bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Standards of Evidence in Qualitative Research: An Incitement to Discourse
Authors: Freeman Melissa , deMarrais Kathleen , Preissle Judith , Roulston Kathryn , St. Pierre Elizabeth A.
Published: June 2007

In a climate of increased accountability, standardization, federal control, and politicization of education research and scholarship, this article briefly reviews various positions outlined by qualitative researchers about quality in qualitative inquiry, showing how these are implicated in the acquisition, conceptualization, and use of qualitative evidence. It concludes by identifying issues in and challenges to setting standards of evidence for qualitative researchers in education.
Effects of Small-Group Learning on Undergraduates in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Springer Leonard , Stanne Mary Elizabeth , Donovan Samuel S.
Published: June 2007

Recent calls for instructional innovation in undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) courses and programs highlight the need for a solid foundation of education research at the undergraduate level on which to base policy and practice. We report herein the results of a meta-analysis that integrates research on undergraduate SMET education since 1980. The meta-analysis demonstrates that various forms of small-group learning are effective in promoting greater academic achievement, more favorable attitudes toward learning, and increased persistence through SMET courses and programs. The magnitude of the effects reported in this study exceeds most findings in comparable reviews of research on educational innovations and supports more widespread implementation of small-group learning in undergraduate SMET.
The Concepts and Methods of Phenomenographic Research
Authors: Richardson John T. E.
Published: June 2007

This article reviews the nature of “phenomenographic” research and its alleged conceptual underpinnings in the phenomenological tradition. In common with other attempts to apply philosophical phenomenology to the social sciences, it relies on participants' discursive accounts of their experiences and cannot validly postulate causal mental entities such as conceptions of learning. The analytic procedures of phenomenography are very similar to those of grounded theory, and like the latter they fall foul of the “dilemma of qualitative method” in failing to reconcile the search for authentic understanding with the need for scientific rigor. It is argued that these conceptual and methodological difficulties could be resolved by a constructionist revision of phenomenographic research.
Predicting Children's Competence in the Early School Years: A Meta-Analytic Review
Authors: La Paro Karen M. , Pianta Robert C.
Published: June 2007

School readiness screenings are prevalent throughout the United States. Although readiness encompasses a multitude of components, readiness assessments generally focus on measuring and predicting children's pre-academic skills and behaviors and are often the basis for placement and programming decisions. However, no quantitative estimates of effect sizes exist for the relations between preschool or kindergarten academic/cognitive and social/behavioral assessments and early school outcomes. This review presents the results of a meta-analysis of cross-time relations of academic/cognitive and social/behavioral assessments from preschool to second grade. Results from 70 longitudinal studies that reported correlations between academic/cognitive and social/behavioral measures administered in preschool or kindergarten and similar measures administered in first and second grade were included in the analysis. Academic/cognitive assessments predicting similar outcomes showed moderate effect sizes across both time spans; effect sizes were small for social/behavioral predictors of early school social outcomes. Effect sizes varied considerably across individual studies and samples. Findings are discussed in terms of assessment and conceptualization of school readiness, the role of school and classroom experiences in contributing to individual differences in school outcomes, and the importance of a quantitative estimate of effect size for early education policy and practice.
The Power of Their Presence: Minority Group Teachers and Schooling
Authors: Quiocho Alice , Rios Francisco
Published: June 2007

This review focuses on the experiences of minority group teachers as they move into teacher credential programs and then into the teaching profession. Research reports published between 1989 and 1998 were considered if they focused on the experiences of preservice and in-service minority group teachers in public school contexts. After a descriptive synthesis provides a snap-shot of the actual experiences of minority group teachers in schooling, a social justice framework is used to guide teacher educators and school-based professionals in their construction of robust recruitment and retention programs. This review demonstrates the power of the presence of minority group teachers but also demonstrates the obstacles to full realization of their potential. Perhaps the opportunity to imagine the possibilities of schooling in the context of making a real difference in students' lives is the catalyst minority group people need to enter and remain in the teaching profession.
Gestures: Their Role in Teaching and Learning
Authors: Roth Wolff-Michael
Published: June 2007

Gestures are central to human cognition and constitute a pervasive element of human communication across cultures; even congenitally blind individuals use gestures when they talk. Yet there exists virtually no educational research that focuses on the role of gestures in knowing and learning and the implications they have for designing and evaluating learning environments. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the existing literature in anthropology, linguistics, psychology, and education and, in the context of several concrete analyses of gesture use, to articulate potential focus questions that are relevant to educational research of knowing, learning, and teaching.
Systematic Phonics Instruction Helps Students Learn to Read: Evidence from the National Reading Panel’s Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ehri Linnea C. , Nunes Simone R. , Stahl Steven A. , Willows Dale M.
Published: June 2007

