Mean Examination Scores Research Articles

Implementing the Lexical Approach with Integrated Learning Activities with Thai EFL University Students

This study implemented the lexical approach (LA) with integrated learning activities (ILAs) to determine its effectiveness in enhancing EFL university students’ linguistic knowledge and English communication skills. The objectives were twofold: 1) to assess student progress in language achievement, specifically in English grammar and vocabulary used in everyday conversation, and 2) to investigate student attitudes towards the LA with ILAs in developing their English communication skills. Forty-nine English major students from a Thai higher educational institution participated in this study. Data were collected using two research instruments: a language achievement test and a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel to calculate percentages and SPSS to examine mean scores and standard deviations. Results from a paired t-test showed statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test scores at the .05 confidence level, confirming that the students made progress in language achievement. The LA with ILAs significantly improved students’ knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary used in daily conversation. Moreover, the questionnaire results indicated that students believed the LA with ILAs enhanced their English communication skills, particularly in speaking, followed by reading, listening, and writing skills, respectively. Therefore, the LA with ILAs could be an effective teaching method for EFL educators to reinforce students’ linguistic knowledge and communication skills. With adequate knowledge and skills in an authentic learning environment, students will gain confidence in communicating with foreigners in real-life situations in the future.

A cross-sectional study to assess the knowledge and risk of diabetic polyneuropathy using Michigan neuropathy screening instrument among type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabetic polyneuropathy, arising from elevated blood sugar levels damaging nerves microvasculature, manifests as tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, coordination challenges, sensitivity alterations, digestive problems, and sexual dysfunction, necessitating meticulous blood sugar control, medications, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, and regular medical supervision for prevention and management. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge and risk of diabetic polyneuropathy using Michigan Neuropathy screening Instrument among type ii diabetes mellitus. Methods: In this study Non Experimental Research study design and purposive sampling technique is used and a total of 599 samples were assessed. Knowledge Questionnaire and physical examination using standardized Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument were used . The mean score for knowledge is <5 and the preliminary assessment risk score is <4 and the physical examination mean score is <2.5. Results: Participants above 50 years (46.6%) of age with chronicity of diabetes of 1- 10 years (77.5%) with abnormal preliminary risk score >4 (32.2%) and abnormal physical examination score >2.5(74.6%). Females has good knowledge on diabetic polyneuropathy and also they show high risk of developing diabetic polyneuropathy. Conclusion: The study concluded that increasing years of chronicity of diabetes develops diabetic polyneuropathy, in this study females are much prone for developing diabetic polyneuropathy.

The Relationship of Active Aging Perspectives and Social Participation of Elderly Individuals with Their Mental States and Functional Independence

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the active aging perspectives and social participation of older adults and to determine their relationship with their mental states and functional independence. Method: A total of 298 participants over the age of 60, with a mean age of 70.94±8.1 were included in the study. The degree of cognitive function of the individuals included in the study was evaluated with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the level of functional independence was evaluated with the Barthel Index. The social participation statuses of the older adult participants included in the study were analyzed with the social participation evaluation form created by the researchers. Results: Individuals with high social participation evaluation form mean scores had higher Mini Mental State Examination mean scores and Barthel Index mean scores (r1: 0.329, p

PROJECT MANAGEMENT PEDAGOGY: CULTIVATING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The present study explores the integration of critical thinking skills concepts in agricultural project management instruction at the undergraduate level, using the traditional classroom theoretical approach and a blended learning model. The study, encompassing 118 undergraduate students, compares the effectiveness of these methods in enhancing students' understanding, measured through examination scores, group presentations, and students’ overall perceptions of the use of the methods. Students achieved a mean examination score of 64.82% under the traditional approach and 72.66% for the blended learning approach. Statistical analysis, including a t-test, revealed significant differences favoring the blended approach. Additionally, performance assessments using six criteria during presentations yielded varied mean scores. ANOVA analysis showed a significant difference among the groups, and post hoc tests highlighted distinctions between specific groups’ means, emphasizing the effectiveness of blended learning in enhancing students understanding. Students' perceptions, gathered through a 5-point Likert scale, underscored satisfaction with the blended approach due to its flexibility, catering to diverse learning styles, and fostering critical thinking skills. We recommend institutions strengthen project management instruction by adopting blended learning, emphasizing critical thinking, and prioritizing continuous assessment and student-centric approaches since they cultivate an engaging learning experience, preparing students for managing future complexities on projects.

