Practice Items Research Articles

Development and validation of a short dietary questionnaire for assessing obesity-related dietary behaviours in young children.

There are few short, validated tools to assess young children's obesity-related dietary behaviours, limiting the rapid screening of dietary behaviours in research and practice-based early obesity prevention. This study aimed to develop and assess the reliability and validity of a caregiver-reported short dietary questionnaire to rapidly assess obesity-related dietary behaviours in children aged 6 months to 5 years. The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood Dietary Questionnaire (EPOCH-DQ) was developed using a rigorous process to determine content and structural validity. Three age-appropriate versions were developed for (1) infants, aged 6-12 months, (2) toddlers, aged 1-2.9 years and (3) pre-schoolers, aged 3-5 years. The questionnaire (7-15 items) measures dietary behaviours, including diet risk from non-core food and beverage intake, diet quality from vegetable frequency, bread type and infant feeding practices. Test-retest reliability was assessed from repeated administrations 1 week apart (n = 126). Internal consistency, concurrent validity (against a comparison questionnaire, the InFANT Food Frequency Questionnaire), construct validity and interpretability were assessed (n = 209). Most scores were highly correlated and significantly associated (p < 0.05) for validity (rs: 0.45-0.89, percentage agreement 68%-100%) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.61-0.99) for diet risk, diet quality and feeding practice items. The EPOCH-DQ shows acceptable validity and reliability for screening of obesity-related behaviours of children under 5 years of age. The short length and, thus, low participant burden of the EPOCH-DQ allows for potential applications in various settings. Future testing of the EPOCH-DQ should evaluate culturally and socio-economically diverse populations and establish the predictive validity and sensitivity to detect change.

Community Poultry Farmer Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Contributing to Antimicrobial Resistance in High Density Areas of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Background: Antimicrobial use in poultry poses a risk of resistance and transmission thereof to human populations, and poses a global public health risk. No previous studies considered Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of community (backyard) poultry farmers in dense settlement areas in Zimbabwe Methods: We used self-administered questionnaires to assess knowledge, attitude and practice items in addition to general and demographic variables. We describe our findings and evaluate associations with practices. Results: Fifty-six participants completed questionnaires. A range of practices (good and bad) was reported. Practices with risk for antimicrobial resistance developing were associated with males, having previously experienced an incident of high mortality among the poultry, and if knowledge and attitude scores were low. Individuals trained by church organisations and practicing chicken farming as their only occupation was associated with good practices. Poor knowledge scores were predictive of poor practices in the study. The study also found that individuals who do chicken farming as their only occupation were more likely to adhere to international regulations than those who did it as a part time occupation. Factors associated with good practices were those that were trained by church organisations. Despite its limitations such as measurement bias, the study highlighted gaps in the one health concept which might reduce antimicrobial resistance in both clinical and community settings

The Differences in Content of Health Care Plans of Medical and Nursing Students in Interprofessional and Uniprofessional Education.

With a growing population of older people in all Western countries, interprofessional education (IPE) can help to prepare students for the complex care for these patients. Which aspects of this complex care could benefit from IPE? In this study we evaluated the differences in content of health care plans made by students who participated in IPE. Undergraduate nursing and medical students were included and attended four sessions in which they wrote a health care plan for a paper-based geriatric patient case. Approximately half of the students were included in the IPE-group. To evaluate the content of interprofessional collaboration between the students, the other half of the students were included in a 'uniprofessional education' (UPE) group. UPE-students made the health care plan alone. In the IPE-group a medical and a nursing students compiled the health care plan together. All health care plans were assessed by comparing them with a validated health care plan. We zoomed into the differences in the content of the health care plans, and calculated a score ratio, proportion of correct items. The health care plans made by IPE-students had an average score ratio of 0.31. The health care plans made by UPE-students had an average score ratio of 0.22. Most differences were found in the subcategories medication, nursing actions and aftercare. Specific items within these categories were more frequently thought of in the IPE-group than in the UPE-group, for example delirium interventions and consultation with a transfer nurse. This study gives insights into which health care actions are more often considered by interprofessional couples in IPE than by students in UPE. Awareness of these items in clinical practice could make a difference in the care for older patients.

