• Title/Summary/Keyword: levels of evidence

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Analysis of the Types and Levels of Evidence in Elementary Students' Scientific Argumentation (초등학생들의 과학적 논증활동에서 증거의 유형 및 수준 분석)

  • Ryu, Hye-Kyoung;Lim, Heejun
    • Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.162-171
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    • 2014
  • The use of evidence is very important in scientific argumentation. This study investigated the types and levels of evidence in scientific argumentation in an elementary science class. 34 fourth graders in a class were selected as subjects, and argumentation was performed in seven lessons on 'Heat transfer and our lives' unit. Small group argumentation was recorded, transcribed and used as data for analyses. The analyses found the following results. First, in regard of the types of evidence, personal evidence dominated over authority-based evidence. Second, in the analysis of the levels of evidence, using inappropriate evidence was found to account for the highest percentage, followed by using appropriate evidence and just arguments without evidence. There were quite a lot of cases of arguments without evidence. It was found that the types and levels of evidence that students used could change depending on the relevance between experiments and argument tasks.

Korean consumers' perceptions of health/functional food claims according to the strength of scientific evidence

  • Kim, Ji-Yeon;Kang, Eun-Jin;Kwon, O-Ran;Kim, Gun-Hee
    • Nutrition Research and Practice
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    • v.4 no.5
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    • pp.428-432
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    • 2010
  • In this study, we investigated that consumers could differentiate between levels of claims and clarify how a visual aid influences consumer understanding of the different claim levels. We interviewed 2,000 consumers in 13 shopping malls on their perception of and confidence in different levels of health claims using seven point scales. The average confidence scores given by participants were 4.17 for the probable level and 4.07 for the possible level; the score for the probable level was significantly higher than that for the possible level (P < 0.05). Scores for confidence in claims after reading labels with and without a visual aid were 5.27 and 4.43, respectively; the score for labeling with a visual aid was significantly higher than for labeling without a visual aid (P < 0.01). Our results provide compelling evidence that providing health claims with qualifying language differentiating levels of scientific evidence can help consumers understand the strength of scientific evidence behind those claims. Moreover, when a visual aid was included, consumers perceived the scientific levels more clearly and had greater confidence in their meanings than when a visual aid was not included. Although this result suggests that consumers react differently to different claim levels, it is not yet clear whether consumers understand the variations in the degree of scientific support.

What is the Role of Epidural Injections in the Treatment of Lumbar Discogenic Pain: A Systematic Review of Comparative Analysis with Fusion

  • Manchikanti, Laxmaiah;Staats, Peter S.;Nampiaparampil, Devi E.;Hirsch, Joshua A.
    • The Korean Journal of Pain
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.75-87
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    • 2015
  • Background: Lumbar discogenic pain without pain mediated by a disc herniation, facet joints, or the sacroiliac joints, is common and often results in chronic, persistent pain and disability. After conservative treatment failure, injection therapy, such as an epidural injection, is frequently the next step considered in managing discogenic pain. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the efficacy of lumbar epidural injections in managing discogenic pain without radiculopathy, and compare this approach to lumbar fusion or disc arthroplasty surgery. Methods: A systematic review of randomized trials published from 1966 through October 2014 of all types of epidural injections and lumbar fusion or disc arthroplasty in managing lumbar discogenic pain was performed with methodological quality assessment and grading of evidence. The level of evidence was based on the grading of evidence criteria which, was conducted using 5 levels of evidence ranging from levels I to V. Results: Based on a qualitative assessment of the evidence for both approaches, there is Level II evidence for epidural injections, either caudal or lumbar interlaminar. Conclusions: The available evidence suggests fluoroscopically directed epidural injections provide long-term improvement in back and lower extremity pain for patients with lumbar discogenic pain. There is also limited evidence showing the potential effectiveness of surgical interventions compared to nonsurgical treatments.

