The most expensive city in the United States for renters might surprise you. Earnest's data story reveals the most (and least) expensive cities for renters around the country.
The post The Most (and Least) Expensive Cities, States for Renters appeared first on Earnest Blog | Money Advice for Young Professionals.
The 30% rule is outdated because it doesn’t give any leverage for variables such as income, age, family structure and, most importantly, location.
The post How Much Rent Can You Really Afford? Experts Weigh In appeared first on Earnest Blog | Money Advice for Young Professionals.
Cochrane Malaysia and Penang Medical College, with the support of Students 4 Best Evidence (S4BE) recently ran an evidence-based medicine blog writing competition for undergraduate and postgraduate students of health in Malaysia.
All entries were judged independently by 2 esteemed individuals, Prof Martin Burton (Cochrane UK Director) and Prof Dr. Hans Van Rostenberghe (Neonatologist, Cochrane Author and blogger, University Science Malaysia).
We are proud to announce the winners here:
Leonard Goh is a final year medical student at International Medical University, Malaysia interested in the discovery of knowledge through research. When he is not keeping up to date with the latest medical advances, he enjoys writing, classical music, and secretly cheering the White Walkers on in Game of Thrones.
Foo Wee Nee hails from Kluang, Johor and she is currently a final year medical student at Penang Medical College, Malaysia. She is passionate about medical research, especially in the field of molecular medicine. She wishes to incorporate research into her medical practice in the future.
(Pharmacy students, International Medical University, Malaysia)
The post Announcing the winners of the Cochrane Malaysia evidence-based medicine blog writing competition appeared first on Students 4 Best Evidence.
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 26, 2017
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
Lil’ Einsteins: The Day Care Center You Can Trust https://t.co/WxCTRtY7nE via @lileinsteins2
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 23, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
Motherhood is a blessing, which makes us feel content and proud. Our pride takes its flight when a healthy baby is born. This little being takes our breath away with its first cry; a tiny life dependent on us for its needs. As proud parents, we vow to do everything in our power for this little angel. With every developmental milestone reached, we feel gratified of a job well done. As years pass by, our little angels get labeled as “Gifted and Talented” pulling us on top of the world, with some or little awareness of what this term implies.
Gifted and Talented
The field of gifted education has evolved since the 1920s and 30s. Research from mental inheritance, to development of Columbus Group in the 1980s, was quite a journey. More information can be found on NAGC website (“ Brief History of Gifted and Talented Education”, National Association for Gifted Children [NAGC],n.d.).
The buzz words in gifted education comprise of asynchronous development; and Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 2001.
Asynchronous Development
In 1980’s a group of individuals took an initiative to unfold the meaning of giftedness. These group of individuals comprising of parents, educators and psychologists met in Columbus, Ohio coining a new term for giftedness: asynchronous development.
“Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching, and counseling in order for them to develop optimally” (The Columbus Group, 1991)
Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 2001
Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act focuses on building the ability of U.S.schools to meet educational needs of gifted and talented students. The Javits Act provides funding for research and development of reports such as National Excellence: A case for developing America’s talent. This report indicates evidence of our talented kids being offered less rigorous curriculum, and not being prepared for work or postsecondary education. National Excellence: A case for developing America’s talent, defines gifted and talented as “Children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment” (Ross,1993,p.11,para.3).
What does all this mean to us as a parent?
How can we contribute positively to the development of our gifted and talented kids?
Respect
Respect your child’s feelings and needs. Gifted kids are often ignored at home and school, as they demonstrate maturity compared to their peers. But as caregivers, we should not forget that they also are at a greater risk for social-emotional difficulties, if their needs are not met.
Get involved
Kids depend on their parents for being their first advocates. Become their advocate, and teach your child to advocate for themselves. If your child comes home bored, talk to the teacher, and if possible to the Principal. Get involved in the process of building the curriculum for the school. Educate yourself on TALENT Act, emphasizing the need of providing talented kids with challenging curriculum.
Ask for help
Remember you are not alone in this endeavor of raising a beautiful, talented, and challenging child. Talk to your pediatrician if you see signs of stress, depression, issues with peer relationships, and concerns with identity. SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) is a great organization that helps connect gifted individuals of all races and culture. Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University offers challenging and enriching programs for gifted kids, along with seminars and conferences for parents.