Strategic Human Resource Management Practices in Banks and Insurance Companies

This study aims to examine the essential dimensions of strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices in Nepalese banks and insurance companies. It was carried out among managerial-level staff of eight banks and eight insurance companies in Nepal. A total of 240 questionnaires—15 for each of the 16 organizations—were distributed. 163 questionnaires in all (67.92%) were returned and used in the study. This study used a checklist measure of SHRM practices. The degree of application is assessed by assigning 1–6 points to each practice item. Six dimensions—career development and promotion, employee participation, quality control (QC) program, management by objectives (MBO), team management, and corporate culture—are used to classify SHRM practices. The results indicate that all SHRM practices are typically well-perceived. Commercial banks and insurance businesses differ significantly in all aspects of SHRM practices. Employees in banks perceive more positive SHRM practices than those of insurance companies. Due to their alluring employment opportunities and strong SHRM practices, banks may be able to lure individuals from the insurance companies. Compared to commercial banks, which might acquire qualified workers from the labor market, insurance companies are more likely to have higher staff turnover. As such, they must take these realities into account. Because of this, both the banks and insurance companies must ensure that their SHRM policies and HR investments draw in and keep competent applicants from the job market.

A Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Study on Phlebotomy Among Nurses in a Tertiary Hospital in Patna, India.

For most clinicians and nursing officers, laboratory testing is an unfamiliar part of medical caregiving, and ignorance may lead to serious avoidable errors. Phlebotomy, the first basic step towards laboratory testing, is to be taken seriously otherwise unnecessary repeat testing becomes mandatory. We hypothesized that there are some gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among these nursing officers regarding practices of phlebotomy, which may influence the quality of blood samples. This study aims to assess the overall nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice of phlebotomy to provide a remarkable improvement in blood sampling practice in our hospital. A prospective study was conducted involving nurses posted in different wards in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Patna, India. A phlebotomy questionnaire was designed based on KAP on the clinical and laboratory standards of the WHO guidelines. A total of 30 questions were distributed among the nursing staff, 10 each from knowledge, attitude, and practice. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the KAP levels and their influencing factors.All continuous variables were tested for normality conditions using the Shapiro-Wilk test and P>0.05 were considered for normality. The total average score of knowledge among the nurses was 7.62 (95%CI: 15.77-16.56). It was found that the nurses, on average, had a very strong positive attitude (93.36%). Regarding the distribution of practices of nurses, it was found that 87% had good practice as most of the positive practice items had high responses. The knowledge of phlebotomy among nurses was found to be satisfactory, except in a few areas. An education program on phlebotomy should be developed for nurses to improve and enhance their knowledge of phlebotomy.

Кресты-энколпионы из находок на Водянском городище

The subject of the study is the bronze encolpion crosses found at the Vodyanskoe settlement, an urban culture monument of the Golden Horde era. Material and spiritual culture of the Russian Golden Horde urban population of the 14th century is the object under study of this paper. The author analyzes personal godliness practice items of the Russian cult copper sculpture connected with spread of Christianity. The encolpions under study and their fragments were found during archaeological excavations and artefactual remains collection at Vodyanskoye settlement at different times. The aim of the study is introduction into scholarly discourse, morphological description, typological and technological characterization of these finds from the Vodyanskoe settlement. Methods and approaches used in the study include description, typological analysis, metrical approach and measurement agenda used in staurometry, system approach including morphological analysis, chemical and technological Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). A comparison of the investigated material with the known encolpion crosses is performed. The research shows that the encolpions including their ornaments of leafs and parts discovered at the Vodyanskoe settlement are complete analogues in composition and iconography to the types of the encolpions found in the mediaeval Russian sites as well as in the other Golden Horde settlements. They can be attributed to the most numerous late Russian cross group dating back to no earlier than 13th century. Electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) of the two leafs showed that they were made up of leaded tin bronze with composition corresponding to the alloys used in Russia for encolpion casting. Winged crosses were cast into clay molds created from an impression of the finished product. The studied artifacts were interpreted in the context of the known data; they complement a handful of similar sample of items specific to the Russian population spiritual life in the 14th century. These bronze encolpion crosses are of different types the fact testifies to stylistic trends diversity in the mediaeval cult copper sculpture production of this period.