Positive Emotional Responses to Socially Assistive Robots in People With Dementia: Pilot Study.

Interventions and care that can evoke positive emotions and reduce apathy or agitation are important for people with dementia. In recent years, socially assistive robots used for better dementia care have been found to be feasible. However, the immediate responses of people with dementia when they are given multiple sensory modalities from socially assistive robots have not yet been sufficiently elucidated. This study aimed to quantitatively examine the immediate emotional responses of people with dementia to stimuli presented by socially assistive robots using facial expression analysis in order to determine whether they elicited positive emotions. This pilot study adopted a single-arm interventional design. Socially assistive robots were presented to nursing home residents in a three-step procedure: (1) the robot was placed in front of participants (visual stimulus), (2) the robot was manipulated to produce sound (visual and auditory stimuli), and (3) participants held the robot in their hands (visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli). Expression intensity values for "happy," "sad," "angry," "surprised," "scared," and "disgusted" were calculated continuously using facial expression analysis with FaceReader. Additionally, self-reported feelings were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. In addition to the comparison between the subjective and objective emotional assessments, expression intensity values were compared across the aforementioned 3 stimuli patterns within each session. Finally, the expression intensity value for "happy" was compared between the different types of robots. A total of 29 participants (mean age 88.7, SD 6.2 years; n=27 female; Japanese version of Mini-Mental State Examination mean score 18.2, SD 5.1) were recruited. The expression intensity value for "happy" was the largest in both the subjective and objective assessments and increased significantly when all sensory modalities (visual, auditory, and tactile) were presented (median expression intensity 0.21, IQR 0.09-0.35) compared to the other 2 patterns (visual alone: median expression intensity 0.10, IQR 0.03-0.22; P<.001; visual and auditory: median expression intensity 0.10, IQR 0.04-0.23; P<.001). The comparison of different types of robots revealed a significant increase when all stimuli were presented by doll-type and animal-type robots, but not humanoid-type robots. By quantifying the emotional responses of people with dementia, this study highlighted that socially assistive robots may be more effective in eliciting positive emotions when multiple sensory stimuli, including tactile stimuli, are involved. More studies, including randomized controlled trials, are required to further explore the effectiveness of using socially assistive robots in dementia care.

Path Analysis of Admission and Program Achievement Variables to Predict Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination Performance: Results of a 6-Year Study

Introduction The primary aim of this study was the examination of relationships between students' preadmission achievement, intraphysician assistant (PA) program achievement, and Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) performance using path analysis regression. Second, this study explored the extent to which the theoretical model differed based on several key demographic variables: sex and undergraduate major. Methods This retrospective, single-institution study examined data from 2015 to 2022 (n = 322). Analysis included descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and path analysis using structural equation modeling to examine direct, indirect, and total effects of all predictors on the primary outcome variable, PANCE. Results PACKRAT-I demonstrated the largest total effect size on PANCE total score (β = .45). Total effect size on PANCE was small yet significant for prerequisite grade point average (GPA), Graduate Record Exam verbal and quantitative subscores, a comprehensive didactic cardiology examination, didactic and clinical year GPAs, and End of Rotation examination mean score (β &lt; .25). The relationship between mean preceptor evaluation score and PANCE was nonsignificant. Subgroup analyses showed differences between female and male in the relationship between several didactic variables and preceptor evaluations. No differences were detected between groups based on undergraduate major. Discussion This PANCE analysis revealed relationships among pre-PA and intra-PA performance metrics that may subsequently support data-informed strategies for programs to identify at-risk students, aid student success, and support the assessment of curriculum. Future studies should replicate the approach using a larger, multi-institution sample that examines additional preprogram and intraprogram achievement variables.

