ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Health Outcomes Associated with Self-Reported Vision Impairment in Older Adults
Author: Steinman, Bernard A.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Older Adults,Visual Impairments,Comparative Analysis,Risk,Disabilities,Pathology,Regression (Statistics),Health,Intervals,Vision,Dietetics,Health Behavior,Physical Activity Level,Longitudinal Studies,Research Needs,Attribution Theory,Intervention,Prevention

Introduction: To compare the health status of older adults with and without vision impairment, this study employed a disability framework consisting of four stages, progressing from risk factors; through pathology and impairments that result in declining functioning; and eventually to disability. Methods: Data from five rounds (1999 to 2008) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study were analyzed. Binary and multinomial logistic regression were used to estimate odds ratios, with 95% confidence intervals reflecting the likelihood of negative health outcomes among persons with self-reported fair and poor vision relative to persons with good vision. Results: Fair and poor vision status were associated with negative health outcomes across the four health dimensions. Discussion: Disparities in health among vision status groups may originate as a result of limitations in daily activities that could lead to changes in diet, health maintenance, and activity levels. Alternatively, disparities may reflect primary pathologies and conditions that are secondarily related to poor vision status. Longitudinal research is suggested in order to assess the order of key events, and to make a more powerful assertion of causality. Implications for practitioners: Comparisons of health outcomes by vision status are important because of the potential to identify points in the disability framework where effective interventions could prevent progression to later stages in the disability process.
Targeted Vision Function Goals and Use of Vision Resources in Ophthalmology Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Comorbid Depressive Symptoms
Author: Casten, Robin
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vision,Patients,Optometry,Ophthalmology,Visual Impairments,Comorbidity,Depression (Psychology),Symptoms (Individual Disorders),Visual Acuity,Occupational Therapy,Statistical Analysis,Newspapers,Reading Ability,Computer Use,Clinical Diagnosis,Clinics,Leisure Time,Difficulty Level,Rehabilitation,Referral

Introduction: This study characterizes self-reported functional vision goals and the use of low vision resources (for example, services and devices) in ophthalmology clinic patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and comorbid depressive symptoms. Methods: From July 2009 to February 2013, we assessed 188 consecutive patients (age 65+; mean 84.0 years; 70.2% female) with AMD (best corrected distance acuity 20/70 or worse) enrolled in a 12-month randomized clinical trial to test the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention that combined low vision optometry and home-based occupational therapy to prevent depression (Low Vision Depression Prevention Trial [VITAL]). A geriatric nurse conducted in-home assessments to measure visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, self-reported functional vision, functional vision goals that were personally important yet difficult to achieve (targeted vision function goals), and the use of low vision resources (defined as services, devices and strategies utilized by low vision patients to compensate for visual deficits). This study reports on baseline data collected prior to randomization. Results: Only 9.6% of the sample had received formal low vision services. The five most common goals were newspaper reading, leisure and entertainment, computer use, personal communication, and correspondence. Participants engaged in targeted vision function goals less frequently since being diagnosed with AMD, despite using low vision resources and reporting low to moderate difficulty in using them. Discussion: Few patients with AMD seen in ophthalmology clinics received low vision rehabilitation. Patients who utilized resources engaged in goals less frequently since being diagnosed with AMD. Implications for practitioners: Patients with AMD are underutilizing low vision rehabilitation resources. Strategies for increasing low vision referrals are suggested.
Teaching, Academic Achievement, and Attitudes toward Mathematics in the United States and Nigeria
Author: Perry, S. Marshall
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Achievement,Student Attitudes,High School Students,Preservice Teachers,Cross Cultural Studies,Cultural Differences,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Questionnaires,Self Efficacy,Self Concept,Pretests Posttests,Quasiexperimental Design,Likert Scales,Mathematics Anxiety,Gender Differences,Racial Differences,Grade Point Average,Statistical Analysis