Be Consistent
Gifted kids, smart and challenging; sweet and analytical, need consistent consequences for breaking rules too. Boredom at school could make them susceptible to breaking rules, and be challenging higher authorities. Be clear and consistent on your rules and expectations. (Bainbridge,2017)
We as caregivers and parents need to accept the fact that our gifted kids are different and unique; making it difficult for them to fit comfortably within their age group. By educating ourselves on giftedness; we not only can advocate for our kids; provide them with essential tools; but also give them the confidence to strive for success.
The post Raising a Gifted Kid: A Challenge in itself appeared first on .
Where to Find the Best Childcare Service for Your Kids – https://t.co/mN6rIEgpcD pic.twitter.com/CAZRq8UDej
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 23, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 21, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
How Early Childhood Education Is Crucial To Your Child’s Development And Growth https://t.co/AnJosPQX4G via @lileinsteins2
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 21, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
Since most of us eat three meals per day—or more than 1,000 meals annually—the small decisions we each make about our food budget can have big consequences.
The post Your Food Budget: Where Are Your Dollars Going? appeared first on Earnest Blog | Money Advice for Young Professionals.
Who doesn't love cookies! pic.twitter.com/Y7riFPxR6V
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 18, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
This blog is a critical appraisal of the following randomized controlled trial: Guekht A. et al (2017). ARTEMIDA Trial (A Randomized Trial of Efficacy, 12 Months International Double-Blind Actovegin): A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Actovegin in Poststroke Cognitive Impairment.
I wonder if you have ever heard about Actovegin, because it is rarely used outside the post-Soviet countries and China. You may have heard of the scandal with a famous cyclist, Lance Armstrong, who was banned for doping, which included the use of Actovegin as well as other agents. Although it doesn’t justify his usage, the performance-boosting effect of Actovegin, and indeed any other effects or usage, have not been proven by any well-designed, or otherwise, experiments or trials.
Nevertheless, it is a popular medication in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, and is used primarily in patients with neurological conditions, particularly stroke. Actovegin is a deproteinized pyrogen- and antigen-free hemodialysate manufactured from calf blood by ultrafiltration, and is produced by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company/Nycomed. The manufacturer states it to have antioxidative, repairing, neuroprotective and cognitive boosting properties, and recommends it for treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, peripheral vascular diseases and diabetic polyneuropathy.
Actovegin was released without any clinical trials, and so far there are only a few randomized controlled trials (RCT) on its effect for acute oral mucositis after a chemoradiotherapy, diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes patients and organic brain syndrome, which had certain methodological flaws. Older trials published before 2000 are also of questionable quality.
The ARTEMIDA trial (2015) assessed efficacy of Actovegin in poststroke cognitive impairment. ARTEMIDA was a first major multi-centre Actovegin trial to be conducted, and it was published in May 2017 in “Stroke”, which is a very authoritative journal of American Heart Association.
It is a shame I have only recently heard of this trial, because the popularity of this drug, despite absence of a strong evidence base, strikes me. I am very curious to know if it is truly effective at least for something. Would you ever allow someone to administer you a substance intravenously with unknown composition and unknown effectiveness stated to be “calf hemodyalizate”, even “highly purified”? To say honestly, I wouldn’t :)
The study aimed to ask if Actovegin could improve cognitive function in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
The participants were the patients with a diagnosis of acute (less than 1 week from onset) supratentorial stroke aged more than 60 years (including) and having NIHHS score of 3-18, who were screened against exclusion criteria and proved to be eligible. The patients were randomized to receive intravenous Actovegin 2000 mg daily for ≤20 infusions followed by 1200 mg/d orally up to 6 months, or a placebo.
The primary outcome was the change in Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale, extended version (ADAScog+) at 6 months. The secondary outcomes were the change in ADAScog+ at 3 and 12 months, change from baseline in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the NIHSS during screening, 3, 6, 12 months, and at the end of the infusion period; the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) at 3, 6, and 12 months; the Barthel Index at 6 months; and the EuroQoL EQ-5D questionnaire at 6 and 12 months.
248 patients were allocated to the Actovegin group, 255 to the placebo group. 36 patients from the Actovegin group and 34 patients from the control group discontinued the study. Study groups were relatively similar in terms of participants’ age, gender, medical history and smoking status.
There were 2 patients from the placebo group who, after unblinding, were found to have received Actovegin. They were included as randomized for the intention-to-treat analysis and as treated in the adverse effects analysis. 71 patients also had at least 1 protocol deviation.