Innovations in online classes introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and their educational outcomes in Japan

BackgroundThe novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic emerged in Japan in February 2020, forcing the adoption of online education by university medical schools across Japan. The advantages and disadvantages of online education have been studied in Japan; however, the educational outcome of online classes conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been completely evaluated. In this study, we examined the relationship between lecture format (e.g., face-to-face or online) and performance of third-year university students in their organ-specific cardiovascular course examination.MethodsThis retrospective, nonclinical, and noninterventional comparative educational study included 550 third-year medical students who took a cardiovascular course between April 2018 and May 2022. Cardiovascular coursework was conducted in-person in 2018 and 2019, online in 2020 and 2021, and again in-person in 2022. The course comprised 62 lecture and 2 problem-based learning (PBL) sessions. A quiz was set up in advance on Moodle based on all lectures conducted in 2021 and 2022. A written examination was administered at the end of the course to evaluate the knowledge of students. The student online course evaluation questionnaires were administered in 2020 and 2021. Examination scores and proportion of failures in each year were compared.ResultsThe mean examination scores were significantly higher in 2021 and 2022 than in 2018, 2019, and 2020 (p < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses adjusted for the class type, online quiz, and PBL revealed that only online quiz was significantly associated with better examination results (p < 0.05). A student course evaluation survey indicated that the online format did not interfere with the students’ learning and was beneficial.ConclusionsThe introduction of online classes into medical education due to the COVID-19 pandemic was as effective as face-to-face classes owing to learning management system and other innovations, such as online quizzes. Online education may confer more benefits when provided in a combination with face-to-face learning after COVID-19 pandemic.

Associating Student Performance in Pharmacy Practice Didactic and Skills-Based Courses With Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Objective. To determine the association between pharmacy practice didactic course examinations and performance-based assessments with students' performance during their advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).Methods. This retrospective analysis included data from the graduating classes of 2018 to 2020. Students were coded as APPE poor performers (final course grade <83%) or acceptable performers. Assessments in pharmacy practice didactic and skills-based courses in students' second and third years were included in the analysis, with thresholds correlating to grade cutoffs. The association between poor performance mean examination scores and performance-based assessments with APPE performance was calculated.Results. Of the 403 graduates, analysis sample sizes ranged from 254 to 403. There were 49 students (12%) who met the criteria for poor performance in the APPE year. When comparing pharmacy practice didactic course performance to APPE poor performance, the proportion of mean examination scores that were <83% for six of the seven pharmacy practice didactic courses was significant; five of the seven mean examination scores were significant at the <78% threshold. Performance-based assessments that were significantly associated with APPE poor performance often required critical thinking.Conclusion. A gap in identification of students with APPE poor performance who did not fail a didactic course was demonstrated. Specifically, this finding suggests that pre-APPE curriculum should focus on assessments that include critical thinking. These methods could be used by other pharmacy programs to find components of their curricula that help identify students who need additional support prior to the APPE year.

Comprehension of fundamental knowledge about pediatric endoscopic surgery: a cross-sectional study in Japan.

Pediatric endoscopic surgery has become an alternative to conventional techniques with the development of medical equipment. However, there is no formal, standardized curriculum for pediatric endoscopic surgery, and its requirement remains elusive. The purpose of this study is to determine the baseline knowledge of pediatric surgeons that is considered essential for pediatric laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery. Sixteen web-based multiple-choice questions based on the fundamental cognitive knowledge of pediatric endoscopic surgery were administered. The questions were created based on the fields covered by the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery ™ (FLS) certification examination blueprints and eight specific diseases of pediatric surgery. Pediatric surgeons and pediatric surgical trainees participated in this study voluntarily. A total of 122 surgeons participated through the Japanese Society of Pediatric Surgeons. The response rate was 95% (122/128). The total mean examination score of all participants was 79.4% (77.3-81.4%). There were no significant differences in total scores between the board-certified pediatric surgeons without an endoscopic surgical skill qualification and the non-board-certified pediatric surgeons (80.4% vs. 77.1%, p = 0.12). The endoscopic surgical skill-qualified surgeons had significantly higher percentages of correct responses in specific subjects than board-certified pediatric surgeons and surgeons without pediatric board certification (94.3% vs. 82.9%, p = 0.02; 94.3% vs. 77.5%, p = 0.0002). The FLS original subjects' scores were not significantly different among them. The mean score of surgeons who had experienced more than 200 cases of endoscopic surgery, including adult cases, was 83.2% (80.4-85.9%). A knowledge gap exists between surgeons, board-certified pediatric surgeons, and endoscopic surgical skill-qualified surgeons in Japan. In the field of pediatric surgery, an effective formal curriculum, such as FLS, is required to help address this vast knowledge gap for the safe conduct of endoscopic surgeries.

