Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, Mar 3, 2008
... Multimedia presentations with text, graphics, and animations across various disciplines have ... more ... Multimedia presentations with text, graphics, and animations across various disciplines have been shown to result in an increase in reported student interest in the subject matter (Koeber, 2005; Nowaczyk, Santos, & Patton, 1998; Wekesa, Kiboss, & Ndirangu, 2006; Yaverbaum ...
Background Many elderly individuals who experience sleep disturbances would consider complementar... more Background Many elderly individuals who experience sleep disturbances would consider complementary and alternative medicine as an alternative therapeutic option in light of the limitations of traditional treatments. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) are two alternative forms of complementary and alternative medicine. They both share the common feature of a focus on breathing but represent distinct approaches with different mechanisms and philosophical orientations. The trial described in this protocol aims to evaluate the effects of an integrated form of mindfulness-based Tai Chi Chuan (MBTCC) programme and the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects over a 12-month follow-up. Methods The planned study is a four-armed randomized controlled trial with repeated measures. A total of 256 community-dwelling older adults with sleep problems will be recruited and randomized into four groups: (1) an MBTCC group, (2) an MBI group, (3) a TCC group, and (4)...
The purpose of this updated meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of nitric oxide synthase-... more The purpose of this updated meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of nitric oxide synthase-3 ( G894T polymorphisms, air pollution and their interaction on ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk across populations worldwide. Recursive partition trees, nonlinear association curve fit and geographic information system maps were incorporated to verify results of conventional pooled analyses for sources of heterogeneity. Results from 61 studies (16,219 cases, 12,222 controls) revealed a significant increased relative risk (RR) of IHD associated with 894 polymorphisms TT (RR = 1.44) and GT (RR = 1.37). Subgroup analysis revealed that the TT polymorphism genotype had significantly increased risk of IHD in Caucasian, East Asian, South Asian, and Middle Eastern populations (all < 0.05). It is important to point out that many countries demonstrated an average risk of greater than two, which identifies the 894 TT polymorphism as a potential causal factor and biological marker of IHD, based...
For research on Web-based instruction, web usage data may be obtained by parsing the user access ... more For research on Web-based instruction, web usage data may be obtained by parsing the user access log, setting cookies, or uploading the cache. However, these options may have limited applicability. For example, the user access log cannot track users who follow links to other websites. Further, cookie or cache approaches may raise privacy issues. In these situations, self-reported data collected by surveys are used. This gives rise to the question: How accurate are self-reported data? Cook and Campbell (1979) have pointed out that subjects (a) tend to report what they believe the researcher expects to see, or (b) report what reflects positively on their own abilities, knowledge, beliefs, or opinions. Another concern about such data centers on whether subjects are able to accurately recall past behaviors. Cognitive psychologists have warned that the human memory is fallible (Schacter, 1999) and thus the reliability of self-reported data is tenuous.
Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation, 2018
Big data analytics are prevalent in fields like business, engineering, public health, and the phy... more Big data analytics are prevalent in fields like business, engineering, public health, and the physical sciences, but social scientists are slower than their peers in other fields in adopting this new methodology. One major reason for this is that traditional statistical procedures are typically not suitable for the analysis of large and complex data sets. Although data mining techniques could alleviate this problem, it is often unclear to social science researchers which option is the most suitable one to a particular research problem. The main objective of this paper is to illustrate how the model comparison of two popular ensemble methods, namely, boosting and bagging, could yield an improved explanatory model.
In Darwin’s black box: The biochemical challenge to evolution , Dr. Michael Behe evaluated the po... more In Darwin’s black box: The biochemical challenge to evolution , Dr. Michael Behe evaluated the possibility of gradualism in macroevolution in the perspective of “irreducible complexity,” which became a controversial topic among theologians, philosophers, and scientists. This paper argues that efforts devoting to “reasoning by analogy” regarding the “mousetrap metaphor” could not illuminate the question at all. In addition, this paper argues that the debate on creation vs. evolution related to probability and law, the meaning of adequate explanation, and many others, is tied to hidden metaphysical assumptions on both parties. Irreducible complexity 3 Philosophical assumptions in the discussion of irreducible complexity, naturalism, demarcation criterion, probability, and law Chong Ho Yu Introduction In Darwin’s black box: The biochemical challenge to evolution (1996), Dr. Michael Behe evaluated the possibility of gradualism in macroevolution in the perspective of modern biochemistry....