A quantitative meta-analysis evaluating the effects of systematic phonics instruction compared to unsystematic or no-phonics instruction on learning to read was conducted using 66 treatment-control comparisons derived from 38 experiments. The overall effect of phonics instruction on reading was moderate, d = 0.41. Effects persisted after instruction ended. Effects were larger when phonics instruction began early (d = 0.55) than after first grade (d = 0.27). Phonics benefited decoding, word reading, text comprehension, and spelling in many readers. Phonics helped low and middle SES readers, younger students at risk for reading disability (RD), and older students with RD, but it did not help low achieving readers that included students with cognitive limitations. Synthetic phonics and larger-unit systematic phonics programs produced a similar advantage in reading. Delivering instruction to small groups and classes was not less effective than tutoring. Systematic phonics instruction helped children learn to read better than all forms of control group instruction, including whole language. In sum, systematic phonics instruction proved effective and should be implemented as part of literacy programs to teach beginning reading as well as to prevent and remediate reading difficulties.
Mentoring in the Preparation of Graduate Researchers of Color
Authors: Davidson Martin N. , Foster-Johnson Lynn
Published: June 2007

Schools of graduate education in the United States continue to be challenged to attract and retain students of color. We argue that effective mentoring within a department can improve multicultural students’ graduate school experience and better position them for success in their postdoctoral careers. To be an effective mentor, a faculty member must cultivate understanding of the experience of students from various cultural backgrounds. This task is especially challenging for White faculty members because of societal dynamics involving race and ethnicity. We propose actions to help faculty members enhance their multicultural competence in mentoring.
Local School Boards Under Review: Their Role and Effectiveness in Relation to Students’ Academic Achievement
Authors: Land Deborah
Published: June 2007

Local school boards have traditionally governed public education in the United States but have seldom been the focus of empirical research. This article provides a review of literature published in the past two decades on the role and effectiveness of local school boards, specifically with respect to school boards’ influence on students’ academic achievement. First, a brief history of school boards is presented. Second, their current status is described. Next, school board and educational governance reforms are examined. Then characteristics of effective school boards that experts have identified are delineated. The final section is devoted to discussion of research limitations and future directions.
Rapid Naming, Phonological Awareness, and Reading: A Meta-Analysis of the Correlation Evidence
Authors: Swanson H. Lee , Trainin Guy , Necoechea Denise M. , Hammill Donald D.
Published: June 2007

This study provides a meta-analysis of the correlational literature on measures of phonological awareness, rapid naming, reading, and related abilities. Correlations (N = 2,257) were corrected for sample size, restriction in range, and attenuation from 49 independent samples. Correlations between phonological awareness (PA) and rapid naming (RAN) were low (.38) and loaded on different factors. PA and RAN were moderately correlated with real-word reading (.48 and .46, respectively). Other findings were that (a) real-word reading was correlated best (r values were .60 to .80) with spelling and pseudoword reading, but correlations with RAN, PA, vocabulary, orthography, IQ, and memory measures were in the low-to-moderate range (.37 to .43); and (b) correlations between reading and RAN/PA varied minimally across age groups but were weaker in poor readers than in skilled readers. The results suggested that the importance of RAN and PA measures in accounting for reading performance has been overstated.
How Does Distance Education Compare With Classroom Instruction? A Meta-Analysis of the Empirical Literature
Authors: Bernard Robert M. , Abrami Philip C. , Lou Yiping , Borokhovski Evgueni , Wade Anne , Wozney Lori , Wallet Peter Andrew , Fiset Manon , Huang Binru
Published: June 2007

A meta-analysis of the comparative distance education (DE) literature between 1985 and 2002 was conducted. In total, 232 studies containing 688 independent achievement, attitude, and retention outcomes were analyzed. Overall results indicated effect sizes of essentially zero on all three measures and wide variability. This suggests that many applications of DE outperform their classroom counterparts and that many perform more poorly. Dividing achievement outcomes into synchronous and asynchronous forms of DE produced a somewhat different impression. In general, mean achievement effect sizes for synchronous applications favored classroom instruction, while effect sizes for asynchronous applications favored DE. However, significant heterogeneity remained in each subset.
Those Who Have, Receive: The Matthew Effect in Early Childhood Intervention in the Home Environment
Authors: Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J. , van IJzendoorn Marinus H. , Bradley Robert H.
Published: June 2007