Online or physical class for histology course: Which one is better?

Background/purposeThe coronavirus disease 2019 gradually slows down. As schools now progressively went back to the physical class, it was essential to think about whether we should go back to the physical course, shift to the online course, or try to combine both. Materials and methodsOne hundred and six students (including 67 medical students, 19 dental students, and 20 students from another department) who took the histology course with both physical and online lectures and the virtual microscopy for the histology laboratory course were enrolled in this study. Students’ acceptance and learning effectiveness were evaluated by a questionnaire-based survey, and their examination scores were compared before and after the online class. ResultsMost students accepted the combined physical and online lectures (81.13%), considered increased interactivities in the physical class (79.25%), and felt comfortable when taking the online class (81.14%). Moreover, most students considered that the online learning was friendly to use (83.02%) and could improve the learning effectiveness (80.19%). The mean examination scores were significantly higher after the online class than before the online class, regardless of different genders and groups of students. Most participants (29.2%) preferred the 60% online learning proportion, followed in a descending order by the 40% online learning (25.5%) and the 80% online learning (14.2%). ConclusionOur students can generally accept the combined physical and online lectures for learning the histology course. The academic performances significantly improve after the online class. The hybrid course may become the future trend of learning the histology course.

Anesthesiology Resident Knowledge of Transfusion Medicine: Results From the Anesthesiology Transfusion Education Study.

Transfusion of blood products is a common practice in anesthesiology. Inadequate transfusion medicine knowledge may lead to inappropriate transfusion practices and patient risk. Using a validated assessment tool modified for anesthesiology, we conducted a survey of anesthesiology residents in the United States to assess transfusion medicine knowledge. A validated transfusion medicine examination and accompanying survey were forwarded by program directors to residents for anonymous completion on May 5 and closed on June 30, 2021. The outcome of interest was the mean examination score. Secondary areas of interest were performance by year of training and previous educational experience in transfusion reported by the trainees. Rasch analysis was performed on the examination quality and individual question performance. Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to identify differences between mean scores. Post hoc comparisons were used to assess specific pairwise differences between mean test scores by survey variable. Four hundred twenty-three anesthesiology residents in 37 programs completed the examination. The mean score was 45.5% ± 12.6%. There was a significant difference in mean cumulative examination scores between different resident training levels ( P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in scores between clinical anesthesia (CA)-1 and CA-2 residents ( P = 0.011) and CA-1 and CA-3 residents ( P = 0.012). No significant difference in examination scores was observed between CA-2 and CA-3 residents ( P = 0.95). All these subgroups scored below 50% on the examination. Significant differences between the residency training programs and cumulative scores were identified ( P < 0.001). This examination highlights gaps in transfusion medicine knowledge within US anesthesiology residents. Targeted education may improve knowledge in this area and patient care.

Lecture, Online, Flipped, and Blended: A Mixed-Methods Study on Ultrasound Student Outcomes and Perceptions

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of course delivery methods on examination grades and student perceptions in a sonography course. Materials and Methods: The participant included all sonography students (n = 103), enrolled at a Midwestern university, during the academic years (AY) of 2010–2021. A retrospective, convergent mixed-methods design was used to collect and analyze data, related to the course delivery method. Results: The highest overall mean examination score and course satisfaction rating resulted from the blended learning format and the lowest mean examination scores and course satisfaction resulted from the flipped learning format. Conclusion: Health professions students are a diverse group of learners. Pedagogical practices should include course design and delivery methods which educate all learners. Courses that balance both face-to-face learning with opportunities for self-directed learning improve student satisfaction which could lead to improved student outcomes and provide the foundation for students to become competent health care professionals.

