Mean Combined Score Research Articles

Development of Multiple Representation Models in Physics Mechanics Learning Using a Self-Regulated Learning Approach

Abstract The challenge of learning mechanical physics is to help students with different characteristics learn to solve problems. Backgrounds education, initial abilities, understanding concepts, and self-regulated learning which can have an impact on representational abilities in solving physics problems. Model development needs to be carried out in an effort to facilitate students in learning to solve physics problems through a multiple representation model approach. Development uses the Dick & Carey model with descriptive analysis with pre and post-test design. The research was conducted at the Mathematics Education Departement, Mathematics and Science Faculty of Universitas Indraprasta PGRI, with a sample of 27 students taking physics mechanics course. Development has produced the VIFOCA learning model which consists of Visualization, Formulation, and Calculation. Formative evaluation involving instructional design experts, material and language experts obtained an average score of 4.75, while the formative evaluation of students showed an average score of 4.35, with a mean combined score of 4.55. The result of the evaluation formative show that the VIFOCA model is feasible for use in physics learning mechanics. The ability of physics problem solving is known based on the pre-test results of 61.33, while the post-test average is 68.74, with an increase of 12.08%. The results of this research indicate that the VIFOCA learning model can help facilitate learning and improve physics mechanics problem solving abilities.

The perception of Acehnese parents on heritage language maintenance: A quantitative approach

Family is the ideal platform to maintain the indigenous language, and parents are the core feature in promoting it to the children. Many previous studies have concentrated on the Acehnese younger generations’ declination use of Acehnese. Their perception of the language is initially linked to the parents’ attitude towards it since the parents’ attitude determines the children’s perception of it. Hence, the present research aims to fill in the gap by assessing the language attitude of the Acehnese parents living in the urban areas on Acehnese and searching for their efforts in passing the language to their descendants. Fifty-five respondents from three different districts in Banda Aceh were purposely selected by considering some criteria to fulfill the need of this research. The data were collected by distributing questionnaires and analyzed using a descriptive quantitative model; a five-point Likert Scale, a weighted mean score, a mean combined score, and a score interval to put the results based on their criteria. The result shows that the language attitude of the Acehnese parents is in good criterion (4.2); they honor, respect, and are proud of speaking the language as their identity. Moreover, they also put some genuine efforts into maintaining and inheriting the language by speaking the language while interacting with the spouse, children, and other Acehnese community members; and promoting the language to their children in several ways despite living in urban areas.

The Prognostic Significance of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factors (eIFs) in Endometrial Cancer.

Whilst the role of eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIFs) has already been investigated in several human cancers, their role in endometrial cancer (EC) is relatively unknown. In the present retrospective study, 279 patients with EC (1180 samples) were included (mean age: 63.0 years, mean follow-up: 6.1 years). Samples were analysed for expression of 7 eIFs subunits (eIF2α, eIF3c, eIF3h, eIF4e, eIF4g, eIF5, eIF6) through immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Fifteen samples of healthy endometrium served as controls. Density and intensity were assessed and mean combined scores (CS) calculated for each patient. Upon immunohistochemistry, median eIF5 CS were significantly higher in EC as compared with non-neoplastic tissue (NNT, p < 0.001), whilst median eIF6 CS were significantly lower in EC (p < 0.001). Moreover, eIF5 (p = 0.002), eIF6 (p = 0.032) and eIF4g CS (p = 0.014) were significantly different when comparing NNT with EC grading types. Median eIF4g CS was higher in type II EC (p = 0.034). Upon western blot analysis, eIF4g (p < 0.001), peIF2α (p < 0.001) and eIF3h (p < 0.05) were significantly overexpressed in EC, while expression of eIF3c was significantly reduced in EC as compared with NNT (p < 0.001). The remaining eIFs were non-significant. Besides tumour stage (p < 0.001) and patient’s age (p < 0.001), high eIF4g CS-levels were independently associated with poor prognosis (HR: 1.604, 95%CI: 1.037–2.483, p = 0.034). The other eIFs had no prognostic significance. Notably, the independent prognostic significance of eIF4g was lost when adding tumour type. Considering the difficulties in differentiating EC type I and II, eIF4g may serve as a novel prognostic marker indicating patient outcome.