Are preventive early childhood interventions effective in improving home environments, as assessed with the HOME inventory (Caldwell & Bradley, 1984)? The authors traced 48 published articles, presenting 56 intervention effects (N = 7,350). The combined effect size on the HOME total score was d = 0.20 (p < .001). Randomized intervention studies were effective, but the combined effect size was limited (d = 0.13). Nonrandomized studies showed inflated effects (d = 0.58). Interventions with middle-class, non-adolescent parents showed higher effect sizes than interventions with low-SES or adolescent samples. Effective interventions used a moderate number of sessions in a limited period and were home-based. Learning Materials, Involvement, and Responsivity showed significant intervention effects. Families in better living conditions profited more from parent education (the Matthew effect).
Teaching Reading to Children Who Are Deaf: Do the Conclusions of the National Reading Panel Apply?
Authors: Schirmer Barbara R. , McGough Sarah M.
Published: June 2007

The authors conducted a synthetic review of the research literature on the reading development and reading instruction of deaf students and compared their findings to the review of research literature conducted by the National Reading Panel (NRP) on four topic areas: (a) alphabetics (phonemic awareness instruction and phonics instruction); (b) fluency; (c) comprehension (vocabulary instruction and text comprehension instruction); and (d) computer technology and reading instruction. In their discussion of the areas of overlap in the two bodies of research and of the implications for future research, the authors note the lack of research with deaf readers on instructional interventions that have been found to be effective with hearing readers and on the implications for isolation from mainstream reading research.
Critical Discourse Analysis in Education: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Rogers Rebecca , Malancharuvil-Berkes Elizabeth , Mosley Melissa , Hui Diane , Joseph Glynis O’Garro
Published: June 2007

During the past decade educational researchers increasingly have turned to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a set of approaches to answer questions about the relationships between language and society. In this article the authors review the findings of their literature review of CDA in educational research. The findings proceed in the following manner: the multiple ways in which CDA has been defined, the theories of language included in CDA frameworks, the relationship of CDA and context, the question of methods, and issues of reflexivity. The findings illustrate that as educational researchers bring CDA frameworks into educational contexts, they are reshaping the boundaries of CDA.
Test Accommodations for Students With Disabilities: An Analysis of the Interaction Hypothesis
Authors: Sireci Stephen G. , Scarpati Stanley E. , Li Shuhong
Published: June 2007

Test accommodations are often given to students with disabilities as one means of removing construct-irrelevant barriers to proper measurement of their knowledge, skills, and abilities. However, the practice is controversial. This article reviews numerous studies that focused on the effects of accommodations on test performance. Consistent conclusions were not found across studies because of the wide variety of accommodations, the various ways in which they were implemented, and the heterogeneity of students to whom they were given. But two consistent findings emerged: Extended time tended to improve the performance of all students, although students with disabilities tended to exhibit relatively greater score gains; and oral accommodations on math tests were associated with increased test performance for some students with disabilities.
An Analysis of Research on Block Scheduling
Authors: Zepeda Sally J. , Mayers R. Stewart
Published: June 2007

In this analysis of 58 empirical studies of high school block scheduling, the authors report findings in and across five groupings. Within groups, data were inconsistent regarding whether teachers’ practices changed, but teachers believed that staff development was necessary to teach in a block schedule. Block scheduling appeared to increase student grade point averages and improve school climate, but the results regarding its effects on standardized test scores and attendance were inconsistent. Across studies, the findings indicated that (a) research studies omit key information; (b) teachers and students may view block scheduling positively (but their reasons are unknown); and (c) changes in teachers’ practices are inconsistent. Many studies reported data that were collected over short periods of time. The authors of this analysis offer generalizations about block scheduling research, recommendations for further research, and a discussion of implementation issues.
Out-of-School-Time Programs: A Meta-Analysis of Effects for At-Risk Students
Authors: Lauer Patricia A. , Akiba Motoko , Wilkerson Stephanie B. , Apthorp Helen S. , Snow David , Martin-Glenn Mya L.
Published: June 2007

Schools and districts are adopting out-of-school-time (OST) programs such as after-school programs and summer schools to supplement the education of low-achieving students. However, research has painted a mixed picture of their effectiveness. To clarify OST impacts, this synthesis examined research on OST programs for assisting at-risk students in reading and/or mathematics. Researchers analyzed 35 OST studies that employed control or comparison groups and met other inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses indicated small but statistically significant positive effects of OST on both reading and mathematics student achievement and larger positive effect sizes for programs with specific characteristics such as tutoring in reading. Whether the OST program took place after school or during the summer did not make a difference in effectiveness.
Haptics in Education: Exploring an Untapped Sensory Modality
Authors: Minogue James , Jones M. Gail
Published: June 2007