Implementation of a novel digital ultrasound education tool into an emergency medicine rotation: UltrasoundBox.

We investigated the educational value of implementing a web-based e-learning program into a medical student emergency medicine rotation. We created "UltrasoundBox," a browser-based application where students interpret ultrasound (US) images. Our goal was to assess how this form of e-learning performs when compared to more passive, lecture-based online US education. We also assessed the how the students interpreted the addition this learning modality to the rotation. This is a randomized, controlled study to assess the educational outcomes of implementing UltrasoundBox compared to lecture-based US education. Fourth-year medical students on their emergency medicine rotation were enrolled in the study. Students randomized to the control arm were instructed to watch widely available educational lecture videos. Students randomized to the intervention arm received access to UltrasoundBox and were instructed to complete the clinical modules. Both groups completed the same standardized US examination before and after the trial. All the trial participants were given a survey to complete after the trial. We enrolled 42 students, with 23 in the control group and 19 in the intervention group. On the post-intervention examination, the control and intervention groups were found to have mean examination scores of 61.6% and 73.6% respectively, with a statistically significant difference of 12% (95% confidence interval 1.611 to 5.56; p<0.0005). A total of 92% of survey respondents in the intervention group indicated that UltrasoundBox was an effective tool in meeting the intended learning objectives, while only 36.8% of the control group indicated this for the online lectures (p<0.005). We found that medical students using the web-based e-learning platform UltrasoundBox achieved better scores on the examination when compared to the medical students using existing online lecture-based US educational resources. The students reported that the addition of UltrasoundBox added educational value to the rotation.

COVID-19 advanced respiratory care educational training programme for healthcare workers in Lesotho: an observational study

ObjectiveTo develop and implement a ‘low-dose, high-frequency’ (LDHF) advanced respiratory care training programme for COVID-19 care in Lesotho.DesignProspective pretraining–post-training evaluation.SettingLesotho has limited capacity in advanced respiratory care.ParticipantsPhysicians and nurses.InterventionsDue to...

Developing and Implementing Noninvasive Ventilator Training in Haiti during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BackgroundNoninvasive ventilation (NIV) is an important component of respiratory therapy for a range of cardiopulmonary conditions. The World Health Organization recommends NIV use to decrease the use of intensive care unit resources and improve outcomes among patients with respiratory failure during periods of high patient capacity from coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, healthcare providers in many low- and middle-income countries, including Haiti, do not have experience with NIV. We conducted NIV training and evaluation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.ObjectivesTo design and implement a multimodal NIV training program in Haiti that would improve confidence and knowledge of NIV use for respiratory failure.MethodsIn January 2021, we conducted a 3-day multimodal NIV training consisting of didactic sessions, team-based learning, and multistation simulation for 36 Haitian healthcare workers. The course included 5 didactic session and 10 problem-based and simulation sessions. All course material was independently created by the study team on the basis of Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education–approved content and review of available evidence. All participants completed pre- and post-training knowledge-based examinations and confidence surveys, which used a 5-point Likert scale.ResultsA total of 36 participants were included in the training and analysis, mean age was 39.94 years (standard deviation [SD] = 9.45), and participants had an average of 14.32 years (SD = 1.21) of clinical experience. Most trainees (75%, n = 27) were physicians. Other specialties included nursing (19%, n = 7), nurse anesthesia (3%, n = 1), and respiratory therapy (3%, n = 1). Fifty percent (n = 18) of participants stated they had previous experience with NIV. The majority of trainees (77%) had an increase in confidence survey score; the mean confidence survey score increased significantly after training from 2.75 (SD = 0.77) to 3.70 (SD = 0.85) (P < 0.05). The mean knowledge examination score increased by 39.63% (SD = 15.99%) after training, which was also significant (P < 0.001).ConclusionThis multimodal NIV training, which included didactic, simulation, and team-based learning, was feasible and resulted in significant increases in trainee confidence and knowledge with NIV. This curriculum has the potential to provide NIV training to numerous low- and middle-income countries as they manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and rising burden of noncommunicable disease. Further research is necessary to ensure the sustainability of these improvements and adaptability to other low- and middle-income settings.

