Actual Skills Research Articles

Grit as a Moderator Between Students’ Intention and Oral Presentation Performance: A Conceptual Study

Effective communication skills at the workplace are acknowledged as a highly sought skill by employers among university students. However, an incongruity between employers’ expectations and students’ actual communication skills has been highlighted. An imperative subset of communication skills is oral presentation skills, which are found to be unsatisfactory among students. Thus, this conceptual study proposes examining the moderating influence of grit on the relationship between students’ intention to present and their oral presentation performance. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is based upon modeling the relationship between students’ intention, grit, and oral presentation performance. A quantitative method will be adopted using a questionnaire survey for the data collection. Simple random sampling will be employed to select respondents. The study involves a three-stage research process comprising (1) a pre-test, (2) a pilot study, and (3) actual fieldwork. The data obtained from the pilot study will be subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using SPSS. Subsequently, AMOS will use the data from the actual fieldwork for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and moderation analysis. Results of the analyses are expected to provide more conclusive evidence on the strength of grit in influencing the relationship between students’ intention and their oral presentation performance.

AGRIBUSINESSMEN OF THE TYUMEN OBLAST SOUTH: LIFE-STORIES ANALYSIS

Agricultural entrepreneurship, viewed as an essential structural factor for the development of economy and market relations in rural areas, is largely affected by the socio-economic context. The article discloses the realities of Russian agricultural entrepreneurship on the example of various forms of agribusinesses in the remote Russian countryside (companies, farms, peasant farms). Article aims to reveal the characteristic image of a rural businessman of the Tyumen oblast south. Empirical data are obtained as a part of a research project which studies the development of regional rural areas. Authors’ narrative analysis of problematic issues is based on 59 expert in-depth interviews (21 with agribusinessmen, 38 with the ones of related occupations). In the theoretical aspect, the authors rely on classical and modern scientific literature on rural sociology, sociology of entrepreneurship and theoretical and methodological approaches that dominate in these areas of sociology. Qualitative data analysis allowed us to reveal: 1) main characteristics of a rural businessman, their actual qualities and skills necessary for their work; 2) internal and external factors of the business environment, that influence the efficiency of agribusiness. The problems of agriculture and rural areas, considered as barriers to business-activity development, are contextually identified. Scientific novelty of results is determined by the original empirical data, obtained through expert interviews, as it can be used in further research within this field. The application of MAXQDA Plus 2020 tools for analysis and interpretation of qualitative and mixed data is of practical importance.

Вивчення розвитку діалогічного мовлення у дошкільників з розладами аутистичного спектру

The article analyzes the research on the diagnosis of speech development among children with autism spectrum disorders. It is taken into account that a comprehensive idea of the state and features of a child's formation speech as a means of communication can be obtained only in the process of a comprehensive examination and analysis of his or her speech activity. It is proved that the majority of diagnostic techniques are not suitable for use in diagnosing of the level of speech and communication development of autistic children. It is noted that to assess the formation of dialogic speech of preschool children with autism, there are very few methodological developments, they are not perfect, and they should be adapted to the characteristics of each child. Diagnosis of the level of development of dialogic communication is to determine the level of formation of actual dialogic skills: the initiation of a communicative act, the ability to support and complete the conversation, coherence and logic of expression, intonation of dialogue; ability to communicate in pairs, groups, teams; ability to address with a request, a message, a demand, a greeting, to meet, to apologize, to thank, to say goodbye, to attract attention; an ability to use non-verbal means of communication; ability to ask questions, to use replica-stamps in speech, knowledge of dialogue etiquette and grammatical correctness. In accordance with the outlined indicators, a selection of diagnostic techniques aimed at determining the state of development of dialogic speech in children with autism spectrum disorders was carried through. The levels of development of dialogic speech in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders are described: low, medium, sufficient (which was not recorded among the respondent. All children have had echolalia, speech stereotypes, autodialogues recorded, which indicates a lack of understanding of what they are told, misunderstanding of requirements, disability to form answers or reluctance of communication in general. Analysis of the results of the study showed that misunderstanding of speech, of the meaning of nonverbal means of communication by children with autism spectrum disorders and the inability to initiate conversation leads to refusal to interact with other people, and their alienation.

ТИПОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА ТЕСТОВЫХ ЗАДАНИЙ ДЛЯ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ И РАЗВИТИЯ КОМПЕТЕНЦИЙ ПРИ ОВЛАДЕНИИ РУССКИМ ЯЗЫКОМ КАК ИНОСТРАННЫМ

Modern certification requirements for mastering Russian as a foreign language require the creation and systematic updating of the content of training materials for preparing for testing in the Russian language. Compliance with the methodological and methodological principles of the formation of test tasks in this regard is an actual didactic skill for teachers engaged in the process of teaching and preparing for testing students and students, since it will provide an individualized approach to each student, thereby creating favorable conditions for mastering the Russian language and improving the existing level. The article considers the content of individual levels of testing of language and communication skills. The analysis of the compliance of the Russian state system of testing in Russian as a foreign language and the European national testing systems is carried out. In the context of the considered levels of testing, the typology of tasks is given. Each type of task is evaluated in terms of compliance with the level of testing and application tasks: processing and storing test results. Specific examples of each type of task are given, taking into account the possible varieties. Examples of tasks are also analyzed from the point of view of the components of communicative and language competencies, the formation, development and consolidation of which they are aimed at. Special attention is paid to the selection of language material for the preparation of test tasks, the application of the rules for the preparation of test tasks, in particular, the rules for the use of distractors. The considered rules are based on six basic principles of constructing linguodidactic tests: scientific, effective, comprehensive, hierarchical organization, systematic and consistent, and objective. The stages of designing test tasks are also described, each of which consists of a number of practical actions, the conscientious implementation of which, in turn, allows you to implement the above principles in relation to different types of speech — oral and written, expressive or impressive. A detailed review of the types of tasks, their varieties, principles, rules and stages of their creation allows us to formulate clear, unambiguous criteria for evaluating both the results and the process of developing skills in Russian as a foreign language.

The management of professional personal potential of medical personnel

Nowadays, the key problem in health care management is manpower issue that is manifested as acute shortage and inadequate qualification of medical personnel; working conditions providing no modern standard of living and developing type of personality uninterested in the results and unready to bear responsibility for poor quality of medical care. Purpose of the study is to develop conceptual grounds of improving manpower management in medical organizations based on the study of actual state and specifics of functioning of medical personnel in actual conditions. Material and methods: analytical, historical, statistical, sociological. The main causes of inadequate application of professional and personal capabilities of medical personnel are tough regulation and exceeding formalization of labor, inadequacy of personal funds to satisfy personal requirements in training, increased fatigue at workplace, lack of needed conditions to apply actual knowledge and skills, disinterestedness of administration in ambitious self-starters. The causes of medical personnel dissatisfaction with professional work are closely related to causes of under-exploitation of their professional and personal potential. The main factors diminishing satisfaction of medical personnel with professional labor are low wages at significant workload. The system of organizational measures to optimize application of existing manpower in medical organizations is proposed. The strategic reserve of increasing efficiency of medical organization functioning is realization of need of medical personnel in effective application and development of their professional and personal potential.

Generalized and Efficient Skill Assessment from IMU Data with Applications in Gymnastics and Medical Training

Human activity recognition is progressing from automatically determining what a person is doing and when, to additionally analyzing the quality of these activities—typically referred to as skill assessment. In this chapter, we propose a new framework for skill assessment that generalizes across application domains and can be deployed for near-real-time applications. It is based on the notion of repeatability of activities defining skill. The analysis is based on two subsequent classification steps that analyze (1) movements or activities and (2) their qualities, that is, the actual skills of a human performing them. The first classifier is trained in either a supervised or unsupervised manner and provides confidence scores, which are then used for assessing skills. We evaluate the proposed method in two scenarios: gymnastics and surgical skill training of medical students. We demonstrate both the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the generalized assessment method, especially compared to previous work.

