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A systematic review of the content of critical appraisal tools
Persis Katrak1,
Andrea E Bialocerkowski2,
Nicola Massy-Westropp1,
VS Saravana Kumar1 &
Karen A Grimmer1
BMC Medical Research Methodology volume 4, Article number: 22 (2004) Cite this article
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Consumers of research (researchers, administrators, educators and clinicians) frequently use standard critical appraisal tools to evaluate the quality of published research reports. However, there is no consensus regarding the most appropriate critical appraisal tool for allied health research. We summarized the content, intent, construction and psychometric properties of published, currently available critical appraisal tools to identify common elements and their relevance to allied health research.
A systematic review was undertaken of 121 published critical appraisal tools sourced from 108 papers located on electronic databases and the Internet. The tools were classified according to the study design for which they were intended. Their items were then classified into one of 12 criteria based on their intent. Commonly occurring items were identified. The empirical basis for construction of the tool, the method by which overall quality of the study was established, the psychometric properties of the critical appraisal tools and whether guidelines were provided for their use were also recorded.
Eighty-seven percent of critical appraisal tools were specific to a research design, with most tools having been developed for experimental studies. There was considerable variability in items contained in the critical appraisal tools. Twelve percent of available tools were developed using specified empirical research. Forty-nine percent of the critical appraisal tools summarized the quality appraisal into a numeric summary score. Few critical appraisal tools had documented evidence of validity of their items, or reliability of use. Guidelines regarding administration of the tools were provided in 43% of cases.
There was considerable variability in intent, components, construction and psychometric properties of published critical appraisal tools for research reports. There is no "gold standard' critical appraisal tool for any study design, nor is there any widely accepted generic tool that can be applied equally well across study types. No tool was specific to allied health research requirements. Thus interpretation of critical appraisal of research reports currently needs to be considered in light of the properties and intent of the critical appraisal tool chosen for the task.
Consumers of research (clinicians, researchers, educators, administrators) frequently use standard critical appraisal tools to evaluate the quality and utility of published research reports [1]. Critical appraisal tools provide analytical evaluations of the quality of the study, in particular the methods applied to minimise biases in a research project [2]. As these factors potentially influence study results, and the way that the study findings are interpreted, this information is vital for consumers of research to ascertain whether the results of the study can be believed, and transferred appropriately into other environments, such as policy, further research studies, education or clinical practice. Hence, choosing an appropriate critical appraisal tool is an important component of evidence-based practice.
Although the importance of critical appraisal tools has been acknowledged [1, 3–5] there appears to be no consensus regarding the 'gold standard' tool for any medical evidence. In addition, it seems that consumers of research are faced with a large number of critical appraisal tools from which to choose. This is evidenced by the recent report by the Agency for Health Research Quality in which 93 critical appraisal tools for quantitative studies were identified [6]. Such choice may pose problems for research consumers, as dissimilar findings may well be the result when different critical appraisal tools are used to evaluate the same research report [6].
Critical appraisal tools can be broadly classified into those that are research design-specific and those that are generic. Design-specific tools contain items that address methodological issues that are unique to the research design [5, 7]. This precludes comparison however of the quality of different study designs [8]. To attempt to overcome this limitation, generic critical appraisal tools have been developed, in an attempt to enhance the ability of research consumers to synthesise evidence from a range of quantitative and or qualitative study designs (for instance [9]). There is no evidence that generic critical appraisal tools and design-specific tools provide a comparative evaluation of research designs.
Moreover, there appears to be little consensus regarding the most appropriate items that should be contained within any critical appraisal tool. This paper is concerned primarily with critical appraisal tools that address the unique properties of allied health care and research [10]. This approach was taken because of the unique nature of allied health contacts with patients, and because evidence-based practice is an emerging area in allied health [10]. The availability of so many critical appraisal tools (for instance [6]) may well prove daunting for allied health practitioners who are learning to critically appraise research in their area of interest. For the purposes of this evaluation, allied health is defined as encompassing "...all occasions of service to non admitted patients where services are provided at units/clinics providing treatment/counseling to patients. These include units primarily concerned with physiotherapy, speech therapy, family panning, dietary advice, optometry occupational therapy..." [11].
The unique nature of allied health practice needs to be considered in allied health research. Allied health research thus differs from most medical research, with respect to:
• the paradigm underpinning comprehensive and clinically-reasoned descriptions of diagnosis (including validity and reliability). An example of this is in research into low back pain, where instead of diagnosis being made on location and chronicity of pain (as is common) [12], it would be made on the spinal structure and the nature of the dysfunction underpinning the symptoms, which is arrived at by a staged and replicable clinical reasoning process [10, 13].
• the frequent use of multiple interventions within the one contact with the patient (an occasion of service), each of which requires appropriate description in terms of relationship to the diagnosis, nature, intensity, frequency, type of instruction provided to the patient, and the order in which the interventions were applied [13]
• the timeframe and frequency of contact with the patient (as many allied health disciplines treat patients in episodes of care that contain multiple occasions of service, and which can span many weeks, or even years in the case of chronic problems [14])
• measures of outcome, including appropriate methods and timeframes of measuring change in impairment, function, disability and handicap that address the needs of different stakeholders (patients, therapists, funders etc) [10, 12, 13].
In supplementary data [see additional file 1].
Data organization and extraction
Two independent researchers (PK, NMW) participated in all aspects of this review, and they compared and discussed their findings with respect to inclusion of critical appraisal tools, their intent, components, data extraction and item classification, construction and psychometric properties. Disagreements were resolved by discussion with a third member of the team (KG).
Data extraction consisted of a four-staged process. First, identical replica critical appraisal tools were identified and removed prior to analysis. The remaining critical appraisal tools were then classified according to the study design for which they were intended to be used [1, 2]. The scientific manner in which the tools had been constructed was classified as whether an empirical research approach has been used, and if so, which type of research had been undertaken. Finally, the items contained in each critical appraisal tool were extracted and classified into one of eleven groups, which were based on the criteria described by Clarke and Oxman [4] as:
• Study aims and justification
• Methodology used, which encompassed method of identification of relevant studies and adherence to study protocol;
• Sample selection, which ranged from inclusion and exclusion criteria, to homogeneity of groups;
• Method of randomization and allocation blinding;
• Attrition: response and drop out rates;
• Blinding of the clinician, assessor, patient and statistician as well as the method of blinding;
• Outcome measure characteristics;
• Intervention or exposure details;
• Method of data analyses;
• Potential sources of bias; and
• Issues of external validity, which ranged from application of evidence to other settings to the relationship between benefits, cost and harm.
An additional group, "miscellaneous", was used to describe items that could not be classified into any of the groups listed above.
Data was synthesized using MS Excel spread sheets as well as narrative format by describing the number of critical appraisal tools per study design and the type of items they contained. Descriptions were made of the method by which the overall quality of the study was determined, evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the tools (validity and reliability) and whether guidelines were provided for use of the critical appraisal tool.
One hundred and ninety-three research reports that potentially provided a description of a critical appraisal tool (or process) were identified from the search strategy. Fifty-six of these papers were unavailable for review due to outdated Internet links, or inability to source the relevant journal through Australian university and Government library databases. Of the 127 papers retrieved, 19 were excluded from this review, as they did not provide a description of the critical appraisal tool used, or were published in languages other than English. As a result, 108 papers were reviewed, which yielded 121 different critical appraisal tools [1–5, 7, 9, 15–102, 116].
Empirical basis for tool construction
We identified 14 instruments (12% all tools) which were reported as having been constructed using a specified empirical approach [20, 29, 30, 32, 35, 40, 49, 51, 70–72, 79, 103, 116]. The empirical research reflected descriptive and/or qualitative approaches, these being critical review of existing tools [40, 72], Delphi techniques to identify then refine data items [32, 51, 71], questionnaires and other forms of written surveys to identify and refine data items [70, 79, 103], facilitated structured consensus meetings [20, 29, 30, 35, 40, 49, 70, 72, 79, 116], and pilot validation testing [20, 40, 72, 103, 116]. In all the studies which reported developing critical appraisal tools using a consensus approach, a range of stakeholder input was sought, reflecting researchers and clinicians in a range of health disciplines, students, educators and consumers. There were a further 31 papers which cited other studies as the source of the tool used in the review, but which provided no information on why individual items had been chosen, or whether (or how) they had been modified. Moreover, for 21 of these tools, the cited sources of the critical appraisal tool did not report the empirical basis on which the tool had been constructed.
Critical appraisal tools per study design
Seventy-eight percent (N = 94) of the critical appraisal tools were developed for use on primary research [1–5, 7, 9, 18, 19, 25–27, 34, 37–41], while the remainder (N = 26) were for secondary research (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) [2–5, 15–36, 116]. Eighty-seven percent (N = 104) of all critical appraisal tools were design-specific [2–5, 7, 9, 15–90], with over one third (N = 45) developed for experimental studies (randomized controlled trials, clinical trials) [2–4, 25–27, 34, 37–73]. Sixteen critical appraisal tools were generic. Of these, six were developed for use on both experimental and observational studies [9, 91–95], whereas 11 were purported to be useful for any qualitative and quantitative research design [1, 18, 41, 96–102, 116] (see Figure 1, Table 1).