Levels of Evidence in the Plastic Surgery Literature: A Citation Analysis of the Top 50 'Classic' Papers

  • Joyce, Kenneth M;Joyce, Cormac W;Kelly, John C;Kelly, Jack L;Carroll, Sean M
    • Archives of Plastic Surgery
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    • v.42 no.4
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    • pp.411-418
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    • 2015
  • Background The plastic surgery literature is vast, consisting of a plethora of diverse articles written by a myriad of illustrious authors. Despite this considerable archive of published material, it remains nebulous as to which precise papers have had the greatest impact on our specialty. The aim of this study was to identify the most cited papers in the plastic surgery literature and perform a citation analysis paying particular attention to the evidence levels of the clinical studies. Methods We identified the 50 most cited papers published in the 20 highest impact plastic surgery journals through the Web of Science. The articles were ranked in order of number of citations acquired and level of evidence assessed. Results The top 50 cited papers were published in six different journals between the years 1957 and 2007. Forty-two of the papers in the top 50 were considered as level IV or V evidence. No level I or II evidence was present in the top 50 list. The average level of evidence of the top 50 papers was 4.28. Conclusions In the plastic surgery literature, no positive correlation exists between a high number of citations and a high level of evidence. Anatomical reconstructive challenges tend to be the main focus of plastic surgery rather than pathologic diseases and consequently, papers with lower levels of evidence are relatively more valuable in plastic surgery than many other specialties.

An Analysis of Written Claim and Evidence Produced by Secondary Science Teachers in a Context of Chemistry Inquiry (화학 탐구 맥락에서 중등 과학 교사가 제시한 주장과 증거 분석)

  • Kim, DaEun;Choi, Aeran
    • Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.61 no.6
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    • pp.359-368
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of this study was to examine levels of claims and evidence produced by 53 secondary science teachers. Levels of claim and evidence produced by the teachers in this study are various depending on themes. For a problem integrated several science concepts, there were many teachers who produced claims and evidence in a level of 1 or 2. The participant teachers presented claims and evidence in a level of 3 or 4 for a problem related to chemistry concepts presented in chemistry textbooks. Professional development programs should be provided for science teachers to help them develop understanding of argument structure and construct high quality of claims and evidence.

Implementing Evidence into Practice for Best Dementia Care

  • Park, Myonghwa
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.45 no.4
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    • pp.495-500
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    • 2015
  • Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to discuss the need for translation studies in dementia care and current translational endeavors, and to provide recommendations for evolving evidence-based dementia care. Methods: A literature review yielded current evidence and translational efforts. Results: Dementia care interventions need to be implemented at various service levels. Barriers to translation include evidence gaps, lack of the use of a conceptual framework to explain the implementation process, and unsupportive funding mechanisms for applying innovations. Conclusion: There is clear evidence of the need for and benefits of evidence-based dementia care for patients with dementia, family caregivers, and care professionals. The urgent need now is finding ways to advance translational activities and facilitate future research into translation science.

Policy Effects of Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Public Places in the Republic of Korea: Evidence from PM2.5 levels and Air Nicotine Concentrations

  • Park, Eun Young;Lim, Min Kyung;Yang, Wonho;Yun, E Hwa;Oh, Jin-Kyoung;Jeong, Bo Yoon;Hong, Soon Yeoul;Lee, Do-Hoon;Tamplin, Steve
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.12
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    • pp.7725-7730
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    • 2013
  • Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure inside selected public places to provide basic data for the development and promotion of smoke-free policies. Methods: Between March and May 2009, an SHS exposure survey was conducted. $PM_{2.5}$ levels and air nicotine concentrations were measured in hospitals (n=5), government buildings (4), restaurants (10) and entertainment venues (10) in Seoul, Republic of Korea, using a common protocol. Field researchers completed an observational questionnaire to document evidence of active smoking (the smell of cigarette smoke, presence of cigarette butts and witnessing people smoking) and administered a questionnaire regarding building characteristics and smoking policy. Results: Indoor $PM_{2.5}$ levels and air nicotine concentrations were relatively higher in monitoring sites where smoking is not prohibited by law. Entertainment venues had the highest values of $PM_{2.5}$(${\mu}g/m^3$) and air nicotine concentration(${\mu}g/m^3$), which were 7.6 and 67.9 fold higher than those of hospitals, respectively, where the values were the lowest. When evidence of active smoking was present, the mean $PM_{2.5}$ level was 104.9 ${\mu}g/m^3$, i.e., more than 4-fold the level determined by the World Health Organization for 24-hr exposure (25 ${\mu}g/m^3$). Mean indoor air nicotine concentration at monitoring sites with evidence of active smoking was 59-fold higher than at sites without this evidence (2.94 ${\mu}g/m^3$ vs. 0.05 ${\mu}g/m^3$). The results were similar at all specific monitoring sites except restaurants, where mean indoor $PM_{2.5}$ levels did not differ at sites with and without active smoking evidence and indoor air nicotine concentrations were higher in sites without evidence of smoking. Conclusion: Nicotine was detected in most of our monitoring sites, including those where smoking is prohibited by law, such as hospitals, demonstrating that enforcement and compliance with current smoke-free policies in Korea is not adequate to protect against SHS exposure.

