Community awareness of stroke, hypertension and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Nkonya-Wurupong, Ghana

Hypertension and other non-communicable diseases are growing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke in lowand middle-income countries like Ghana who are experiencing the effects of rapid urbanization and globalization. Awareness and education may help reduce the population’s exposure to modifiable risk-factors. A survey from a central clinic outside the city of Ho, in the Volta region investigates participants’ level of awareness and education surrounding hypertension and stroke. It provides important information about the approach to education and preventing modifiable risk factors. A central clinic in Nkonya-Wurupong, Ghana, evaluated 1671 patients in July 2016, and a group of 302 adults over the age of 18 provided a convenience sampling. The survey examined three main areas: demographics, medical history, and evaluation of knowledge with respect to stroke and cardiovascular risk factors. 18.5% of participants demonstrated hypertension (BP ³ 140/90). 30% of those with hypertension were female. Thirty-five percent believed hypertension was a risk factor for stroke, and only 26% were currently medicated for hypertension. Poor diet, obesity and alcohol were the most frequently identified risk factors for stroke and 86% of participants felt that it was preventable. However, diet, heart disease, smoking, obesity, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle or alcohol were not uniformly identified as stroke risk factors. One-sided weakness was the only symptom the group associated with stroke. Other symptoms included in the survey were headache, slurred speech, visual changes, dizziness, and facial droop. Educational resources included TV, school, internet, radio, medical books and health professionals and 7% responded that they had never been educated about stroke and its risk-factors. Knowledge of hypertensive consequences including cardiovascular disease and stroke varies significantly along with stroke identification and educational sources. However, many indicated that stroke is due to lifestyle and can be prevented. It is unclear what respondents believe these lifestyle choices are. This data suggests there are major areas where healthcare education is needed. Discerning baseline health in developing countries will become increasingly important when evaluating an area for health resource allocation including patient health education program

Design-Based Research in CALL

The purpose of this volume is to expand and refine our understanding of the use of design-based research (DBR) in CALL by contributing to the growing body of literature in this area. We have tried our best to strike a balance between theoretical considerations and concrete examples of DBR. The first section of this volume focuses on theoretical perspectives and ideas that can inform the use of DBR in CALL. The second section contains studies that illustrate DBR through concrete instances of its operationalization. We hope this volume will be a useful source of information and inspiration for those considering to further explore DBR in CALL. For updates on DBR in CALL, please visit the companion site to this volume: https://sites.google.com/site/designbasedresearch/https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/language_books/1006/thumbnail.jp

An international effort towards developing standards for best practices in analysis, interpretation and reporting of clinical genome sequencing results in the CLARITY Challenge

There is tremendous potential for genome sequencing to improve clinical diagnosis and care once it becomes routinely accessible, but this will require formalizing research methods into clinical best practices in the areas of sequence data generation, analysis, interpretation and reporting. The CLARITY Challenge was designed to spur convergence in methods for diagnosing genetic disease starting from clinical case history and genome sequencing data. DNA samples were obtained from three families with heritable genetic disorders and genomic sequence data were donated by sequencing platform vendors. The challenge was to analyze and interpret these data with the goals of identifying disease-causing variants and reporting the findings in a clinically useful format. Participating contestant groups were solicited broadly, and an independent panel of judges evaluated their performance. RESULTS: A total of 30 international groups were engaged. The entries reveal a general convergence of practices on most elements of the analysis and interpretation process. However, even given this commonality of approach, only two groups identified the consensus candidate variants in all disease cases, demonstrating a need for consistent fine-tuning of the generally accepted methods. There was greater diversity of the final clinical report content and in the patient consenting process, demonstrating that these areas require additional exploration and standardization. CONCLUSIONS: The CLARITY Challenge provides a comprehensive assessment of current practices for using genome sequencing to diagnose and report genetic diseases. There is remarkable convergence in bioinformatic techniques, but medical interpretation and reporting are areas that require further development by many groups

Full Spectrum Learning: Elevating Learning Through Diverse Educational Experiences

Through its framework, Full Spectrum Learning creates a vocabulary for the examination of a broad range of learning environments and encourages us to share stories about transformative teaching and learning experiences

Design-Based Research in CALL

The purpose of this volume is to expand and refine our understanding of the use of design-based research (DBR) in CALL by contributing to the growing body of literature in this area. We have tried our best to strike a balance between theoretical considerations and concrete examples of DBR. The first section of this volume focuses on theoretical perspectives and ideas that can inform the use of DBR in CALL. The second section contains studies that illustrate DBR through concrete instances of its operationalization. We hope this volume will be a useful source of information and inspiration for those considering to further explore DBR in CALL. For updates on DBR in CALL, please visit the companion site to this volume: https://sites.google.com/site/designbasedresearch/</p