Functional Movement Proficiency’s Association to Actual and Perceived Motor Competence

The adoption of compensatory movement patterns occurs when limitations in mobility, stability, or motor control prevent proper motion from occurring. These dysfunctional movements may inhibit fundamental motor skill development and negatively influence perceived movement competence, impeding the development of physical literacy. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between functional movement and perceived and actual motor skill competence in young adolescents. Functional movement proficiency was determined using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS™), which provides three variables of interest: (a) FMS™total score, (b) number of asymmetries, and (c) number of movement pattern dysfunctions. Perceived physical competence was assessed through the Children and Youth Physical Self-Perception Profile. Finally, the Get Skilled: Get Active process-oriented motor skill assessment was used to evaluate vertical jump, kick, run, and overhand throw proficiency. A significant positive correlation between FMS™total score and vertical jump performance was found. A positive relationship was also found between the number of asymmetries and overhand throw performance. The Children and Youth Physical Self-Perception Profile constructs of body attractiveness and physical condition were positively associated with FMS™total score, and physical condition was also shown to be inversely related to the number of movement pattern dysfunctions. Results suggest that functional movement may underpin movement competence and confidence.

Valuing a Lost Opportunity: An Alternative Perspective on the Illiquidity Discount

The illiquidity discount is the valuation discount investors apply to investments as compensation for their lack of immediate marketability. The authors analyze the concept of the illiquidity discount in the specific context of private investments whereby investors are precluded from accessing their capital, potentially for periods as long as several years. Although many explanations have been put forth for why such discounts should exist, as well as for their magnitude, the authors posit an alternative explanation based on the concept of opportunity cost: By holding an illiquid asset, an investor forgoes the potential excess returns that could have been generated by trading the liquid markets. The authors derive a basic mathematical model to show that the illiquidity discount should be directly related to the magnitude of trading opportunities on the horizon. Investors who believe their future investment opportunities to be favorable should command commensurately large illiquidity discounts for tying up capital. This implies that more skilled investors should require larger illiquidity discounts than their less skilled counterparts. Finally, the authors conjecture that the equilibrium illiquidity discount priced into private markets at any given time is primarily a function of investors’ perceived skill rather than actual skill. This highlights an important behavioral component to the pricing of private investments. TOPICS:Long-term/retirement investing, portfolio construction, real assets/alternative investments/private equity, theory, in portfolio management Key Findings ▪ Investors command illiquidity discounts for locking up capital in proportion to their perception of excess return opportunities on the horizon. ▪ More highly skilled investors will command higher illiquidity discounts because their opportunity cost for tying up capital is greater than for average investors. ▪ The equilibrium illiquidity discount for private investments will be a function of investors’ perceived skill rather than actual skill.

WITHDRAWN: Elevating recruitment process by classifying the enrolled students in the institution using ubiquitous human computing

Employment is a hot topic and in everywhere its requirement of time that to work on recruitment process with proper inputs. Skill employment and providing the jobs accordingly is major challenge in every sector. Where the sector need of actual skill set but lacking the actual resources effect the productivity. Recruitment in Institutions is a regular process again where different students with different interest including entrepreneurship mindset too. Thus understanding their skills and providing the best opportunity suggestion is always required. Thus to deal with such problem which arises in real time to analyze large dataset, an architecture model for analysis is required. Previous system with manual or limited search model is presented which is limited to their capabilities or work in single direction output. In this paper, an approach which works with word processing along with the relation building and mapping them with the possible opportunity is presented. This paper given the algorithm by analysis of skill words, CTM model for relation building and finally mapping to outcome from their generated model. The job prediction performance is computed using RMSE and MASE parameter which shows the efficiency of proposed architecture up to 6.4%. Thus the requirement is real time adoption of such system which can help institutions to map their student according to their subject or knowledge skills.