At month 6, the primary endpoint, the Actovegin group showed more improvement than the placebo group in ADAScog+ scoring (the least squares mean change from baseline −6.8 for Actovegin and −4.6 for placebo; the estimated treatment difference −2.3 [95% confidence interval, −3.9, −0.7; P=0.005]).
As for the secondary endpoints, ADAScog+ score at the 3rd month didn’t reach statistical significance, but at month 12, the mean change in scoring increased even more for Actovegin group (-8.2 vs. -4.5 in placebo group). There were more “responders” (patients who reached more or equal to 4-point improvement) in the Actovegin group (62.5% vs. 52.3% in the placebo group). MoCA improvement difference was small (0.7 at months 3 and 6 and 1.0 at month 12), but statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences in other secondary outcome measures.
The most frequent adverse effect was a recurrent ischemic stroke, but researchers found no statistical significance in stroke reoccurrence between groups.
Let us now see how well was the study conducted. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) RCT tool was used for guidance.
So, it was a large multicentre trial with a large amount of participants. As mentioned, there was no difference between the groups in terms of participants’ age, gender, medical history and smoking.
Besides the inclusion criteria listed above in the “Study” section, there were some additional inclusion criteria. Among them was a bit of a confusing one: patients “were conscious and considered legally competent, but had symptoms or signs indicating cognitive impairment according to the investigator’s opinion”. I think such a subjective approach could bring bias in the selection process. Although it could be diminished by subsequent objective testing with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment – patients should have scored 25 or less with adjustment for education level to be included in study – some participants who were eligible could be dropped before this point.
There were also many exclusion criteria, such as diagnosis of dementia, history of psychotic disorder or major depression and a list of concomitant conditions. Among these criteria was also a list of prohibited medications – let’s look closer. “Peripheral vasodilators, amantadine derivatives, psychoanaleptics in entirety, with the exception of antidepressants, including …, parasympathomimetics, cholinesterase inhibitors, cholinesters, other parasympathomimetics, other compounds with effect on the nervous system, gangliosides and ganglioside derivatives, remaining compounds with effect on the nervous system, Cerebrolysin”.
What was meant by “other” and “remaining”? In my opinion, this is unnecessary extensiveness, which enhances the vagueness of the formulation even more. What drugs are prohibited during the study is unclear. Do, for example, H1-antagonists fall into this list? And why does Cerebrolysin (which is another drug without evidence for use, porcine brain extract that is considered to have neuroprotective effect) appear after the “remaining…” statement?
Formulation of intervention procedure also raises questions. People in the study group might receive an unequal total amount of drug during the study period. 1 and 19 are both less or equal to 20, and, according to such formulation, it is possible that some patients received only one injection while others got 19 or 20. Of course, the overall injectable part of the dose is less than the overall oral part of the dose, but it was administered in the early period when the ischemic cascade reaches its peak, the fate of penumbra zone is decided and the most devastating complications, such as hemorrhagic transformation and brain oedema, can occur.
Thus, I think it is a considerable flaw in the experimental design. It was not reported what the mean quantity of injections were in both groups.
Speaking of the outcome measures: ADAScog+ is designed and validated for assessing cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. In the study design article published by the authors in 2013 in Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra journal, they admitted that the scale they intend to use is not validated in stroke, but still they “…considered it to be the most appropriate tool to assess cognition in both the acute and delayed period of stroke” .
By the way, the study design article is an open-access article published online on 14th December 2013. The study began, as the study article states, in June 2012, so 18-19 months passed before the design was published. The revision process before publishing may take a while, but I wonder if it can last for more than 1.5 years. Could it be the study design was sent to the journal after some patients reached 3, or even 6 months threshold, and preliminary conclusion on significance could be made? Who knows.
The primary outcome result was relatively prominent, considering that the mean baseline score was 29.4 (12.5) for intervention and 29.9 for the control group. The maximum score in ADAScog+ (indicating the worst possible result) is 70. Thus, there was on average 23% improvement in scoring in the Actovegin group in relation to average baseline score and 9.7% in relation to worst possible variant.
Randomization was well-performed. Researchers used a computerised central randomization system, “Interactive Voice Response System–Interactive Web Response System”, to randomize the patients; it also helped to blind physicians and patients.
There were many protocol deviations, and 2 patients received incorrect kit – they were included as randomized for the intention-to-treat analysis and as treated in the adverse effects analysis.
