Updated generic search filters for finding studies of adverse drug effects in Ovid medline and Embase may retrieve up to 90% of relevant studies

Background

The most current objectively derived search filters for adverse drug effects are 15 years old and other strategies have not been developed and tested empirically.

Objective

To develop and validate search filters to retrieve evidence on adverse drug effects from Ovid medline and Ovid Embase.

Methods

We identified systematic reviews of adverse drug effects in Epistemonikos. From these reviews, we collated their included studies which we then randomly divided into three tests and one validation set of records. We constructed a search strategy to maximise relative recall using word frequency analysis with test set one. This search strategy was then refined using test sets two and three and validated on the final set of records.

Results

Of 107 systematic reviews which met our inclusion criteria, 1948 unique included studies were available from medline and 1980 from Embase. Generic adverse drug effects searches in medline and Embase achieved 90% and 89% relative recall, respectively. When specific adverse effects terms were added recall was improved.

Conclusion

We have derived and validated search filters that retrieve around 90% of records with adverse drug effects data in medline and Embase. The addition of specific adverse effects terms is required to achieve higher recall.     

Further evidence of the effectiveness of phonological instruction with oral-deaf readers

The effectiveness of phonological instruction with 6 deaf students in an oral program was investigated. In a previous investigation (Syverud, Guardino, & Selznick, 2009), promising results had been obtained in a case study in which the Direct Instruction curriculum titled Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (Engelmann, Haddox, & Bruner, 1983) was used with an oral-deaf child. Given these results, Syverud and Guardino were asked to replicate the procedures with additional struggling readers. A multiple case study design was implemented for a period of 10 weeks. Tests of nonsense words were administered to monitor weekly progress in phonological decoding. Intervention journals were completed for each tutoring session to provide qualitative information. Although the results were mixed, all 6 participants showed gains in phonological decoding skills. Suggestions for both practitioners and researchers are offered.     

The fidelity of formative assessment implementation: issues of breadth and quality

The paper examines the breadth and quality of formative assessment implementation of 202 mathematics and science teachers who participated in a two-year, school-based professional development programme that focused on formative assessment. Results are triangulated using three sources of data: baseline and end-of-Year 2 data from an annual survey, logs that were completed daily at six two-week time points and reflections on formative assessment techniques that the teachers wrote weekly during the log collection periods. The data indicate that while teachers made significant improvements in some areas, certain aspects of formative assessment are less emphasised and there are some patterns around quality of implementation that suggest more targeted professional development is warranted.     

The extent of similarity in concept development for children with and without handicapping

ABSTRACT

This paper examines and integrates findings from six investigations of similarity in concept development for children with and without handicapping conditions. The studies were designed to ensure comparability and are brought together to provide fuller understanding. They were carried out with children who have hearing, language or visual impairments as well as with those termed mentally retarded. Similarity in sequence of development was strongly supported by scalogram analyses in every investigation. The educational implications of common orderings are clear. Similarity in structure was supported in the case of non‐retarded and retarded children with no known organic condition. Further study is needed before conclusions are drawn about structure and retarded children who have organic conditions.     

Getting tense about genealogy

The paper responds to the growing interest in genealogical method as a means of inquiry in education research. The three authors bring together their collective understanding of the nature and purpose of genealogy as a method deriving from the work of Michel Foucault. The authors then indicate how such understandings were applied by each of them to a particular scholarly task. In elaborating the uses and the pitfalls of genealogical approaches by this means, the writers makeit clear that thereis no blueprint for genealogical use. Rather, working through genealogical methods demands from the researcher a strong grasp of the epistemological and theoretical tensions involved in asking how our present educational practices function as they do.     

Book Reviews

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on primary teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning and in particular about their preferred ways of teaching; how they integrate National Curriculum requirements into their teaching programmes and their views about stereotyped ‘models’ of pedagogy. The authors conclude that learning and teaching are understood as highly complex and cannot be subsumed under one particular model. They suggest that most primary school teachers adopt an eclectic approach, but that frequently they are confused about the content of the mix or which approach might be most appropriately used in any particular context.     

Survey on reporting of epithelial cells in urine sediment as part of external quality assessment programs in Brazilian laboratories

IntroductionEpithelial cells (ECs) are structures regularly observed during urine microscopy analysis. The correct identification of EC subtypes can be useful since renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) are clinically relevant. We investigate the urinary ECs report and the judgement of its clinical importance by Brazilian laboratories.Materials and methodsA survey with four questions was made available to participants of the Urinalysis External Quality Assessment Program (EQAP) from Controllab. Laboratories composed 3 groups: (1) differentiating ECs subtypes: “squamous”, “transitional” and “RTECs”; (2) differentiating ECs subtypes: “squamous” or “non-squamous” cells; (3) without ECs subtype identification. Participants did not necessarily answer to all questions and the answers were evaluated both within the same laboratory’s category and within different categories of laboratories.ResultsA total of 1336 (94%) laboratories answered the survey; Group 1, 119/140 (85%) reported that ECs differentiation is important to the physician and 62% want to be evaluated by EQAP, while in Group 3, 455/1110 (41%) reported it is useful to them, however only 25% want be evaluated by EQAP. Group 2 laboratories 37/51 (73%) reported that the information is important, but only 13/52 (25%) are interested in an EQAP with differentiation of the 3 ECs subtypes.ConclusionMost of the laboratories do not differentiate ECs in the three subtypes, despite the clinical importance of RTECs. Education of laboratory staff about the clinical significance of urinary particles should be considered a key priority.     

Forward acceleration of the centre of mass during ski skating calculated from force and motion capture data

The purpose of this paper was to present and evaluate a methodology to determine the contribution of bilateral leg and pole thrusts to forward acceleration of the centre of mass (COM) of cross-country skiers from multi-dimensional ground reaction forces and motion capture data. Nine highly skilled cross-country (XC) skiers performed leg skating and V2-alternate skating (V2A) under constant environmental conditions on snow, while ground reaction forces measured from ski bindings and poles and 3D motion with high-speed cameras were captured. COM acceleration determined from 3D motion analyses served as a reference and was compared to the results of the proposed methodology. The obtained values did not differ during the leg skating push-off, and force–time curves showed high similarity, with similarity coefficients (SC) >0.90 in the push-off and gliding phases. In V2A, leg and pole thrusts were shown to contribute 35.1 and 65.9% to the acceleration of the body, respectively. COM acceleration derived from ground reaction forces alone without considering the COM position overestimated the acceleration compared to data from motion analyses, with a mean difference of 17% (P < 0.05) during leg push-off, although the shapes of force–time curves were similar (SC = 0.93). The proposed methodology was shown to be appropriate for determining the acceleration of XC skiers during leg skating push-off from multi-dimensional ground reaction forces and the COM position. It was demonstrated that both the COM position and ground reaction forces are needed to find the source of acceleration.