Number of critical appraisal tools per study design [1,2]
Table 1 Summary of tools sourced in this review.
Critical appraisal items
One thousand, four hundred and seventy five items were extracted from these critical appraisal tools. After grouping like items together, 173 different item types were identified, with the most frequently reported items being focused towards assessing the external validity of the study (N = 35) and method of data analyses (N = 28) (Table 2). The most frequently reported items across all critical appraisal tools were:
Table 2 The type and number of component items contained in critical appraisal tools per study design.
Eligibility criteria (inclusion/exclusion criteria) (N = 63)
Appropriate statistical analyses (N = 47)
Random allocation of subjects (N = 43)
Consideration of outcome measures used (N = 43)
Sample size justification/power calculations (N = 39)
Study design reported (N = 36)
Assessor blinding (N = 36)
Design-specific critical appraisal tools
Eighty-seven different items were extracted from the 26 critical appraisal tools, which were designed to evaluate the quality of systematic reviews. These critical appraisal tools frequently contained items regarding data analyses and issues of external validity (Tables 2 and 3).
Table 3 The type and number of guidelines accompanying critical appraisal tools per study design
Items assessing data analyses were focused to the methods used to summarize the results, assessment of sensitivity of results and whether heterogeneity was considered, whereas the nature of reporting of the main results, interpretation of them and their generalizability were frequently used to assess the external validity of the study findings. Moreover, systematic review critical appraisal tools tended to contain items such as identification of relevant studies, search strategy used, number of studies included and protocol adherence, that would not be relevant for other study designs. Blinding and randomisation procedures were rarely included in these critical appraisal tools.
One hundred and twenty thirteen different items were extracted from the 45 experimental critical appraisal tools. These items most frequently assessed aspects of data analyses and blinding (Tables 1 and 2). Data analyses items were focused on whether appropriate statistical analysis was performed, whether a sample size justification or power calculation was provided and whether side effects of the intervention were recorded and analysed. Blinding was focused on whether the participant, clinician and assessor were blinded to the intervention.
Diagnostic studies
Forty-seven different items were extracted from the seven diagnostic critical appraisal tools. These items frequently addressed issues involving data analyses, external validity of results and sample selection that were specific to diagnostic studies (whether the diagnostic criteria were defined, definition of the "gold" standard, the calculation of sensitivity and specificity) (Tables 1 and 2).
Seventy-four different items were extracted from the 19 critical appraisal tools for observational studies. These items primarily focused on aspects of data analyses (see Tables 1 and 2, such as whether confounders were considered in the analysis, whether a sample size justification or power calculation was provided and whether appropriate statistical analyses were preformed.
Qualitative studies
Thirty-six different items were extracted from the seven qualitative study critical appraisal tools. The majority of these items assessed issues regarding external validity, methods of data analyses and the aims and justification of the study (Tables 1 and 2). Specifically, items were focused to whether the study question was clearly stated, whether data analyses were clearly described and appropriate, and application of the study findings to the clinical setting. Qualitative critical appraisal tools did not contain items regarding sample selection, randomization, blinding, intervention or bias, perhaps because these issues are not relevant to the qualitative paradigm.
Generic critical appraisal tools
Experimental and observational studies
Forty-two different items were extracted from the six critical appraisal tools that could be used to evaluate experimental and observational studies. These tools most frequently contained items that addressed aspects of sample selection (such as inclusion/exclusion criteria of participants, homogeneity of participants at baseline) and data analyses (such as whether appropriate statistical analyses were performed, whether a justification of the sample size or power calculation were provided).
All study designs
Seventy-eight different items were contained in the ten critical appraisal tools that could be used for all study designs (quantitative and qualitative). The majority of these items focused on whether appropriate data analyses were undertaken (such as whether confounders were considered in the analysis, whether a sample size justification or power calculation was provided and whether appropriate statistical analyses were preformed) and external validity issues (generalization of results to the population, value of the research findings) (see Tables 1 and 2).
Allied health critical appraisal tools
We found no critical appraisal instrument specific to allied health research, despite finding at least seven critical appraisal instruments associated with allied health topics (mostly physiotherapy management of orthopedic conditions) [37, 39, 52, 58, 59, 65]. One critical appraisal development group proposed two instruments [9], specific to quantitative and qualitative research respectively. The core elements of allied health research quality (specific diagnosis criteria, intervention descriptions, nature of patient contact and appropriate outcome measures) were not addressed in any one tool sourced for this evaluation. We identified 152 different ways of considering quality reporting of outcome measures in the 121 critical appraisal tools, and 81 ways of considering description of interventions. Very few tools which were not specifically targeted to diagnostic studies (less than 10% of the remaining tools) addressed diagnostic criteria. The critical appraisal instrument that seemed most related to allied health research quality [39] sought comprehensive evaluation of elements of intervention and outcome, however this instrument was relevant only to physiotherapeutic orthopedic experimental research.
Overall study quality
Forty-nine percent (N = 58) of critical appraisal tools summarised the results of the quality appraisal into a single numeric summary score [5, 7, 15–25, 37–59, 74–77, 80–83, 87, 91–93, 96, 97] (Figure 2). This was achieved by one of two methods:
Number of critical appraisal tools with, and without, summary quality scores
An equal weighting system, where one point was allocated to each item fulfilled; or
A weighted system, where fulfilled items were allocated various points depending on their perceived importance.
However, there was no justification provided for any of the scoring systems used. In the remaining critical appraisal tools (N = 62), a single numerical summary score was not provided [1–4, 9, 25–36, 60–73, 78, 79, 84–90, 94, 95, 98–102]. This left the research consumer to summarize the results of the appraisal in a narrative manner, without the assistance of a standard approach.
Psychometric properties of critical appraisal tools
Few critical appraisal tools had documented evidence of their validity and reliability. Face validity was established in nine critical appraisal tools, seven of which were developed for use on experimental studies [38, 40, 45, 49, 51, 63, 70] and two for systematic reviews [32, 103]. Intra-rater reliability was established for only one critical appraisal tool as part of its empirical development process [40], whereas inter-rater reliability was reported for two systematic review tools [20, 36] (for one of these as part of the developmental process [20]) and seven experimental critical appraisal tools [38, 40, 45, 51, 55, 56, 63] (for two of these as part of the developmental process [40, 51]).
Critical appraisal tool guidelines
Forty-three percent (N = 52) of critical appraisal tools had guidelines that informed the user of the interpretation of each item contained within them (Table 2). These guidelines were most frequently in the form of a handbook or published paper (N = 31) [2, 4, 9, 15, 20, 25, 28, 29, 31, 36, 37, 41, 50, 64–67, 69, 80, 84–87, 89, 90, 95, 100, 116], whereas in 14 critical appraisal tools explanations accompanied each item [16, 26, 27, 40, 49, 51, 57, 59, 79, 83, 91, 102].
Our search strategy identified a large number of published critical appraisal tools that are currently available to critically appraise research reports. There was a distinct lack of information on tool development processes in most cases. Many of the tools were reported to be modifications of other published tools, or reflected specialty concerns in specific clinical or research areas, without attempts to justify inclusion criteria. Less than 10 of these tools were relevant to evaluation of the quality of allied health research, and none of these were based on an empirical research approach. We are concerned that although our search was systematic and extensive [104, 105], our broad key words and our lack of ready access to 29% of potentially useful papers (N = 56) potentially constrained us from identifying all published critical appraisal tools. However, consumers of research seeking critical appraisal instruments are not likely to seek instruments from outdated Internet links and unobtainable journals, thus we believe that we identified the most readily available instruments. Thus, despite the limitations on sourcing all possible tools, we believe that this paper presents a useful synthesis of the readily available critical appraisal tools.
The majority of the critical appraisal tools were developed for a specific research design (87%), with most designed for use on experimental studies (38% of all critical appraisal tools sourced). This finding is not surprising as, according to the medical model, experimental studies sit at or near the top of the hierarchy of evidence [2, 8]. In recent years, allied health researchers have strived to apply the medical model of research to their own discipline by conducting experimental research, often by using the randomized controlled trial design [106]. This trend may be the reason for the development of experimental critical appraisal tools reported in allied health-specific research topics [37, 39, 52, 58, 59, 65].
We also found a considerable number of critical appraisal tools for systematic reviews (N = 26), which reflects the trend to synthesize research evidence to make it relevant for clinicians [105, 107]. Systematic review critical appraisal tools contained unique items (such as identification of relevant studies, search strategy used, number of studies included, protocol adherence) compared with tools used for primary studies, a reflection of the secondary nature of data synthesis and analysis.
In contrast, we identified very few qualitative study critical appraisal tools, despite the presence of many journal-specific guidelines that outline important methodological aspects required in a manuscript submitted for publication [108–110]. This finding may reflect the more traditional, quantitative focus of allied health research [111]. Alternatively, qualitative researchers may view the robustness of their research findings in different terms compared with quantitative researchers [112, 113]. Hence the use of critical appraisal tools may be less appropriate for the qualitative paradigm. This requires further consideration.