As human beings, we can interact with our environment through the sense of touch, which helps us to build an understanding of objects and events. The implications of touch for cognition are recognized by many educators who advocate the use of “hands-on” instruction. But is it possible to know something more completely by touching it? Does touch promote the construction of more connected and meaningful understandings? Current technology makes the addition of touch to computer-generated environments possible, but the educational implications of this innovation are still largely unknown. This article is a baseline review that examines the role of touch in cognition and learning and explores the research investigating the efficacy of the haptic augmentation of instruction.
Exploring Sociocultural Perspectives on Race, Culture, and Learning
Authors: Nasir Na’ilah Suad , Hand Victoria M.
Published: June 2007

This article explores the potential uses and extensions of sociocultural theoretical perspectives for integrating and further developing research on race, culture, and learning. Two bodies of literature are discussed and synthesized: (1) sociocultural theory and (2) studies on race, culture, and learning. The article proposes how a sociocultural lens might provide insight and suggests new lines of research on issues of race, culture, and learning. The authors argue for the extension of each of four lines of research in the sociocultural tradition: a concern with multiple levels of analysis, cultural practices as a unit of analysis, tools and artifacts as mediating action, and learning as shifts in social relations. In doing so, the authors raise critical questions for the field of education to consider.
Going the Distance With Online Education
Authors: Larreamendy-Joerns Jorge , Leinhardt Gaea
Published: June 2007

This article charts the promissory notes and concerns related to college-level online education as reflected in the educational literature. It is argued that, to appreciate the potential and limitations of online education, we need to trace the issues that bind online education with distance education. The article reviews the history of distance education through the lenses of three historical themes—democratization, liberal education, and educational quality—and charts the current scene of online education in terms of three educational visions that may inform the development of online initiatives: the presentational view, the performance-tutoring view, and the epistemic-engagement view. The article emphasizes the potential contributions of online education to democratization and the advancement of the scholarship of teaching.
Challenges New Science Teachers Face
Authors: Davis Elizabeth A. , Petish Debra , Smithey Julie
Published: June 2007

Providing support focused on real challenges is critical in retaining highly qualified new science teachers, but the field lacks a systematic description of these teachers’ needs. The authors of this article examine the areas that science teachers are expected to understand: (1) the content and disciplines of science, (2) learners, (3) instruction, (4) learning environments, and (5) professionalism. They review the literature on challenges facing preservice and early-career science teachers, identify issues on which conventional wisdom is supported or called into question, and highlight the areas where the existing research is inadequate as a basis for generalization. For example, the authors found few studies on how new science teachers use curriculum materials or how they understand scientific inquiry. Their overview of challenges is followed by a discussion of how these teachers can be supported.
Tennessee's Class Size Study: Findings, Implications, Misconceptions
Authors: Finn Jeremy D. , Achilles Charles M.
Published: June 2007

After years of debate, speculation, and research, Tennessee's Project STAR produced clear answers to the question, “Do small classes result in improved academic achievement in the elementary grades?” This article describes the features that made STAR unique and summarizes the findings with regard to pupil performance and behavior. New analyses show the magnitudes of the “small-class advantage” during and after the 4-year experimental period. The positive findings of STAR have been greeted with enthusiasm by the education community and are providing impetus for class size reduction (CSR) efforts in many districts. At the same time, some detractors continue to oppose the idea. Although they usually do not take issue with the strength of the STAR design, they disagree that the findings warrant CSR initiatives in most cases. This article examines those arguments critically. Finally recommendations are offered for policymakers, education practitioners, and researchers for using the information learned to date about the relationship of class size with students' academic achievement.
How Principals of Autonomous Schools in Israel View Implementation of Decentralization and Restructuring Policy: Risks, Rights, and Wrongs
Authors: Gibton Dan , Sabar Naama , Goldring Ellen B.
Published: June 2007

This article describes how school decentralization and restructuring policy in Israel is viewed by principals of autonomous schools. Like many western countries, the Israeli school system is going through reforms that include decentralization policies and school empowerment. Autonomous schools (Israel's version of restructuring) are the center of decentralization policy. In Israel, unlike some other countries, decentralization is characterized by informal changes, seldom accompanied by legislation, and therefore not followed by open public debate. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study among 50 principals of autonomous schools in Israel that explored the principals' insights or ‚mindscapes’ ( Sergiovanni, 1995 ) concerning decentralization and restructuring policy in Israel. The findings shed light on the possibilities and hardships that these principals face and on the complexity of implementing decentralization policies.
Assessment of Students With Disabilities in Kentucky: Inclusion, Student Performance, and Validity
Authors: Koretz Daniel , Hamilton Laura
Published: June 2007