Основы проектирования системы подготовки востребованных специалистов на территориях опережающего социально-экономического развития (ТОСЭР)

Presented are results of the authors’ research in the context of principles of projecting the system of training needed specialists on territories of advance development of advanced social economic development (ASED). Presented are three principal stages, characterized internal logic of formation of the system of ASED. Revealed is successive algorithm of variative projecting of the system of training of needed specialists in ASED. Defined are key targets of projecting of the system, and among them are strategic ones, determining by distant results of development of professional training, tactical ones, connecting with changes in the system on stages, and also operational ones, needed for solution of problems in the course of projecting. Described are key features of the system of training needed specialists on ASED, incl. actual skills of future specialists in the sphere of machine building, principal of which are informational, valuable, entrepreneurial and introduction ones. Fixed is, that building of the system of training a specialist, needed on ASED, must be made with the use of projection of named factors as to chosen territory.

PSIV-32 Do self-assessments reflect actual skill level of the student in an introductory equine laboratory course?

Abstract In the hiring process, employers look for confidence in a potential employee. This confidence is particularly important in the equine industry when a lack of confidence can create safety issues for both the handler and horse. Earlier studies report previous exposure to horses gives students an advantage in the understanding of equine behavior and self-reported equine handling abilities. However, does this understanding and perceived ability reflect actual equine handling skills? Course assessments by instructors in determining student learning and abilities often defer to student self-assessments, but the exposure to the horse may only develop a perceived confidence and not an actual skill set. Therefore, the objective of the study was to compare students’ perceived confidence in equine handling to actual skill level. Study participants were enrolled in introductory equine laboratory courses (n = 83) during the fall semester. Laboratories consisted of basic equine handling activities that were covered over 30 contact hours throughout the semester. Students worked with horses on a weekly basis for 2 hours each week for 10 weeks. A survey instrument consisting of 18 questions was given at the beginning (pre-) and end (post-) of the semester. Questions focused on the student’s confidence in their perceived equine handling skills. Students ranked their confidence with a score from 1 to 5 with 5 indicating a high confidence level. Laboratory instructors completed a 10 question pre- and post- skill assessment. Each question ranked the students’ skills 1–4 with 4 indicating a high skill level. By the end of the semester, students improved both in their self-assessed confidence (P < 0.05) and in their instructor-assessed skill level (P < 0.05) with a positive correlation seen between the two assessment methods. Thus, instructors limited on how they can assess a student can defer to self-assessments when evaluating course impact in an introductory equine laboratory course.

Peran Media Utama Citaku Terhadap Kertampilan Berfikir Peserta Didik Kelas IV SD

Education using the 2013 curriculum must be able to improve students' skills and values that apply in society. Critical thinking skills, among others, that must be possessed by students to support students' thinking and self-development. For this reason the need for innovation and good creativity from the teacher so that students get the goals that have been designed in learning. In learning, teachers usually still use conventional learning systems and are not added to the media. These impacts cause students to be unenthusiastic, enthusiastic about learning and even result in actual skills emerge and will increase students' potential to sink. Therefore teachers must design and create media to improve students' critical thinking skills. These media UTAMA CITAKU media which have a role in improving students' critical thinking skills.

It Can Be Done! A Skills-Based Elective in Implicit Bias Recognition and Management for Preclinical Medical Students.

