A Quasi-Experimental Study of English Vocabulary Teaching Based on Incidental Acquisition

Recent years have witnessed a phenomenon that major English teachers in China have adopted the traditional teaching pattern, mechanically linking English pronunciations directly with the meaning of Chinese, which gradually dampens learners’ enthusiasm. The chief purpose of this paper was to design one English vocabulary teaching lesson based on incidental acquisition. More specifically, the questions raised are, on the one hand, whether incidental vocabulary teaching imprints differences on the learning outcomes for middle school students, and, on the other hand, whether incidental acquisition results in positive feedback between teachers and students. The technique we applied was referred to as questionnaires and interviews addressed to a sample of 68 students. Focusing on the effect of incidental vocabulary acquisition, the analysis demonstrated that it could enhance students’ vocabulary capacity. In addition, it was interesting to note that excellent students and average students tended to embrace the new teaching style while underachievers were on the opposite side. On this basis, it is recommended for English teachers to design English vocabulary lessons, adopting visual, auditory, oral, reading or writing training. More precisely, they should use phonics rules and patterns, holistic learning, classified vocabulary teaching, visual illustration or multimedia teaching to give lessons effectively and expand learners’ vocabulary.

Analysis of a Community-based Intervention to Reduce Heat-related Illness during Heat Waves in Licheng,China:a Quasi-experimental Study

Objective To reduce health-related threats of heat waves, interventions have been implemented in many parts of the world. However, there is a lack of higher-level evidence concerning the intervention efficacy. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of an intervention to reduce the number of heat-related illnesses. Methods A quasi-experimental design was employed by two cross-sectional surveys in the year 2024 and 2015, including 2,240 participants and 2,356 participants, respectively. Each survey was designed to include one control group and one intervention group, which conducted in Licheng, China. A representative sample was selected using a multistage sampling method. Data, collected from questionnaires about heat waves in 2014 and 2015, were analyzed using a difference-in-difference analysis and cost effectiveness analysis. Outcomes included changes in the prevalence of heat-related illnesses and cost-effectiveness variables. Results Relative to the control participants, the prevalence of heat-related illness in the intervention participants decreased to a greater extent in rural areas than in urban areas （OR=0.495 vs. OR=2.282）. Moreover, the cost-effectiveness ratio in the intervention group was tess than that in the control group （usS25.06 vs. us$25.69 per participant）. Furthermore, to avoid one additional patient, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio showed that an additional USS14.47 would be needed for the intervention compared to when no intervention was applied. Conclusion The intervention program may be considered a worthwhile investment for rural areas that are more likely to experience heat waves. Meanwhile, corresponding improving measures should be presented towards urban areas. Future research should examine whether the intervention strategies could be spread out in other domestic or international regions where heat waves are usually experienced.

Acute effects of stochastic resonance whole body vibration

AIM: To investigate the acute effects of stochastic resonance whole body vibration(SR-WBV) training to identify possible explanations for preventive effects against musculoskeletal disorders.METHODS: Twenty-three healthy, female students participated in this quasi-experimental pilot study. Acute physiological and psychological effects of SR-WBV training were examined using electromyography of descending trapezius(TD) muscle, heart rate variability(HRV), different skin parameters(temperature, redness and blood flow) and self-report questionnaires. All subjects conducted a sham SR-WBV training at a low intensity(2 Hz with noise level 0) and a verum SR-WBV training at a higher intensity(6 Hz with noise level 4). They were tested before, during and after the training. Conclusions were drawn on the basis of analysis of variance.RESULTS: Twenty-three healthy, female students participated in this study(age = 22.4 ± 2.1 years; body mass index = 21.6 ± 2.2 kg/m2). Muscular activity of the TD and energy expenditure rose during verum SRWBV compared to baseline and sham SR-WBV(all P < 0.05). Muscular relaxation after verum SR-WBV was higher than at baseline and after sham SR-WBV(all P < 0.05). During verum SR-WBV the levels of HRV were similar to those observed during sham SR-WBV. The same applies for most of the skin characteristics, while microcirculation of the skin of the middle back was higher during verum compared to sham SR-WBV(P < 0.001). Skin redness showed significant changes over the three measurement points only in the middle back area(P = 0.022). There was a significant rise from baseline to verum SR-WBV(0.86 ± 0.25 perfusion units; P = 0.008). The self-reported chronic pain grade indicators of pain, stiffness, well-being, and muscle relaxation showed a mixed pattern across conditions. Muscle and joint stiffness(P = 0.018) and muscular relaxation did significantly change from baseline to different conditions of SR-WBV(P < 0.001). Moreover, muscle relaxation after verum SR-WBV was higher than after sham SR-WBV(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Verum SR-WBV stimulated musculoskeletal activity in young healthy individuals while cardiovascular activation was low. Training of musculoskeletal capacity and immediate increase in musculoskeletal relaxation are potential mediators of pain reduction in preventive trials.