Students with disabilities are increasingly being included in large-scale, high-stakes testing programs, despite a lack of evidence regarding the validity of scores from many tests for these students. This study examines Kentucky's efforts to include students with disabilities in its statewide assessment. We explore the level of inclusion achieved, the kinds of assessment accommodations offered, the performance of students with disabilities, and the relationships between performance and the use of accommodations on both multiple-choice and open-response formats. Results indicate that most students were included in the assessment, but that the scores obtained by some students may not be trustworthy due to inappropriate use of accommodations. We discuss the implications of these results for research and policy.
Teacher Sorting and the Plight of Urban Schools: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Lankford Hamilton , Loeb Susanna , Wyckoff James
Published: June 2007

This paper uses rich new data on New York State teachers to: determine how much variation in the average attributes of teachers exists across schools, identify schools that have the least-qualified teachers, assess whether the distribution has changed over time, and determine how the distribution of teachers is impacted by attrition and transfer, as well as by the job matches between teachers and schools at the start of careers. Our results show striking differences in the qualifications of teachers across schools. Urban schools, in particular, have lesser-qualified teachers; and New York City stands out among urban areas. Low-income, low-achieving and non-white students, particularly those in urban areas, find themselves in classes with many of the least skilled teachers. Salary variation rarely compensates for the apparent difficulties of teaching in urban settings and, in some cases, contributes to the disparities.
The Role of Nonsystem Actors in the Relationship Between Policy and Practice: The Case of Reading Instruction in California
Authors: Coburn Cynthia E.
Published: June 2007

Studies of the relationship between policy and practice typically focus on the formal policy system alone. Yet, the public policy system does not exist in isolation. A host of nonsystem actors promote, translate, and transform policy ideas as they carry them to teachers. This study draws on neoinstitutional theories of organization to investigate the role of nonsystem actors in the relationship between policy and teachers’ classroom practice. A cross-case, historical design was used to investigate how teachers in two California elementary schools responded to changes in state reading policy from 1983 to 1999. The way in which teachers responded depended in part on the nature of their connections to policy messages, which varied substantially across teachers and across policy initiatives. Policy messages from nonsystem actors were more consequential for teachers’ classroom practices. Teachers’ connections to nonsystem actors were influenced by the interrelationship between system and nonsystem actors as policy ideas emerged, diffused, and were implemented over time.
Mathematics Teaching in the United States Today (and Tomorrow): Results From the TIMSS 1999 Video Study
Authors: Hiebert James , Stigler James W. , Jacobs Jennifer K. , Givvin Karen Bogard , Garnier Helen , Smith Margaret , Hollingsworth Hilary , Manaster Alfred , Wearne Diana , Gallimore Ronald
Published: June 2007

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 Video Study examined eighth-grade mathematics teaching in the United States and six higher-achieving countries. A range of teaching systems were found across higher-achieving countries that balanced attention to challenging content, procedural skill, and conceptual understanding in different ways. The United States displayed a unique system of teaching, not because of any particular feature but because of a constellation of features that reinforced attention to lower-level mathematics skills. The authors argue that these results are relevant for policy (mathematics) debates in the United States because they provide a current account of what actually is happening inside U.S. classrooms and because they demonstrate that current debates often pose overly simple choices. The authors suggest ways to learn from examining teaching systems that are not alien to U.S. teachers but that balance a skill emphasis with attention to challenging mathematics and conceptual development.
Toward a Political Explanation of Grade Retention
Authors: Bali Valentina A. , Anagnostopoulos Dorothea , Roberts Reginald
Published: June 2007

Policies that mandate in-grade retention of low-performing students have become central components of standards-based reforms across the country. While educational researchers have extensively studied the student-level correlates of retention and the consequences of retention for student achievement, little attention has been focused on identifying the factors that influence district retention decisions. In this study, the authors explored the significance of a political explanation of retention. A multivariate approach was used to investigate levels of student retention in 2000–2001 in 1,039 Texas school districts. Results showed that, as in earlier studies, student achievement and demographics were directly linked to levels of retention. However, changes in district leadership, local voters’ ideology, and minority representation among district officials also had significant effects on retention levels. These findings suggest that retention is driven not only by student-level characteristics and district resources but also by the constraints and preferences of local constituencies and leadership.
Within-School Segregation in an Urban School District
Authors: Conger Dylan
Published: June 2007