This paper explores the relationships among attitudes toward mathematics, teaching, and academic achievement in mathematics. Based on the contextual and social nature of academic self-concept, two complementary studies are discussed. The first study from the northeastern United States examined the relationships among these variables in 84 high school students. A second study from southwestern Nigeria examined how teaching approach can engender changes in student achievement and attitudes toward mathematics through the analysis of 36 preservice teachers associated with 830 students. Instruments used included the Program for International Student Assessment, the June 2012 New York State Integrated Algebra Regents Examination, the Student Mathematics Attitudes Questionnaire, and the Student Mathematics Achievement Test. Analytic methods included descriptive statistics, correlations, linear regression, and analysis of covariance. Together, the research supports the link between attitudes toward mathematics and academic achievement and suggests that teachers can improve student attitudes toward mathematics based on their teaching approach.
Principal Professional Learning Community Behavior in Low Wealth High Schools with Higher and Lower Student Achievement as Measured by Mastery Scores on the New York State Eleventh Grade ELA Regents Exam
Author: Adams, Adrian
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Supervisors,Administrator Attitudes,Communities of Practice,High Schools,Surveys,Assistant Principals,Department Heads,Grade 11,Language Arts,Academic Achievement,Predictor Variables,Administrator Role,Placement,Disadvantaged Schools,Low Income Groups,School Districts,Low Achievement,High Achievement

This study was designed to analyze non-principal staff supervisors' perceptions of PLC efforts, encouragements, and activities in the six dimensions of a professional learning community (PLC) characterized as shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collaborative culture, a focus on learning, supportive relationships, and supportive structures. By correlating that data with student achievement, this study sought to find which PLC dimensions and behaviors were associated with high student mastery, despite poverty. A survey was completed by 33 assistant principals and department chairpersons from selected high schools classified by New York State as suburban or small city districts. The NYS Comprehensive School Report Card demographic data was used to select schools with low-wealth. The schools were further stratified into two groups which had either the lowest or highest percentages of students who attained mastery level, averaged over two years, on the New York State 11th Grade English Language Arts Regents exam. The data showed that shared and supportive leadership was the strongest and only significant predictor of supervisor placement in lower or higher achievement low-wealth high schools among these New York State school districts.
Boy, Am I Tired!! Sleep....Why You Need It!
Author: Olivieri, Chrystyne
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sleep,Physiology,Human Body,Aging (Individuals),Mental Health,Physical Health,Children,Body Weight

Sleep is essential to a healthy human being. It is among the basic necessities of life, located at the bottom of Maslow's Hierarchy of Need. It is a dynamic activity, necessary to maintain mood, memory and cognitive performance. Sleep disorders are strongly associated with the development of acute and chronic medical conditions. This article traces the history of sleep and then discusses the physiology of sleep. In this discussion, two main sleep types--REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and NREM (Non-REM) sleep--and the four stages of Non-REM sleep are described. Other topics covered include sleep and aging, sleep and children, and how to improve sleep quality.
Needs and Challenges of Seniors with Combined Hearing and Vision Loss
Author: McDonnall, Michele C.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Older Adults,Comorbidity,Hearing Impairments,Hearing Therapy,Visual Impairments,Needs Assessment,Individual Needs,Age Differences,Barriers,Educational Needs,Skill Analysis,Skill Development,Community Services,Intervention,Community Surveys,Community Needs

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to identify the needs and challenges of seniors with dual sensory loss (combined hearing and vision loss) and to determine priorities for training family members, community service providers, and professionals who work with them. Methods: Individuals (N = 131) with dual sensory loss between the ages of 55 and 99 years participated in a survey designed to collect information about their most important needs, challenges encountered associated with sensory losses, and the training requirements of the people who interact with them. Results were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and comparisons were made between persons with early and late onset of sensory loss. Results: The most commonly identified needs were transportation, technology training, assistance with errands, and improved communication. Medical providers were identified as the service providers who most need training about dual sensory loss. A majority of respondents thought their local community members, friends, and family also need education. Some differences were noted based on age of onset of sensory losses. Discussion: Needs differed by age of onset group: needs of participants with early onset of one or both sensory losses focused on transportation and training to use technology, while needs for those with later onset focused on information about devices to improve hearing or vision and better ability to communicate with family. Implications for practitioners: Training to use technology is an important area of need that may not always be addressed for this population by service providers, but it may contribute to overall improved quality of life, since it has the potential to improve communication options and reduce feelings of isolation. Health care providers are an important group to target for education regarding how to interact with people with dual sensory loss.
Steps to Offering Low Vision Rehabilitation Services through Clinical Video Telehealth
Author: Ihirig, Carolyn
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Partial Vision,Telecommunications,Health Services,Clinical Diagnosis,Video Technology,Teleconferencing,Program Descriptions,Program Development,Models,Program Implementation,Guidelines,Access to Health Care

