The aim of this paper was to examine the effects of resistance training periodization on the performance and salivary hormone-immune responses of elite female basketball players. Twelve female athletes were monitored across a 50 day period of resistance training that emphasized strength, endurance and power. One repetition maximum (1RM) strength, ...

The present study investigated the difference in blood glucose concentration (Glu) response during an incremental swimming test before and after a ten-week training period and verified whether blood glucose threshold (GT) could be determined in competitive swimmers. 7 elite male university swimmers participated in this study. 2 incremental swimming tests ...

Select trace elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Al, K, Na, Ba, Sb, Pb, As) were determined by ICP-AES after nitric acid-perchloric acid wet digestion in samples of scalp hair of University students. Some metal-to-metal intercorrelations were found. The more often the hair was dyed and marcelled, the higher were the contents ...

Radon measurements were performed in secondary schools in the Oke-Ogun area, South-west, Nigeria, by solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). About seventy CR-39 detectors were distributed in 35 high schools of the Oke-Ogun area. The CR-39 detectors were exposed in the schools for 3 months and then etched in NaOH ...

Piirainen, JM, Tanskanen, M, Nissilä J, Kaarela, J, Väärälä, A, Sippola, N, and Linnamo, V. Effects of a heart rate-based recovery period on hormonal, neuromuscular, and aerobic performance responses during 7 weeks of strength training in men. J Strength Cond Res 25(X): 000-000, 2010-The purpose of this study was to ...

OBJECTIVE: As background for the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) Third Respiratory Care in 2015 and Beyond conference, information and opinions were sought on the ability of the current educational infrastructure to make changes that would assure competent providers in the envisioned health care future. METHODS: Survey responses from ...

BACKGROUND: Neonatal-pediatric respiratory care is recognized as a unique and complex area of clinical practice. Despite the significant effort and costs associated with orienting neonatal-pediatric practitioners, little data exist related to the process of training respiratory therapists in the acute neonatal-pediatric environment. In order to gain insight into the adequacy ...

Abstract Objective. To determine whether prehospital providers can successfully place a pediatric King laryngeal tube (LT-D) and ventilate a Laerdal SimBaby pediatric simulator during a respiratory arrest simulation. Methods. We studied the ability of 45 paramedics and flight nurses to place the pediatric King LT-D in a SimBaby manikin. For ...

Objective: The purpose of this article is to examine the case for and challenges to implementing random breath testing (RBT) in Canada, with a particular focus on the persistence of impaired driving under the current method of law enforcement. It seeks to place RBT within Canada's existing legal and social ...

Despite most teenage smokers wanting to quit, their likelihood of success resembles that of flipping a coin. Evidence-based cessation programs, like the American Lung Association's Not-On-Tobacco (N-O-T) program, are effective. Evaluation of program dissemination is critical. This study uses the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the N-O-T program in West Virginia ...

Objective. Evidence supports a bidirectional relationship between stress and asthma exacerbations in children, suggesting that interventions to reduce stress may improve both psychosocial quality of life and disease course. Here, we examine the feasibility of a stress management intervention for 7- to 12-year-olds with asthma. Methods. Two trials were conducted. ...

: To describe a respiratory disease prevention program in a US heavy-construction company. : The program uses periodic spirometry and questionnaires and is integrated into a worksite wellness program involving individualized intervention. Spirometry Longitudinal Data Analysis (SPIROLA) technology is used to assist the physician with (i) manage-ment and evaluation of ...

We sought to determine whether implementation of shoulder dystocia training reduces the incidence of obstetric brachial plexus injury (OBPI). After implementing training for maternity staff, the incidence of OBPI was compared between pretraining and posttraining periods using both univariate and multivariate analyses in deliveries complicated by shoulder dystocia. The overall ...

AIMS: To assess the technical performance of spirometry in one general practice, and then to deliver in-house education to effect change. METHODS: Retrospective audit of 45 spirometry reports assessed against possible alternative quality criteria. Three subsequent educational interventions for those clinicians performing and interpreting spirometry. Re-audit of 45 spirometry report ...

There is considerable public interest in the use of breathing modification techniques in the treatment of asthma. Surveys suggest many people with asthma use them, often without the knowledge of their medical attendants. Extravagant claims have been made about the effectiveness of some techniques, resulting in scepticism from orthodox clinicians. ...

AIMS: The study examined the effects of brief monthly practice on nursing students' CPR psychomotor skill performance at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months compared to a control group with no practice, and of repeating the initial BLS course at 12 months. METHODS: Nursing students (n=606) completed either HeartCode™ BLS ...