Students perceive bias in learning environments. Curricula targeting implicit bias recognition and management increase student awareness and achieve strategy identification, but fall short of actual skill development to address bias. In light of this gap, the authors developed and evaluated a skills-based elective to recognize and manage implicit bias in the learning environment. Nine 1.5-hour sessions were delivered to 15 first-year medical students from 2017 to 2019. An evidence-based conceptual framework and transformative learning theory informed the instructional design; it incorporated active learning exercises. Skills assessment occurred through direct observation of student performances in role-play exercises. Using thematic analysis, the authors conducted a program evaluation based on focus groups with students and data from notes taken by the investigative team. Students engaged with all aspects of instruction, including role-plays. Authors identified 3 themes from the program evaluation: (1) Student engagement can be enhanced, (2) Instruction is empowering, and (3) It (addressing bias in one's own and witnessed encounters) can be done! Analysis additionally highlighted opportunities for improvement and lessons learned. This innovative course achieved skill development and practice for medical students in implicit bias recognition and management as it pertains to 3 facets of clinical care present at every stage of a health professional's career. These include interpersonal encounters, advocating for patients when bias is perceived in witnessed encounters with peers and supervisors, and addressing comments made by others within the learning environment. Outcomes could inform novel, skills-based curricula across the spectrum of health professions training and practice.

Capacity and confidence: What can be gleaned from the link between perceived and actual physical ability in Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners?

Among the many modern iterations of grappling-based combat sports, Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) has emerged as one of the most popular. In addition to its well-established effectiveness in competition, it is considered to be recreationally inclusive in the sense that virtually anyone can practice it independent of their baseline physical fitness. Despite its putative versatility, the attrition rate is notoriously high, particularly among inexperienced practitioners. Progression in the sport requires persistence in the face of repeated defeat in training, which may require certain psychological characteristics, or at least the ability to cultivate such characteristics. Although BJJ is highly technical, performance is also influenced by physical fitness. Additionally, fitness may be related to the psychological approach to and involvement in the sport, which is key in a sport that challenges several aspects of one’s self-efficacy, particularly in the early stages of practice. Through exploratory data analysis, this paper sought to elucidate the relationship between perceived and actual physical ability in BJJ practitioners. Both aerobic and muscular endurance appeared to be associated with perceived physical ability independent of factors such as rank and training experience. Conversely, maximal strength did not correlate with this construct. These findings indicate that physical fitness may be conducive to both BJJ performance and adherence through its relationship with self-efficacy. Since self-efficacy is concerned with belief in the ability to produce a subjectively desired outcome and does not necessarily reflect actual skill, the potential psychological advantage of physical fitness is likely applicable to practitioners at all levels of competence.

Analysis of Problem Patterns in Class Demonstrations of Prospective Korean Language Teachers Using Rasch Model