Telehealth clinical applications, which allow medical professionals to use telecommunications technologies to provide services to individuals remotely, continue to expand in areas such as low vision rehabilitation, where evaluations are provided to patients who live in rural areas. As with face-to-face low vision rehabilitation, the goal of clinical video telehealth is to help patients cope with a loss of vision, as well as accept and recognize challenges and provide skills to maintain independence and safety, and to prevent depression. Important aspects of implementing clinical video telehealth are increasing access, building capacity, saving time, and decreasing travel costs for patients and providers in several clinical specialties. Reducing barriers to care is achieved through telehealth by enabling patients to avoid traveling long distances when they feel they are unable to drive safely or when they rely on family or friends for transportation. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the development, need, and benefits of establishing a low vision clinical video telehealth clinic, and to increase access to low vision rehabilitation among the aging population with vision loss.
A Comparison of Subjects' Reading and Writing Performance and Preference While Using Various Portable Electronic Magnifiers
Author: Matchinski, Tracy L.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Assistive Technology,Writing Achievement,Reading Achievement,Comparative Analysis,Visual Impairments,Preferences,Handheld Devices,Performance Based Assessment,Reading Rate,Writing Ability,Difficulty Level,Usability,Task Analysis,Reading Tests,Writing Tests,Likert Scales,Electronic Learning,Electronic Equipment,Statistical Analysis

The ability to read print to help maintain independence and quality of life is a primary concern of people with visual impairments. One option for reading is a CCTV (closed-circuit television) or, using a more specific term, electronic magnifier. An electronic magnifier uses a camera to enlarge images onto a screen. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of preferences, and reading and writing performance of subjects with visual impairments using different portable electronic magnifiers. Performance was measured by assessing reading rates, writing speeds, and equivalent power used. Preferences were determined by having subjects rank ease of writing tasks with portable electronic magnifi­ers. This study assesses trends and provides information that practitioners may find useful as they demonstrate and prescribe portable electronic magnifiers. Fourteen subjects were tested. Subjects had no previous portable electronic magnifier experience, but they frequently used a desktop electronic magnifier for reading and writing. All subjects were employed at one of three agencies that serve people who are visually impaired (that is, those who are blind or have low vision). Eight portable electronic magnifiers were classified into large and small categories. Subjects read text and performed three different writing tasks with all eight portable electronic magnifiers and the desktop electronic magnifier they used daily. Testing was done over two sessions; each lasted 60 to 90 minutes. Reading speed was measured using articles from a standard print-size &quot;Time&quot; magazine. Subjects were asked to read aloud for three minutes, and they were informed they would be timed. Subjects were asked to sign their name, fill out a check, and print a paragraph. The subjects were informed that the task of printing the paragraph would be timed. For mean reading rates, desktop electronic magnifiers were the fastest at 61.8 words per minute. Three of the large portable electronic magnifiers had faster rates than all but one of the small portable electronic magnifiers. The average of the mean reading rates of the large portable electronic magnifiers was 46.2 words per minute versus 38.1 for the small ones. The averages of the mean writing rates were similar between the two portable groups, with larger portable electronic magnifiers at 61.0 and smaller portable electronic magnifiers at 59.3. Writing rates of desktop electronic magnifiers were the fastest at 85.5.
Why It Is Important to Encourage Practicing Professionals to become Authors
Author: Erin, Jane N.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Authors,Writing for Publication,Educational Practices,Professional Identity,Professional Personnel,Visual Impairments