Improving lexical retrieval with LingoTalk: an app-based, self-administered treatment for clients with aphasia

IntroductionLingoTalk is a German speech-language app designed to enhance lexical retrieval in individuals with aphasia. It incorporates automatic speech recognition (ASR) to provide therapist-independent feedback. The execution and effectiveness of a self-administered intervention with LingoTalk was explored in a case series study.MethodsThree individuals with chronic aphasia participated in a highly individualized, supervised self-administered intervention lasting 3 weeks. The LingoTalk app closely monitored the frequency, intensity and progress of the intervention. Treatment efficacy was assessed using a multiple baseline design, examining both item-specific treatment effects and generalization to untreated items, an untreated task, and spontaneous speech.ResultsAll participants successfully completed the intervention with LingoTalk, although one participant was not able to use the ASR feature. None of the participants fully adhered to the treatment protocol. All participants demonstrated significant and sustained improvement in the naming of practiced items, although there was limited evidence of generalization. Additionally, there was a slight reduction in word-finding difficulties during spontaneous speech.DiscussionThis small-scale study indicates that self-administered intervention with LingoTalk can improve oral naming of treated items. Thus, it has the potential to complement face-to-face speech-language therapy, such as within in a “flipped speech room” approach. The choice of feedback mode is discussed. Transparent progress monitoring of the intervention appears to positively influence patients' motivation.

Aspects of knowledge, attitude, and practices about COVID-19 in basic education students: A meta-analysis

Updated scientific material is needed to incorporate research-based COVID-19 interventions and strategies into basic education. This meta-analysis examined basic education students' COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) across the globe. This study identified KAPs needed to integrate COVID-19 into Basic Education after the meta-analysis. Thirteen published studies on basic education students' KAPs toward COVID-19 were analyzed using meta-analysis. PRISMA was utilized in this study. JBI and STROBE checklists assessed these studies' quality. Three low-quality and ten high-quality published studies were identified. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were used due to the studies' heterogeneity. Low-quality studies had higher KAP pooled levels. Although the pooled KAPs on COVID-19 between the study groups of elementary students only, elementary and high school students, and high school students only were only slightly different, more high school students had good and better KAPs toward COVID-19. Globally, basic education students had high COVID-19 KAPs. There were items in KAPs identified as essential topics for science lesson integration. These six items were identified as essential topics for lesson integration in knowledge, five in attitude, and four items in practice.

Ayurveda's Contemporary Preventative Approach to Skin and Hair CareA Review Study

: Cosmetics are practical items that are widely used across the world to preserve and enhance the look of the face and other body parts, such as the lips, hands, fingers, eyes, and hair, among others. The personal care industry is currently more concentrated on herbal cosmetics as nowadays it is fast growing segment with a vast scope of various expansions in coming years. Herbal cosmetics are the preparations that represent cosmetics associated with active bio - ingredients, nutraceuticals, or pharmaceuticals. The use of bioactive phytochemicals from various botanicals has a dual function: they are used as cosmetics to care for the body and its parts, and the botanical components impact the skin's biological processes. Identifying the phytochemicals for skin and body care products is greatly aided by our historical understanding of the utilization of plant riches as documented in the Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Tibetan systems of medicine. The development of Nobel cosmeceuticals for skin &amp; body care illnesses will require the necessary efforts to associate current cosmetology with bioactive components based on our traditional system of medicine. Additionally, it significantly polluted the environment and disrupted our ecosystem. To enhance people's health and the quality of their lives and address the limitations of the allopathic system, both contemporary and conventional approaches must be used in addition to it. This has resulted in a rise in the use of herbal medications, cosmetics, neutraceuticals, and natural dyes. The aim of this review is to demonstrate the preventive methods of Ayurveda for skin and hair care in the contemporary period and to describe, based on a literature review, the relationship between Ayurveda and cosmetics. The knowledge of medicinal plants used by the people is well-known in its culture and tradition. The association between Ayurveda and cosmeceuticals has also been reviewed in this article.