On Solving Mathematical Problems the Spatial-Visual Ways

This study investigated the effectiveness of spatial-visualization-based instruction on the mathematical problem-solving performance of 35 mathematics education students using one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. It also aimed to describe how spatial visualization is applied in solving mathematical problems. The findings of the study revealed that spatial-visualization-based instruction improved the mathematical problem-solving performance of students. The spatial-visualization ability can be applied in solving mathematical problems.

Effect of simulation-based teaching on nursing skill performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To summarize and produce aggregated evidence on the effect of simulation-based teaching on skill performance in the nursing profession.Simulation is an active learning strategy involving the use of various resources to assimilate the real situation.It enables learners to improve their skills and knowledge in a coordinated environment.Methods:Systematic literature search of original research ar ticles was carried out through Google Scholar,Medline,and Cochrane Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature(CINAHL)databases.Studies conducted on simulation-based teaching and skill performance among nursing students or clinical nursing staff from 2010 to 2019,and published in the English language,were included in this study.Methodological quality was assessed by Joanna Briggs Institute,and the risk of bias was also assessed by Cochrane risk of bias and the risk of bias assessment tool for non-randomized studies(ROBINS-I)checklists.Results:Initially,638 titles were obtained from 3 sources,and 24 original studies with 2209 study par ticipants were taken for the final analysis.Of the total studies,14(58.3%)used single group prep post design,7(29.1%)used high fidelity simulator(HFS),and 7(29.1%)used a virtual simulator(VS).Twenty(83.3%)studies reported improved skill performance following simulation-based teaching.Simulation-based teaching improves skill performance among types of groups(single or double),study regions,high fidelity(HF),low fidelity(LF),and standard patient(SP)users.But the effect over virtual and medium fidelity simulators was not statistically significant.Overall,simulation-based teaching improves the skill performance score among the experimental group(d=1.01,95%confidence interval[CI][0.69–1.33],Z=6.18,P<0.01,93.9%).Significant heterogeneity and publication bias were observed during the pooled analysis.Conclusions:Simulation did improve skill performance among the intervention groups,but the conclusion is uncer tain due to the significant heterogeneity.The large extent of difference among original research has necessitated the development of well-defined assessment methods for skills and standardized simulation set-up for proper assessment of their effects.

GDP Falls as MBA Rises?

By charting US GDP growth rates beginning from 1953 through the Bush administration of 2008, an inverted “V” pattern appears with 1980 as an approximate pivot point. The observable upward trend of the US economy after WWII and before 1980 coincides with more active public domestic budgets when compared with budgets after 1980. Political discourse in the late 20th century suggests an economic policy shift away from public investments toward private sector interests which may have contributed to structural changes in the US economy. After charting preand post-1980 US quarterly GDP data, a fifty-six-year naturally occurring quasi-experimental design [1] displays two periods of different economic outcomes. By exploring a plausible contributor to the change in economic trend data using applied math, concerned parties may begin to map out the unknown unknowns of economic performance. This paper uses the best linear unbiased estimator of Gauss and Markov to quantify economic rates of growth in each period. Pearson’s correlation coefficient attempts to characterize mathematically the impact of systemic political change on US economic performance. Finally, a Chow test confirms structural change is afoot. With the help of statistical analysis, this paper explores if the increase in US business majors since 1980 has or has not delivered ever improving US GDP growth from 1980-2008. This work is important as the economic health of a nation over the long run allows nations to protect and provide for their citizens.