Association of Type 1 Diabetes With Standardized Test Scores of Danish Schoolchildren

Type 1 diabetes has been associated with cardiovascular disease and late complications such as retinopathy and nephropathy. However, it is unclear whether there is an association between type 1 diabetes and school performance in children. To compare standardized reading and mathematics test scores of schoolchildren with type 1 diabetes vs those without diabetes. Population-based retrospective cohort study from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2015 (end date of follow-up), including Danish public schoolchildren attending grades 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8. Test scores were obtained in math (n = 524 764) and reading (n = 1 037 006). Linear regression models compared outcomes with and without adjustment for socioeconomic characteristics. Type 1 diabetes. Primary outcomes were pooled test scores in math and reading (range, 1-100). Among 631 620 included public schoolchildren, the mean (SD) age was 10.31 (SD, 2.42) years, and 51% were male; 2031 had a confirmed diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Overall, the mean combined score in math and reading was 56.11 (SD, 24.93). There were no significant differences in test scores found between children with type 1 diabetes (mean, 56.56) and children without diabetes (mean, 56.11; difference, 0.45 [95% CI, -0.31 to 1.22]). The estimated difference in test scores between children with and without type 1 diabetes from a linear regression model with adjustment for grade, test topic, and year was 0.24 (95% CI, -0.90 to 1.39) and 0.45 (95% CI, -0.58 to 1.49) with additional adjustment for socioeconomic status. Among Danish public schoolchildren, there was no significant difference in standardized reading and mathematics test scores of children with type 1 diabetes compared with test scores of children without diabetes.

Impact of airway management strategies on magnetic resonance image quality

BackgroundUse of general anaesthesia or deep sedation during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies leads to pharyngeal muscle relaxation, often resulting in snoring and subsequent vibrations with head micromotion. Given that MRI is very susceptible to motion, this causes artifacts and image quality degradation. The purpose of our study was to determine the effectiveness of different airway management techniques in overcoming micromotion-induced MRI artifacts. MethodsAfter obtaining institutional review board approval, we conducted a retrospective study on the image quality of central nervous system MRI studies in nine patients who had serial MRIs under general anaesthesia. All data were obtained from electronic records. We evaluated the following airway techniques: use of no airway device (NAD); oral, nasal, or supraglottic airway (SGA); or tracheal tube. To assess MRI quality, we developed a scoring system with a combined score ranging from 6 to 30. We used the linear mixed model to account for patient-dependent confounders. ResultsWe assessed 85 MRI studies from nine patients: 48 NAD, 27 SGA, four oral, four nasal, and two tracheal tube. Arithmetical mean combined scores were 21.6, 27.6, 20.3, 15.3, and 29.5, respectively. The estimated mean combined scores for the NAD and SGA cohorts were 22.0 and 27.3, respectively, showing that SGA use improved the combined score by 5.3 (P<0.0001). ConclusionsThe use of an SGA during MRI studies under general anaesthesia or deep sedation significantly improves image quality.

Journal Club: Structured radiology reports are more complete and more effective than unstructured reports.

The radiology report serves as the primary method of communication about imaging findings. Traditional free-text (i.e., unstructured) radiology reporting entails dictating in a stream-of-consciousness manner. Structured reporting aims to standardize the format and lexicon used in reports. This standardization may improve the communication of findings, allowing ease of reading and comprehension. A structured reporting template may also be used as a checklist while reviewing a case, which may facilitate focused attention and analysis. The goal of this study was to compare unstructured and structured reports in terms of their completeness and effectiveness. Radiology trainees were given an educational lecture on the background of reporting and were provided with a structured reporting template for dictating chest radiographs. Twelve trainees completed the study. Sixty reports from before and 60 reports from after the intervention were each independently scored by four blinded physician raters for completeness and effectiveness. Structured reports were found to be statistically significantly more complete and more effective than unstructured reports (mean completeness score, 4.42 vs 3.99, p<0.001; mean effectiveness score, 4.11 vs 3.85, p<0.001). A combined score was calculated for each report and was higher for the structured reports (mean combined score, 8.54 vs 7.83, p<0.001). Structured chest radiograph reports were more complete and more effective than unstructured chest radiograph reports. Although additional studies are needed for validation, this study suggests that structured reporting may represent an improved reporting method for radiologists.

