Home IV Antibiotic Therapy and Exercise Capacity in Children with CF: A Case Series

Purpose: This case series describes the effect of home intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy on spirometry and exercise capacity in a group of children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods: Outcomes from 10 children with CF who were prescribed a 14-day course of home IV antibiotics for a respiratory exacerbation are reported. All children performed spirometry and a modified shuttle test (MST) before and after 14-days of home IV therapy. Results: After 14 days, FEV₁ increased by mean (± SE) 12 ± 4 % (p < 0.05) but mean MST did not improve compared to baseline. All children improved or maintained spirometry values with treatment, however, only 5 improved MST distance. Conclusion: After 14 days of home IV antibiotic therapy, a significant improvement in spirometry, but not exercise capacity, was seen in this small series of children with CF. The lack of improvement in exercise capacity for all children following home IV antibiotic therapy suggests factors other than spirometry determine exercise capacity. Identifying and investigating the factors that influence exercise capacity during home IV antibiotic therapy requires further investigation.Key Words: cystic fibrosis, home IV therapy, FEV₁, Modified Shuttle Test     

This is what I’m doing and why: Methodological reflections on a naturalistic think-aloud study of interactive information behaviour

Many user-centred studies of electronic information resources include a think-aloud element – where users are asked to verbalise their thoughts, interface actions and sometimes their feelings whilst using these resources to help them complete one or more information tasks. These studies are usually conducted with the purpose of identifying usability issues related to the resource(s) used or understanding aspects of users’ information behaviour. However, few of these studies present detailed accounts of how their think-aloud data was collected and analysed or provide detailed reflection on methodological decisions made. In this article, we discuss and reflect on the methodology used when planning and conducting a think-aloud study of lawyers’ interactive information behaviour. Our discussion is framed by Blandford et al.’s PRET A Rapporter (‘ready to report’) framework – a framework that can be used to plan, conduct and describe user-centred studies of electronic information resource use from an information work perspective.     

Motivational and Cognitive Contributions to Students' Amount of Reading

The amount that students read for enjoyment and for school is a major contributor to students' reading achievement and knowledge of the world. Consequently, it is important to identify the factors that predict amount of reading. A literature review revealed that motivation, strategy-use, and past reading achievement all may be expected to predict reading amount. To examine these variables, a total of 251 students in Grades 3 and 5 was administered questionnaires of these constructs and a reading test. Results showed that amount of reading for enjoyment was predicted most highly by motivation, when all other variables were controlled statistically in multiple-regression analyses. In contrast, amount of reading for school was predicted most highly by strategy use, when all other variables were controlled. However, these predictions were different for students in Grades 3 and 5. Findings of the study indicate that amount of reading is multiply determined by cognitive and motivational constructs, which is consistent with an engagement perspective on reading development. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Development, Implementation, and Validation of a Computerized Test for Statewide Assessment

How does a testing component function in an integrated learning system? How can you customize computerized tests to meet local specifications? How are computerized tests implemented and evaluated? Is the pay-off of computerized testing justified?