Of the small number of generic critical appraisal tools, we found few that could be usefully applied (to any health research, and specifically to the allied health literature), because of the generalist nature of their items, variable interpretation (and applicability) of items across research designs, and/or lack of summary scores. Whilst these types of tools potentially facilitate the synthesis of evidence across allied health research designs for clinicians, their lack of specificity in asking the 'hard' questions about research quality related to research design also potentially precludes their adoption for allied health evidence-based practice. At present, the gold standard study design when synthesizing evidence is the randomized controlled trial [4], which underpins our finding that experimental critical appraisal tools predominated in the allied health literature [37, 39, 52, 58, 59, 65]. However, as more systematic literature reviews are undertaken on allied health topics, it may become more accepted that evidence in the form of other research design types requires acknowledgement, evaluation and synthesis. This may result in the development of more appropriate and clinically useful allied health critical appraisal tools.
A major finding of our study was the volume and variation in available critical appraisal tools. We found no gold standard critical appraisal tool for any type of study design. Therefore, consumers of research are faced with frustrating decisions when attempting to select the most appropriate tool for their needs. Variable quality evaluations may be produced when different critical appraisal tools are used on the same literature [6]. Thus, interpretation of critical analysis must be carefully considered in light of the critical appraisal tool used.
The variability in the content of critical appraisal tools could be accounted for by the lack of any empirical basis of tool construction, established validity of item construction, and the lack of a gold standard against which to compare new critical tools. As such, consumers of research cannot be certain that the content of published critical appraisal tools reflect the most important aspects of the quality of studies that they assess [114]. Moreover, there was little evidence of intra- or inter-rater reliability of the critical appraisal tools. Coupled with the lack of protocols for use, this may mean that critical appraisers could interpret instrument items in different ways over repeated occasions of use. This may produce variable results [123].
Based on the findings of this evaluation, we recommend that consumers of research should carefully select critical appraisal tools for their needs. The selected tools should have published evidence of the empirical basis for their construction, validity of items and reliability of interpretation, as well as guidelines for use, so that the tools can be applied and interpreted in a standardized manner. Our findings highlight the need for consensus to be reached regarding the important and core items for critical appraisal tools that will produce a more standardized environment for critical appraisal of research evidence. As a consequence, allied health research will specifically benefit from having critical appraisal tools that reflect best practice research approaches which embed specific research requirements of allied health disciplines.
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Van Tulder MW, Ostelo R, Vlaeyen JWS, Linton SJ, Morley SJ, Assendelft WJJ: Behavioral treatment for chronic low back pain: a systematic review within the framework of the cochrane back. Spine. 2000, 25: 2688-2699. 10.1097/00007632-200010150-00024.
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der Simonian R, Charette LJ, McPeek B, Mosteller F: Reporting on methods in clinical trials. New Eng J Med. 1982, 306: 1332-1337.
Detsky AS, Naylor CD, O'Rourke K, McGeer AJ, L'Abbe KA: Incorporating variations in the quality of individual randomized trials into meta-analysis. J Clin Epidemiol. 1992, 45: 255-265. 10.1016/0895-4356(92)90085-2.
Goudas L, Carr DB, Bloch R, Balk E, Ioannidis JPA, Terrin MN: Management of Cancer Pain. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 35 (Contract 290-97-0019 to the New England Medical Center), AHCPR Publication No. 99-E004. Rockville. 2000
Guyatt GH, Sackett DL, Cook DJ: Users' guides to the medical literature. II. How to use an article about therapy or prevention. A. Are the results of the study valid? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. J Am Med Assoc. 1993, 270: 2598-2601. 10.1001/jama.270.21.2598.
Khan KS, Ter Riet G, Glanville J, Sowden AJ, Kleijnen J: Undertaking Systematic Reviews of Research on Effectiveness: Centre of Reviews and Dissemination's Guidance for Carrying Out or Commissioning Reviews: York. 2000
McNamara R, Bass EB, Marlene R, Miller J: Management of New Onset Atrial Fibrillation. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No.12, AHRQ Publication No. 01-E026. Rockville. 2001
Prendiville W, Elbourne D, Chalmers I: The effects of routine oxytocic administration in the management of the third stage of labour: an overview of the evidence from controlled trials. Br J Obstet Gynae Col. 1988, 95: 3-16.
Schulz KF, Chalmers I, Hayes RJ, Altman DG: Empirical evidence of bias. Dimensions of methodological quality associated with estimates of treatment effects in controlled trials. J Am Med Assoc. 1995, 273: 408-412. 10.1001/jama.273.5.408.
The Standards of Reporting Trials Group: A proposal for structured reporting of randomized controlled trials. J Am Med Assoc. 1994, 272: 1926-1931. 10.1001/jama.272.24.1926.
Verhagen AP, de Vet HC, de Bie RA, Kessels AGH, Boers M, Bouter LM, Knipschild PG: The Delphi list: a criteria list for quality assessment of randomized clinical trials for conducting systematic reviews developed by Delphi consensus. J Clin Epidemiol. 1998, 51: 1235-1241. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00131-0.
Zaza S, Wright-De Aguero LK, Briss PA, Truman BI, Hopkins DP, Hennessy MH, Sosin DM, Anderson L, Carande-Kullis VG, Teutsch SM, Pappaioanou M: Data collection instrument and procedure for systematic reviews in the guide to community preventive services. Task force on community preventive services. Am J Prevent Med. 2000, 18: 44-74. 10.1016/S0749-3797(99)00122-1.
Haynes BB, Wilczynski N, McKibbon A, Walker CJ, Sinclair J: Developing optimal search strategies for detecting clinically sound studies in MEDLINE. J Am Informatics Assoc. 1994, 1: 447-458.
Greenhalgh T: How to read a paper: papers that report diagnostic or screening tests. BMJ. 1997, 315: 540-543.
Arroll B, Schechter MT, Sheps SB: The assessment of diagnostic tests: a comparison of medical literature in 1982 and 1985. J Gen Int Med. 1988, 3: 443-447.
Lijmer JG, Mol BW, Heisterkamp S, Bonsel GJ, Prins MH, van der Meulen JH, Bossuyt PM: Empirical evidence of design-related bias in studies of diagnostic tests. J Am Med Assoc. 1999, 282: 1061-1066. 10.1001/jama.282.11.1061.
Sheps SB, Schechter MT: The assessment of diagnostic tests. A survey of current medical research. J Am Med Assoc. 1984, 252: 2418-2422. 10.1001/jama.252.17.2418.
McCrory DC, Matchar DB, Bastian L, Dutta S, Hasselblad V, Hickey J, Myers MSE, Nanda K: Evaluation of Cervical Cytology. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 5, AHCPR Publication No.99-E010. Rockville. 1999
Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bruns DE, Gatsonis CA, Glasziou PP, Irwig LM, Lijmer JG, Moher D, Rennie D, DeVet HCW: Towards complete and accurate reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative. Clin Chem. 2003, 49: 1-6. 10.1373/49.1.1.
Greenhalgh T: How to Read a Paper: Assessing the methodological quality of published papers. BMJ. 1997, 315: 305-308.
Angelillo I, Villari P: Residential exposure to electromagnetic fields and childhood leukaemia: a meta-analysis. Bull World Health Org. 1999, 77: 906-915.
Ariens G, Mechelen W, Bongers P, Bouter L, Van der Wal G: Physical risk factors for neck pain. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2000, 26: 7-19.
Hoogendoorn WE, van Poppel MN, Bongers PM, Koes BW, Bouter LM: Physical load during work and leisure time as risk factors for back pain. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1999, 25: 387-403.
Laupacis A, Wells G, Richardson WS, Tugwell P: Users' guides to the medical literature. V. How to use an article about prognosis. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. J Am Med Assoc. 1994, 272: 234-237. 10.1001/jama.272.3.234.
Levine M, Walter S, Lee H, Haines T, Holbrook A, Moyer V: Users' guides to the medical literature. IV. How to use an article about harm. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. J Am Med Assoc. 1994, 271: 1615-1619. 10.1001/jama.271.20.1615.
Carey TS, Boden SD: A critical guide to case series reports. Spine. 2003, 28: 1631-1634. 10.1097/00007632-200308010-00001.
Greenhalgh T, Taylor R: How to read a paper: papers that go beyond numbers (qualitative research). BMJ. 1997, 315: 740-743.
Hoddinott P, Pill R: A review of recently published qualitative research in general practice. More methodological questions than answers?. Fam Pract. 1997, 14: 313-319. 10.1093/fampra/14.4.313.
Mays N, Pope C: Quality research in health care: Assessing quality in qualitative research. BMJ. 2000, 320: 50-52. 10.1136/bmj.320.7226.50.
Mays N, Pope C: Rigour and qualitative research. BMJ. 1995, 311: 109-112.
Colditz GA, Miller JN, Mosteller F: How study design affects outcomes in comparisons of therapy. I: Medical. Stats Med. 1989, 8: 441-454.