본 연구는 예비 국어 교사의 국어 수업 실연 결과를 바탕으로 국어 수업 실연 역량 수준을 분석하고 수준별 차이를 유발하는 역량 요소를 진단하여, 예비 국어 교사들의 수업 실연에 나타난 문제양상을 탐색하는 데 목적이 있다. 이를 위해 예비 국어 교사 11명을 대상으로 4인의 현직 국어 교사가 평가한 결과를 바탕으로 평가 기준별 기술통계를 실시하였다. 이어 다국면 Rasch 모형(Many-Facets Rasch Measurement, Linacre, 1989)으로 평가자, 수업 실연 평가 기준, 피험자 3국면을 적용해 각 국면에서 발생하는 변동성을 조정하여 평가자의 엄격성, 수업 실연 평가 기준별 난이도(difficulty)를 고려한 예비 국어 교사들의 국어 수업 실연 역량을 측정하였다. 다음으로 실제적인 수업 실연 역량 차이를 유발하는 수업 실연 역량 요소를 진단하기 위해 Rasch을 활용한 객관적 성취 수준 설정(Objective Standard Setting, OSS) 방법을 사용해 국어 수업 실연 역량을 기준으로 예비 국어 교사들을 4개의 수준별 집단으로 분류하였다. 이후 수준별 집단의 차이를 검증해 국어 수업 실연 역량의 차이를 유발하는 역량 요소를 중심으로 수업 실연의 문제점을 탐색하였다. 분석 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, ‘8. 매체 활용의 적절성’ ‘2. 국어 학습목표 제시’, ‘5. 설명의 적절성’, ‘12. 교사 화법 및 표현 능력’에서의 수업 실연 역량은 높은 수준이었다. 둘째, 예비 국어 교사들은 ‘13. 학생 반응적 태도’, ‘9. 평가의 적절성’, ‘7. 학생 참여 촉진 및 유도’, ‘1. 국어 수업 동기유발’의 평가 기준에서 낮은 역량 수준을 나타냈다. 셋째, 13, 9, 7, 1번 평가 기준에서 4개의 수준별 집단 간에 유의미한 차이가 검증돼, 해당 평가 기준이 국어 수업 실연 역량의 차이를 유발하는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 결과적으로 예비 국어 교사의 수업 실연에서 학생 중심의 맞춤형 수업 운영 부족, 활동 중심의 국어 수업 운영 미흡, 형성 평가의 시행을 통한 학생의 수업 목표 도달도 점검 부재 등이 주요 문제 양상으로 도출되었다.The purpose of this study is to analyze the level of competency in Korean language instruction based on the results of Korean language instruction demonstrations by prospective Korean language teachers, diagnose competency factors that cause differences between levels, and explore the problem patterns in the instructional demonstrations of prospective Korean language teachers. . To this end, technical statistics for each evaluation criterion were conducted based on the results of evaluation by four in-service Korean language teachers for 11 prospective Korean language teachers. Next, the variability that occurs in each phase is adjusted by applying the evaluator, the class demonstration evaluation criteria, and the three phases of the subject using a multi-faceted Rasch model (Many-Facets Rasch Measurement, Linacre, 1989). (difficulty) was taken into consideration and the ability of prospective Korean teachers to demonstrate Korean language instruction was measured. Next, the objective standard setting (OSS) method using Rasch was used to diagnose the elements of the classroom performance competency that cause the difference in actual classroom performance skills. Classified into groups by level. After that, the problem of class demonstration was explored, focusing on the competency factor that causes the difference in Korean language class performance by verifying the difference between the groups by level. The analysis results are as follows. First, ‘8. Appropriateness of using the medium’ ‘2. Suggesting Korean language learning goals’, ‘5. Appropriateness of explanation’, ‘12. The ability to demonstrate class in teacher speech and expression ability was high. Second, prospective Korean language teachers are given 13. Student Responsive Attitude’, ‘9. Appropriateness of evaluation’, ‘7. Facilitating and inducing student participation’, ‘1. The level of competency was low in the evaluation criteria of Motivation for Korean language classes’. Third, in the evaluation criteria No. 13, 9, 7, and 1, a significant difference was verified between the groups of four levels, and it was found that the evaluation criterion caused a difference in Korean language class performance competency. As a result, the lack of student-centered customized class operation, activity-oriented Korean language class operation, and the absence of checking the student s achievement of the class goal through the implementation of formative evaluation were identified as major problem patterns in the class demonstration of the prospective Korean language teacher.

Guidelines for Advancing Clinical Social Work Practice Through Articulating Practice Competencies: The Toronto Simulation Model

Knowledge for clinical social work practice is ever evolving and consists of underlying explanatory concepts, practice models, and intervention skills. Conceptualization and identification of competencies for practice provides a bridge from knowledge and understanding to actual skills needed in clinical sessions. Articulating competencies also guides education of students and provides grounded skills and behaviors needed for clinical research. Analysis of simulation-based practice provides a useful methodology to identify generic practice competencies as well as competencies in specialized fields of practice. This paper presents a simulation education model and illustrates how the use of simulation enabled clinical scholars to articulate core competencies in specialized areas of social work practice. Case examples and related competencies for practice with adolescents, victims of elder abuse, and in mental health practice will demonstrate this process. Examples are drawn from reflections on practice wisdom, analysis of experienced social work practitioners, and relevant literature. Resulting competencies contribute to scholarship for clinical practice.