Many statisticians and social scientists subscribe to the view introduced by Cook and Campbell th... more Many statisticians and social scientists subscribe to the view introduced by Cook and Campbell that causal inferences can be supported by experimental data, while only descriptions can be supported by non-experimental data. Clark Glymour has challenged this view with his use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Glymour, Pearl, Woodward, and a few other scholars have argued that manipulation and intervention do not necessarily happen at the experimental level; in SEM the researcher can still conduct interventions by including/excluding variables, and by manipulating the structure of the model that represents the data. Glymour and his associates developed an algorithm named TETRAD, a plug-in to standard SEM software programs , that is capable of exhausting all possible combinations of paths in an SEM model. This approach is based on Fisherian counterfactual reasoning, which strives to yield the best model after exploring all possible scenarios. It is noteworthy that persons who deba...
Prominent philosopher of ethics Trudy Govier argued against the existence of moral monsters, peop... more Prominent philosopher of ethics Trudy Govier argued against the existence of moral monsters, people who had committed extreme crimes and could not be morally transformed. She asserted that one should hate the evil deeds but not the evil doer, because a human does not lose his/her humanity just because of what he/she did. She further argued that this approach conforms to the Christian tradition promoted by Bishop Tutu. This article examines Govier’s arguments in philosophical, religious, and psychological perspectives. It is suggested that separating the evil doer from the evil deeds is logically unacceptable. Moreover, the “compulsive lair argument” by Govier also does not free the agent from moral responsibilities. In addition, the notion of the non-existence of moral monsters is incompatible with traditional Biblical teaching. Although there is no conclusive evidence for supporting or denying the existence of moral monsters, the ideal of “moral saints” and the anti-ideal of “moral...
The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) gene is one of the most investigated of the gene... more The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) gene is one of the most investigated of the genes associated with chronic human diseases because of its associations with hyperhomocysteinemia and toxicity. It has been proposed as a prototype gene for the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). The major objectives of this meta-analysis were to examine the polymorphism-mutation patterns of MTHFR and their associations with risk for CRC as well as potential contributing factors for mutations and disease risks. This analysis included 33,626 CRC cases and 48,688 controls across 92 studies for MTHFR 677 and 16,367 cases and 24,874 controls across 54 studies for MTHFR 1298, comprising data for various racial and ethnic groups, both genders, and multiple cancer sites. MTHFR 677 homozygous TT genotype was protective ( p < .05) for CRC for all included populations; however, with heterogeneity across various racial–ethnic groups and opposing findings, it was a risk genotype for the subgroup...
Introduction Psychological and educational research often is focused on treatment outcomes. Appro... more Introduction Psychological and educational research often is focused on treatment outcomes. Appropriate interpretation of treatment outcomes is based primarily on: (a) studying the efficacy of treatment, (b) the validity and reliability of instrumentation, and (c) obtaining subjects who represent a normal cross-section of the desired population to ensure accurate performance appraisal. However, in many quasi-experimental and non-experimental settings where experimental control is lacking, often each aspect mentioned above is studied simultaneously. This convolutes the focus of research as well as comprises the interpretation of results. For example, in research on Web-based instruction, test results are often used as an indicator of both the quality of instruction and the knowledge level of students. In addition, pilot studies are implemented to examine the usefulness of the treatment program and to validate the instrument based upon the same pilot results. To address this misapplic...
Parametric tests are widely applied by researchers in every discipline. However, sometimes the ap... more Parametric tests are widely applied by researchers in every discipline. However, sometimes the appropriateness of their applications is in question. In a parametric test an underlying distribution is assumed, and a sample statistic is obtained to estimate the population parameter. Because this estimation process involves a sample, a sampling distribution, and a population, certain assumptions are required to ensure that all components are compatible with each other. As a matter of fact, data collected in social sciences usually violate parametric assumptions to some degree. The objectives of this paper are to briefly explain why these violations are detrimental to research and to introduce what alternatives could be used in the SAS system to rectify the situation.