Turlik MA, Kushner D: Levels of evidence of articles in podiatric medical journals. J Am Pod Med Assoc. 2000, 90: 300-302.
Borghouts JAJ, Koes BW, Bouter LM: The clinical course and prognostic factors of non-specific neck pain: a systematic review. Pain. 1998, 77: 1-13. 10.1016/S0304-3959(98)00058-X.
Spitzer WO, Lawrence V, Dales R, Hill G, Archer MC, Clark P, Abenhaim L, Hardy J, Sampalis J, Pinfold SP, Morgan PP: Links between passive smoking and disease: a best-evidence synthesis. A report of the working group on passive smoking. Clin Invest Med. 1990, 13: 17-46.
Sutton AJ, Abrams KR, Jones DR, Sheldon TA, Song F: Systematic reviews of trials and other studies. Health Tech Assess. 1998, 2: 1-276.
Chestnut RM, Carney N, Maynard H, Patterson P, Mann NC, Helfand M: Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 2, Agency for Health Care Research and Quality Publication No. 99-E006. Rockville. 1999
Lohr KN, Carey TS: Assessing best evidence: issues in grading the quality of studies for systematic reviews. Joint Commission J Qual Improvement. 1999, 25: 470-479.
Greer N, Mosser G, Logan G, Halaas GW: A practical approach to evidence grading. Joint Commission J Qual Improvement. 2000, 26: 700-712.
Harris RP, Helfand M, Woolf SH, Lohr KN, Mulrow CD, Teutsch SM, Atkins D: Current methods of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: a review of the process. Am J Prevent Med. 2001, 20: 21-35. 10.1016/S0749-3797(01)00261-6.
Anonymous: How to read clinical journals: IV. To determine etiology or causation. Can Med Assoc J. 1981, 124: 985-990.
Whitten PS, Mair FS, Haycox A, May CR, Williams TL, Hellmich S: Systematic review of cost effectiveness studies of telemedicine interventions. BMJ. 2002, 324: 1434-1437. 10.1136/bmj.324.7351.1434.
Forrest JL, Miller SA: Evidence-based decision making in action: Part 2-evaluating and applying the clinical evidence. J Contemp Dental Pract. 2002, 4: 42-52.
Oxman AD, Guyatt GH: Validation of an index of the quality of review articles. J Clin Epidemiol. 1991, 44: 1271-1278. 10.1016/0895-4356(91)90160-B.
Jones T, Evans D: Conducting a systematic review. Aust Crit Care. 2000, 13: 66-71.
Papadopoulos M, Rheeder P: How to do a systematic literature review. South African J Physiother. 2000, 56: 3-6.
Selker LG: Clinical research in Allied Health. J Allied Health. 1994, 23: 201-228.
Stevens KR: Systematic reviews: the heart of evidence-based practice. AACN Clin Issues. 2001, 12: 529-538.
Devers KJ, Frankel RM: Getting qualitative research published. Ed Health. 2001, 14: 109-117. 10.1080/13576280010021888.
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Malterud K: Shared understanding of the qualitative research process: guidelines for the medical researcher. Fam Pract. 1993, 10: 201-206.
Higgs J, Titchen A: Research and knowledge. Physiotherapy. 1998, 84: 72-80.
Maggs-Rapport F: Best research practice: in pursuit of methodological rigour. J Advan Nurs. 2001, 35: 373-383. 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2001.01853.x.
Cutcliffe JR, McKenna HP: Establishing the credibility of qualitative research findings: the plot thickens. J Advan Nurs. 1999, 30: 374-380. 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.01090.x.
Andresen EM: Criteria for assessing the tools of disability outcomes research. Arch Phys Med Rehab. 2000, 81: S15-S20. 10.1053/apmr.2000.20619.
Beatie P: Measurement of health outcomes in the clinical setting: applications to physiotherapy. Phys Theory Pract. 2001, 17: 173-185. 10.1080/095939801317077632.
Charnock DF, (Ed): The DISCERN Handbook: Quality criteria for consumer health information on treatment choices. 1998, Radcliffe Medical Press
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2288/4/22/prepub
Centre for Allied Health Evidence: A Collaborating Centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute, City East Campus, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5000, Australia
Persis Katrak, Nicola Massy-Westropp, VS Saravana Kumar & Karen A Grimmer
School of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia
Andrea E Bialocerkowski
Persis Katrak
Nicola Massy-Westropp
VS Saravana Kumar
Karen A Grimmer
Correspondence to Karen A Grimmer.
No competing interests.
PK Sourced critical appraisal tools
Categorized the content and psychometric properties of critical appraisal tools
AEB Synthesis of findings
Drafted manuscript
NMW Sourced critical appraisal tools
VSK Sourced critical appraisal tools
KAG Study conception and design
Assisted with critiquing critical appraisal tools and categorization of the content and psychometric properties of critical appraisal tools
Drafted and reviewed manuscript
Addressed reviewer's comments and re-submitted the article
Additional File 1: Search Strategy. (DOC 30 KB)
Katrak, P., Bialocerkowski, A.E., Massy-Westropp, N. et al. A systematic review of the content of critical appraisal tools. BMC Med Res Methodol 4, 22 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-4-22
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-4-22
Research Consumer
Empirical Basis
Ally Health Literature
Critical Appraisal Tool
Sample Size Justification


text:
'Tiger King': Carole Baskin now owns Joe Exotic's Oklahoma zoo
The two shared a fierce rivalry that was documented in the hit Netflix show
'Tiger King' star Carole Baskin now has ownership of rival Joe Exotic's old zoo in Oklahoma. Netflix
Evelyn Lau
Joe Exotic's former zoo in Oklahoma has a new owner, and he probably won't be too happy about it.
That's because it's now under the control of his rival, Carole Baskin.
The surreal story of Exotic – a mullet-wearing private zoo owner now in jail – has become a cultural phenomenon following the release of the hit Netflix docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.
Tiger King was reportedly watched 34 million times in 10 days after its release in March, as the world went under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When he was first sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in trying to hire a hitman to kill Baskin, possession of the zoo first went to Exotic's business partner Jeff Lowe.
'Tiger King' to become TV series: Nicolas Cage to star as Joe Exotic in new show
YouTube pranksters fool Carole Baskin into thinking Jimmy Fallon is interviewing her
Wait, Joe Exotic is scared of big cats? 5 things we learnt in the 'Tiger King' special
But when Exotic failed to pay Baskin the $1 million (Dh3.67m) he owed after she won a trademark infringement lawsuit against him, an Oklahoma judge ruled Baskin should gain control of the zoo instead. It means she will get control of about 6.5 hectares of land housing an array of big cats. The judgment also awarded several cabins and vehicles to Baskin, court records show.
In the series, Baskin was a vocal critic of Exotic's animal park, with her contrasting view of how to care for tigers and other wild animals providing much of the plot line for the show.
Court documents say Lowe now has 120 days to vacate the zoo, which he had renamed Tiger King Park, and to remove all of his animals.
Tiger King was an instant hit when it made its debut on Netflix in March. Its popularity prompted the filming of a bonus episode featuring a few of the central characters (Baskin declined to participate.) Only last month, it was announced the show had inspired an eight-episode drama series starring Nicolas Cage as Exotic.
TelevisionArts & Culture
'Inside Dubai' ruffles feathers with truffles and supercars
Marvel's 'Moon Knight': trailer, release date, cast and plot

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Join the Cause
Children's Pages
La Florida in the 16th Century
The Peoples of La Florida
A Vignette of Guale Society
Bearers of the Gospel
Franciscan Evangelization
Previous Franciscan Activity in the New World
The Franciscan Mission in La Florida
The Martyrs
The Servants of God
Pedro de Corpa
Blas Rodríguez
Miguel de Añon
Antonio de Badajoz
Francisco de Veráscola
Witnesses to the Truth
The True Martyrdom of the Servants of God
Statements and Opinions
Documentary Sources Recounting the Martyrdom
The Remains of the Servants of God
The Canonization Process
Acclaimed by Four Centuries
The Fame of Their Martyrdom
Present-Day Recognition
History of the Cause
Aspects of the Canonical Cause
Martyrs Video
The Cause of the Georgia Martyrs
Resources for Children
The Martyrs' Prayer
Report a Favor
The Georgia Martyrs
Servants of God
For many reasons the Servant of God, Fray Francisco de Veráscola, stands out from among his fellow-martyrs of 1597. Though he was united to the others by his vocation and the sacrifice of his life for the sake of Christ, the details of his story in many ways set him apart from the other four.
Among the Five Martyrs, it is his life and death that have been the most minutely researched and described. Especially through the affectionate zeal of his conterráneos – from among the Five Servants of God, only he was a Basque – his part in the story of the martyrdom has been the most minutely researched. His memory is recalled each year by means of an annual festival that has been held in his birthplace for almost half a century. Though his slaying was not witnessed by any devoted Christian who could have furnished information about his death, yet the knowledge of his agony has been constructed on the basis of contemporary conjectures and scattered depositions relating rumors. From those records otherwise unknown details of his special personality and his singular story have been extracted by careful study and a good deal of intuition. Though Veráscola still is a somewhat mysterious figure, withal he comes through as a genuine individual and a true hero of the Cross.
