Efficient data representation for XML in peer-based systems

Purpose - New directions in the provision of end-user computing experiences mean that the best way to share data between small mobile computing devices needs to be determined. Partitioning large structures so that they can be shared efficiently provides a basis for data-intensive applications on such platforms. The partitioned structure can be compressed using dictionary-based approaches and then directly queried without firstly decompressing the whole structure. Design/methodology/approach - The paper describes an architecture for partitioning XML into structural and dictionary elements and the subsequent manipulation of the dictionary elements to make the best use of available space. Findings - The results indicate that considerable savings are available by removing duplicate dictionaries. The paper also identifies the most effective strategy for defining dictionary scope. Research limitations/implications - This evaluation is based on a range of benchmark XML structures and the approach to minimising dictionary size shows benefit in the majority of these. Where structures are small and regular, the benefits of efficient dictionary representation are lost. The authors' future research now focuses on heuristics for further partitioning of structural elements. Practical implications - Mobile applications that need access to large data collections will benefit from the findings of this research. Traditional client/server architectures are not suited to dealing with high volume demands from a multitude of small mobile devices. Peer data sharing provides a more scalable solution and the experiments that the paper describes demonstrate the most effective way of sharing data in this context. Social implications - Many services are available via smartphone devices but users are wary of exploiting the full potential because of the need to conserve battery power. The approach mitigates this challenge and consequently expands the potential for users to benefit from mobile information systems. This will have impact in areas such as advertising, entertainment and education but will depend on the acceptability of file sharing being extended from the desktop to the mobile environment. Originality/value - The original work characterises the most effective way of sharing large data sets between small mobile devices. This will save battery power on devices such as smartphones, thus providing benefits to users of such devices

Rapid reviews as an emerging approach to evidence synthesis in education

Rapid reviews using abbreviated systematic review methods are of increasing importance for evidence-informed decision-making in education, although there is little guidance about the most suitable approach. Three recently completed rapid review reports are compared to inform discussions on the utility of this type of review in education and to highlight appropriate methods for producing evidence syntheses in a limited time frame. Rapid review methods need to be chosen to fit the needs of the review, which involves: thinking broadly about different kinds of team experience and expertise; estimating the size and nature of the literature to be reviewed; considering the review purpose and nature of the topic; choosing an appropriate synthesis method for the review purpose, evidence base and reviewers’ expertise; fully describing the review approach, and discussing the potential limitations of chosen methods; and understanding the anticipated audiences and tailoring outputs accordingly. Rapid reviews to address urgent and high-priority questions provide the benefits of timeliness and reduced resource requirements. However, it is crucial to understand caveats and limitations to the rapid conduct of evidence syntheses for decision-making purposes. This article offers guidance to support researchers, postgraduate students and commissioners who wish to conduct rapid reviews in a transparent and systematic way, addressing complex questions of relevance to evidence-informed decision-making in education

Systematic reviews for policy

The authors argue that learning from existing evidence is a key skill both for researchers and policy makers. However, how do you go about accomplishing this? What are the key approaches, and how do you make the right choices? Additionally, what are the common pitfalls? This chapter gives the reader a guide to best practice in systematic reviews

The impact of post-abortion care family planning counselling and services in low-income countries: a systematic review of the evidence

Unsafe abortions account for around 70,000 deaths each year, almost all of them in the developing world. Millions of women suffer permanent injury or chronic illness, adding a high cost to both individual families and health systems. Since the mid 1990s, post-abortion care has become a central part of the international strategy to address this problem. Although most attention has been paid to improving emergency treatment of abortion complications, the other elements of post-abortion care, including providing family planning counselling and services, have also been promoted and can be found in many health-care settings around the world. Although greater use of contraception will not produce direct, immediate effects on maternal mortality or morbidity, over time it should reduce women's recourse to unsafe abortion by preventing unplanned pregnancies, thereby putting women at less risk of lifelong injury or death. In 2010, the UK government strengthened its commitment to family planning as a strategy to reduce maternal mortality, marking a significant shift in the UK‟s approach to addressing the most off-track Millennium Development Goal: to improve material health. Addressing the unmet need for post-abortion family planning counselling and services to prevent repeat unplanned pregnancies remains a key part of the new developments in policy. It is therefore both vital and timely to increase understanding of the impacts of such programmes, in order to ensure that they are effective in delivering positive outcomes for women and provide value for money. This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesise the relevant research literature, thereby contributing to what is a relatively unexamined field. It addressed the question: What is the impact of post-abortion care family planning counselling and services in low-income countries on maternal mortality or morbidity, repeat induced abortions or unplanned pregnancies, or acceptance or use of contraception

Updating the CASE database: analysis of original approach

The CASE database of research evidence is a unique and comprehensive resource for those working in the field of culture and sport. The database currently holds the records of over 5,500 studies on the drivers, impact and value of engagement in culture and sport. In order to maintain the value of the CASE database, a strategy will be needed to regularly update the database. The update strategy should be informed by the knowledge and experience gained from the search and selection process initially used to populate the CASE database. This paper analyses the original search strategy carried out by the EPPI-Centre to aid and inform the development of the update strategy