Estimating Climate Resilience for Conservation across Geophysical Settings

Conservationists need methods to conserve biological diversity while allowing species and communities to rearrange in response to a changing climate. We developed and tested such a method for northeastern North America that we based on physical features associated with ecological diversity and site resilience to climate change. We comprehensively mapped 30 distinct geophysical settings based on geology and elevation. Within each geophysical setting, we identified sites that were both connected by natural cover and that had relatively more microclimates indicated by diverse topography and elevation gradients. We did this by scoring every 405 ha hexagon in the region for these two characteristics and selecting those that scored >SD 0.5 above the mean combined score for each setting. We hypothesized that these high-scoring sites had the greatest resilience to climate change, and we compared them with sites selected by The Nature Conservancy for their high-quality rare species populations and natural community occurrences. High-scoring sites captured significantly more of the biodiversity sites than expected by chance (p < 0.0001): 75% of the 414 target species, 49% of the 4592 target species locations, and 53% of the 2170 target community locations. Calcareous bedrock, coarse sand, and fine silt settings scored markedly lower for estimated resilience and had low levels of permanent land protection (average 7%). Because our method identifies—for every geophysical setting—sites that are the most likely to retain species and functions longer under a changing climate, it reveals natural strongholds for future conservation that would also capture substantial existing biodiversity and correct the bias in current secured lands.Identificación de Sitios Duraderos para la Conservación Usando la Diversidad del Paisaje y las Conexiones Locales para Estimar la Capacidad de Recuperación al Cambio ClimáticoResumenLos conservacionistas necesitan un método mediante el cual poder conservar la diversidad biológica mientras permiten que las especies y las comunidades se reorganicen con respecto al clima cambiante. Desarrollamos y probamos tal método, el cual basamos en características físicas asociadas con la diversidad ecológica y la capacidad de recuperación del sitio con respecto al cambio climático, en el noreste de Norteamérica. Mapeamos comprensivamente 30 escenarios geofísicos distintos basados en la geología y la elevación. Dentro de cada escenario geofísico identificamos sitios que estaban conectados por una cubierta natural y que tenían relativamente más microclimas indicados por la topografía diversa y los gradientes de elevación. Hicimos esto al puntuar cada hexágono de 450 ha en la región con estas dos características y al seleccionar aquellos que tuvieron una puntuación >SD 0.5 por encima del puntaje combinado promedio para cada escenario. Nuestra hipótesis fue que estos sitios con altas puntuaciones tuvieron la mayor capacidad de recuperación. Los comparamos con los sitios seleccionados por The Nature Conservancy por sus poblaciones de alta calidad de especies raras y sus ocurrencias de comunidades naturales. Los sitios con altos puntajes capturaron significativamente más de los sitios de biodiversidad de lo que se esperaba por casualidad (p < 0.0001): 75% de las 414 especies objetivo, 49% de las 4592 localidades de especies objetivo y 53% de las 2710 localidades de comunidades objetivo. Los escenarios de lecho rocoso calcáreo, arena gruesa y limo fino tuvieron puntos marcadamente más bajos para la capacidad de recuperación estimada y tuvieron niveles bajos de protección permanente de suelo (en promedio 7%). Ya que nuestro método identifica – para cada escenario geofísico – sitios que tienen mayor probabilidad de retener especies y funciones más tiempo bajo un clima cambiante, revela baluartes naturales para la conservación futura que también capturaría biodiversidad existente sustancial y corregiría el sesgo en tierras que actualmente están aseguradas.

Validation study of the “Sniffin’ Sticks” olfactory test in a British population: a preliminary communication

The 'Sniffin' Sticks' olfactory test contains pen-like odour dispensing devices which are used to assess olfactory threshold, discrimination and identification. Odour identification is strongly dependent on familiarity with the odours and has an important cultural component which has limited the usefulness of other validated tests. The 'Sniffin' Sticks' test was developed in Germany and is validated in other countries but not in the UK. This study aims to validate the applicability of 'Sniffin' Sticks' in a local population. Prospective controlled study. Rhinology or olfactory disorder clinic. About 82 subjects, 33 healthy volunteers with a reported normal sense of smell, and 49 patients with an impaired sense of smell presenting either at a rhinology or an olfactory disorder clinic. Each subject's olfactory function was assessed using the 'Sniffin' Sticks' test with a maximum score of 48. Threshold, discrimination and identification scores along with the combined olfactory score. The mean age of the subjects tested was 46.7 years; 46 female and 36 male. In the patient group 36 were hyposmic and 13 anosmic. In the healthy volunteers group all subjects were normosmic. In the control group the mean combined olfactory score was 34.5 (±2.5). The mean combined score in the patients group was 20.8 (±7.4). Odour threshold scores were 3.7(±2.8) for patients (hyposmics and anomics) and 8.3(±1.8) for controls. In the identification test the controls mean score was 13.6 (±1.2) for while the patients' mean score was 8.6 (±3.5). In our sample of the local population the combined olfactory and odour identification scores for healthy volunteers and patients with olfactory disorders are comparable with the normative data published on large samples of European populations. However, modification of a few of the distracters is recommended for British patients based on our findings.