In February of 2009, the &quot;Journal of Visual Impairment &amp; Blindness&quot; (&quot;JVIB&quot;) published the first articles under the heading of Practice Perspectives. These articles featured work by three professionals who described how they taught reading to children or adults. The feature reflects the commitment of the American Foundation of the Blind (AFB) to address the interests of professionals who work daily with people who have visual impairments. Since the inception of Practice Perspectives, &quot;JVIB&quot; has also continued to publish Practice Reports, which describe systematic exploration of a question or issue related to practice. These last few years, it has been the good fortune of the author to be &quot;JVIB's&quot; associate editor for practice. In that role she has considered ways to encourage practicing professionals to become authors, so that these skilled professionals would share their insights into instructional practices that worked for them. Unlike many authors of full-length research articles, whose jobs require writing and research, practice authors write mainly because they have experiences or ideas to share with colleagues and the people they serve. In this article the author reflects on the trail that the professional field has traveled since she entered the field of visual impairment in the 1970s, why it is important to encourage practicing professionals to become authors, discusses the end of her career as the associate editor in practice, and welcomes the new editor.
Bench, Bedside, Curbside, and Home: Translational Research to Include Transformative Change Using Educational Research
Author: Felege, Christopher
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Research,Research and Development,Research Reports,Research Utilization,Scientific and Technical Information,Scientific Research,Information Dissemination,Information Management,User Needs (Information),Community Information Services,Access to Information,Models,Barriers,Medical Research

Translational research originated in the medical field during the 1990s to describe taking discovery based research through the steps of applying it to clinical research and patient-oriented care. This model is implicitly linear, depicting the flow of information from researchers' bench, to a clinical trial bedside, to a primary care physician's practice. The prevailing model of translational research, referred to as &quot;Bench to Bedside to Curbside,&quot; is limited in that it does not adequately incorporate stakeholders outside of the professional or research community because Curbside refers to physician care delivered to patients. This omits the transformative impact that research can have on the general populace if implemented through educational research, disseminating knowledge to people who can use it. In this article we argue that a fourth category needs to be incorporated into the previous T1-T3 Bench to Bedside to Curbside model, and this fourth category represents T4, &quot;Home.&quot; We seek to further define and describe, while providing a new model for translational research that is more circular in nature and inclusive of the general populace. We also suggest that the incorporation of educational researchers and practitioners would expand the current collaborative nature of translational research and is a way to expand the translational model. This promises more adequate, effective, and sustainable impacts on a target population.
Challenges of T3 and T4 Translational Research
Author: Vukotich, Charles J., Jr.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Medical Research,Research Reports,Public Health,Research and Development,Science and Society,Definitions,Scientific Research,Scientific and Technical Information,Barriers,Information Dissemination,Information Management,Research Utilization,User Needs (Information)

Translational research is a new and important way of thinking about research. It is a major priority of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. NIH has created the Clinical and Translational Science Awards to promote this priority. NIH has defined T1 and T2 phases of translational research in the medical field, in order to bring the benefits of scientific results into communities. Current discussions focus on clarifying the subsequent phases of translational research necessary to achieve the intended social impact of research. This article suggests that T3 translational research could aim at getting research out of the highly controlled environment of the academic health center and into the real world. Likewise, it suggests T4 translational research could aim at policy development through policy analysis and evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, and surveillance studies. Translational research has challenges beyond definitions. Translational research is incomplete at any level unless appropriate steps are taken to communicate the results to relevant stakeholders. It appears that communication is currently suboptimal at all levels of translation. Translational research also faced challenges in research funding and training of researchers. Translational thinking should be a key part of research policy and research practice at all levels.
Perceived Connections between Anti-Social Gateway Behaviors and School Bullying and Culture
Author: Grell, Brett Stanley
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grade 8,Grade 9,Antisocial Behavior,Bullying,Secondary School Teachers,Secondary School Students,Victims,Gender Differences,Incidence,Attitude Measures,Correlation,Student Behavior,High Schools,Middle Schools,Qualitative Research,Student Surveys

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare opinions of 8th and 9th grade teachers and students regarding the prevalence of anti-social/gateway behaviors in their classrooms, the perceived connection between these behaviors and more traditional forms of bullying, and the potential impact of school-wide anti-bullying programs specifically designed to address these behaviors. A sample of convenience from one middle school and one high school from a suburban Midwestern school district were selected to participate in this qualitative study. Researchers found that over 80% of students have witnessed or been involved in anti-social behaviors, and over 70% of students, higher among females, believed that a school-wide program would lessen the amount of more extreme forms of bullying, while over 90% of teachers agreed that such a program would lessen extreme forms of bullying. The authors conclude that proactive, building-wide plans for addressing anti-social/gateway behaviors could be reduce the amount of overt bullying and positively impact the overall culture of the school.