The Study was funded by the manufacturer, Takeda. The Interactive Voice Response System–Interactive Web Response System was provided by Pharm-Olam International Ltd, an independent organisation which also managed data and performed statistical analysis with supervision of Takeda.
Despite the results obviously showing an advantage of Actovegin over placebo, I think it is too early to make final conclusions on its efficacy relying only on this study. Overall, it had good technical support and statistical processing, but there were flaws in terms of study process (deviations from protocol and delivery of incorrect kits), as well as a few unclear things about the study design. Finally, the study was funded and supervised by the manufacturer, which adds over 9000 to the bias score.
So, this paper didn’t convince me that calf blood [extract] is really beneficial when taken by people with stroke. What about you?
Literature
USADA v. Armstrong, Reasoned decision, section IV B 3.e (pp. 42–45) (USADA 10 October 2012). Available from: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9YzclxcT0NHNHNQTUV4MkpSSWc/view
Machicao F, Muresanu DF, Hundsberger H, Pflüger M, Guekht A. Pleiotropic neuroprotective and metabolic effects of Actovegin’s mode of action. J Neurol Sci. 2012;322:222–227. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2012.07.069.
Wu SX, Cui TT, Zhao C, Pan JJ, Xu BY, Tian Y, Cui NJ. A prospective, randomized, multi-center trial to investigate Actovegin in prevention and treatment of acute oral mucositis caused by chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Radiother Oncol. 2010 Oct;97(1):113-8. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2010.08.003.
Ziegler D, Movsesyan L, Mankovsky B, Gurieva I, Abylaiuly Z, Strokov I. Treatment of symptomatic polyneuropathy with actovegin in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care. 2009 Aug;32(8):1479-84. doi: 10.2337/dc09-0545.
Kanowski S, Kinzler E, Lehmann E, Schweizer A, Kuntz G. Confirmed clinical efficacy of Actovegin in elderly patients with organic brain syndrome. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1995 Jul;28(4):125-33.
Guekht A et al. ARTEMIDA Trial (A Randomized Trial of Efficacy, 12 Months International Double-Blind Actovegin): A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Actovegin in Poststroke Cognitive Impairment. Stroke. 2017 May;48(5):1262-1270. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.116.014321.
Guekht A, Skoog I, Korczyn AD, Zakharov V, Eeg M, Vigonius U. A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Actovegin in Patients with Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: ARTEMIDA Study Design. Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra. 2013 Dec 14;3(1):459-67.
The post Actovegin use for poststroke cognitive impairment prevention: can purified calf blood help people with stroke? appeared first on Students 4 Best Evidence.
After a layoff, this mom of four went back to school to earn her high diploma. But more than improving her job prospects, she inspired her family too.
The post It’s Never Too Late for Education: Graduating at 60 appeared first on Earnest Blog | Money Advice for Young Professionals.
Why Early Childhood Education Is Essential for Your Kids – https://t.co/AnJosPQX4G pic.twitter.com/iFTeEn9zI1
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 16, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
It was the first meeting of Cochrane, the Campbell Collaboration, the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N), the International Society for Evidence-based Health Care and the Joanna Briggs Institute, and, for our luck, it was our very first time attending a Colloquium. This event took place in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa, the land of the first heart transplant.
For us students, it was necessary to know what type of sessions, short or long, or workshops, we could attend, since the programme mentioned that all of these were aimed at a specific group of attendees. The colloquium is not only for experts in health research or evidence-based medicine, but also offers activities for those who are starting on the road.
This plenary provided examples of how networks influenced evidence-based practice and evidence-based health policies, ending with a thought on how the evidence could achieve a more equitable world for all.
In the plenary “Breaking down the silos: Digital and trustworthy evidence ecosystem”, Greg Ogrinc taught us that the combination of all improves the patients’ results, the system and the development of the professional.
In the session “A dialog with founders: What approaches and activities ensure research achieves its expected impact?”, we reinforced our bases of evidence-based medicine and the steps to assure an impact in the society.
The Students 4 Best Evidence workshop was, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable because more students like us, and professors dedicated to the teaching of evidence-based medicine, attended. It was very gratifying to see more colleagues interested both in learning and in teaching, as the truth is that us, the new generations, have much to learn and this kind of knowledge should be available to all. In this workshop we had the message that one of the things we can do is to help each other.
Plenary #3: “Evidence for emerging crises” was one of the most moving conferences, with the great video of “Let’s #OutsmartEpidemics” which tells us that an epidemic can start anywhere, reach anyone and end millions of lives, but working together we can #OutsmartEpidemics.