Development and validation of a knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questionnaire for skin cancer in the general public: KAP-SC-Q

BackgroundSkin cancer has emerged as a significant worldwide public health issue, with the global reporting of approximately 1.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 287,723 cases of melanoma in 2020. Early detection and prevention are pivotal in battling this disease. However, there is an absence of standardized tools designed to comprehensively gauge these elements. ObjectiveThe study aimed to formulate and examine the validity and reliability of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Skin Cancer Questionnaire (KAP-SC-Q). MethodsThe research was conducted in two phases. Phase I included the generation and construction of items, content validity, and pilot testing. In Phase II, the questionnaire was distributed to 370 non-health background public adults in Malaysia. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were ascertained using Item Response Theory (IRT) for the knowledge domain, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) for the attitude and practice segments, and Cronbach's alpha. ResultsThe definitive version of the KAP-SC-Q had 108 items, divided into 17 social demographic, 30 knowledge, 32 attitude, and 29 practice items. Knowledge items had an acceptable range of 0.4–2.0 in the IRT. The EFA revealed that attitude and practice sections contributed to 34.25% and 52.94% of the total observed variance, respectively. The Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.85, signifying good internal consistency. ConclusionThe study validated that KAP-SC-Q exhibits commendable psychometric attributes, marking it as a trustworthy instrument to assess the public's knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning skin cancer.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding the effect of yoga on periodontal health among Indian adults: A questionnaire study.

Background: Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the structures supporting the teeth and has multifactorial etiology. Conventionally, management of periodontal disease involves non-surgical and surgical procedures, while LASER, phytotherapy are some of the adjuncts to the conventional methods. In India, complementary medicine and alternative medicines like yoga are gaining popularity for improving systemic health. However, the effect of yoga on oral or periodontal health has not been explored extensively. Hence, this pilot study was designed to develop a validated, reliable, and structured questionnaire on knowledge, attitude and practice pertaining to the effect of yoga on periodontal health and systemic conditions in Indian adults. Methods: The KAP questionnaire was developed using a deductive approach, and a psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire was performed to evaluate reliability and validity. Initial content validation and test re-test reliability were assessed using kappa statistics with binary responses. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the questions in the practice and attitude category with categorical variables. Further assessment of psychometric properties of the questionnaire was done using item response theory. The developed questionnaire has four principal sections: i)demography of participants, ii)knowledge, iii)attitude and iv)practice towards implementing yoga for oral health with primary focus on periodontal health. Results: The ICC for all the assessed questions was greater than 0.60 suggesting satisfactory stability. Internal consistency measured using Cronbach’s alpha for knowledge, attitude, and practice items were reported to be 0.632, 0.923, and 0.591 respectively and that of the KAP total was 0.632. Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that the questionnaire had an acceptable psychometric property for measuring KAP regarding yoga and oral and systemic health among Indian adults. The analysis of participant responses revealed that they had a medium level of knowledge regarding yoga and periodontal disease.

