The effects of morphophonological changes on the training of orthographic structure of compounds: an Intervention study

Σκοπός της μελέτης ήταν να διερευνηθεί η επίδραση της καλλιέργειας της μορφολογικής επίγνωσης στην ορθογραφία λέξεων σε 27 μαθητές της Δ΄ και Στ΄ τάξης ενός δημοτικού σχολείου, οι οποίοι συγκρίθηκαν με μια ομάδα 26 συνομηλίκων που δεν πήραν μέρος στην παρέμβαση. Σε όλους τους μαθητές  χορηγήθηκαν σταθμισμένα κριτήρια ορθογραφίας και αναγνωστικής κατανόησης και μη σταθμισμένες δοκιμασίες αναλογίας και σημασίας σύνθετων λέξεων. Η παρέμβαση διακρίθηκε σε προ-αξιολόγηση, εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα και μετα-αξιολόγηση. Το πειραματικό υλικό αποτέλεσαν σύνθετες λέξεις διαβαθμισμένες σε δύο συνθήκες μορφοφωνολογικής διαφάνειας (διαφανείς/ αδιαφανείς) και δύο συνθήκες λογιότητας (με νεοελληνικά/ λόγια μορφήματα). Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι η συστηματική άσκηση στη μορφολογική δομή των λέξεων βελτίωσε σημαντικά την ορθογραφική επίδοση των μαθητών σε όλες τις κατηγορίες των λέξεων με μέγιστα οφέλη στις αδιαφανείς λέξεις με λόγια μορφήματα, στις οποίες οι μαθητές είχαν την χαμηλότερη επίδοση πριν την παρέμβαση. Τα αποτελέσματα υπογραμμίζουν τη σημασία του παράγοντα της μορφολογικής επίγνωσης στην ανάπτυξη της ορθογραφίας σύνθετου και πολύμορφου λεξιλογίου, η διδασκαλία του οποίου είναι σημαντική για τις ανώτερες τάξεις του δημοτικού σχολείου.The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the training of morphological awareness of spelling words by 27 students following 4th and 6th grades of a primary school. They were compared with a group of 26 classmates who did not take part in the intervention. All students were assessed via standardized tests of spelling and reading comprehension and non-standardized tests of analogy and meaning of compounds. The intervention included a pre-test, an educational program and a post-test. Experimental material entailed compound words categorized into two conditions of morphophonological transparency (transparent/ non-transparent) and two conditions of compositionality (Modern Greek/Ancient Greek morphemes). Results showed that the systematic exercise of the morphological structure of words improved students' spelling performance in every compound type. Considerably, non-transparent items entailing ancient morphemes received the highest gains, where students presented the lowest performance before intervention. These findings underline the importance of morphological awareness in the acquisition of spelling of morphologically complex vocabulary, whose teaching is important in the highest grades of primary school

The characteristics of adults with upper gastrointestinal bleeding admitted to Tripoli Medical Center: a retrospective case-series analysis

Background: Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common reason for hospital admissions worldwide. Aetiological causes of UGIB vary according to geographic region and socioeconomic status. However, despite the implementation of early endoscopy as the standard method for the diagnosis and treatment of UGIB, data on the characteristics of patients with UGIB in Libya are still minimal. In this study, we describe patient demographics, aetiological causes for UGIB, and possible risk factors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients admitted to the Gastroenterology Department at Tripoli Medical Center from January 2001 through June 2006. Method: This is a retrospective case-series analysis of all adult patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding admitted to the Gastroenterology Department at TMC. Patients’ medical records were individually reviewed and relevant data abstracted. Results: A total of 928 cases with diagnoses of UGIB were admitted to Tripoli Medical Center during the study period. Of these cases, 60.3% were males and 39.7% females (3:2) and males were significantly younger than females (49.6 years vs. 53.9 years, p=0.001). The most common cause of UGIB was peptic ulcer (37.1%) of which duodenal ulcer was the most common (30.7% of all UGIB), especially amongst male patients (36.4%). The second most common cause was bleeding due to varices (29.8%), especially amongst females (35.1%). Additionally, smoking and NSAIDs use were reported by 18.6% and 9.7% of cases and both were significantly associated with bleeding due to peptic ulcers. Conclusion: This study has investigated the characteristics of adults with UGIB at a tertiary referral center in Libya. The high frequency of bleeding due to varices amongst females mandates further investigations into the possible underlying hepatic causes and their management, and the potential impact on patient outcome and prognosis.Keywords: bleeding; UGIB; gastroenterology; Liby