Children's Problem Behaviors Trajectories of Poor- and Non Poor-Households on the Path to Learning Readiness and School Adjustment (비빈곤가정과 빈곤가정 유아의 문제행동 발달궤적과 학습준비도 및 학교적응)

  • Lee, Wanjeong;Kim, Meena
    • Human Ecology Research
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    • v.56 no.2
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    • pp.157-165
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    • 2018
  • Using data from the Panel Study on Korean Children, this study investigated whether children with high levels of problem behaviors adjusted more poorly on the $1^{st}-grade$ than children with low levels of problem behaviors, and whether there was evidence of intra-individual stability in behavior problems over time. Data were analyzed by use of the Latent Growth Model and group differences analyses. Three findings were noteworthy. First, there was evidence of intra-individual and inter-individual variability in behavior problems between poor- and non-poor household children. Second, children with higher initial levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors at 4 years had lower school readiness scores at 6 years. Finally, children with lower levels of school readiness at 6 years had lower school adjustment scores in $1^{st}$ grade. The results discuss implications for future research and policies for preschool children. With mediating effect of school readiness, developmental trajectories of child's problem behavior have been found to be predictors of delayed achievements in school. The results show that intervention programs are necessary for children with high levels of problem behavior. This study also showed that children who experienced poverty at home could have more difficulties in school readiness and school adjustment.

Gemcitabine Alone or in Combination with Cisplatin for Advanced Biliary Tract Carcinomas: an Overview of Clinical Evidence

  • Sun, Tian-Tian;Wang, Ji-Lin;Fang, Jing-Yuan
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.2
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    • pp.877-883
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    • 2013
  • Background and Objective: There has been no universally agreed standard chemotherapy regimen for patients with advanced biliary tract carcinomas (BTC). We aimed to fully display and evaluate the clinical evidence for gemcitabine or gemcitabine-cisplatin combination for advanced BTC. Methods: Systematic searches were performed to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and uncontrolled trials. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rates (ORR), tumor control rates (TCR), and toxicity were evaluated. Evidence levels of the results were evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Results: Results of the eleven gemcitabine-cisplatin trials and ten gemcitabine trials showed both chemotherapy regimens had benefits with reference to mean OS (8.63 vs. 8.79 months), mean PFS (4.86 vs. 4.72 months), pooled ORR (25.3% vs. 19.6%) and TCR (55.2% vs. 53.1%). Two RCTs showed the gemcitabine-cisplatin combination to prolong the mean PFS (mean difference [MD] 2.57, 95%CI 1.69 3.45), substantially increasing the mean OS (MD 3.59, 95% CI 3.48 3.71), and producing a similar effect in ORR (risk ratio [RR] 1.59, 95%CI 1.04 2.43), increasing TCR (RR 1.15, 95%CI 1.02 1.31) compared with gemcitabine alone, with generally manageable grade 3 or 4 adverse events. The evidence level of OS was moderate, and other outcomes (ORR, PFS, TCR, anaemia, neutropenia) were at low evidence levels. Conclusion: Available evidence was limited with low quality, which showed that both gemcitabine-cisplatin and gemcitabine alone had clinical activity with acceptable safety profiles, and gemcitabine-cisplatin appeared to be more useful for advanced BTC patients than gemcitabine alone.

Combined Effects of Physical Evidence and Functional Service at Bulgogi Restaurants on Customers' Store Image and Purchase Behaviors: Application of Video Scenario Technique

  • Hwang, Daye;Chang, Hyeja
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.181-192
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    • 2020
  • This study aimed to identify whether or not four service situations varying according to positive and negative combinations of physical evidence and functional service influence store image and purchase behavioral intentions of customers at bulgogi restaurants. The video-scenario technique was used for the study. Data were analyzed with the SPSS (Window 19.0) package using frequency analysis, one-way ANOVA, 2 by 2 factorial ANOVA, exploratory factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis to confirm the hypotheses. The combined effect of functional service and physical evidence influenced store image and purchase intention. In terms of seperate effect of physical evidence and functional service, the effect of employee service on store image was more powerful than that of physical evidence, even though the effect differed depending on the situation. Purchase intention was only influenced by functional service quality from employees under the four different scenarios. Thus, when opening a Korean restaurant, proper management of tangible evidence suitable to service, and the prices expected from local customers should be determined. Additionally, extremely high or low levels of physical evidence management should be avoided.