Leveraging technology for animal anatomy practicals

To deliver a comprehensive learning experience while shifting to online teaching due to COVID-19, educators at The University of Queensland (Australia) adopted Lt, a cloud-based platform, to overcome the challenges of delivering animal anatomy practicals. A two-phased study was conducted to evaluate the use of Lt for both online and on-campus students and its impact on student satisfaction and performance. Phase 1 investigated students’ satisfaction with the practical experience, with online students expressing greater satisfaction across all constructs related to the practical: design, Lt, and feedback. Phase 2 investigated end-of-course evaluations, with all evaluated items increasing from 2019 to 2020 and 2021, along with student performance showing no difference between the online and on-campus students for practical assessment items and final examinations. The findings give confidence for technology adoption to enhance the learning experience for online students and provides an exemplar for similar adoption for practical delivery across other science disciplines.

VALIDATING AN INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE OPEN INNOVATION PRACTICES IN RESEARCH COMMERCIALIZATION

The Open Innovation Practice is getting well known as an initiative to help increase the rate of commercializing research output. Implementing open innovation practices within academia is essential in facilitating collaboration, fostering knowledge sharing, and facilitating technology transfer between academic institutions and industries. This pilot study aims to investigate and assess the validity and reliability of the instrument used to measure open innovation practices. Quantitative methodology was employed in this study, and data were gathered via a survey from 109 respondents. The respondents are among the lecturers at public universities in Malaysia that are actively involved in the commercialization of research output. The descriptive analysis shows that the respondents often practice open innovation in commercializing their research output. During the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), the findings indicated that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value for the open innovation practice is 0.885, showing no severe problem of multicollinearity and Barlett's Test of Sphericity demonstrates a statistically significant result. No item is eliminated in this study. Meanwhile, the reliability test for nine instrument items in open innovation practice is accepted with Cronbach's Alpha of 0.916. To conclude, the discovery from this study indicates that the instrument acquires high validity and reliability and is well prepared to be tested for future stages.

Demographic factors associated with myopia knowledge, attitude and preventive practices among adults in Ghana: a population-based cross-sectional survey

PurposeKnowledge, positive attitude and good preventive practices are keys to successful myopia control, but information on these is lacking in Africa. This study determined the KAP on myopia in Ghana.MethodsThis was a population-based cross-sectional survey conducted among adults (aged 18 years and older) living across 16 regions of Ghana between May and October 2021. Data on socio-demographic factors (sex, age, gender, level of education, working status, type of employment, monthly income, and region of residence), respondents’ awareness, and knowledge, attitude and preventive practices (KAP) about myopia were collected. Composite and mean scores were calculated from eleven knowledge (total score = 61), eight attitude (48), and nine preventive practice items (33). Differences in mean scores were assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and standardized coefficients (β) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), using multiple linear regression to determine the associations between the dependent (KAP) and demographic variables.ResultsOf the 1,919 participants, mean age was 37.4 ± 13.4 years, 42.3% were aged 18–30 years, 52.6% were men, 55.8% had completed tertiary education, and 49.2% had either heard about myopia, or accurately defined myopia as short sightedness. The mean KAP scores were 22.9 ± 23.7, 33.9 ± 5.4, and 22.3 ± 2.8, respectively and varied significantly with many of the demographic variables particularly with age group, region, marital status, and type of employment. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed significant associations between region of residence and knowledge (β =—0.54, 95%CI:-0.87, -0.23, p < 0.001), attitude (β =—0.24, 95%CI:-0.35,-0.14, p < 0.001) and preventive practices (β = 0.07, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.12, p = 0.015). Preventive practices were also associated with type of employment (self-employed vs employee: β = 0.25, 95%CI: 0.15, 4.91, p < 0.05). Knowledge scores were significantly higher in those who lived in the Greater Accra (39.5 ± 18.5) and Eastern regions (39.1 ± 17.5) and lower among those who lived in the Upper West region (6.4 ± 15.6). Government employees and those with tertiary education had significantly higher mean knowledge scores compared with non-government employees (β = 4.56, 95%CI 1.22, 7.89, p = 0.007), and those with primary/no education (β = 18.35, 95%CI: 14.42, 22.27, p < 0.001).ConclusionGhanaian participants had adequate knowledge of myopia but showed poor attitude and low preventive practices, which varied significantly between regions and were modified by socio-demographic factors. Further research into how education can be used to stimulate Ghanaians’ engagement in preventive practices is needed.

