ABSTRACT
Large amounts of studies have shown that reading behavior is an important aspect for the development of students' reading skills. The construct reading behavior as examined in large-scale assessments and surveys within the field of empirical educational research is operationalized through a wide range of reading and reading-related aspects (e.g., reading time, reading frequency, print exposure, reading engagement, book genre preferences, knowledge of authors or book titles) and a broad array of measurement methods are used. The approaches to measure the same variable - namely reading behavior - differ fundamentally from each other, while at the same time, a clear concept that would help to classify the used measurement instruments and to interpret them in relation to the superordinate construct of reading behavior is missing. Therefore, the present article aims to give an overview of methods to measure reading behavior within the context of large-scale assessments and surveys, and to discuss how they were implemented. Finally, we make some suggestions on how it might be possible to relate the applied measurement approaches to each other, especially in terms of their content and theoretical relationship to the overarching construct of reading behavior.
ABSTRACT
A universal PCR and sequencing test, SepsiTest™ (Molzym, Germany) was evaluated for its applicability during daily diagnostic routine in a privately operated laboratory. In total, 96 specimens originating from 66 patients under suspect of infectious endocarditis, infections of joints, encephalitis/meningitis, systemic infections and infections of unknown genesis were PCR analysed and compared to culture results. Samples comprised cultured and non-cultured blood, synovial fluid, synovial tissue, heart valves, pacemakers, spinal tissue, cerebrospinal fluid, and swabs. PCR and culture were concordant in 26 negative and 8 positive cases (51.5%). A group of 25 patients was culture-negative but PCR-positive (37.9%). In at least 14 of these, common and/or rare aetiologies were identified, while for 4 patients the results of 16S PCR could not be unequivocally linked with the underlying disease. Benefits and limitations of the molecular test are discussed with special emphasis on technical and economic issues. In conclusion, SepsiTest™ proved to be a valuable tool for the diagnosis of aetiologies, particularly in cases of culture-negative patients who are under strong suspicion for an infection.
Subject(s)
Candida/isolation & purification , Endocarditis/diagnosis , Gram-Negative Bacteria/isolation & purification , Gram-Positive Bacteria/isolation & purification , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Sepsis/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Bacterial Typing Techniques , Candida/classification , Candida/genetics , Culture Media , Endocarditis/blood , Endocarditis/cerebrospinal fluid , Endocarditis/microbiology , Female , Gram-Negative Bacteria/classification , Gram-Negative Bacteria/genetics , Gram-Positive Bacteria/classification , Gram-Positive Bacteria/genetics , Heart Valves/microbiology , Humans , Joints/microbiology , Male , Middle Aged , Mycological Typing Techniques , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/classification , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sepsis/blood , Sepsis/cerebrospinal fluid , Sepsis/microbiology , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Synovial Fluid/microbiologyABSTRACT
5-(2-chloroethyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (CEDU) had been developed for the treatment of herpes simplex infections. In the Salmonella reverse mutation test, the compound was found to be mutagenic in strains TA1535 and TA102 at very high concentrations (> or =2500 micro g/plate), both with and without S9-mix. The mutagenic potential of CEDU was further investigated in vivo and in vitro. It did not induce DNA repair in rat hepatocyte primary cultures, and was negative in the micronucleus test in V79 cells and in the comet assay in human leukocytes. In vivo, CEDU was negative in the bone marrow micronucleus test in CD1 mice. The mouse spot test provided a clearly positive result. Treatment of mice on day 9 of pregnancy with 2000 mg/kg resulted in 5.9% of the F1 animals having genetically relevant spots, whereas the corresponding vehicle control group had a spot rate of 1.9%. Since these data clearly identified CEDU as an inducer of gene mutations in vivo, this potential was further investigated in lacZ transgenic Muta Mouse. Six female animals were treated daily on five consecutive days with 2000 mg/kg/day and sacrificed, after a treatment-free sampling time, 14 days later. The data showed a clear increase in the mutant frequency in the bone marrow, the lung and in the spleen. CEDU is an exception in the group of nucleoside analogues, because it was found to be a strong gene mutagen and, in contrast to the other compounds of this group investigated so far, had no considerable clastogenic effects.