According to records preserved in Gordejuela, a town in the Basque region of Spain, he was born on February 13, 1564, the son of Domingo de Veráscola and María Sáez de Castañiza. An ancient town with the typically Basque affection for tradition, Gordejuela had for many years cherished a special attachment and devotion to Saint Francis of Assisi. It was not surprising that the firstborn son of the Veráscola family, baptized on the very day of his birth, should be named in honor of the Patriarch of Assisi. The parish church of San Juan de Molinar, in which he received the first of the Sacraments, is still standing, and the record of the ceremony may be seen in the four-centuries old Book of Baptisms.64
The family of the future missionary and martyr was relatively prosperous. His father, who held a minor office in the administration of the community, distinguished himself for his active role in social reforms for the benefit of the poor.65 In his adolescence and young-manhood, Francisco must have been a comely youth, with the typically Basque mixture of animation and seriousness. Even as a youth he undoubtedly began to display that strength and impressive physique which later gained for him the nickname of the "Cantabrian Giant."66 Certainly it was in this setting that he acquired his taste and his aptitude for forms of sport, a skill he was to use to advantage in winning the friendship and esteem of young people in his future missionary life in the New World.
In time the maturing Francisco sensed a supernatural calling to serve God as a spiritual son of his patron Saint Francisco of Assisi. Though no records have been discovered to tell us when he was accepted into the Seraphic Province of Cantabria, it very probably was in the early 1580's that he made his year of novitiate. In the absence of documentary proof it is idle to speculate as to when he received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, but it can safely be presumed that it was about the year 1590. Described as "a religious endowed with goodness and simplicity," for several years following his ordination the young friar exercised his priestly office in the general area of Vizcaya. He was known to be a religious who enriched his apostolic efforts with acts of penance practiced in private.67
Providential circumstances made it possible for Fray Francisco to satisfy his longing for even greater sacrifices and penances. Toward the end of the year 1594 a call went out for volunteers for the struggling but promising mission in La Florida. A group was to be assembled and to depart under the leadership of Fray Juan da Silva, in answer to the request of the Governor of La Florida, Don Domingo Martinez de Avendaho.68 It is significant that, of the twelve friars authorized to join the mission at that time, all were members of the Franciscan province of Castile, with the one exception of Fray Francisco, a member of the Cantabrian Province. Was he perhaps substituted for another friar, who for some reason was unable, perhaps at the last hour, to join the group?
As one of the twelve he set sail from. the port of San Lúcar de Barrameda on July 14, 1595, aboard the vessel called "San Francisco." Incidentally, five of the twelve friars also bore the name "Francisco."
After observing the feast of the Seraphic Saint Francis on October 4, the new arrivals dispersed to the various places assigned to each by obedience.69 To Fray Francisco fell the challenging task of starting a new mission on the island called Asao (modern St. Simons Island, Georgia).70 This was the southernmost of the Guale chiefdoms, not far removed from the area in the control of the Timucuas, a tribe closely related and allied with the more numerous Guales to the north.
Of all the missionaries assigned to the territory of Guale, at thirty-one or thirty-two years of age Fray Francisco was the youngest. As a token to his zeal and enthusiasm he was the only one of the newly arrived friars to receive the challenging task of inaugurating an entirely new mission. The total impression is given that the new mission on Asao would be an especially challenging post – for which task perhaps Fray Francisco's youth and vitality made him the logical choice.
When Escobedo introduces him in his poem, he calls Veráscola "a kindly and learned Vizcayan, who had two purposes in life: one was the satisfactory fulfillment of every assigned task, and the other was the following in the footsteps of Jesus, joyfully giving himself unreservedly to God as Christ had given Himself on the Cross".71 Veráscola's striking stature and his physical strength were endowments which not only impressed the natives but which he also knew how to use for evangelical and pastoral purposes. It is in this light that we must regard his assignment as the companion of Fray Pedro de Chozas on the dangerous expedition to the land of La Tama in early 1597. There is the clear indication that his physical size and strength were calculated to make an impression on the warlike natives of that region to the north and the west of Guale.72
His youth must be seen as an additional factor to win the friendship and good will of his flock. Even the more elderly among them, but especially the young would naturally be impressed by his athletic ability. Escobedo in his poem La Florida gives a detailed description of the Indian game resembling modern soccer.73 Veráscola's youth alone would be sufficient reason for the assumption that he entered willingly into this game. There is further suggestion of his competing with the natives in their athletic activities in the statement of the poet Escobedo, who says: Solo este vizcaino nuestro amigo, gano de muchos indios la vitoria, luchando contra ellos pecho a pecho, y tirando la barra largo trecho.
("Our friend from Vizcaya vanquished many Indians wrestling with them in bodily contact and in throwing the spear at great distance. ")74 In his exuberant prime of life, he was disposed to undertake any work, he was prepared to lend his natural abilities to any purpose, that would promote the good of the souls he had come to serve. Even a game of soccer can be made the occasion of winning souls for Christ.
Upon his return from the expedition to La Tama, Fray Francisco began to work with redoubled zeal to make his Indians more responsive to the Christian spirit. In his zeal to build up his mission on the Island of Asao not only in the spiritual sense but likewise by providing a worthy place of worship, Fray Francisco had erected a primitive chapel and a crude shelter for himself on the northern point of the island. Around this center of worship, dedicated in honor of Santo Domingo, by the waters of Altamaha Sound, a small village of neophytes was taking shape. The church and the friary needed to be completed so that the community might be more united by a regular routine of organized activities.
For that purpose, in early September of 1597 he undertook a journey by canoe to San Agustin, there to obtain some needed materials for both worship and construction. In Oré's words, he was returning "very glad to divide among his Indians the things he had brought along." From the testimony gathered later it became clear that the friar was overpowered as soon as he sei foot on the shore, having been taken by surprise. Oré in a few words described the slaughter of the friar, the "Cantabrian Giant": "They waited for him and when he disembarked, two Indians took him in their arms, while the others arrived and killed him by means of blows from an ax. Then they buried him."75 His body was never found.
Ignacio Omaechevarría, Sangre Vizcaina en los Pantanos de La Florida (Vitoria, Spain: Editorial S. Catolica, 1948), 72-74.
Ibid., 69-78.
Geiger, Conquest, 82. Cf. Lanning, 89: "giant Friar Francisco." Escobedo had said that Fray Francisco could withstand the most ferocious giant. See below, 68, n.72.
EI P. Velascula, sacerdote de la Provincia de Cantabria, vizcaíno, religioso dotado de bondad y simplicidad, que trataba su cuerpo con grandes pentitencias…" Oré, ed. López, 1:90; Geiger, Martyrs, 70.
See above, 60.
Omaechevarría, Sangre Vizcaina, p. 84.
Fray Francisco was in charge of the doctrina on Asao (St. Simons) at the time of his death, September 1597. Oré, ed. López, 1:103; Geiger, Martyrs, 94.
Escobedo, fol. 138v.
On the Tama expedition, see López, in his edition of Oré, 1:25-35. Escobedo describes Fray Francisco as Fray Pedro's protector:
"Y a Verascola fraile señalado
Que acompañe al varón esclarecido
Para que ande siempre al diestro lado,
Porque por su valor era temido.
Pues sólo con su fuerza era bastante
A rendir la del más feroz gigante."
Fol. 140v, cited by López, Oré, 1:27.
Escobedo, fols. 346v-348r.
lbid., fol. 141r.
The only reliable detailed description of the death of Fray Francisco de Verascola is contained in the account of Oré, ed. López, 1:103; Geiger, Martyrs, 93-94: "El P. Velascula, que en este tiempo estaba en la ciudad de San Agustin, adonde habia ido a traer algunas cosas necesarias para su celda y para sus indios, que tenia a cargo la dotrina de Santo Domingo de Asao, y volvía muy contento para repartir a sus hijos lo que traía, los cuales ya habían prevaricado y apostatado de la fe, sin saber el religioso nada, aguardaron que viviera, y al desembarcar le tomaron en brazos dos indios, y los demits llegaron y le mataron a hachazos, y luego le enterraron."
CREDIT: REPORTATIO SUPER MARTYRIO SERVORUM DEi PETRI DE CORPA ET SOCIORUM EJUS ANNO DOMINI 1597 IN FLORIDA OCCISORUM (Editio Tertia "Positionis", 7 Maii 2002)
Barbara D. King // Email // (912) 201-4051
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REPORTATIO SUPER MARTYRIO SERVORUM DEi PETRI DE CORPA ET SOCIORUM EJUS ANNO DOMINI 1597 IN FLORIDA OCCISORUM (Editio Tertia "Positionis", 7 Maii 2002)
The First Georgia Missions: Our Southern Catholic Heritage, Dr. Paul Thigpen and Katherine Ragan. Illustrations by Pamela Gardner, based on the retablo by Dan Nichols. This retablo is part of the parish patrimony of Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Jasper, Georgia
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Share your prayer requests and praises. Tuesday @ 8:30pm we gather for Prayer night at 200 Cypress Point.