This article examines ethnic segregation, defined as segregation among racial groups as well as between native-born and immigrant students, across elementary school classrooms in New York City. Specifically, the study compares patterns in within-school segregation across ethnic groups, grades, boroughs, and years. Current levels of within-school segregation are also compared to levels of across-school segregation and to levels of segregation that result from three simulations where students are assigned to their classrooms: (a) randomly, (b) to achieve complete ethnic segregation, and (c) according to their prior year test scores. Results indicate that racial segregation across schools is far greater than racial segregation within schools, however the segregation of immigrants within-schools is equal to the segregation of immigrants across schools. Within-school segregation cannot be entirely attributed to random processes or to the use of ability grouping practices, particularly in the case of black and Hispanic segregation. Finally, segregation within-schools varies considerably across the five boroughs and declined during the second half of the 1990s.
Capturing the Cumulative Effects of School Reform: An 11-Year Study of the Impacts of America’s Choice on Student Achievement
Authors: May Henry , Supovitz Jonathan A.
Published: June 2007

This article presents the results of an 11-year longitudinal study of the impact of America’s Choice comprehensive school reform (CSR) design on student learning gains in Rochester, New York. A quasi-experimental interrupted time-series approach using Bayesian hierarchical growth curve analysis with crossed random effects is used to compare the annual gains in test performance of students attending America’s Choice schools to those of students attending other Rochester schools and to those of students attending America’s Choice schools before they adopted this CSR model. Findings reveal significant annual effects, which accumulate over time, in elementary and middle grades reading and mathematics.
On Added Information for ML Factor Analysis with Mean and Covariance Structures
Authors: Yung Yiu-Fai , Bentler Peter M.
Published: June 2007

Using explicit formulas for the information matrix of ML factor analysis under multivariate normal theory, gross and net information for estimating the parameters in a covariance structure gained by adding the associated mean structure are defined. It is proved that a necessary and sufficient condition for a non-null net information gain is that the identified mean structure is not saturated, provided that the factor mean is not a zero vector. Under this necessary and sufficient condition for the mean structure, asymptotic variances of the ML estimates for some covariance structure parameters will be reduced. In light of this Theorem, we discuss some recently proposed mean and covariance structure models. For some of these models, adding the associated mean structure will not improve the estimation of the parameters of interest. We argue that in such cases it may be better not to model the means. In other cases where the identified mean structure is not saturated, modeling the means should be seriously considered. Using numerical examples, we illustrate that the reduction of asymptotic variances for factor loadings can be quite substantial when a mean structure is added. We also demonstrate similar numerical results for a two-group model. Limitations and applicability of our results are discussed.
ML Estimation of Mean and Covariance Structures with Missing Data Using Complete Data Routines
Authors: Jamshidian Mortaza , Bentler Peter M.
Published: June 2007

We consider maximum likelihood (ML) estimation of mean and covariance structure models when data are missing. Expectation maximization (EM), generalized expectation maximization (GEM), Fletcher-Powell, and Fisher-scoring algorithms are described for parameter estimation. It is shown how the machinery within a software that handles the complete data problem can be utilized to implement each algorithm. A numerical differentiation method for obtaining the observed information matrix and the standard errors is given. This method also uses the complete data program machinery. The likelihood ratio test is discussed for testing hypotheses. Three examples are used to compare the cost of the four algorithms mentioned above, as well as to illustrate the standard error estimation and the test of hypothesis considered. The sensitivity of the ML estimates as well as the mean imputed and listwise deletion estimates to missing data mechanisms is investigated using three artificial data sets that are missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR), and neither MCAR nor MAR.
On the Adaptive Control of the False Discovery Rate in Multiple Testing With Independent Statistics
Authors: Benjamini Yoav , Hochberg Yosef
Published: June 2007

A new approach to problems of multiple significance testing was presented in Benjamini and Hochberg (1995), which calls for controlling the expected ratio of the number of erroneous rejections to the number of rejections–the False Discovery Rate (FDR). The procedure given there was shown to control the FDR for independent test statistics. When some of the hypotheses are in fact false, that procedure is too conservative. We present here an adaptive procedure, where the number of true null hypotheses is estimated first as in Hochberg and Benjamini (1990), and this estimate is used in the procedure of Benjamini and Hochberg (1995). The result is still a simple stepwise procedure, to which we also give a graphical companion. The new procedure is used in several examples drawn from educational and behavioral studies, addressing problems in multi-center studies, subset analysis and meta-analysis. The examples vary in the number of hypotheses tested, and the implication of the new procedure on the conclusions. In a large simulation study of independent test statistics the adaptive procedure is shown to control the FDR and have substantially better power than the previously suggested FDR controlling method, which by itself is more powerful than the traditional family wise error-rate controlling methods. In cases where most of the tested hypotheses are far from being true there is hardly any penalty due to the simultaneous testing of many hypotheses.
Distorting Value Added: The Use of Longitudinal, Vertically Scaled Student Achievement Data for Growth-Based, Value-Added Accountability
Authors: Martineau Joseph A.
Published: June 2007