It was amazing to see how many people stand for our beautiful language, Spanish. We should remember that everyone learns more in their native language. Related to this, the Cochrane Colloquium of 2019 will be held in Santiago, Chile.
The best farewell was the great “Gala Dinner” with its peculiar menu of duck, cow cheeks, ox tail and ostrich fillet. And, of course, a little dancing never hurts.
A great plus of the event was the host city, with its spectacular “Table Mountain”, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, which day by day gave us a beautiful scenery, along with the imposing “Head of Lion”.
These series of lectures for us undergraduate students, were understandable, enlisted key concepts, and always summarised the objectives at the end in a brief conclusion. During the days of this Summit, we understood the reason of the motto “Using evidence, improving lives” and we were very inspired to follow this path. May this colloquium be the first of many, many more.
We thank Dr. Giordano Perez Gaxiola for the opportunity and the trust, and our University, the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, for the support.
The post Global Evidence Summit 2017 – a student perspective appeared first on Students 4 Best Evidence.
This blog follows on from Ammar’s previous post “Meta-analysis: What, Why and How” (you will find the link to that blog at the bottom of this page, together with other handy resources).
Meta-analysis is a type of research introduced in the 17th century in astronomy. The first clinical study to be published in this manner was published by the statistician Karl Pearson in the British Medical Journal (1).
The word “Meta-analysis” was first given to this specific model by the statistician Gene V. Glass (2). Some of his precious words were “my major interest currently is in what we have come to call …the meta-analysis of research. The term is a bit grand, but it is precise and apt … Meta-analysis refers to the analysis of analyses”.
Meta-analysis is a quantitative, rigorous, and precise type of research analysis. It intends to summarize and consolidate the results of an intervention in a specific cohort of people.
The value of using Meta-analysis can be summarised in multiple points:
Firstly; it combines data from many studies – all studies available about a single specific topic – then gives a net effect estimate from all these studies. So, its sample size and power will be greater than any single study within the literature on this subject.
Secondly; we use Meta-analysis when there is a great degree of conflict between studies which can not be resolved without using meta-analysis. So, meta-analysis combines data from all these different studies and then gives us a precise result which can be easily understood.
Thirdly; it helps in establishing guidelines and straightening the clinical practice, as data from meta-analyses are derived from a wide scope of population so the meta-analysis will be more generalizable and powerful.
Meta-analysis provides class I evidence according to the evidence pyramid. In this pyramid, meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials occupies the top part, the “apex of the pyramid”. After this comes systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, case reports/ case series, then expert opinion which is not followed anymore in clinical sciences.
Pharmaceutical companies can depend on meta-analyses to gain approval of their drugs. In clinical practice, physicians use the meta-analysis approach for choosing the suitable course and effective doses for their patients. Also, researchers use this analytic approach to apply for grants to do research about what is called “gap of knowledge”, for example, to start testing a new regime.
Firstly; we specify a topic for our project,
Secondly; we search relevant databases using keywords,
Thirdly; we screen the records retrieved from our search,
Fourthly; we extract data that can be analyzed (data available from two studies at least),
Fifthly; extracted data should be analyzed in software such as Review Manager or Stata,
Finally; retrieved data should be documented.
For further reading, please visit the websites below:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3049418/
https://www.meta-analysis.com/pages/why_do.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta-analysis
http://www.students4bestevidence.net/meta-analysis-what-why-and-how/
http://www.students4bestevidence.net/the-evidence-based-medicine-pyramid/
References:
1. Pearson K. Report on Certain Enteric Fever Inoculation Statistics. Br Med J [Internet]. 1904 [cited 2017 Jun 19];2(2288):1243–6. Available from: http://www.bmj.com/content/2/2288/1243
2. Glass GV. Primary, Secondary, and Meta-Analysis of Research. Educ Res [Internet]. 1976 Nov 1 [cited 2017 Jun 19];5(10):3–8. Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0013189X005010003
The post A thorough look into meta-analysis appeared first on Students 4 Best Evidence.
Before and After School Care for your Kid’s Future https://t.co/DMLvf3fvdB via @lileinsteins2
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 10, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
In today’s world, we as parents strive hard to portray a perfect world for our kids: a world in which, we as super-parents consciously attempt to be the best. We get so involved in this race for perfection, that the ultimate truth never crosses our mind. The truth is: we are not perfect; our parents were not perfect; our child won’t be perfect, as nothing on this earth can be announced as perfect.
