Does chess training affect conceptual development of six-year-old children in Turkey?

Many studies propose that chess is a game requiring cognitive skills and has positive effects on mental development. In recent years, chess training has also been emphasised as important during the early childhood period. However, no studies have been done with six-year-old children. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not chess training for six-year-old children would affect the development of spatial concepts such as forward–backward, between–next to, in front–behind, diagonal, far–near, corner, pattern and symmetry and whether or not there are differences according to child gender. Subjects were 50 children who had previously taken chess courses and 50 children who had not taken chess courses. A group of 100 six-year-old children was given a concept test. A test containing the concepts used in chess instruction and a chess board to be used in applying the test were developed by the researcher. After the obtained data were analysed, K-R 20?=?0.92 was found for the concept test. The Mann–Whitney U test, based on the children's scores t from the concept test, revealed a statistically meaningful difference in all concepts in favour of the children who took chess courses, but showed no meaningful gender differences for any of the concepts.     

The Paradox of Health Care

The term ``paradox' signifies acontradiction of some sort. Modern health careappears to be rich in contradictions, and it isclaimed to be paradoxical in a number of ways.In particular health care is held to be aparadox itself: it is supposed to do good, butis accused of doing harm. The objective of thisarticle is to investigate whether the conceptof paradox can serve as a framework foranalysing pressing problems in modern healthcare. To pursue this, three distinctive levelsof paradox are identified: resolvableparadoxes, antinomies and aporias. The analysisreveals that when facing the challenges ofmodern health care the focus of attentionshould be to resolve the resolvable paradoxes,to acknowledge the antinomies and to learn tolive with the aporias.     

How Does Clinical Supervision Work? Using a “Best Evidence Synthesis” Approach to Construct a Basic Model of Supervision

ABSTRACT

Clinical supervision is of growing importance, but poor conceptualization continues to impede research and practice. We conducted a “best evidence synthesis” (empirical review) of the literature to generate an integrative summary of the concepts and models used (implicitly or explicitly) in 24 published empirical articles. Using the qualitative data from these adequately rigorous, successful manipulations of supervision, we constructed inductively a basic model of clinical supervision. That is, we proffer an evidence-based, conceptually integrative, and suitably complex model of supervision. The model features 32 contextual variables of successful supervision (e.g., administrative support), 26 supervision interventions (i.e., corrective feedback), and 28 outcomes (i.e., how supervisees learned from supervision).     

Prognosis and the Identification of Workers Risking Disability: Research Issues and Directions for Future Research

Introduction: Screening procedures based on prognostic data are an important prerequisite for prevention of disability due to low-back pain. This paper reviews the research on prognosis to delineate the most pertinent research challenges, and outlines directions for future research to improve the scientific quality and screening accuracy of prognostic efforts. Methods: Reviews of prognosis research were examined to identify key methodological and research issues. Results: Certain issues such as sampling procedures, research designs, data analyses, prognostic indicators, and follow-up procedures limit the value of prior studies. Absence of a clear conceptual framework hampers interpretation of findings and moving research questions forward. The recurrent nature of back pain and the need to effectively include the impact of employer actions and the job market were also identified as significant issues. Conclusions: Future research will be enhanced by addressing conceptual and definitional issues, applying tested and sensible measures, and careful follow-up of the study population.     

Choice,Knowledge, and Utilization of a Practice Theory: A National Study of Occupational Therapists Who Use the Model of Human Occupation

Objective. To identify how therapists choose and use the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO). Method. A systematic random sample of 1,000 occupational therapists was surveyed as to whether they used MOHO in their practice. Those who were using MOHO were then sent a detailed questionnaire; 259 therapists responded to the survey questionnaire, forming a response rate of 60.2 percent. Results. A total of 80.7% of therapists indicated that they had used MOHO in their practice. A number of factors influenced therapists' choice to use MOHO. The most frequently cited factors were therapists' judgment that MOHO fit their own practice philosophy and their clients' needs. Most therapists used multiple means of learning about MOHO, and the number of means they used was related to both self-reported levels of knowledge and utilization of this model. Many therapists are also actively engaged in sharing their knowledge and utilization of this model. Conclusion. Multiple factors contribute to therapists' choice and use of MOHO. Therapists actively make a decision to use MOHO in practice and put forth substantial efforts to learn and share their knowledge of MOHO.     

公共卫生服务系统绩效的影响因素分析及模型构建

研究初步分析了公共卫生服务系统结构不完善、筹资结构不舍理、系统内部激励不足和监管机制不完善等影响我国公共卫生服务系统绩效的因素。构建公共卫生服务系统概念模型和逻辑模型,用于明确公共卫生服务系统的组成、范畴与边界．以及系统的行为特征和焦点问题的形成原因与机制。     

数据库规范设计

数据库设计既是一项涉及多学科的综合性技术,又是一项庞大的工程项目。人们努力探索,利用数据库规范设计方法设计出符合需要的数据库系统。     

A conceptual model for take-home workplace exposures

The boundary between occupational and environmental exposures is often artificial, as occupational hazards can readily escape the workplace. One way that this occurs is when workers “take-home” occupational hazards, exposing family members. While take-home exposures have long been recognized, there is no comprehensive framework describing the pathways by which workers bring home workplace hazards. In this article, we provide such a conceptual model that includes three pathways for take-home exposures: external contamination, internal dose, and behavior change of workers. This conceptual model should help to describe the problems of take-home exposures more comprehensively in future research.     

门(急)诊医疗服务流程重组项目的实践

门（急）诊工作是医院工作的重要组成部分，寻求适合“以人为本”的门（急）诊流程和服务模式，是“医院管理年”活动的重点内容之一，也是建设现代化和谐医院的必然要求。文章针对现有门（急）诊医疗服务流程中存在的问题——非医疗时间过长、服务流程出现阻滞甚至逆流、医患关系的日趋紧张等现状，阐明了医疗服务流程重组在医疗质量管理中的意义，具体介绍了门（急）诊医疗服务流程重组方案的设计与实施。     

Qualitative Research to Explore the Patient Experience of X-Linked Hypophosphatemia and Evaluate the Suitability of the BPI-SF and WOMAC® as Clinical Trial End Points

Background

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by renal phosphate wasting and defective bone mineralization. Symptoms include bone pain, joint pain, stiffness, and fatigue. Published evidence regarding the patient experience of XLH is sparse and no XLH-specific outcome measures have been validated.