"Tap Out" is a combat term popularized by U.F.C.
To infuse your passion with God's power, tap out daily.
acknowledging God's authority over your life.
What things keep you from daily "tapping out"…surrendering our heart's attention and affection to God?
I've always heard about the tradition and atmosphere surrounding Texas A&M, but have never experienced it myself until the 2010 A&M / Nebraska football game.
My friends, the Abel's & family, were naturally excited about introducing me to their passion. The adventure began with planning to leave at 11:30am for the 7:00pm game kickoff. We toured the campus, got our official "maroon out" shirts, went to the player walk-in (a pre-pep rally) with the F-16 fighter fly-by, band sound off, corp line-up, and on through a sea of tailgating fans in route to the stadium. We immediately were handed growl towels after getting in the gate. All ages were together as one.
As we surveyed the area from the top of the stadium before heading down to our seats on the 10th row, I couldn't help but think... this is what church should be like.
Yell leaders strategically positioned around the stadium united the massive crowd in one voice. My leg was pushed in front as people throughout linked arms on shoulders to sway to a familiar cheer. I couldn't get the songs out of my head for days! There was much more to the football game, band, crowd, and storming the field after an intense battle for victory just to celebrate. I couldn't get it out of my mind... this is what church should be like.
I could have been dropped off in the city and found my way to the game myself. I know football and would have enjoyed the game by myself... BUT it could not have matched being guided through the experience from someone who knew all the background and was excited about sharing it. Again... that is what church should be like.
You can't come in contact with the Gospel... Cross... Relationship with Jesus... without serious struggle - something we all must give account. Yet, we are reminded of the Peace in knowing Christ personally and the Joy in sharing His love with those around us.
What other positive lessons could we apply in the church that we see demonstrated at a ball game?


I have had occasion to use the services of the Consular Services team at various times during the year. They were extremely professional and efficient in the dealings I have had with them. It is a great facility to have in support of the Irish export sector.
Having dealt with both Niamh and Daniel in the Consular Department for the past few years, they are an essential part for the ease at which Health Registration files for exports can be progressed and completed. From covering countries in South America to Asia and nearer, each country having a different outlook on their requirements, they offer invaluable support with their outstanding knowledge.
I have used the Visa application service provided by the Irish Exporters Association on a number of occasions from a professional capacity and the service provided by both Daniel and Niamh has been extremely helpful, efficient and accommodating even at short notice. The service ensures fast and accurate turnaround of applications.


We supply, install and maintain manual and automatic, electric garage doors for domestic and trade clients throughout Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, North London, West London & South West London. We have been serving the local community since 1961 – installing garage doors for all types of houses and small commercial businesses.
Our garage doors are available in many different styles, colours and sizes, manual or automated, insulated or not, to suit any garage opening. We use all the main manufacturers to provide a good choice of top quality products and expert installations at very favourable rates. As a family run business, we are small enough to care and big enough to meet all your door requirements, devoting personal attention to each and every customer.
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Is your garage door installer highly recommended?


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Weekly Advocacy News Roundup
Obama's Science Legacy: Betting Big on Biomedical Science
August 22, 2016 | Nature
Throughout his presidency, and especially in the early years, Obama faced some difficulty, in getting increased funding for science agencies. However, his strong support for biomedical science resulted in major science initiatives to develop personalized medical treatments, to treat cancer, and the BRAIN Initiative to map the brain.
Find science funding resources at SfN.org.
Ministry Purge may be a Lifeline for Embattled Russian Academy of Sciences
August 22, 2016 | Science
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently fired his science minister, and some scientists see this move as a possible positive move for the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Academy is undergoing a downsizing that was being led by the former minister, and scientists are hopeful the new minister may reassess the ongoing reforms.
Read about global advocacy programs at SfN.org.
Deaths of Nine Retired Research Chimps Ignite Biology Feud
August 18, 2016 | Wired
The recent deaths of nine retired research chimpanzees at Chimp Haven sanctuary has led to many questions and discussions about how the retirement of these animals should be approached. NIH has announced that all of their research chimpanzees will be retired and relocated to the sanctuary by 2021.
Join the Advocacy Network to stay informed about issues related to neuroscience research at SfN.org.
Scientists Now Know the Brain Chemistry Behind Pavlov's Famous Dog Experiment
August 23, 2016 | Quartz
A team of neuroscientists studied the real-time neurotransmitter changes in the brains of classically conditioned mice, and the results show how neurotransmitters change as we learn and make decisions. Most research about decision making has come from fMRI studies, so these real-time studies help to increase our understanding of the processes that occur in the brain.
Read about technologies used in neuroscience research at BrainFacts.org.
Like Humans, Chimps Reward Cooperation and Punish Freeloaders
August 22, 2016 | Scientific American
New research suggests that chimps prefer cooperating over competing, and that chimps work together at similar rates to humans. In addition, violence observed among the animals in this study was often directed at an individual that was not being a team player.
Learn about the importance of animal research at SfN.org.
The Potential Zika Threat to Adult Brain Cells
August 18, 2016 | The Atlantic
Zika poses a threat to pregnant women and their fetuses, and new research suggests that Zika may also damage adult brains. Researchers found evidence in rodents that the virus may effect stem cells in the adult brain, which can result in cell death and impaired brain functioning.
Learn about how animal models are being used to study Zika at BrainFacts.org.
Go Forth and Replicate!
Conventions around replicating studies are still being developed, and this editorial urges researchers to attempt replication and cooperate with others looking to replicate their work. In addition, funders and publishers should support tools to help researchers do so.
Learn about the process of publishing a paper on Neuronline.
Related Topics SfN News Advocacy Animal Research Research & Journals


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Hot Off the Bench: e-Discovery Costs and the Staffing Pyramid – Invert At Your Own Risk
In a recent judgment for costs (Harris v. Leikin Group Inc. [2013] O.J. No. 2633), Judge D.M. Brown examined counsel's claim for costs for the documentary discovery phase. Citing "the threat that runaway discovery costs now pose to our civil litigation system" he urged courts to scrutinize cost claims for documentary discovery. He went on to do just that in this estate litigation case.
Justice Brown expressed his expectation that firms would apply a staffing pyramid for discovery that would see the bulk of the work done at the bottom – at the lowest hourly rates. In this case, he noted the plaintiffs had done the reverse. On the documentary discovery phase alone, senior counsel had accumulated 244 hours and 220 hours respectively, while junior associates spent only 8 hours, and a law clerk only 12 hours. Calling this division of labour "out of line and unreasonable", Justice Brown stated:
If a client wants to pay through the nose for documentary discovery by having its counsel apply an invested pyramid profile to that task a client is free to do so. But an opposing party cannot reasonably be expected to pick up the tab for such an unreasonable division of labour, even if the opposing party is obliged to pay substantial indemnity costs. (paragraph 42).
A total of 475 hours was spent on discovery. In Justice Brown's view, staffing had not been appropriately distributed by the firm, accordingly, he inverted the fee schedule himself, applying the most senior rates to only 60 hours of the time, and the law clerk's rate to the balance of 415 hours.
So what is reasonable for staffing the discovery phase? Justice Brown noted with approval the defence team's breakdown as follows: one hour for the most senior lawyer, 40 hours for the second most senior, 150 hours for a junior associate and 100 hours for two law clerks. In Justice Brown's own words "this is a reasonable staffing pyramid profile for documentary discovery".
This interesting decision illustrates the need for counsel to approach the discovery phase in a defensible and cost-effective manner. In short, invert the pyramid at your own risk.
International Survey Confirms Employees Mistrust BYOD Policies
The "bring your own device" phenomenon isn't restricted to Canada, or even North America. Apparently, neither is the fact that the majority of employees do not trust their employers' BYOD policies. A survey outlined in a recently published article by Sophie Curtis in the U.K.'s Telegraph confirms it.
The article states that in a survey of almost 3,000 American, German and British employees, only 30% of respondents stated that they trusted their employer to maintain their personal information and "not use it against them in any way". Interestingly, trust was geographically based. The British employees were the most trusting (34% trusted their employers) and German employees were the least trusting (only 24% trusted their employers). The Americans fell in the middle at 31%.
There was also considerable confusion expressed about what employers were able to access on the mobile devices. Almost 41% of the respondents reported their belief that their employers could access nothing on their mobile devices; 15% were unsure. 28% believed their employers could access their work email, and 22% thought work contacts were accessible.
What do employees want? Transparency. They want their employers to explain the reasons for any access and how personal and work information is separated. Approximately 20% of respondents also want their employers to request permission in writing prior to accessing information on "personal" mobile devices.
What is your organizations doing with BYOD? At a minimum, start with a clearly written policy. Then your employees can make educated decisions about whether to stick with that company issue Blackberry instead of mixing business and pleasure on the family iPhone.
Here is a link to the Telegraph article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10183765/Workers-dont-trust-employers-with-their-mobile-data-and-privacy.html
WN Quoted in e-Discovery Bible
Our Zblog was quoted in a new textbook titled "Managing Electronic Records" by Robert F. Smallwood, (c) Wiley 2013.
