Value of ascitic fluid cholesterol and serum-ascites albumin gradient in differentiating cirrhotic and malignancy related ascites

In a perspective study, the ascitic fluid and serum concentration of total cholesterol, total proteins and albumin in a group of 45 patients was studied. Patients with nonmalignant or cirrhotic ascites were compared with patients having malignancy related ascites and it was proved that the ascitic fluid cholesterol and the serum ascites albumin gradient helped to differentiate cirrhotic from malignant ascites. These two parameters showed a remarkable relationship to the presence/absence of malignancy. Non malignant ascites patients had ascitic fluid cholesterol values of 19.41±8.33 mg/dl, as against the malignancy related ascites patients, who showed levels of 95.87±1.24 mg/dl. Similarly, the serum-ascites albumin gradient levels were 2.89±0.65 in non malignant ascites patients, while the malignancy related ascites cases had 0.86±0.50. The discrimination values for cholesterol were taken as 45 mg/dl while that for serum ascites gradient was taken as 1.1. Levels of serum cholesterol, total protein and albumin were not significantly altered.     

Education level explains participation in work and education later in life

A prolonged working life is crucial for sustaining social welfare and fiscal stability for countries facing ageing populations. The group of older adults is not homogeneous; however, differences within the group may affect the propensity to continue working and to participate in continuing education. The aim of this paper is to explore how participation in work and education vary with gender, age, and education level in a sample of older adults. The study was performed in Sweden, a context characterized by high female labour-market-participation rates and a high average retirement age. The participants were 232 members of four of the major senior citizens’ organizations. We found no differences in participation in work and education based on gender. People older than 75 years were found to be as active as people 65–75 years old in education, but the older group worked less. There were positive associations between education level and participation in both work and education. Hence, this study implies that socio-economic inequalities along these dimensions are widened later in life. This highlights the importance of engaging workers with lower education levels in educational efforts throughout life. It also emphasizes the need for true lifelong learning in society.     

Student learning in science simulations: Design features that promote learning gains

This research examines science‐simulation software available for grades 6–12 science courses. The study presented, funded by the National Science Foundation, had two objectives: a literature synthesis and a product review. The literature synthesis examines research findings on grade 6–12 student learning gains and losses using virtual laboratories and science‐simulation software, derived from a review of 79 relevant studies identified. Based on that literature, significant aspects of how such products influence student learning are identified. Tables summarize the research‐based evidence about best practices in instructional design for such virtual lab and simulation products. Some products were then reviewed as case studies to determine in what ways and to what extent they implement such research‐identified best practices. The overall goal was to consider where the most progress is being made in effective virtual‐lab and simulation products, and what directions future development should take. The intent is to inform science educators, teachers, administrators, and policy makers who are using, buying, and examining middle and high school instructional materials. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 1050–1078, 2011     

The Impact of Religion/Spirituality on Acculturative Stress Among International Students

The authors conducted a qualitative study using phenomenological inquiry to explore the nature and essence of international students' experience of utilizing religion/spirituality to cope with acculturative stress. Twelve students from 2 public universities and diverse religious/spiritual traditions participated. Results suggest that religion/spirituality plays a central role in the heightening of psychological, cognitive, and social functioning and affects students' performance in the academic environment. Implications for student affairs personnel, counselors, counselor educators, and supervisors are provided.     

Process evaluation of implementing knowledge management tools in public health

Translating formal and informal knowledge into public health (PH) action is essential given that PH professionals rely on up-to-date and context-specific information for effective programme planning, implementation, and evaluation. Knowledge management (KM) provides possible solutions to this challenge. We conducted an evaluation of a pilot implementation of four KM tools: (1) After Action Review; (2) Communities of Practice; (3) Peer Assist and; (4) Organizational Yellow Pages. The evaluation focused on fidelity, feasibility, and acceptability of the tools. Three main messages emerged from the study findings: (1) KM tools can be implemented in a PH context for the sharing of explicit and tacit knowledge, (2) enabling organizational environments were important for implementation, and (3) the provision of a facilitator during the implementation period was also important and appreciated by study participants.     