Effects of a Care Workshop on Caring Behaviors as Measured by Patients and Patient Satisfaction

Caring is a central focus of nursing, and patient satisfaction is a critical indicator of nursing care quality. The aim of this study was to determine the effects that a care workshop exerted on nurse caring behaviors as perceived by patients and reflected by patient satisfaction. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design without a control group was applied. The intervention consisted of several facets: 1) formal educational sessions twice a week for six weeks, 2) an angel-master mentorship activity, and 3) posts of exemplary caring behavior and stories. A demographic questionnaire, the Modified Nurse Caring Behaviors Inventory, and the Hartford Hospital Satisfaction Survey were used in this study. Descriptive statistics were analyzed to evaluate participant demographic characteristics. Paired t tests were used to determine the effects of a care workshop on nurse caring behaviors as perceived by patients and reflected by patient satisfaction. Of the 236 patients enrolled, 49.6% were women and 57.2% were admitted to medical-surgical units. Female patients rated nurse caring behaviors higher and reported greater patient satisfaction than did male patients on the pretest (p p p p p p = 0.000). Caring educational programs for nurses are commonly regarded to be an essential strategy for promoting care knowledge and practice and improving patient satisfaction. According to the favorable results of this study, care workshops must be provides to nurses in other units or hospitals in future studies.

Getting the Balance Right in Intercultural Groups: A Dynamic Social Network Perspective

Problem: A common assumption is that students prefer to select their friends for group-work. The prime goal of this study was to understand the impact of two group selection methods on how students from diverse cultural backgrounds build learning and work relations. Method: Social Network Analysis in a pre-post test manner in a quasi-experimental design of 81 vs. 70 third-year students. Solution: In this study, we “disrupted” this group selection process after Day 1 by balancing students from different parts of the social network together. In one condition the students were “balanced” into groups by staff to encourage structural hole formation, and in the other condition students were allowed to self-select their group members to encourage network closure. Results: Students in the self-selected condition primarily selected their friends from a similar cultural background. In both conditions the learning networks after 11 weeks were primarily predicted by the group allocation and initial friendships. However, students in the balanced condition developed more cross-cultural learning links. These results indicate that teachers can actively intervene in the cross-cultural dynamics in- and outside the classroom.

Knowledge and performance among nurses before and after a training programme on patient falls

Background: Patient falls in hospitals are common and affect approximately 2% to 17% of patients during their hospital stay. Patient falls are a nursingsensitive quality indicator in the delivery of inpatient services. Objective: To assess the effect of educational training program on nurses’ knowledge and performance regarding prevention of fall at one of the health insurance organization hospitals in Alexandria. Setting: The study was conducted at 284 bed general hospital affiliated with the Health Insurance Organization in Alexandria. Design: A quasi-experimental design was followed. Participants: The study sample included all nurses of different ranks working at four departments namely, orthopedic, medical, surgical, ICU unit. Results: There was a significant difference regarding all factors under study before and after the educational programme except for two individual factors, old age (p = 0.84), overall poor health status (p = 0.38), and two health factors, uses aids (p = 0.50), treatment by heparin (p = 1.00), and two environmental factors, poor lighting (p = 0.34), loose cords or wires (p = 0.30) and bells (p = 0.30), and one miscellaneous factor, patient education (p = 0.85) and tidy environment(p = 0.85). All departments showed posttest performance improvement, the total performance median for departments regarding environmental factor (p = 0.04) and health education (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Education programmes should be regularly, updated in view of changing knowledge and work practices.