Longitudinal, student performance-based, value-added accountability models have become popular of late and continue to enjoy increasing popularity. Such models require student data to be vertically scaled across wide grade and developmental ranges so that the value added to student growth/achievement by teachers, schools, and districts may be modeled in an accurate manner. Many assessment companies provide such vertical scales and claim that those scales are adequate for longitudinal value-added modeling. However, psychometricians tend to agree that scales spanning wide grade/developmental ranges also span wide content ranges, and that scores cannot be considered exchangeable along the various portions of the scale. This shift in the constructs being measured from grade to grade jeopardizes the validity of inferences made from longitudinal value-added models. This study demonstrates mathematically that the use of such “construct-shifting” vertical scales in longitudinal, value-added models introduces remarkable distortions in the value-added estimates of the majority of educators. These distortions include (a) identification of effective teachers/schools as ineffective (and vice versa) simply because their students’ achievement is outside the developmental range measured well by “appropriate” grade-level tests, and (b) the attribution of prior teacher/school effects to later teachers/schools. Therefore, theories, models, policies, rewards, and sanctions based upon such value-added estimates are likely to be invalid because of distorted conclusions about educator effectiveness in eliciting student growth. This study identifies highly restrictive scenarios in which current value-added models can be validly applied in high-stakes and low-stakes research uses. This article further identifies one use of student achievement data for growth-based, value-added modeling that is not plagued by the problems of construct shift: the assessment of an upper grade content (e.g., fourth grade) in both the grade below and the appropriate grade to obtain a measure of student gain on a grade-specific mix of constructs. Directions for future research on methods to alleviate the problems of construct shift are identified as well.
A comparative study of population management approaches in infectious disease control, population management of fisheries and wildlife, and integrated pest management in agriculture
Authors: Matsuda Hiroyuki , Watanabe Akira
Published: March 2024

This paper provides a comprehensive study on the similarities and differences between infectious disease control in public health and various population management approaches, including fisheries resource management, wildlife management, and integrated pest management in agriculture. We aim to identify key strategies, and potential synergies that can contribute to the development of population management strategies within these domains. For example, scientists provide options but leave policy making itself to stakeholders, choose monitoring indicators with as little time lag or change thresholds between increasing and decreasing phases to account for time lag, consider economic feasibility, and clarify accountability, which are common to all fields. There are many elements to incorporate methods from other fields while making use of the accumulation gained in each field.
EU‐LIFE charter of independent life science research institutes
Authors: Superti‐Furga Giulio , Agostinho Marta , Bury Jo , Cook Simon , Durinx Christine , Ender Anita , van Luenen Henri , Lund Anders H. , Medema René H. , Miączyńska Marta , Nickel Dorthe , Pelicci Pier Giuseppe , Puisieux Alain , Ripatti Samuli , Sander Maike , Schubeler Dirk , Serrano Luis , Sommer Thomas , Sonne‐Hansen Katrine , Tomančák Pavel , Vives Joan , Vontas John , Bettencourt‐Dias Mónica
Published: March 2024

The diverse range of organizations contributing to the global research ecosystem is believed to enhance the overall quality and resilience of its output. Mid‐sized autonomous research institutes, distinct from universities, play a crucial role in this landscape. They often lead the way in new research fields and experimental methods, including those in social and organizational domains, which are vital for driving innovation. The EU‐LIFE alliance was established with the goal of fostering excellence by developing and disseminating best practices among European biomedical research institutes. As directors of the 15 EU‐LIFE institutes, we have spent a decade comparing and refining our processes. Now, we are eager to share the insights we've gained. To this end, we have crafted this Charter, outlining 10 principles we deem essential for research institutes to flourish and achieve ground‐breaking discoveries. These principles, detailed in the Charter, encompass excellence, independence, training, internationality and inclusivity, mission focus, technological advancement, administrative innovation, cooperation, societal impact, and public engagement. Our aim is to inspire the establishment of new institutes that adhere to these principles and to raise awareness about their significance. We are convinced that they should be viewed a crucial component of any national and international innovation strategies.
Postbiotics of Lacticaseibacillus paracaseiCECT 9610 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarumCECT 9608 attenuates store‐operated calcium entry and FAK phosphorylation in colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Macias‐Diaz Alvaro , Lopez Jose J. , Bravo Maria , Jardín Isaac , Garcia‐Jimenez Waldo Luis , Blanco‐Blanco Francisco J. , Cerrato Rosario , Rosado Juan A.
Published: March 2024