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, Mar 3, 2008
... Multimedia presentations with text, graphics, and animations across various disciplines have ... more ... Multimedia presentations with text, graphics, and animations across various disciplines have been shown to result in an increase in reported student interest in the subject matter (Koeber, 2005; Nowaczyk, Santos, & Patton, 1998; Wekesa, Kiboss, & Ndirangu, 2006; Yaverbaum ...
Background Many elderly individuals who experience sleep disturbances would consider complementar... more Background Many elderly individuals who experience sleep disturbances would consider complementary and alternative medicine as an alternative therapeutic option in light of the limitations of traditional treatments. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) are two alternative forms of complementary and alternative medicine. They both share the common feature of a focus on breathing but represent distinct approaches with different mechanisms and philosophical orientations. The trial described in this protocol aims to evaluate the effects of an integrated form of mindfulness-based Tai Chi Chuan (MBTCC) programme and the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects over a 12-month follow-up. Methods The planned study is a four-armed randomized controlled trial with repeated measures. A total of 256 community-dwelling older adults with sleep problems will be recruited and randomized into four groups: (1) an MBTCC group, (2) an MBI group, (3) a TCC group, and (4)...
The purpose of this updated meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of nitric oxide synthase-... more The purpose of this updated meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of nitric oxide synthase-3 ( G894T polymorphisms, air pollution and their interaction on ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk across populations worldwide. Recursive partition trees, nonlinear association curve fit and geographic information system maps were incorporated to verify results of conventional pooled analyses for sources of heterogeneity. Results from 61 studies (16,219 cases, 12,222 controls) revealed a significant increased relative risk (RR) of IHD associated with 894 polymorphisms TT (RR = 1.44) and GT (RR = 1.37). Subgroup analysis revealed that the TT polymorphism genotype had significantly increased risk of IHD in Caucasian, East Asian, South Asian, and Middle Eastern populations (all < 0.05). It is important to point out that many countries demonstrated an average risk of greater than two, which identifies the 894 TT polymorphism as a potential causal factor and biological marker of IHD, based...
For research on Web-based instruction, web usage data may be obtained by parsing the user access ... more For research on Web-based instruction, web usage data may be obtained by parsing the user access log, setting cookies, or uploading the cache. However, these options may have limited applicability. For example, the user access log cannot track users who follow links to other websites. Further, cookie or cache approaches may raise privacy issues. In these situations, self-reported data collected by surveys are used. This gives rise to the question: How accurate are self-reported data? Cook and Campbell (1979) have pointed out that subjects (a) tend to report what they believe the researcher expects to see, or (b) report what reflects positively on their own abilities, knowledge, beliefs, or opinions. Another concern about such data centers on whether subjects are able to accurately recall past behaviors. Cognitive psychologists have warned that the human memory is fallible (Schacter, 1999) and thus the reliability of self-reported data is tenuous.
Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation, 2018
Big data analytics are prevalent in fields like business, engineering, public health, and the phy... more Big data analytics are prevalent in fields like business, engineering, public health, and the physical sciences, but social scientists are slower than their peers in other fields in adopting this new methodology. One major reason for this is that traditional statistical procedures are typically not suitable for the analysis of large and complex data sets. Although data mining techniques could alleviate this problem, it is often unclear to social science researchers which option is the most suitable one to a particular research problem. The main objective of this paper is to illustrate how the model comparison of two popular ensemble methods, namely, boosting and bagging, could yield an improved explanatory model.
In Darwin’s black box: The biochemical challenge to evolution , Dr. Michael Behe evaluated the po... more In Darwin’s black box: The biochemical challenge to evolution , Dr. Michael Behe evaluated the possibility of gradualism in macroevolution in the perspective of “irreducible complexity,” which became a controversial topic among theologians, philosophers, and scientists. This paper argues that efforts devoting to “reasoning by analogy” regarding the “mousetrap metaphor” could not illuminate the question at all. In addition, this paper argues that the debate on creation vs. evolution related to probability and law, the meaning of adequate explanation, and many others, is tied to hidden metaphysical assumptions on both parties. Irreducible complexity 3 Philosophical assumptions in the discussion of irreducible complexity, naturalism, demarcation criterion, probability, and law Chong Ho Yu Introduction In Darwin’s black box: The biochemical challenge to evolution (1996), Dr. Michael Behe evaluated the possibility of gradualism in macroevolution in the perspective of modern biochemistry....