The impact of the COVID-19 prevention and economic interventions on express delivery industry:Evidence from China

As a fundamental logistics service,the express delivery(ED)industry provides production and consumption activities to maintain efficient supply chain operations.It plays an important role in promoting industrial development and maintaining daily life and consumption.This study examined the effects of COVID-19 on the ED industry using ED package delivery data from 31 provinces(autonomous regions and municipalities)in China.Using a difference-in-differences method,the COVID-19 outbreak was found to have a positive effect and epidemic prevention and control(EPC)policies were found to have negative effects on the development of the ED industry.In addition to EPC policies,the Chinese government has implemented other short-term economic interventions(SEI),such as the resumption of work and production(RWP),policies to balance economic growth,and epidemic prevention.This study divided the pandemic period into three stages to analyze the different impacts of EPC and SEI policy changes on the ED industry.The RWP policies adopted during the pandemic positively impacted the volume and income of packages delivered to the ED industry.The conclusions of this study are significant for the ED industry in addressing public health emergencies and for the Chinese government to formulate EPC and SEI policies during epidemic periods.

Cultivation of Critical Thinking Skills: Exploring the Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence- Enabled Instruction in English Essay Writing

This study explores the impact of generative artificial intelligence(AI)-enabled instruction on critical thinking in English essay writing among 1,050 first-year English majors across four colleges.Pedagogical strategies,including facilitating critical responses and emphasizing real-world application,are identified to enhance generative AI’s impact.Both qualitative and quantitative analyses reveal significant post-intervention improvements in critical thinking skills.This research contributes to understanding how generative AI can effectively foster critical thinking in educational settings.

Theoretical Mechanism and Empirical Analysis of“Cold”Response to“Two-Child”Policy

Recently,the policy of relaxing the“two-child”birth control has obviously met a“cold”response,and China’s population growth is facing a huge risk of“cliff-type”decline.Using text analysis and quasi-experimental method,this paper theoretically and empirically demonstrates the change of fertility costs in urban and rural areas and its influence on fertility rate,and then on the effect of“two-child”fertility policy.The results show that,in recent years,as fertility costs change,the fertility desire of rural families has greatly reduced,while those of urban families has increased slightly,then the fertility desire of urban and rural areas declines in general.At the same time,the actual fertility rate is much lower than the desirable fertility level,so the“two-child”policy fails to achieve satisfactory results.the key to the future population policy reform in China is to draw lessons from the historical experience of developed countries and eliminate the adverse effects of changes in fertility costs through fertility incentives measures.

Climate pledges versus commitment: Are policy actions of Middle-East and North African countries consistent with their emissions targets?

Carbon emission is inevitable,and changes with energy consumption and economic development,presents policy options toward sustainable development path.Currently,there is little assurance from policymakers in committing to climate change pledges:taking the Middle-East and North African(MENA)region as a specific case with using 2019 as a cut-off period.We conducted an interim assessment of the Paris Agreement to ascertain whether climate actions are in tandem with emissions reduction targets.Making use of difference-in-difference technique as a quasiexperiment supported by fixed-effects and placebo treatment models,the results point to evidence of less than 1%effective CO_(2) emissions reduction as of 2019 compared to the 2015 level.The current carbon emissions reduction commitment level is far-reaching contrary to the Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs)pledged(16.43%on average by 2030 compared to the 2015 level).The analysis suggests that achieving NDCs commitments are currently major burden on policymakers since the economic development is highly linked with nonrenewable energy consumption.Furthermore,a more comprehensive framework when accounting for all available renewable and clean energy projects shows reduction levels in the range of 30%-40%from 2020 to 2030.These results suggest that the Paris Agreement in MENA countries may be more effective from 2020,thus underscore the importance of capturing ongoing projects(involving renewable and clean energy technologies)into interim policy assessment.The shared implication is that greater efforts are demanded from the region and at country levels to further decrease emissions through the use of negative emissions technologies particularly in the electricity generation sector.