image); 2) to export easily any part of the image as a separate raster image and to import an image as a part of a raster; 3) to define geographical reference for a raster image and use this image as a raster based GIS model; 4) to perform computations (i.e., image manipulation) on the content of the file. It is an important characteristic of the mri format that mathematical operations could be performed always in the same resolution as the current resolution of the given part of the image. To confirm this statement we present how to perform a convolution on an mri file.

Getting to the Right Question

In this series, a clinician extemporaneously discusses the diagnostic approach (regular text) to sequentially presented clinical information (bold). Additional commentary on the diagnostic reasoning process (italics) is integrated throughout the discussion.

NSTEMI or Not: A 59-Year-Old Man with Chest Pain and Troponin Elevation

In this series, a clinician extemporaneously discusses the diagnostic approach (regular text) to sequentially presented clinical information (bold). Additional commentary on the diagnostic reasoning process (italics) is integrated throughout the discussion.