Click here for more information on this publication.


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Seattle selects their first goaltender of the Bantam draft... getting Goalie Jared D'Amico of Calgary, AB. Listed at 5'6" and 130 lbs. That is a small goaltender... but nobody ever said he couldn't grow a little or a lot between now and 2 or 3 years from now.
D'Amico played for the Okotoks Oilers of the AMBHL. He was not among the leaders in goaltending for the South Division (looks like the Oilers weren't very good so it may not have been his fault) so his stats are not listed. I'm sure the Tbirds will have them available in just a moment.
Seattle selected defensemen John Dora from Erie, CO., listed at 6'2" and 175 lbs.
Dora played last season for the Colorado Thunderbirds Bantam AAA team, playing 59 games and scoring 4 goals with 16 assists to go with 52 PIMs and a +48 rating.
Good size... little bit of scoring... don't know much about him after that.
Posted by Thunnex at 12:56 PM No comments :
Seattle finally selects a defensemen with their pick here in the 6th round and it is Evan Wardley of Vulcan, AB who goes 6'3", 186 lbs. Playing for the Lethbridge Bantam AAA Val Matteotti Golden Hawks (cut and paste is a beautiful thing).
Big D-men are never a bad idea... especially if they have an ounce of skating ability.
Wardley was selected to play in the Alberta Cup with the South Senators.
Seattle selects another forward... this time it is Jayson Ness from Drayton Valley, AB
Took me a while but I found him....
Jayson played last season for the Leduc Bantam AAA Oil Kings. He is listed at 5'9", 165 lbs. and plays Right Wing. His stats are not listed as he was not in the leaders for the North division of the AMBHL which means he had less than 25 points.
Edit: Tbirds just posted his stats, 29 games, 5 goals, 17 assists, 123 PIMs
Looks like he probably has a brother named Jordan Ness.
Ness has also competed in competition "steer riding" in the past... I'm going to guess he's a pretty tough kid.
Now they have a short break between the 5th and 6th Rounds.
Tbirds don't have a 4th round pick... it was traded to Prince Albert....
I "think" this was in the trade for Devon LeBlanc last year... someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
Posted by Thunnex at 10:26 AM 1 comment :
Seattle selects Jetlan Houcher (sweet name) - Left Wing - 5'11", 164 lbs.
Houcher played for the Lloydminster Universal Heat Bantam AAA team this season and has some really, really good stats.
In 33 games played he scored 50 times to go with 19 assists and only 28 PIMs. On some message boards I see people saying some really nice things about this kid being a tremendous athlete and student with some really nice potential.
Tbirds stay offensive with a kid who looks like a pure goal scorer. Makes me wonder if the hockey staff thinks they their current defensemen can get the job done in the next couple of years.
Draft Day coverage...
Welcome to draft day.... always an exciting day for any hockey fan but probably not as exciting as other drafts as I'm sure 99% of us have never seen any of these kids play, including myself. Credit Alan Caldwell with the stats.
1st Round - Brandon Troock - Right Wing, 6'0" 160 lbs
Troock is from Edmonton and has been playing for the Bantam AAA Edmonton CAC (Canadian Athletic Club) team.
In 44 total games with CAC this season, Troock tallied 29 goals, 30 assists and exactly 100 PIMs.
2nd Round - Justin Hickman - Center, 6'0", no weight
Hickman (whoa I almost just typed Hickey... we wish) played for the Kelowna Jr. Rockets this past season and the only stats Caldwell has show him with 13 games played, 5 goals, 2 assists and 20 PIMs.
So at this point Seattle is going offensive heavy with their first two picks.
Post Season Q and A with Coach Sumner - Part 4
Last installment of my Q and A with Coach Sumner. I've been following the playoffs and it seems that we are on course for a Vancouver-Calgary finals. I think Kelowna has been impressive but I also think their road to the Western Finals has not been nearly as tough as Vancouver after Spokane gave the Giants all they could handle in Round 2.
I'll be taking a break for a while after today... I will post if anything good comes up but otherwise I need a bit of a break to recharge the writing batteries.
Hope you guys enjoy....
Hunnex - All teams go through injuries throughout the course of the season... but the injuries to Nielsen, Rai and Richard late in the season seemed to have a big impact on the team. How much do you think that affected the team at the end of the season?
Sumner - Nielsen directly affected us because we never got him back. With Rai and Richard it's a little tougher to measure the toll we paid. Rai had a high ankle sprain and showed a lot of character by being ready to go by playoff time. He played well for us in playoffs but I don't believe that he was healthy enough to be at his absolute best. Richard had finger surgery and played through much discomfort. Off the ice he wore a brace on his hand to straighten his finger right through playoffs. Similar to Rai, I don't believe David was healthy enough to play at his highest level and this led to a disappointing season for him in the end.
We had four 19 –year-old forwards and with these three all out at the same time it gave a number of younger guys an opportunity to play. This gives us a much more experienced group leading into this season than might have been the case and this could prove to be the "silver lining" in those injuries.
Hunnex - You have some veteran, experienced, former NHL players in Turner Stevenson and Jim McTaggart behind the bench with you. Talk about the experience and wisdom that each one brings to the table for your coaching staff.
Sumner - Turner and Jim are both a pleasure to work with and have many great qualities that give us a balanced coaching staff. We all share the same philosophy of how the game should be played and that all involved must learn to put the team first. I encourage input and gather ideas from both on a regular basis as we prepare game to game throughout the season.
Turner played many years in the NHL and knows first hand what it takes to get there and then stay there. Even today he is an example for our players from a physical fitness standpoint. He demands a lot out of our players with conditioning and he's usually right along side of them doing the hard work himself. He has instant credibility as a Stanley Cup winner and has much to offer our guys as hockey players trying to earn a chance at a pro career. He makes it very clear that there is no substitution for hard work.
Jim is a great communicator. He is very good at captivating our players as his audience while telling stories that seem to be going down one path only to nail you between the eyes with the point he was trying to make right at the end. He gives complicated issues clarity, and the players always feel that he is on their side. Jim demands a tough brand of hockey because it's the only way to play the game in his mind. It's what he grew up with, and what got him to the NHL.
Hunnex - Any lead on your Captain for next season?
Sumner - I won't announce my decision quite this early because we don't have a finalized picture as to what our team will even look like at this point. We know we had a tremendous leadership group that graduated and there will be some huge opportunities for a new group to move into these roles.
I have a good idea who will be captain but the supporting cast of assistant captains will be very important to this year's team. We will start the season and see who all did the hard work to prepare and then select our assistants from the guys that distinguish themselves from the start of the season.
Many thanks again to Coach Sumner and Ian Henry with the Thunderbirds for making this happen.
I hope everyone enjoyed reading this year and I sincerely thank everyone for reading. Enjoy the summer...
Here is Part 3 of my Q and A with Coach Sumner. I have one more installment that I will post tomorrow.
Hunnex - The team seemed to be most successful at home when they were able to get their checking game going and that seemed to be a difficult thing to replicate in the two playoff games at home. Is that more of a credit to Spokane for being a tough team to hit? or might fatigue have been a factor?
Sumner - I agree that we were most effective when we were able to use our speed to play physical. There are several factors as to why it was hard to accomplish against Spokane in games three and four.
Physical play on the forecheck generally stems from decisions made with the puck in the neutral zone. In Spokane for games one and two we were automatic in the neutral zone with our puck decisions. If we outnumbered them (which isn't often against Spokane) we would carry the puck in, use our speed off the rush, and try to generate an attack to the net. If we didn't outnumber them, the puck would not only be dumped in but it would be placed with purpose where we could get to it first or where we could be physical and win the puck.
We were very much on task on the road and weren't nearly as good with this at home. We tried to stretch the boundaries with carrying the puck in and that is playing with fire against a good team. It led to preventable turnovers, which leads to less possession time in the offensive zone, which leads to a shift in or lack of momentum. Combine this with less opportunity to make their defence pay a price physically and it leaves us with less edge to our game. I don't think fatigue was a factor, yes it's hard work and demanding physically but I believe this to be more of a mental test than a physical one.
Hunnex - Talk a little bit about Calvin Pickard. I think most fans don't truly and fully understand and appreciate how impressive his play was this season as a 16 year old. Very few 16 year old players make a big impact in this league and even fewer 16 year old goaltenders wind up being #1 goaltenders and leading a team into the playoffs.
Sumner - Calvin earned and achieved all of his successes all season long. He's a great goalie and teammate and he has a tremendous future in the game. I could write all day about him because I have a well earned admiration for him as a person and a goalie. He has the perfect mind set for a goaltender. He is very focused on playing yet he remains calm and on task.
He had a few tough experiences this year that weren't even his fault that would have been too much to handle for many other young players. He always followed those tough nights up with efforts that were truly inspiring for our team. Keep in mind he also plays the most unforgiving position. As a coach I always felt very confident with Calvin in our net. He puts the team first and is loved by his teammates.
Our conference had exceptional goaltending this year and with Calvin I always felt that we were as good as or better than anyone we were up against. That's quite a compliment for a 16-year-old considering both gold medal winning World Junior goalies came from our division.