OBJECTIVE:: To assess the efficacy of a limited, tailored training program for noncardiologist residents without experience in ultrasound to reach competence in basic critical care echocardiography. DESIGN:: Prospective descriptive clinical study. SETTING:: Medical-surgical intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. PATIENTS:: 201 patients (125 men; age: 61 ± 16 yrs; ...

The video laryngoscope is a useful tool in intubation training as it allows both the trainer and the student to share the same view of the airway during the intubation process. In this study, the Center for Advanced Technology and Telemedicine's airway training program employed videolaryngoscopy (VL) in teaching both ...

Studies show the video laryngoscope enhances intubation training by facilitating visualization of airway anatomy. We examined the performance and training of military healthcare providers in a brief intubation training course which included both direct and indirect (video) laryngoscopy. This training format with the video laryngoscope improved airway visualization and intubation ...

In North America, acute respiratory infections are the main reason for doctors' visits in primary care. Family physicians and their patients overuse antibiotics for treating acute respiratory infections. In a pilot clustered randomized trial, we showed that DECISION+, a continuing medical education program in shared decision making, has the ...

This study examines the joint impact of neighborhood structure and ethnic density on the educational attainment of the second generation. Using second-generation samples and a majority reference sample from the Belgian Census, multi-level analysis yields the expected positive effects of neighborhood stability and quality and ethnic density on second-generation school ...

In a case of cardiac arrest lay people in Republic of Slovenia rarely start basic life support procedures. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of knowledge about and attitude towards cardiopulmonary resuscitation in lay population. A cross-sectional telephone survey using computer-assisted telephone interview method was performed ...

This study explored the differences in individual empowerment outcomes of a group of socially disadvantaged women participating in physical activity promotion. The outcomes observed were assessed in the context of the women's mode of participation and the structural organizational and community level changes, which took place during the implementation of ...

Abstract  To study the associations between dorm environment and occupants' health, a nested case-control study on 348 college students was carried out in 2006-2007 at Tianjin University, China. Two hundred and twenty-three dorm rooms where the 'cases' and 'controls' resided were inspected. Measured variables were ventilation rate, air temperature, and ...

Evaluation is a burgeoning field of health care program research. Experimental designs and meta-analyses have traditionally been considered the most suitable means of assessing program effectiveness. Qualitative methods also have been widely adopted. Mixed-methods designs have now emerged as a promising alternative. This paper highlights the key features of contemporary ...

In response to a successful, although difficult resuscitation in one of our paediatric wards, we developed and implemented an educational program to improve the resuscitation skills, teamwork and safety climate in our multidisciplinary acute-care paediatric service. The program is ongoing and consists of didactic presentations, high-fidelity in situ simulation and ...

Faculty and staff in Taiwanese technical colleges are required to perform school self-evaluations. Most members of technical colleges come from postsecondary schools and are thus unfamiliar with school self-evaluation procedures. An effective school self-evaluation involves a complete ECB,(1) making it necessary to build faculty and staff evaluation capacity. In this ...

This article reports some of the findings of an evaluation of the Children's Koori Court (CKC)-the first legislated effort in Australia to involve the Indigenous community in the sentencing of young Aboriginal offenders as a strategy for reducing their overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system. A prominent feature of this ...

Objectives: A unique radio program Silver Memories, specifically designed to address social isolation and loneliness in older people by broadcasting music (primarily), serials and other programs relevant to the period when older people grew up - the 1920-1950s, first aired in Brisbane, Australia, in April 2008. The impact of the ...

Traditionally, breeding research has been focused on increasing yield and fruit size, improving resistance to diseases, behaviour during transport and increasing postharvest shelf-life. However, consumers' liking is one of the biggest challenges for strawberry breeding programs. In this context, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the application ...

The goal of this study was to evaluate the delivery of a parenting program to 17 Korean immigrants for cultural and linguistic appropriateness and usefulness regarding recruitment, retention, program content, and delivery methods. Focus group interview data were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. Themes identified included fit between the parents' desire ...

This paper proposes ten steps to make evaluations matter. The ten steps are a combination of the usual recommended practice such as developing program theory and implementing rigorous evaluation designs with a stronger focus on more unconventional steps including developing learning frameworks, exploring pathways of evaluation influence, and assessing spread ...

This playground study conceptualizes recess as a time and space that belongs to students; their inclusion in this evaluation is a notable difference from other recess/playground research. The goal was to help elementary school students make the changes they felt were needed on their playground. After conducting structured observations and ...