Does intensity matter? Preschoolers’ print knowledge development within a classroom-based intervention

The present study examined the extent to which two dimensions of intervention intensity, (dose frequency and dose) of a 30-week print-referencing intervention related to the print knowledge development of 367 randomly selected children from 55 preschool classrooms. Dose frequency refers to the number of intervention sessions implemented per week; teachers were randomly assigned to either the high-dose frequency condition (four intervention sessions per week) or the low-dose frequency condition (two intervention sessions per week). Dose refers to number of print-referencing teaching strategies used per intervention session and was a naturally varying variable across classrooms. Structural models of children's spring print knowledge showed a significant interaction of dose and dose frequency in relation to children's outcomes. Follow-up analyses showed that the benefit of providing four versus two print-referencing sessions per week disappeared when teachers were providing a relatively intense number teaching strategies within sessions (i.e., the dose was high). Considered differently, findings also show that increasing the number of print referencing teaching strategies within a session (i.e., the dose) related positively to children's print knowledge development, but only when the weekly number of intervention sessions were low (i.e., two intervention sessions weekly). Overall, findings show that there is a benefit to increasing the dose or dose frequency of the print referencing intervention, but increasing both aspects of intervention intensity appeared to have a diminishing benefit to children's learning. Findings empirically support the multi-dimensional nature of intervention intensity and implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Carrying the Message of Counter-Hegemonic Practice: Teacher Candidates as Agents of Change

In an effort to support future teachers in their work toward enacting (and not just espousing) counter-hegemonic, social justice concepts, this research describes a course assignment that required teacher candidates (N = 134) to identify an issue related to power and/or privilege with which they personally grapple, and to then construct a professional workshop intended to work toward deepening their own understandings and the understandings of the participants in the workshop. With an emphasis on risk-taking and decentering their own authority, the teacher candidates in this study created critical workshops intended to reduce oppression (at the personal or institutional level), addressing topics across a broad spectrum of inequities. The findings from this research suggest that, given a supportive and collaborative forum, teacher candidates may be equipped to challenge hegemonic ideas and emerge as leaders in a new era of social justice.     

Toddlers' use of peer rituals at mealtime: symbols of togetherness and otherness

Mealtimes and their associated rituals are recognised as important aspects of human socialisation; however, much of the research about mealtimes in early childhood education settings has focused on health or on adult–child discursive exchanges. The present study aimed to investigate children's interactions with each other and their influence on the structural aspects of mealtime. The participants were four toddlers and their teachers at one community-based childcare in New Zealand. Narrative data were interpreted from video observations and discussions with teachers. Findings showed that the toddlers playfully cooperated with each other in order to develop their own ritual. This ritual subverted the routine, communicated togetherness and reinforced the toddlers’ identity as separate to that of the adults. This article posits that teachers should seek to understand and respond sensitively to toddlers’ peer rituals, where such rituals engender positive effects on the children's sense of togetherness.     

Search history support for finding and using information: User interface design recommendations from a user study

Recording search histories, presenting them to the searcher, and building additional interface tools on them offer many opportunities for supporting user tasks in information seeking and use. This study investigated the use of search history information in legal information seeking. Qualitative methods were used to explore how attorneys and law librarians used their memory and external memory aids while searching for information and in transferring to information use. Based on the findings, interface design recommendations were made for information systems.     

The making of scientific butter: injecting scientific reasoning into agriculture

Both Danish and English agriculture underwent fundamental restructuring during the second half of the 19th century, and in both cases the dairy sector made great advances. However, the two agricultural industries differed in aims and strategies, and crucially in the extent to which new technologies and scientific methods were implemented. Economic historical analysis is insufficient to explain why the Danish and English dairy industries developed in different ways, and how Danish butter achieved success in the competitive English market. However, with a focus on the role of science and a scientific understanding of the development of these two dairy industries, all becomes clear.