Assessing clinical competency without patients during COVID‐19 pandemic

Surgery is a core curriculum in medical education. During the surgery clerkship in the clinical years, students are expected to acquire sequentially the skill of history taking and physical examination, selecting and interpreting investigations, and choosing the appropriate management for common surgical problems. These skills are the foundation for future medical practice. Such skills will be tested at the end of each clerkship in the surgical ward on real patients. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, students are forbidden from entering hospital premises. The major problem with this arrangement was - how to assess student's clinical competency outside the hospital? To solve this problem, the examination format was modified for our final year surgery clerkship students. Two sets of documents were prepared before the examination - one set for the student with a history, and the other for the examiner with the history, physical findings, investigations performed, management options, and suggested questions. The questions were composed with a modified “adaptive design” used in online learning - the questions would be changed according to the answer given by a student. The examination was held in a clinical skill and simulation training centre in the university medical campus. Since these students have already acquired the skill of taking history during their earlier years, they were each given a printed history to read before entering the examination room. Each student was tested by two examiners and was first asked to summarize the history and provide differential diagnoses in a professional manner. Each was then asked to describe the essential steps of physical examination and the signs to be elicited. Photos with typical physical findings were shown for interpretation. Knowledge on the appropriate choice and interpretation of investigations as well as management options would then be evaluated. Relevant clinical materials such as laboratory reports, radiological images, endoscopic pictures, and operative specimens were shown. A structured marking scheme was used to provide a platform for objective assessment. All students who took part in the examination were able to understand the instructions clearly. We received no complaint from students. Positive comments were received from the examiners, who were able to have an objective assessment of students' ability in formulating a surgical diagnosis, selecting and interpreting investigations, and suggesting management. Although the examination venue was not hospital-based, having the exam in a simulation ward furnished with medical equipment made the environment resemble the hospital setting. The printed history contained irrelevant surplus information so that each student needed to digest and present a relevant summary to the examiners. Examiners could therefore have a more objective evaluation of the students' ability to pick up important history items. The obvious limitation of this examination format is a lack of assessment of hands-on physical examination skills. However, these were final year students with their physical examination skills tested during their two earlier clerkships. Therefore, the focus on this part of examination was the assessment of their ability to interpret physical signs. The rest of the examination actually mimicked the former bedside examination, namely the selection and interpretation of investigations, and the suggestion of management options. Relevant clinical materials were prepared for elucidation and discussion. The current examination format is similar to the simulation-based educational assessment, which has become a global trend in medical training.1 In conclusion, under the influence of COVID-19, an adapted bedside examination format was carried out to evaluate the clinical skills of medical students. With an increasing number of countries being affected, we believe more medical schools will be facing similar problem and it is not limited to surgical curriculum. In a non-clinical setting, this examination format places more emphasis on the clinical reasoning rather than the actual hands-on skills. Provision of a standardized clinical scenario eliminates biases due to different patient or examiner. Nevertheless, the inability to assess bedside manner and doctor–patient relationship is an inadequacy of this examination format.

Representation and Predictability of the East Asia-Pacific Teleconnection in the Beijing Climate Center and UK Met Office Subseasonal Prediction Systems