The RISE project: evidence-informed school improvement. Evaluation report

Research leads Improving Students’ Education (RISE) aimed to test whether a research-informed school improvement model improved the mathematics and English attainment of pupils in years 10 and 11. Each participating school appointed a senior teacher as a Research Lead who was responsible for promoting and supporting the use of research throughout the school. The Research Leads were supported by a programme developed and delivered by a team from Huntington School in York. This included an initial eight CPD sessions, termly follow-up meetings over two academic years, a bespoke email newsletter, a website with resources, a peer network, and school visits by the RISE team. The team also provided a workshop for headteachers and annual workshops for English and mathematics subject leads. Research Leads were encouraged to deploy a research-informed school improvement model: 1. Decide what you want to achieve. Identify priorities using internal data and professional judgement 2. Identify possible solutions. External evidence summarized in the Toolkit can be used to inform choices 3. Give the idea the best chance of success. Applying the ingredients of effective implementation 4. Evaluate the impact of your decisions and identify possible improvements for the future 5. Secure and spread change. Mobilise the knowledge and use the findings to inform the work of the school to grow or stop the intervention. A randomised controlled trial was used to evaluate the impact of the intervention on GCSE grades in mathematics and English. 40 secondary schools were randomly allocated to either participate in RISE or to a control group which continued with business as usual. The impact evaluation examined the impact on two cohorts of pupils. The first cohort took their GCSE exams in the 2015/6 academic year and was only exposed to one year of the intervention. The second cohort was in year 10 in 2015/16, so took their GCSE exams in 2016/17 and was exposed to two years of the intervention. The accompanying process evaluation involved observations of training; interviews with Headteachers, Research Leads and heads of English and mathematics; and surveys of teachers. The project was funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), the Department for Education and the Mayor’s London Schools Excellence Fund as part of a round of funding exploring Research Use in Schools

Employment Supports for Adults With Disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Campbell Systematic Review

Objective: To identify, appraise, and synthesize studies of interventions to improve labor market outcomes of adults in developing countries with physical and/or sensory disabilities. Method: Systematic review methods, following Campbell Collaboration guidelines, were utilized. A comprehensive search was used to identify relevant studies published between 1990 and 2013, which were graded for study quality and a narrative approach used to synthesize the research evidence. Results: Fourteen studies covering a wide range of interventions met the inclusion criteria. Although individual studies reported improvements in outcomes, heterogeneity was high and studies were generally of poor methodological quality. Conclusions: There is a lack of high-quality research evidence to inform decision-making in this area. Stakeholders should be cautious when interpreting the results of the current evidence base

Factors influencing young people (aged 14-19) in education about STEM subject choices: a systematic review of the UK literature

Everyone has to make choices at different stages in their life. Some of the most crucial relate to their education, in particular what combination of subjects they decide to take for higher-level study. For most young people such choices take place between the ages of 14 and 18. In England they are likely to be asked to make selections at 14, when they decide which GCSE courses they are to pursue, at 16 when they select their post-16 studies and then at 18 in deciding on higher or further education programmes or their chosen area of employment. As important as these choices are for individuals, such decisions also have wider economic implications for the country. This is particularly the case with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. Major government funded inquiries (e.g. Roberts, 2002; Smith, 2004) identified a mismatch between skills acquired during formal education and those required in the workplace. This phenomenon is not unique to the UK, with many OECD countries facing similar difficulties in terms of student participation in STEM (OECD Global Science Forum, 2006). In common with other countries the UK government is committed to fostering STEM related innovation in the UK. The Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-2014 (HM Treasury, 2004; 2006) set out priorities for addressing skills shortages. Improving education in the STEM subjects was identified as a key element, leading to the STEM Programme that was launched in October 2006. This provides a strategic framework through which support for STEM subjects in schools and colleges is made more effective and more accessible (DfES, 2006). A key premise underpinning many of the proposals is the view that young people begin to make choices about careers early in their education. Helping young people to make the most appropriate subject choices is therefore crucial, both to ensure that the country has the skills its needs for the economy and to enable young people to make the best choices to meet their own future needs and aspirations

Fraud and error in financial, welfare and revenue services: a systematic map of the empirical research evidence with particular reference to 'notification of changes of circumstances'

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises that, in order to meet its strategic objectives, it is crucial to pay the right amount of benefit to the right person at the right time. During 2008/09, the DWP spent approximately £135.6 billion on benefits, of which it is estimated that about two per cent (£2.7 billion) was overpaid due to fraud and error. Recent estimates suggest that there were about £550 million of overpayments of Income Support (IS) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) (about five per cent of total spending on this type of benefit), £770 million on Housing Benefit (HB) (about 4.5 per cent of the total) and £340 million on Pension Credit (about 4.6 per cent of the total). Despite the increased measures undertaken to reduce fraud and error in the benefit system, the DWP acknowledges that new strategies for improving correctness of benefit payments are a priority. / In the light of this official commitment to reducing overpayments, there is considerable interest in the process of notifying a ‘change of circumstances (CoCs)’ and in potential strategies to reduce fraud and error. This project aimed to identify and describe existing research literature on issues within related fields of financial products/services, welfare provision, taxation, and tax credit systems. / This review is part of a wider programme of systematic review work commissioned by the DWP and carried out by the EPPI-Centre