Store‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a major mechanism for Ca2+ influx in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. This mechanism, regulated by the filling state of the intracellular Ca2+ stores, is mediated by the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensors of the stromal interaction molecules (STIM) family [stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) and STIM2] and the Ca2+‐release‐activated Ca2+ channels constituted by Orai family members, with predominance of calcium release‐activated calcium channel protein 1 (Orai1). CRC cells exhibit enhanced SOCE due to remodeling of the expression of the key SOCE molecular components. The enhanced SOCE supports a variety of cancer hallmarks. Here, we show that treatment of the colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines HT‐29 and Caco‐2 with inanimate Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (CECT9610) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (CECT9608) attenuates SOCE, although no detectable effect is seen on SOCE in normal colon mucosa cells. The effect of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum postbiotics was mediated by downregulation of Orai1 and STIM1, while the expression levels of Orai3 and STIM2 remained unaltered. Treatment of HT‐29 and Caco‐2 cells with inanimate Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum impairs in vitro migration by a mechanism likely involving attenuation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation. Cell treatment with the Orai1 inhibitor synta‐66 attenuates SOCE and prevents any further effect of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum postbiotics. Together, our results indicate for the first time that Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum postbiotics selectively exert negative effects on Ca2+ influx through SOCE in colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines, providing evidence for an attractive strategy against CRC.
Biochemical characterization and gene structure analysis of the 24‐kDa glutathione transferase sigma from Taenia solium
Authors: Miranda‐Blancas Ricardo , Rodríguez‐Lima Oscar , García‐Gutiérrez Ponciano , Flores‐López Roberto , Jiménez Lucía , Zubillaga Rafael A. , Rudiño‐Piñera Enrique , Landa Abraham
Published: March 2024

Taenia solium can cause human taeniasis and/or cysticercosis. The latter can in some instances cause human neurocysticercosis which is considered a priority in disease‐control strategies and the prevention of mental health problems. Glutathione transferases are crucial for the establishment and long‐term survival of T. solium; therefore, we structurally analyzed the 24‐kDa glutathione transferase gene (Ts24gst) of T. solium and biochemically characterized its product. The gene promoter showed potential binding sites for transcription factors and xenobiotic regulatory elements. The gene consists of a transcription start site, four exons split by three introns, and a polyadenylation site. The gene architecture is conserved in cestodes. Recombinant Ts24GST (rTs24GST) was active and dimeric. Anti‐rTs24GST serum showed slight cross‐reactivity with human sigma‐class GST. A 3D model of Ts24GST enabled identification of putative residues involved in interactions of the G‐site with GSH and of the H‐site with CDNB and prostaglandin D2. Furthermore, rTs24GST showed optimal activity at 45 °C and pH 9, as well as high structural stability in a wide range of temperatures and pHs. These results contribute to the better understanding of this parasite and the efforts directed to fight taeniasis/cysticercosis.
Laser‐Induced Real‐Space Topology Control of Spin Wave Resonances
Authors: Titze Tim , Koraltan Sabri , Schmidt Timo , Möller Marcel , Bruckner Florian , Abert Claas , Suess Dieter , Ropers Claus , Steil Daniel , Albrecht Manfred , Mathias Stefan
Published: March 2024

Femtosecond laser excitation of materials exhibiting magnetic spin textures promises advanced magnetic control via the generation of non‐equilibrium spin dynamics. Ferrimagnetic [Fe(0.35 nm)/Gd(0.40 nm)]160 multilayers are used to explore this approach, as they host a rich diversity of magnetic textures from stripe domains at low magnetic fields, a dense bubble/skyrmion lattice at intermediate fields, and a single domain state for high magnetic fields. Using femtosecond magneto‐optics, distinct coherent spin wave dynamics are observed in this material in response to a weak laser excitation, enabling an unambiguous identification of the different magnetic spin textures. Moreover, employing strong laser excitation, versatile control of the coherent spin dynamics via non‐equilibrium transformation of magnetic spin textures becomes possible by both creating and annihilating bubbles/skyrmions. Micromagnetic simulations and Lorentz transmission electron microscopy with in situ optical excitation corroborate these findings.