scholarly journals Are Cry Studies Replicable? An Analysis of Participants, Setups, and Methods Adopted and Reported in Cry Studies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulio Gabrieli ◽  
Giulia Scapin ◽  
Marc H. Bornstein ◽  
Gianluca Esposito
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Infant Cry ◽  
Acoustical Properties ◽  
Standard Set ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Collection Methods ◽  
Participant Information ◽  
Critical Aspects

Infant cry is evolutionarily, psychologically, and clinically significant. During the last 60 years, several researchers and clinicians assessed the possibility of investigating the acoustical properties of cry for medical purposes. However, there is a lack of standardization in conducting and reporting cry-based studies. In this work, methodologies and procedures employed in infant cry analysis are reviewed, and best practices for reporting studies are provided. First, available literature on vocal and audio acoustic analysis have been examined to identify critical aspects of participant information, data collection, methods, and data analysis. Then, 180 peer-reviewed research articles have been assessed to certify the presence of identified critical information. Results show a general lack of critical description. Researchers in the field of infant cry need to agree on a standard set of criteria to report experimental studies, to better demonstrate the validity of the methods and obtained results.

scholarly journals Are Cry Studies Replicable? An Analysis of Participants, Procedures, and Methods Adopted and Reported in Studies of Infant Cries

Acoustics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 866-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulio Gabrieli ◽  
Giulia Scapin ◽  
Marc Bornstein ◽  
Gianluca Esposito
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Infant Cry ◽  
Acoustical Properties ◽  
Standard Set ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Infant Cries ◽  
Collection Methods ◽  
Participant Information ◽  
Critical Aspects

Infant cry is evolutionarily, psychologically, and clinically significant. Over the last half century, several researchers and clinicians have investigated acoustical properties of infant cry for medical purposes. However, this literature suffers a lack of standardization in conducting and reporting cry-based studies. In this work, methodologies and procedures employed to analyze infant cry are reviewed and best practices for reporting studies are provided. First, available literatures on vocal and audio acoustic analysis are examined to identify critical aspects of participant information, data collection, methods, and data analysis. Then, 180 peer-reviewed research articles have been assessed to certify the presence of critical information. Results show a general lack of critical description. Researchers in the field of infant cry need to develop a consensual standard set of criteria to report experimental studies to ensure the validity of their methods and results.

Causal mediation in developmental science: A primer

2021 ◽  
pp. 016502542098164
Author(s):  
Jorge Cuartas ◽  
Dana Charles McCoy
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Developmental Theory ◽  
Potential Outcomes ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Causal Mediation ◽  
Developmental Science ◽  
Potential Outcomes Framework

Mediation has played a critical role in developmental theory and research. Yet, developmentalists rarely discuss the methodological challenges of establishing causality in mediation analysis or potential strategies to improve the identification of causal mediation effects. In this article, we discuss the potential outcomes framework from statistics as a means for highlighting several fundamental challenges of establishing causality in mediation analysis, including the difficulty of meeting the key assumption of sequential ignorability, even in experimental studies. We argue that this framework—which, although commonplace in other fields, has not yet been taken up in developmental science—can inform solutions to these challenges. Based on the framework, we offer a series of recommendations for improving causal inference in mediation analysis, including an overview of best practices in both study design and analysis, as well as resources for conducting analysis. In doing so, our overall objective in this article is to support the use of rigorous methods for understanding questions of mechanism in developmental science.

scholarly journals DIE EVALUERING VAN ’N LEESBEVORDERINGSPROJEK: DIE ZOË-VOORLEESPROJEK IN DIE NOORD-KAAP

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 55-74
Author(s):  
Maritha Snyman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Family Literacy ◽  
Reading Aloud ◽  
Detailed Data ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Northern Cape ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Collection Methods ◽  
Selection Of

In view of the dire state of literacy levels in South Africa and the fact that few literacy programmes provide research reports to evaluate best practices and effectivity, this article reports on the evaluation of a literacy project. The project, inspired by two children, is referred to as the Zoë-reading aloud project and targeted children in and around Upington in the Northern Cape, South Africa. The project was set up according to acknowledged reading promotion principles and it was structured to collect detailed data. Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used and a selection of methods provided reliability. The findings of the analysis of a collection of data for a period of 15 months revealed the best practices of the project. It highlights, for example, the need for financial assistance and challenges the concept of family literacy in low-literate and poor communities.

scholarly journals Design, Development, and Multi-Characterization of an Integrated Clinical Transrectal Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Device for Human Prostate Imaging

Diagnostics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumit Agrawal ◽  
Kerrick Johnstonbaugh ◽  
Joseph Y. Clark ◽  
Jay D. Raman ◽  
Xueding Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Needle Biopsy ◽  
Imaging Modality ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Transrectal Ultrasound ◽  
Human Prostate ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Imaging Device ◽  
Prostate Imaging ◽  
Clinically Significant