Improving Parental Satisfaction in Pediatric Orthopaedics

No previous studies have attempted to measure parental satisfaction and service quality with regards to pediatric orthopaedic inpatient care. We performed a prospective observational study to identify areas of inpatient care which might be improved to increase overall parental satisfaction. We used the validated Swedish parent satisfaction questionnaire to generate data from 104 pediatric orthopaedic hospital inpatients between August 2009 and May 2010 (49 elective and 55 trauma pediatric orthopaedic admissions; median age range, 2 to 6 y). Questions focused on 8 domains of quality: information on illness, information on routines, accessibility, medical treatment, care processes, staff attitudes, parent participation, and staff work environment. Scores generated a percentage of the maximum achievable for that quality index. Data were analyzed using recognized statistical methods. Overall mean combined scores for the care indices were highest for parents' perception of "medical treatment" (95%) and "staff attitudes" (95%). The medical treatment index includes questions regarding staff member's skill and competence. Lowest scores corresponded to the index "information on routines" (86%). Information on routines applies to parental awareness of ward rounds, to whom questions should be directed and which doctors and nursing staff are responsible for their child's care. Lower scores in relation to this index were substantiated by comments from relatives requesting greater information provision. The information parents required was routinely provided suggesting that retention rather than lack of information is the main issue. Provision of information pamphlets tailored to common injuries or elective procedures might prove an effective method for improving parental satisfaction and overall care. Improving information provision and parental retention of this information is the strategy most likely to improve quality of service and parental satisfaction for pediatric orthopaedic inpatient care. Level 2 evidence, prospective comparative study investigating results of treatment.

Expression of manganese superoxide dismutase in patients with breast cancer

Breast cancer has become the second leading cancer among females in Taiwan. Even though the etiology of breast cancer is multifactorial, oxidative stress plays an important role in the carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), one of the major antioxidant enzymes that is involved against oxidative stress, in adjacent cancer-free breast tissues and neoplasm tissues within the same patient. Sixty-five breast cancer patients’ formalin-fixed tissue blocks, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) tissues, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) tissues, and adjacent cancer-free tissues, were evaluated by immunohistochemical stain. Meanwhile, their demographic and clinical information was also collected. The combined scores of MnSOD-positive cell proportion and MnSOD staining intensity were compared for different tissues within the same patient. The results showed that the mean combined scores of MnSOD expression in adjacent cancer-free tissues (6.33), IDC (5.30), and DCIS (3.78) were significantly different when assessed by repeated-measurement analysis of variance ( F = 14.17, p < 0.001). Additionally, the results revealed that the distribution of strong MnSOD protein expression was 80.0%, 72.3%, and 52.3% in adjacent cancer-free tissues, IDC, and DCIS, respectively. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between the expression of MnSOD and grades of breast cancer or other clinicopathologic variables. We suggest that the expression of MnSOD in neoplasm tissues, independent of the clinicopathologic characters, plays a critical role in breast cancer biology.

The effects of intensive, extensive, structured study on GRE scores

Thirty-eight undergraduate students engaged in self-paced self-study using standard materials in one of five Graduate Record Examination (GRE) preparatory courses, lasting 5.5 to 7.5 weeks, offering 66 to 140 hours of study, and using attendance and participation incentives. Statistically and practically significant improvements were found from pretest to posttest verbal, quantitative, and combined scores. In one series of courses, the mean combined scores improved 96 points, increasing from 842 (pretest) to 938 (posttest). In the other, the mean improved 186 points, increasing from 888 to 1074. Earlier published research involved brief training (3 to 9 hours) and showed no benefits. The present research suggests that intensive, structured training can produce a mean improvement of at least 96 points, which is a socially significant accomplishment.

Chemical Restraint-Reversal with Medetomidine and Atipamezole in Veterinary Small Animal Practice: A Survey on the Opinions of the Dog Owners and Veterinarians

The opinions of animal owners and practising veterinarians concerning a new restraint-reversal medication (medetomidine-atipamezole) for dogs were obtained by two questionnaires in connection with a clinical study. Four alternative answers to each statement question scored as "completely agree", "somewhat agree", "somewhat disagree" and "completely disagree". The questionnaires were completed by 21 veterinarians and 245 dog owners. The overall response to the treatment was clearly positive. Both groups had a favourable attitude towards drug use with mean combined scores (from 1 to 4; 4 = most favourable) of 48.1 (max 56) for the dog owners and 39.2 (max 52) for the veterinarians. Only a little information was gained about the background of negative sentiments. Some pet owners (19%) opposed to medication on a priori grounds, some (26%) reacted strongly to the dizziness of their animals and some owners (21%) complained because of general anxiety before, during and after their pets were treated.