Many statisticians and social scientists subscribe to the view introduced by Cook and Campbell th... more Many statisticians and social scientists subscribe to the view introduced by Cook and Campbell that causal inferences can be supported by experimental data, while only descriptions can be supported by non-experimental data. Clark Glymour has challenged this view with his use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Glymour, Pearl, Woodward, and a few other scholars have argued that manipulation and intervention do not necessarily happen at the experimental level; in SEM the researcher can still conduct interventions by including/excluding variables, and by manipulating the structure of the model that represents the data. Glymour and his associates developed an algorithm named TETRAD, a plug-in to standard SEM software programs , that is capable of exhausting all possible combinations of paths in an SEM model. This approach is based on Fisherian counterfactual reasoning, which strives to yield the best model after exploring all possible scenarios. It is noteworthy that persons who deba...
Prominent philosopher of ethics Trudy Govier argued against the existence of moral monsters, peop... more Prominent philosopher of ethics Trudy Govier argued against the existence of moral monsters, people who had committed extreme crimes and could not be morally transformed. She asserted that one should hate the evil deeds but not the evil doer, because a human does not lose his/her humanity just because of what he/she did. She further argued that this approach conforms to the Christian tradition promoted by Bishop Tutu. This article examines Govier’s arguments in philosophical, religious, and psychological perspectives. It is suggested that separating the evil doer from the evil deeds is logically unacceptable. Moreover, the “compulsive lair argument” by Govier also does not free the agent from moral responsibilities. In addition, the notion of the non-existence of moral monsters is incompatible with traditional Biblical teaching. Although there is no conclusive evidence for supporting or denying the existence of moral monsters, the ideal of “moral saints” and the anti-ideal of “moral...
The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) gene is one of the most investigated of the gene... more The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) gene is one of the most investigated of the genes associated with chronic human diseases because of its associations with hyperhomocysteinemia and toxicity. It has been proposed as a prototype gene for the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). The major objectives of this meta-analysis were to examine the polymorphism-mutation patterns of MTHFR and their associations with risk for CRC as well as potential contributing factors for mutations and disease risks. This analysis included 33,626 CRC cases and 48,688 controls across 92 studies for MTHFR 677 and 16,367 cases and 24,874 controls across 54 studies for MTHFR 1298, comprising data for various racial and ethnic groups, both genders, and multiple cancer sites. MTHFR 677 homozygous TT genotype was protective ( p < .05) for CRC for all included populations; however, with heterogeneity across various racial–ethnic groups and opposing findings, it was a risk genotype for the subgroup...
Introduction Psychological and educational research often is focused on treatment outcomes. Appro... more Introduction Psychological and educational research often is focused on treatment outcomes. Appropriate interpretation of treatment outcomes is based primarily on: (a) studying the efficacy of treatment, (b) the validity and reliability of instrumentation, and (c) obtaining subjects who represent a normal cross-section of the desired population to ensure accurate performance appraisal. However, in many quasi-experimental and non-experimental settings where experimental control is lacking, often each aspect mentioned above is studied simultaneously. This convolutes the focus of research as well as comprises the interpretation of results. For example, in research on Web-based instruction, test results are often used as an indicator of both the quality of instruction and the knowledge level of students. In addition, pilot studies are implemented to examine the usefulness of the treatment program and to validate the instrument based upon the same pilot results. To address this misapplic...
Parametric tests are widely applied by researchers in every discipline. However, sometimes the ap... more Parametric tests are widely applied by researchers in every discipline. However, sometimes the appropriateness of their applications is in question. In a parametric test an underlying distribution is assumed, and a sample statistic is obtained to estimate the population parameter. Because this estimation process involves a sample, a sampling distribution, and a population, certain assumptions are required to ensure that all components are compatible with each other. As a matter of fact, data collected in social sciences usually violate parametric assumptions to some degree. The objectives of this paper are to briefly explain why these violations are detrimental to research and to introduce what alternatives could be used in the SAS system to rectify the situation.
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