Clinical indications for plain abdominal radiographs: A survey study among radiographers.

Abdominal pain is a common complaint in the Emergency Department. Radiographers' knowledge and practices regarding clinical indications for performing abdominal examinations are crucial in the results radiographs produced. To determine the knowledge and practices of radiographers regarding the clinical indications for performing radiographic examinations of the abdomen. Four public hospitals in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted, using a convenience, all-inclusive sample of n = 85 radiographers. A hard copy self-administered questionnaire was distributed between February and June 2020. Descriptive (mean and standard deviations) and inferential (chi² test) statistics were generated using IBM® SPSS® version 26.0 software package. Knowledge of clinical indications had a mean of 59.41. All four demographics (age, years of experience, attended a short course and attended pattern recognition course) were significantly associated with overall knowledge. Additionally, short course attendance was significantly associated with most practice items, and two knowledge items (which views are done for perforation; and which view(s) demonstrate a stab abdomen). Pattern recognition was significantly associated with one knowledge item (which views are regarded as an acute abdomen). Despite the lack of short courses and pattern recognition courses, radiographers' knowledge of clinical indications was good (>50%). Continuous training, accessible protocols for performing clinical indications for plain abdominal radiographic examinations for radiographers, audit, feedback and reminders to enhance protocol adherence are recommended. The study findings could be used to enhance knowledge and practices regarding clinical indications for plain abdominal radiographic examinations among radiographers.

Ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward venous thromboembolic prevention: a dual-center cross-sectional survey.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a severe preventable complication among ophthalmic surgical patients. The knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of nurses play a key role in effective VTE prevention. However, little is known about the KAP of ophthalmic nurses' VTE prevention. This study aimed to examine the level of KAP toward VTE prevention among Chinese ophthalmic nurses and to investigate the influencing factors of their VTE practice. A total of 610 ophthalmic nurses from 17 cities in Hunan and Zhejiang Provinces, China, participated in this study. Data was collected via the Sojump online platform from March to April 2021. A self-administered VTE questionnaire was developed to assess nurses' KAP toward VTE prevention. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of ophthalmic nurses' VTE prevention practice. The scores (correct rates) of ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice were 103.87 ± 20.50 (76.4%), 21.96 ± 2.72, and 48.96 ± 11.23 (81.6%), respectively. The three lowest-scored knowledge items were related to VTE complications, physical prevention, and risk assessment. The three lowest-scored attitude items were related to nurses' training, VTE risk, and patient education. The three lowest-scored practice items were related to the assessment scale, VTE assessment, and patient education. Nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice were significantly correlated with each other. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that Hunan Province (B = 2.77, p = 0.006), general hospital (B = 2.97, p = 0.009), outpatient department (B = 3.93, p = 0.021), inpatient department (B = 2.50, p = 0.001), previous VTE prevention training (B = 3.46, p < 0.001), VTE prevention management in hospital (B = 4.93, p < 0.001), better knowledge (B = 0.04, p = 0.038), and positive attitude towards VTE prevention (B = 1.35, p < 0.001) were all significantly and positively associated with higher practice scores in VTE prevention. Our study provided a comprehensive understanding of the ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice in VTE prevention, as well as identified specific items in each dimension for improvement. In addition, our study showed multiple factors were associated with ophthalmic nurses' practice in VTE prevention, including environmental factors, training and management, knowledge and attitudes toward VTE prevention. Our findings provide important implications and guidance for future intervention programs to improve the ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice in VTE prevention.