The standard diagnostic procedure for prostate cancer (PCa) is transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided needle biopsy. However, due to the low sensitivity of TRUS to cancerous tissue in the prostate, small yet clinically significant tumors can be missed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with TRUS fusion biopsy has recently been introduced as a way to improve the identification of clinically significant PCa in men. However, the spatial errors in coregistering the preprocedural MRI with the real-time TRUS causes false negatives. A real-time and intraprocedural imaging modality that can sensitively detect PCa tumors and, more importantly, differentiate aggressive from nonaggressive tumors could largely improve the guidance of biopsy sampling to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient risk stratification. In this work, we seek to fill this long-standing gap in clinical diagnosis of PCa via the development of a dual-modality imaging device that integrates the emerging photoacoustic imaging (PAI) technique with the established TRUS for improved guidance of PCa needle biopsy. Unlike previously published studies on the integration of TRUS with PAI capabilities, this work introduces a novel approach for integrating a focused light delivery mechanism with a clinical-grade commercial TRUS probe, while assuring much-needed ease of operation in the transrectal space. We further present the clinical potential of our device by (i) performing rigorous characterization studies, (ii) examining the acoustic and optical safety parameters for human prostate imaging, and (iii) demonstrating the structural and functional imaging capabilities using deep-tissue-mimicking phantoms. Our TRUSPA experimental studies demonstrated a field-of-view in the range of 130 to 150 degrees and spatial resolutions in the range of 300 μm to 400 μm at a soft tissue imaging depth of 5 cm.

scholarly journals The ethics in qualitative health research: special considerations

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 2625-2630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Peter
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Ethics Committee ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Qualitative Health Research ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Sensitive Topics ◽  
Human Participants ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Collection Methods

Abstract A sound knowledge of the nature of qualitative research, along with an appreciation of some special ethical considerations, is needed for rigorous reviews to be conducted. The overall character of qualitative research is described with an emphasis on the tendency of qualitative researchers to explore sensitive topics using theoretically informed methods. A number of specific features of qualitative that require additional ethical attention and awareness are also examined including the following: 1) participants are frequently quite vulnerable and require protection because the data collection methods, such as in-depth interviews, can delve into personally and politically charged matters; 2) naturalistic observation can raise concerns regarding privacy and consent; 3) the potential for the identifiability of the results of this research may require extra efforts to maintain confidentiality. Ultimately, Reseach Ethics Committee members must be knowledgeable about qualitative approaches to be able to assess the potential harms and benefits in a protocol carefully. Without this knowledge gaining ethics approval can be overly difficult for researchers and the best practices for protecting human participants can be overlooked.

scholarly journals LO45: Incidence of delayed intracranial hemorrhage following a mild traumatic brain injury in patients taking anticoagulants or anti-platelets therapies: systematic review and meta-analysis

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (S1) ◽  
pp. S22-S22
Author(s):  
M. Emond ◽  
A. Laguë ◽  
T. O’Brien ◽  
B. Mitra ◽  
P. Tardif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Ct Scan ◽  
Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Discharge Plan ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽  
Clinically Significant

Introduction: Head injury is a common presentation to all emergency departments. Previous research has shown that such injuries may be complicated by delayed intracranial hemorrhage (D-ICH) after the initial scan is negative. Exposure to anticoagulant or anti-platelet medications (ACAP) may be a risk factor for D-ICH. We have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the incidence of delayed traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in patients taking anticoagulants, anti-platelets or both. Methods: The literature search was conducted in March 2017 with an update in April 2017. Keyword and MeSH terms were used to search OVID Medline, Embase and the Cochrane database as well as grey literature sources. All cohort and experimental studies were eligible for selection. Inclusion criteria included pre-injury exposure to oral anticoagulant and / or anti-platelet medication and a negative initial CT scan of the brain (CT1). The primary outcome was delayed intracranial hemorrhage present on repeat CT scan (CT2) within 48 hours of the presentation. Only patients who were rescanned or observed minimally were included. Clinically significant D-ICH were those that required neurosurgery, caused death or necessitated a change in management strategy, such as admission. Results: Fifteen primary studies were ultimately identified, comprising a total of 3801 patients. Of this number, 2111 had a control CT scan. 39 cases of D-ICH were identified, with the incidence of D-ICH calculated to be 1.31% (95% CI [0.56, 2.27]). No more than 12 of these patients had a clinically significant D-ICH representing 0.09% (95% CI [0.00, 0.31]). 10 of them were on warfarin and two on aspirin. There were three deaths recorded and three patients needed neurosurgery. Conclusion: The relatively low incidence suggests that repeat CT should not be mandatory for patients without ICH on first CT. This is further supported by the negligibly low rate of clinically significant D-ICH. Evidence-based assessments should be utilised to indicate the appropriate discharge plan, with further research required to guide the balance between clinical observation and repeat CT.

scholarly journals A Flexible Analysis Tool for the Quantitative Acoustic Assessment of Infant Cry

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 1416-1428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Reggiannini ◽  
Stephen J. Sheinkopf ◽  
Harvey F. Silverman ◽  
Xiaoxue Li ◽  
Barry M. Lester
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
High Accuracy ◽  
Frame Rate ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Infant Cry ◽  
Basic And Applied Research ◽  
Audio Files

Purpose In this article, the authors describe and validate the performance of a modern acoustic analyzer specifically designed for infant cry analysis. Method Utilizing known algorithms, the authors developed a method to extract acoustic parameters describing infant cries from standard digital audio files. They used a frame rate of 25 ms with a frame advance of 12.5 ms. Cepstral-based acoustic analysis proceeded in 2 phases, computing frame-level data and then organizing and summarizing this information within cry utterances. Using signal detection methods, the authors evaluated the accuracy of the automated system to determine voicing and to detect fundamental frequency (F 0 ) as compared to voiced segments and pitch periods manually coded from spectrogram displays. Results The system detected F 0 with 88% to 95% accuracy, depending on tolerances set at 10 to 20 Hz. Receiver operating characteristic analyses demonstrated very high accuracy at detecting voicing characteristics in the cry samples. Conclusions This article describes an automated infant cry analyzer with high accuracy to detect important acoustic features of cry. A unique and important aspect of this work is the rigorous testing of the system's accuracy as compared to ground-truth manual coding. The resulting system has implications for basic and applied research on infant cry development.

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