Neuroimaging Biomarkers Predicting the Efficacy of Multimodal Rehabilitative Intervention in the Alzheimer's Dementia Continuum Pathology.

In this work we aimed to identify neural predictors of the efficacy of multimodal rehabilitative interventions in AD-continuum patients in the attempt to identify ideal candidates to improve the treatment outcome. Subjects in the AD continuum who participated in a multimodal rehabilitative treatment were included in the analysis [n = 82, 38 Males, mean age = 76 ± 5.30, mean education years = 9.09 ± 3.81, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) mean score = 23.31 ± 3.81]. All subjects underwent an MRI acquisition (1.5T) at baseline (T0) and a neuropsychological evaluation before (T0) and after intervention (T1). All subjects underwent an intensive multimodal cognitive rehabilitation (8–10 weeks). The MMSE and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scores were considered as the main cognitive and behavioral outcome measures, and Delta change scores (T1–T0) were categorized in Improved (ΔMMSE > 0; ΔNPI < 0) and Not Improved (ΔMMSE ≤ 0; ΔNPI ≥ 0). Logistic Regression (LR) and Random Forest classification models were performed including neural markers (Medial Temporal Brain; Posterior Brain (PB); Frontal Brain (FB), Subcortical Brain indexes), neuropsychological (MMSE, NPI, verbal fluencies), and demographical variables (sex, age, education) at baseline. More than 50% of patients showed a positive effect of the treatment (ΔMMSE > 0: 51%, ΔNPI < 0: 52%). LR model on ΔMMSE (Improved vs. Not Improved) indicate a predictive role for MMSE score (p = 0.003) and PB index (p = 0.005), especially the right PB (p = 0.002) at baseline. The Random Forest analysis correctly classified 77% of cognitively improved and not improved AD patients. Concerning the NPI, LR model on ΔNPI (Improved vs. Not Improved) showed a predictive role of sex (p = 0.002), NPI (p = 0.005), PB index (p = 0.006), and FB index (p = 0.039) at baseline. The Random Forest reported a classification accuracy of 86%. Our data indicate that cognitive and behavioral status alone are not sufficient to identify best responders to a multidomain rehabilitation treatment. Increased neural reserve, especially in the parietal areas, is also relevant for the compensatory mechanisms activated by rehabilitative treatment. These data are relevant to support clinical decision by identifying target patients with high probability of success after rehabilitative programs on cognitive and behavioral functioning.

The effect on student behaviour and achievement of removing incentives to complete online formative assessments

This research explored the effect of incentives to complete online quizzes during a course. When a 1% weighting incentive per quiz was removed, student engagement dropped dramatically. There is also evidence that students who continued to complete quizzes did so with less vigour, spending less time on each quiz, starting them later in the week and having fewer attempts per quiz on average. The average mark per quiz was also lower once an incentive to complete them was removed. There was no significant difference in examination performance based on how many quizzes a student continued to attempt after incentives were removed. However, a comparison to a control group of students who sat the same invigilated assessments showed that, relative to term test performance, final exam mean score was 7% lower for the cohort who had the incentive to complete online quizzes removed. This differed from the control group, who showed no difference between term test and final examination mean scores when quiz incentives were maintained for the entire course. Building on previous research, this study demonstrates that a binary variable representing engagement in online quizzes did not capture the quality of that online engagement.&#x0D; Implications for practice or policy:&#x0D; &#x0D; Completion of online formative assessments by students is reduced if course leaders remove small-stakes incentives.&#x0D; The removal of small-stakes incentives by course leaders harms student motivation and achievement. Specifically, students who complete formative online assessment without incentives have fewer attempts, start them later in the availability window, spend less time completing them and record a lower mean score than those with incentives.&#x0D; Average final examination achievement is lower when incentives to complete online formative assessments are removed by course leaders.&#x0D;

An Evaluation on Dental Students’ Performance during the First Year of Covid-19 Pandemic