Mentoring Applications From Applied Plant Systems Research Experiences With Undergraduates

Research experiences for undergraduate (REU) students are valuable for exploring STEM professions. Students from underrepresented groups and non-research institutions may not have the opportunities to engage in hands-on research. A primary goal of our Applied Plant Systems REU was to provide authentic research experiences for students who may not have the chance. Mentoring is key to the success of a REU, yet intentional mentoring is not often prioritized. Over three summers, we explored student perception of the value of mentoring within an agricultural STEM REU. Pre- and post-survey responses were analyzed, and we found that the students valued specific aspects of mentoring during their REU. Interestingly, at the end of the REU, the survey result showed that the students placed a higher importance on items such as mentoring being a systematic process and that mentoring is based on friendship. There is clear indication that students know good mentoring when they experience it, even if it is not verbalized. Based on the survey responses and comments from students involved in this REU, we developed practical mentoring items which can be incorporated into research programs to enhance the mentoring experience.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess evidence-based practice and evidence-informed practice knowledge, attitudes, understanding and behavior

Good-quality questionnaires are needed to assess the effectiveness of educational programs on undergraduate healthcare students’ knowledge, attitudes, understanding and behavior regarding evidence-based practice and evidence-informed practice. However, there is currently no available questionnaires designed to evaluate the outcomes of evidence-based practice and evidence-informed practice education. Based on the methods proposed by Streiner et al., this study developed and validated a questionnaire for assessing evidence-informed practice and evidence-based practice knowledge, attitudes, understanding, self-perceived application and use, and behavior among undergraduate preregistration students in the nursing and allied health disciplines. Seventy-three questionnaire items were developed and administered to varied groups of people, including students and academics. Principal component analysis was conducted to reduce dimensions and establish construct validity and internal consistency of the developed questionnaire. Following pilot-testing and expert review, the final validated questionnaire consists of 53 items (8 demographic items, 25 evidence-based practice items, and 20 evidence-informed practice items). The evidence-based practice and evidence-informed practice questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to measure the outcomes of evidence-based practice and evidence-informed practice education.

Early Turkic Enclosures of the Ak-Dag Complex

The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of materials from the excavations of the enclosures of the Ak-Dag complex, located in the Erzin district of the Tuva Republic. The objects under study were investigated by the archaeological expedition under the leadership of M.Kh. Mannay-ool in 1961. Despite the importance of the information obtained during the excavations, these data were not published and were not used in the development of well-known concepts of the history of the region. The article provides a detailed description of the studied enclosures, as well as an analysis of the fixed features of structures, elements of ritual practice and inventory items. It has been established that the dating of objects can be determined by the framework of the second half of the 5th – 6th centuries AD with the possibility of narrowing the chronology, taking into account the known historical context, to the middle – the second half of the 6th century AD. The Ak-Dag enclosures, as well as other, so far a very few complexes of Tuva of this period, testify to the emergence in this region of a new population group, close in tradition to the Altai nomads. There is every reason to assert that these processes are associated with the military campaigns of the Turks, which led to the creation of the First Khaganate.

A Review of Practical Applications of Fluid Flow and Associated Heat Transfer Modeling in Wellbores

Investigations on two-phase gas/liquid flow in pipes have been under study for nearly six decades. These studies have significantly assisted in managing fluid flow in the wellbore and surface networks, leading to the separation of phases and transmission of oil and gas into the market. This study summarizes some of the main lessons learned in flow through wellbores. Besides understanding some of the fundamental principles, we focused on the practical items of interest: Conventional production scenarios for oil and gas wells; Liquid loading in gas wells; Production in geothermal wells; Heat flow from fluid flow; Transient non-isothermal wellbore modeling; Well blowout in drilling operation; Estimating static geothermal and flowing-temperature gradients in gas wells; Heat mining with fluid circulation in wellbores. Given the diversity of the methods mentioned above, understanding flows in the wellbore and the reservoir becomes equally important. One critical item is the fluid temperature measurement associated with the fluid flow that enables validation of the fluid flow rate, besides revealing information about the reservoir characteristics.