So how do we deal with this situation? Maybe a change in perception could help. If we picture our child to be the one: with instilled family values and, empathy; resilient, self-aware, and creative; known for the character: we might win this crazy race for perfection. Maybe not in the eyes of our peers but, definitely our own.
The stress of earning, taking care of family, and not to mention social life, takes a toll on us, and our parenting styles. We subconsciously ignore our health and family relations. The fact, that it’s perfectly normal to ask for help with parenting, makes us feel repressed; especially if the one we need help from our grandparents.
However, not everyone is blessed with in-laws and, parents who are willing to help with the upbringing of their grandkids. But, if you are, then after a self-reality check, think about all the benefits grandparents-grandchildren relationship can bring in.
Daycare in U.S.A is more expensive than sending a child to college. Kathleen Elkins, who covers personal finances for Business Insider explains in her article “In 23 states, it costs more to send your child to daycare than college” how educating a preschooler may be pricier than sending a teenager to college. The total cost of daycare varies based on the state you live in, a number of kids that require care, and their age. You can get accurate data based on the State you live in on the EPI ( Economic Policy Institute) website.
With an option of having grandparents babysit your child, just do the Math of how you could save money annually, for your child’s college and, retirement.
Every family has certain traditional and, cultural values that are passed down from the previous generation. A promise made to family members, of being there for each other when needed. Due to the fast-paced life that we live, honestly, how much time, do we spend explaining these values to our future generation. Maybe little, or none in some cases.
Grandparents are storytellers. They are an excellent source of information, and expertise, when it comes to varied life experiences. Research in neuroscience reiterates the fact that storytelling stimulates inner learning. Louis Cozolino, an American psychologist, and professor of psychology claims brain is a social organ, and stories are critical to brain development and learning (Cozolino, 2014).
In today’s STEAM world, we as parents do our best to teach our kids about, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Talk about the classes we enroll them in so that they learn the basis of all the STEM careers, there are. In the midst of all this, we don’t have time to teach simple, yet important social-emotional skills. Skills like having empathy for others and, integrity takes back place in our lives.
Just being with grandparents, children develop and learn these skills. They learn how to converse confidently with older people. A skill required to be successful in the workplace, a skill required to intellectually converse with professors, and mentors.
We all want to teach our kids the importance of being responsible. We set rules and boundaries for them. Sometimes these rules are fair, and sometimes, we just don’t have time to listen to our kids to help them understand. Here grandparents play a vital role. With the number of years of life experience under their belt, they easily portray a broader perspective to any situation.
Grandparents due to their undivided attention, gain kid’s trust faster than us. This trust and relationship teach children responsibility, which comes by taking care of each other.
Remember you are the parent, and you can control any situation. If you think grandparents can be bossy, then set rules right from the beginning. Help grandparents, help you by educating them and, connecting them to American Grandparents Association (AGA). Grandparents are a wonderful resource of knowledge and love. Let’s learn to give them credit, they deserve.
The post Raising a Perfect Kid: Should Grandparents be involved? appeared first on .
We are taking a major step forward to build out our business with the industry leader and can continue to realize Earnest’s mission.
The post Earnest’s Next Chapter: Expanding Our Mission’s Impact appeared first on Earnest Blog | Money Advice for Young Professionals.
The Global Evidence Summit took place between 13th and 17th September 2017. The event saw over 1400 delegates from 77 countries gather in Cape Town, South Africa, to discuss how to use evidence to improve lives.
The Global Evidence Summit; a truly global event
The Global Evidence Summit was the first of its kind; a huge collaborative conference between 5 international organisations; Cochrane, The Campbell Collaboration, Guidelines-International Network, International Society for Evidence-based Health Care, and Joanna Briggs Institute.
The theme for the conference was ‘Using evidence. Improving lives‘, and broadly aimed to advance the use of trustworthy research evidence in addressing the health and social challenges we face around the world.
I’m a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen’s Health Services Research Unit, and my primary research interests lie in clinical trial efficiency – put simply, I want to know how we can make the process of designing, conducting and reporting clinical trials better. By better, I mean evidence-based. My PhD work focusses on the process of recruiting participants to trials, i.e. improving the production of primary research evidence, but I’m also interested in how we implement the evidence we have into trials more generally.