Spelling and Meaning of Compounds in the Early School Years through Classroom Games: An Intervention Study

The study aimed to evaluate the intervention effects on spelling and meaning of compounds by Greek students via group board games in classroom settings. The sample consisted of 60 pupils, who were attending the first and second grade of two primary schools in Greece. Each grade-class was divided into an intervention (N = 29 children) and a control group (N = 31 children). Before intervention, groups were evaluated by standardized tests of reading words/pseudowords, spelling words, and vocabulary. Students were also assessed on compound knowledge by a word analogy task, a meaning task and a spelling task. The experimental design of the intervention included a pre-test, a training program, and a post-test. The pre- and post-assessments consisted of the spelling and the meaning tasks entailing equally morphologically transparent and opaque compounds. The training program was based on word families (N = 10 word families, 56 trained items, 5 sessions) and aimed to offer instruction of morphological decomposition and meaning of words. The findings showed that training was effective in enhancing the spelling and most notably the meaning of compounds. A closer inspection of intervention data in terms of morphological transparency, revealed that training group of first graders improved significantly both on transparent and opaque compounds, while the degree of gains was larger on opaque items for the second graders. These findings are consistent with the experimental literature and particularly optimistic for the literacy enhancement of typically developing children in regular classrooms

Traitement endoscopique de l’obésité

La prise en charge conventionnelle de l’obésité morbide, définie par un IMC > 40 kg/m2, ou > 35 kg/m2 avec co-morbidités, est inefficace. Seule la chirurgie bariatrique paraît capable de maintenir la perte de poids et de diminuer la mortalité à long terme. Parmi les traitements endoscopiques, le ballon intragastrique (BG), qu’il s’agisse du Bioenterics Intragastric Balloon ou du Ballon Héliosphère, est la seule méthode actuellement répandue. Selon l’ANAES, les indications du BG sont constituées par l’obésité morbide. Ces indications sont superposables à celles de la chirurgie bariatrique pour laquelle, cependant, il est souligné que l’obésité doit être stable (ou s’aggraver) depuis 5 ans avant d’envisager une intervention. Le BG ne peut être utilisé que temporairement (6 mois) soit comme traitement, soit dans la préparation à la chirurgie, bariatrique ou autre, de malades atteints d’obésité morbide ou d’obésité extrême (« super-obèses » avec IMC > 50 ou 60 kg/m2)

Parastomal hernia incarceration due to migrated intragastric balloon

The temporary placement of intragastric balloons is a common method to achieve rapid weight loss before planned metabolic surgery. We report the case of a 48-year-old morbidly obese patient. Ten years ago the patient underwent emergency sigmoidectomy with creation of a double-barreled ileostomy for perforated diverticulitis. Over time he developed a giant parastomal hernia. For preoperative weight reduction before planned restoration of intestinal continuity, an intragastric balloon was inserted 3 years ago. The patient was admitted to our emergency department with peritonism and a septic shock. After computed tomography showing small bowel ileus, laparotomy was performed, revealing marked ischemia of incarcerated small and large intestine. Only postoperatively was the intragastric balloon found in the resected small bowel, causing a mechanical ileus with consecutive incarceration of the bowel. We review the literature on complications due to the migration of intragastric balloons. This clinical case gives a fair warning of the possible deleterious outcome of intragastric balloons, especially in hernia patients

Characteristics and outcomes of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a tertiary referral hospital

Background and Aims: Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage remains a problem in spite of improved diagnosis and management. There is sparse knowledge of recent epidemiology and outcomes. We wanted to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage over a 4-year period in a tertiary referral hospital. Methods: We prospectively collected data on patients admitted with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage to John Hunter Hospital between August 2004 and December 2008. Variables of interest included age, gender, co-morbidities, and time to endoscopy. Main outcomes included etiology, treatment, and survival. Variceal and non-variceal bleeds were analyzed separately. Results: There were 792 admissions from 734 unique patients (61% male) with a mean age of 66 years. The most frequent causes of non-variceal bleeds (88%) included ulcers 265 (33%); Mallory Weiss tear 91 (11%); esophagitis 60 (8%), and malignancy 29 (4%). Most patients had one or more co-morbidity (74%). Transfusion was not employed in 41%. Overall mortality was 4.0% (5.4% in the variceal and 3.9% in the non-variceal group). Only 1.9% of patients had surgery. Conclusions: Patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage are overall elderly with significant co-morbidities. Our overall mortality and surgery rates are lower than in previously published international data