As with other university programs, dental school has been affected during the Covid-19 pandemic due to physical distancing and clinical restriction. Covid-19 pandemic changes the original method of study with the swift shift to online learning, which may affect students’ performance. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of online learning methods on the final examination performance for dental undergraduate students in their clinical years in a public university in Malaysia. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc Tukey tests were conducted to compare the effect of learning methods on the mean examination score, by comparing clinical students from the year of 2018 and 2019 face-to-face (f2f) learning method as compared to fully online learning in 2020. The analysis shows that there is a statistically significant difference on final exam performance at p &lt; 0.05 for Year 3 [F (2, 102) = 11.68] and Year 5 [F(2, 95) = 22.32]. Post-hoc Tukey HSD test indicates that the mean examination result for 2019 is significantly different from 2020 and 2018 even though the same learning method was employed for the latter. There was also no statistically significant difference for when the 2020 cohort is compared to the 2018 cohort for both Year 3 and Year 5. There was no statistically significant difference in mean examination score across all cohorts for Year 4 students. Although limited in scope, the conclusion of this study was that, f2f learning method has no significant difference with online learning in terms of final examination performance.

Access to a dermatoscope during dermatology courses motivates students’ towards thorough skin examination

Introduction. Dermatoscope is a tool for a skin examination, used especially in early detection of malignant skin lesions. Non-dermatologists are being trained for opportunistic melanoma detection with the usage of dermatoscopy, however, still non-satisfactory. This study was aimed to determine whether practical dermoscopy adjunct to traditional, lecture and seminar-based medical school curriculum would improve the perceived relevance of regular skin examination and basic skin lesions differentiation. Material and method. Fourth-year medical students participating in a 3-week-long dermatology course were randomly assigned to two groups: the first one called A with limited access to a dermatoscope and the second one called B, with unlimited access to dermatoscopes throughout the course. All participants answered surveys concerning their attitude towards skin examination, with a rating scale from 1 to 5, before and after the course. Also, all participants completed an image-based dermoscopy test for distinguishing benign from malignant skin lesions. Results. Students assigned to group B significantly improved their perceived importance of routine skin examination (mean scores before 4.38; after 4.57, P = 0.03). No such tendency was observed in group A — before 4.40, after 4.49 (P = 0.29). Students in the group with higher dermatoscope availability considered buying a dermatoscope more often (61%) than those without (44%) (P = 0.037). No significant score difference was observed when testing skin lesions identification, mean for extended access 7.84 vs. normal 7.64 points (P = 0.69). Conclusions. Higher availability of dermatoscopy during dermatology rotations may encourage students to use this tool in future clinical practice and improve early detection of malignant skin lesions.

Protective effect of filgotinib in rat endotoxin-induced uveitis model

To investigate the protective effect of filgotinib in endotoxin-induced uveitis model in rats. This study used 24 Wistar Albino rats. Group I (control group) included the healthy controls; in Group II (sham group), only 300µg/kg intraperitoneal (ip) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was administered; and in Group III (treatment group), 3mg/kg/day filgotinib was administered orally for 10days followed by 300µg/kg ip LPS. In all groups, clinical activity scores were evaluated after 24h. Moreover, histopathological and immunological examinations were performed. In Groups I, II, and III, the mean clinical activity and histopathological examination scores were 0.00, 3.25 ± 0.70, and 1.89 ± 0.60 and 0.00, 2.88 ± 1.12, and 1.44 ± 0.52, respectively. The clinical activity and histopathological examination scores were significantly increased in the sham group compared to the control group (p < 0.05); these findings were significantly reduced in the treatment group (p < 0.05). The mean TNF-α and IL-6 ELISA levels in all groups were 50.20 ± 3.24, 59.87 ± 2.98, and 54.34 ± 4.62 and 30.88 ± 1.79, 36.77 ± 1.21, and 33.66 ± 1.86, respectively. The TNF-α and IL-6 ELISA levels were significantly decreased in the treatment group compared to the sham group (p < 0.05); there was no significant difference between the treatment group and the control group (p = 0.105, p = 0.067, respectively) CONCLUSION: Filgotinib may be an alternative treatment option in preventing the development of noninfectious uveitis.