The Global Evidence Summit started out as one of those things I thought I’d ask my Supervisor about, thinking I’d get laughed out of his office. I’m in my final year of the PhD, and whilst I’ve been lucky enough to attend numerous conferences throughout the course of my studies, the cost of a conference trip to South Africa seemed like it would be a stretch. A few months later and I had secured a short oral presentation, a poster presentation, and I’d agreed to co-chair one of the threaded sessions.
Before the conference I was feeling a bit nervous, but mostly excited – I was going to South Africa after all! In terms of travelling to Cape Town, my flight from Aberdeen to London was delayed, meaning I missed my connection to Cape Town and arrived at the Summit 26 hours later than planned. This was actually a really good thing in the end. Missing the first day of the conference wasn’t great. The delay did give me time to look through the programme and get my bearings a bit more, meaning that when I eventually landed I was raring to get started.
I downloaded the conference app and made sure I knew where I needed to be and at what time; that definitely settled my nerves. Conference apps are popping up more and more, and as someone who runs their life through iCal, this was very useful. Much easier than looking through a printed version and having to flick back and forth to see if talks clashed.
Ok, so the conference was really, really brilliant. I always come away from conferences feeling excited and motivated to get back to work, but this one was different. This was undoubtedly the biggest conference I’ve been to before, but it also had a very clear global vision. I learned so much that I hadn’t even thought about before, I spoke to people I’d never have met otherwise, and by the time I left I was feeling very hopeful for the coming years – both in terms of my own career, but our ability to include evidence in global health challenges too.
My highlights of the conference were two of the themed days. Each of the days was themed with a particular topic, starting with a plenary in the morning, and then leading on to a number of threaded sessions that allowed you to delve deeper into specific parts of the theme.
Thursday’s theme: BREAKING DOWN THE SILOS: Digital and trustworthy evidence ecosystem
Highlights: I’ve written an entire post over on my own blog on this, and the threaded session that I co-chaired (take a look here). This session in particular, motivated my own research ambitions. We need to be working in a cohesive evidence ecosystem, otherwise the work that we’re doing in our own little groups really won’t make the impact that it should. ‘Breaking Down the Silos’ was exactly what this session aimed to encourage. We heard from speakers with very different backgrounds, and listened to their own stories of how they had pushed for change in various sectors and research areas.
Speakers didn’t just focus on health – though that was the overarching focus of the conference. We heard from people involved in Education too, a sector that has had the luxury of starting an evidence ecosystem largely from the beginning. This insight gave me much food for thought; we can make the health evidence ecosystem so much better than it is currently. What’s missing so often is communication – talking to others outside of our field, to ensure that our work is spread and shared right through each of the stakeholders that may encounter its effects.
Saturday’s theme: EVIDENCE IN A POST-TRUTH WORLD: The evidence, ethos and pathos. How scientists can engage, and influence the public, press and politicians
Highlights: Again, I’ve written a more in-depth post about this plenary (take a look here). This session connected with my broad research interests and thoughts. I am passionate about public engagement and involving the public in science as a whole, and it was refreshing to see a topic like this getting such a substantial platform. We heard from 3 brilliant speakers (and an all female panel!), who each covered topics related to evidence communication – whether that be to the public, the press or politicians. The public persona of science isn’t always brilliant. We often have to battle with poorly worded claims or false headlines, and it can be frustrating.
This session didn’t dwell on the problems of these cases though; sure, the fake MMR/autism link was mentioned, but it was presented in such a way that it evoked ambition and drive not to let this happen again. Once the plenary was finished, it really felt like the audience had been galvanized to do something – and it was a pretty unique feeling walking out of the auditorium feeling like I was part of a community of scientists that can, and will, change the way we tackle global health issues by using reliable evidence to improve lives.
If you haven’t guessed from my glowing review of this year’s Global Evidence Summit; YES. I really hope that this conference becomes an annual event, particularly because of the diversity of the audience. I was able to network with guideline producers, public health tacklers, researchers like myself, third sector representatives, even patients, from all corners of the world. This diverse audience, and therefore diverse line up of speakers, really strengthened the program, and ultimately made the conference a complete success for me. The Africancraft sellers and gumboot dancing did help make the whole thing pretty memorable too!
The post Thoughts from the Global Evidence Summit appeared first on Students 4 Best Evidence.
Benefit from a Childcare Center Today https://t.co/QZBFk9exbT via @lileinsteins2
— Lil' Einstein's (@lileinsteins2) October 1, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
from Twitter https://twitter.com/lileinsteins2