BACKGROUND/CONTEXT: There is growing recognition within the field of medicine that healing and healing relationships are important and that developing evidence-based medicine approaches to healing should be an important aspect of this emerging field, including the use of systematic reviews. Health care leaders charged with developing healing initiatives in hospitals ...

Prior research has shown wide variation in clinical peer review program structure, process, governance, and perceived effectiveness. This study sought to validate the utility of a Peer Review Program Self-Evaluation Tool as a potential guide to physician and hospital leaders seeking greater program value. Data from 330 hospitals show that ...

Our objective was to evaluate whether the limited effectiveness of most community programs intended to prevent disease and promote health should be attributed to the quality of the conceptualization of their program theories. In a retrospective multiple case study we assessed the program theories of 16 community programs (cases) in ...

Although value-based purchasing (VBP) holds promise for encouraging quality improvement and addressing rising costs, currently there is limited evidence about how best to structure and implement VBP programs. In this commentary, we highlight several issues for improving evaluations of VBP programs. Implementation research can be enhanced through early and continuous ...

Although value-based purchasing (VBP) holds promise for encouraging quality improvement and addressing rising costs, currently there is limited evidence about how best to structure and implement VBP programs. In this commentary, we highlight several issues for improving evaluations of VBP programs. Implementation research can be enhanced through early and continuous ...

BACKGROUND: The Guide for Useful Interventions for Activity in Brazil and Latin America (GUIA), a systematic review of community-based physical activity (PA) interventions in Latin American literature, selected the CuritibAtiva program for a comprehensive evaluation. We describe the process of developing logic models (LM) of PA community interventions from Curitiba, ...

A total of 358 participants from 52 schools participated in a 3-day training program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong. At the end of the training program, the participants were invited to respond to a structured subjective outcome evaluation questionnaire with 31 items. The results showed that scale and ...

To evaluate the effects of a warm-up program on knee joint position sense in karatekas. Repeated measures design. Research laboratory. Ten young amateur karatekas (17.6 +/- 4.0 years of age). Knee joint position sense evaluated before and immediately after a warm-up program through active repositioning in open kinetic chain (OKC) ...

Public stigma robs people with mental illnesses from rightful opportunities related to work and other important life goals. Advocates have developed anti-stigma programs meant to address the prejudice and discrimination associated with these conditions. Evidence is now needed to make sense of program impact; this paper looks at measurement issues ...

This study aims at developing a set of appropriate performance evaluation indices mainly based on balanced scorecard (BSC) for extension education centers in universities by utilizing multiple criteria decision making (MCDM). Through literature reviews and experts who have real practical experiences in extension education, adequate performance evaluation indices have been ...

Program theory evaluation, which has grown in use over the past 10 years, assesses whether a program is designed in such a way that it can achieve its intended outcomes. This article describes a particular type of program theory evaluation-logic analysis-that allows us to test the plausibility of a program's ...

Despite the increasing investment in multi-year federally funded science and technology centers in universities, there are few studies of how these centers engage in learning and change based on information submitted from various agents in the oversight and evaluation process. One challenge is how to manage and respond to this ...

Creation and clearance of pharmaceutical trademarks continues to be one of the most difficult and challenging areas of trademark law. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently initiated a 2-year Pilot Program under Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) IV. The intent of the program is to enable participating pharmaceutical ...

PURPOSE: To describe development of the Standard Hospice & Palliative Care Education Program in Korea, a basic training program for hospice & palliative care professionals, and to report preliminary results from the 2008-2009 demonstration project at 2 sites that support its effectiveness. METHOD: We developed the Standard Hospice & Palliative ...

Although the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of conservation education programs cannot be underestimated, few evaluations of these programs and their resulting impact on the environment have been conducted. A partnership between scientists, educators, and local administrators on an evaluation program has been developed to evaluate a model of education ...

Medical schools continually evolve their curricula to keep students abreast of advances in basic, translational, and clinical sciences. To provide feedback to educators, critical evaluation of the effectiveness of these curricular changes is necessary. This article describes a method of curriculum evaluation, called "empowerment evaluation," that is new to medical ...

The HIV/AIDS pandemic disproportionately afflicts regions of the world that have minimal access to formal schooling and low literacy rates. Health educational interventions are difficult to evaluate efficiently in these settings because standard approaches such as written questionnaires cannot easily be employed. Here, we describe a novel method of rapidly ...