One last installment tomorrow from Coach Sumner about injuries, coaches and captains for next season.
Quick Update...
Coach Sumner has not yet completed the rest of my questions so I don't have anything for you guys quite yet.
I'm still expected to hear back from him later this week and should be able to get Part 3 out.
Here comes Part 2 for you guys. I will have Parts 3 and 4 next week.
Hunnex - An observation that will lead into a question. It's no secret that statistically your teams have struggled on the Power Play since you took over as Head Coach in 2002. The team has finished 16th, 19th, 19th, 20th and 18th in the WHL in Power Play conversion over your 5 seasons. It appeared to my amateur eyes that this year's team had a hard time sticking with the system of getting bodies in front of the net, getting a shot through to the net and then having multiple players crash the net hard for a rebound. Would you associate the struggles to the players not sticking to the system enough? Or might you look to tweak your Power Play strategy going forward?
Sumner - I looked at answering this question a number of times and nothing I wrote was satisfactory to me. Examining statistics when you are in the bottom half is of little use. I was not satisfied and it will be a priority for us next season. Special teams have evolved to be a very significant part of the game now with the renewed emphasis on restraining infractions and taking less penalties and scoring on PP chances are key to being successful in the league today.
The majority of Power Play goals are scored close to the net. It may be a screen or a tip. It may be a rebound but most goals are achieved through traffic at the net. We had a hard time doing that on a regular basis which in the end makes it easier to defend against.
We plan to make this a priority going into next season.
Hunnex - Sena Acolatse... Is he going to stay as a forward or are there plans to move him back to the blue line?
Sumner - Sena is a really special talent. He combines high end skill with high end toughness, a rare combination in a hockey player. I think he took big steps as a player when he moved up front to play. I see him as a forward that will be able to impact games consistently. This is a huge off-season for Sena.
He has a history of showing up to camp short on conditioning. That has to stop and I think it will. He has a better understanding about preparation as he has gained experience and his overall maturity level has also taken a step. Besides, it's not fun for him to 'waste' the first couple months of the season getting in good shape and its certainly not beneficial for our team, on several levels.
That time at the beginning should be invested into earning prime ice-time, and I believe he realizes that now. He's not a young kid at this level any more. Much is expected and many eyes will be on him and as a hockey player going places, that's a good thing.
Hunnex - Colin Jacobs played 2 games with you guys back in December... so let's call those 4 playoff games his coming out party. What are your thoughts on Jacobs and how do you see him for next season?
Sumner - Colin Jacobs has incredible focus on where he is going and what it will take to get there. I was very pleased with his two games in December. He had to adjust to a new style compared to the level he had been playing and those adjustments were seamless. Those games set the table for him joining us in playoffs. He didn't have to go through a feeling out time frame and was very comfortable from his first shift and never looked back. He has smarts, grit, and talent.
He fit in very well here and earned plenty of respect from players and coaches alike. Let's face it, for stretches in that series he was our best forward. He never backed down, he went to the tough areas of the ice, he wasn't the least bit intimidated, and he made as much happen offensively as any player we had.
Next year we are obviously excited about having Colin with us full-time. The only thing we will ask of him is to bring the same focus and passion to being a hockey player that we have seen so far, the rest will fall in place for him, he's a great young player.
That is all for this week. Stay tuned next week as Coach Sumner will answer questions about next Calvin Pickard, Coaches, Captains and more.
This interview was conducted by email and I want to again thank Coach Sumner and Ian Henry at the Tbirds for giving me... and you guys... the time to sit down and chat about the season. Without further delay, let's jump right into this thing.
Hunnex - After the final game was played Saturday, what kind of things are you doing to wrap up the season? and what are your plans for this off-season?
Sumner - It all happens pretty quickly when the season ends. We have to get high school players home quickly because of school enrollment back home. They can't afford to miss many days during the transfer time because it's already fairly late in the school year. So the school guys are a priority to meet with and get going because of that reason. We had a few guys that were under contract with NHL teams and those guys were called up to NHL affiliates in the American Hockey League. - Hickey to Manchester, O'Brien to Binghamton, and Scott to Toronto. We had one on one meetings with all players which took place over Sunday and Monday.
My plans for this off-season include hopefully getting moved closer to the new rink. We all know that the market is very slow which is why I throw in the hopefully. I have been trying to sell my house in Woodinville for about a year already with no success. I spend a lot of time at the rink and I have a wife and 2 young sons at home. Time has become so valuable for me, my family already pays a huge price with the nature of my work and I can't afford to spend what can often add up to being multiple hours a day commuting. I'm away often and it's not unusual to work seven days a week throughout hockey season so my need to be closer is a necessity. It will allow me to be a better dad and husband at home and a better coach at the rink.
The immediate future involves scouting. Russ and I will be away the better part of April to see the year end tournaments in preparation for the upcoming Bantam Draft. It starts this Thursday. We will meet up with our Director of Player Personnel, Colin Alexander this weekend in Kamloops for the annual Bantam Tournament up there. From there the rest of the month is packed with similar weekends. Colin has seen these players all year and runs our draft but I think it's valuable to have a good handle on the player pool.
It's kind of late in the game but I would like to get a hockey school up and running this summer. Depending on ice availability, it could run at some point in July. It's a little bit early in the summer to run a hockey camp but that's when the ice may be and I would like to do my part at growing hockey in the area and I think this would be a good way to do so. I know I can put on a quality camp.
The remainder of the off-season will be filled with player meetings, recruiting and planning.
H - What kind of goals had you set for the team that you either did or did not achieve this season? Was the season an overall disappointment with the 1st round playoff exit? Obviously you can't be satisfied by losing in the 1st round, but are there things you can take away from the season that you can be pretty happy and/or proud about?
S - We always have goals going into the season but this season was highly unusual because of the new arena and the schedule that we had because of that. So I had adjusted goals in my mind. We were on the road for all but 8 games in the first half. I wanted to play .500 or better on the road in the first half and a minimal .750 at home for those 8 games.
We didn't reach those road goals which made for huge ground to make up in the second half. We had a poor start to our season. I believe we had 2 wins in our first 10 or 12 games. We had key players who weren't at their best in the first half and we needed to be at our best to succeed with the many challenges the first half presented. We were in a situation where all was new – city, school, billets, teammates, practice rink with no dressing room or training facility, and an unprecedented road schedule.
Looking back at it now, we had players that were new to our team that I really couldn't get to know well enough until we got into the new rink. That's when access to the players changed drastically. We had meeting rooms, training rooms, lounge areas, a weight room, and the players generally loved being there so they were always around. I could have made and did make meetings in the first half but overall we didn't have a place to be so the guys didn't hang around at the rink much so access to the players was about a two hour time frame per day.
A first round exit is always disappointing, any exit comes with disappointment. The season had its share of disappointments including our first half and losing in the first round but there were also positives that helped balance out some of the negatives. Our second half was good for the most part and many players developed into what we had envisioned. It all balances out to being a little above average which our record reflected. Looking ahead, we all want to be better than that.
H - I tend to think that you are a pretty even-keeled coach, never allowing yourself or the players to get too high with the highs or too low with the lows. Can you talk a little bit about the situation at the end of Game 5 that made you upset? (without getting fined by the league?)
S - There were mistakes made by many, myself included. I'll keep it brief. It was a non-judgment call yet judgment was factored into the explanation. As a coach you are always looking to gain your team an advantage, I was looking to do that. The only way to compound the situation was to penalize our team which is what ended up happening. I was told later that it was assessed when I hit my hand on the boards. We were behind at the time and I ended up making it even tougher on our team. I always want to help my team win not hinder our chances. Overall it was a regrettable situation that I will learn from and move on.
Part 2 coming on Friday... As I ask Coach about the much talked about Power Play unit. Stay tuned.
Post Season Q and A with Coach Sumner
I will be posting Part 1 of my Q and A with Coach Rob Sumner tomorrow morning. Rob was generous to really take some time on these questions and in some cases his answers are long so I might break it down into several parts.
I'll give you guys the first 3 questions and answers tomorrow.
Oops... my mistake
The Vancouver-Spokane game is not on Comcast here in Seattle. I guess they are carrying the game for the people of Spokane but not here in Seattle. Oh well...
While I'm here... I think Calgary has made a statement tonight already by smacking Lethbridge 7-1 at home in Game 1 of that series. I will say again... I will be shocked if Calgary doesn't at least make it to the WHL Finals.
Posted by Thunnex at 8:40 PM 1 comment :
Ok bad news first... Honestly I'm just too dang burned out to do a big article on handing out letter grades for the team. I could just throw some letters out there but I wanted to actually sit down with the stats and spend some time putting some legitimate thought into it and I just can't find the time to do it.
But here is the good news... The team has granted me another Q and A with Coach Rob Sumner for some post season wrap questions so I'm spending my time working on some good questions and I should have that up at some point next week.
As for begrudgingly watching some additional hockey... the Vancouver-Spokane series will be shown on Comcast in the US here on channel 79 (I think) and that should be a heck of a series.