Based on the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, the East Asia-Pacific (EAP) teleconnection is extracted as the leading mode of the subseasonal variability over East Asia in summer, with a meridional tripole structure and significant periods of 10–30 and 50–70 days. A two-dimensional phase-space diagram is established for the EAP index and its time tendency so as to monitor the real-time state of EAP events. Based on the phase composite analysis, the general circulation anomalies first occur over the high-latitude area of Europe centered near Novaya Zemlya at the beginning of EAP events. These general circulation anomalies then influence rainfall over Northeast China, North China, and the region south of the Yangtze River valley (YRV) as the phases of EAP event progress. The representation, predictability, and prediction skill of the EAP teleconnection are examined in the two fully coupled sub-seasonal prediction systems of the Beijing Climate Center (BCC) and UK Met Office (UKMO GloSea5). Both models are able to simulate the EAP meridional tripole over East Asia as the leading mode and its characteristics of evolution as well, except for the weaker precursors over Novaya Zemlya and an inconspicuous influence on precipitation over Northeast China. The actual prediction skill of the EAP teleconnection during May-September (MJJAS) is about 10 days in the BCC model and 15 days in the UKMO model based on correlation measures, but is higher when initialized from the EAP peak phases or when targeted on strong EAP scenarios. However, both of the ensemble prediction systems are under-dispersive and the predictable signals extend to 18 and 30 days in BCC and UKMO models based on signal-to-error metrics, indicating that there may be further scope for enhancing the capability of these models for the EAP teleconnection prediction and the associated impacts studies.

Comparative study of the communicative behavior of Russians in comparison with Chinese

The contradictory situation of globalization and active business contacts between the citizens of Russia and China is formed with insufficient mutual acquaintance of the participants of communication with the linguistic, cultural and behavioral differences in the mentalities of both ethnic groups. The study of these differences facilitates both direct understanding of someone elses utterance, and the creation of positive contacts that are not burdened by conflict factors. In these conditions, it is particularly important to know the set of verbal and non-verbal means of utterance of Russian and Chinese-speaking participants in communication, including phraseological and label-gesture features. The main concept of kinesics is that the faces of people are no less than their words, you can judge many, including their current psychological and emotional state. The study of nonverbal means of communication is based on the idea that each of the attributes of the body, be it shape, size, etc., acquires its own meaning under certain conditions. Author it is concluded that it is necessary to combine the actual linguistic and communicative skills of those who communicate with their creative comprehension, comparing them with the corresponding phenomena in their native language and native culture.

A qualitative study of community perspectives surrounding cleaning practices in the context of Zika prevention in El Salvador: implications for community-based Aedes aegypti control

BackgroundIn El Salvador, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmitting Zika and other arboviruses use water storage containers as important oviposition sites. Promotion of water storage container cleaning is a key element of prevention programs. We explored community perceptions surrounding cleaning practices among pregnant women, male partners of pregnant women, and women likely to become pregnant.MethodsResearchers conducted 11 focus groups and 12 in-depth interviews which included individual elicitations of Zika prevention measures practiced in the community. Focus group participants rated 18 images depicting Zika-related behaviors according to effectiveness and feasibility in the community context, discussed influencing determinants, voted on community intentions to perform prevention behaviors, and performed washbasin cleaning simulations. In-depth interviews with male partners of pregnant women used projective techniques with images to explore their perceptions on a subset of Zika prevention behaviors.ResultsGeneral cleaning of the home, to ensure a healthy environment, was a strong community norm. In this context, participants gave water storage container cleaning a high rating, for both its effectiveness and feasibility. Participants were convinced that they cleaned their water storage containers effectively against Zika, but their actual skills were inadequate to destroy Aedes aegypti eggs. A further constraint was the schedule of water availability. Even during pregnancy, male partners rarely cleaned water storage containers because water became available in homes when they were at work. Furthermore, prevailing gender norms did not foster male participation in domestic cleaning activities. Despite these factors, many men were willing to provide substantial support with cleaning when their partners were pregnant, in order to protect their family.ConclusionsBehavior change programs for the prevention of Zika and other arboviruses need to improve community members’ mosquito egg destruction skills rather than perpetuate the promotion of non-specific cleaning in and around the home as effective. Egg elimination must be clearly identified as the objective of water storage container maintenance and programs should highlight the effective techniques to achieve this goal. In addition, programs must build the skills of family members who support pregnant women to maintain the frequency of effective egg destruction in all water storage containers of the home.