Knowledge Of Number Research Articles

Media Literacy: Smart in Making Islamic Content in Social Media in Sei Dadap District, Asahan District

The rapid development of media and communication technology requires audiences to have a number of knowledge and skills called media literacy, in order to use the media correctly. The main target is teenagers. Teenagers as active users of social media need to get attention in the use of social media. Teenagers are the age of self-discovery, high curiosity, and need various education that is used as a reference. But it is very unfortunate if a teenager abuses social media, accesses and consumes media content with various social activities from various Black Mail accounts that display pornographic content / posts, provocations, and many other things that are misused into adolescent consumption that is not appropriate for his age.To prevent these negative things, teenagers need to be equipped with journalistic knowledge so that they can create Islamic creative content as an adaptive step from the use of social media. This ability needs to be possessed by teenagers, especially teenagers from Sei Dadap District. The approach used is qualitative with a descriptive nature. The results showed that Media Literacy activities in Sei Dadap District had a positive impact so that teenagers were able to choose and choose good and true news. Then it is possible to create creative Islamic content on social media as an adaptive step from the use of social media. Creating creative Islamic content on social media is also a da'wah strategy that all social media users are capable of doing. The results of this study are expected to encourage further research in the form of elaboration of media literacy theories and concepts so that they can be translated into the Media Literacy Education curriculum. Â

Media Literacy: Smart in Making Islamic Content in Social Media in Sei Dadap District, Asahan District

The rapid development of media and communication technology requires audiences to have a number of knowledge and skills called media literacy, in order to use the media correctly. The main target is teenagers. Teenagers as active users of social media need to get attention in the use of social media. Teenagers are the age of self-discovery, high curiosity, and need various education that is used as a reference. But it is very unfortunate if a teenager abuses social media, accesses and consumes media content with various social activities from various Black Mail accounts that display pornographic content / posts, provocations, and many other things that are misused into adolescent consumption that is not appropriate for his age.To prevent these negative things, teenagers need to be equipped with journalistic knowledge so that they can create Islamic creative content as an adaptive step from the use of social media. This ability needs to be possessed by teenagers, especially teenagers from Sei Dadap District. The approach used is qualitative with a descriptive nature. The results showed that Media Literacy activities in Sei Dadap District had a positive impact so that teenagers were able to choose and choose good and true news. Then it is possible to create creative Islamic content on social media as an adaptive step from the use of social media. Creating creative Islamic content on social media is also a da'wah strategy that all social media users are capable of doing. The results of this study are expected to encourage further research in the form of elaboration of media literacy theories and concepts so that they can be translated into the Media Literacy Education curriculum.

SISTEM PAKAR MENDIAGNOSA PENYAKIT COVID-19 DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE CERTAINTY FACTOR

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered type of coronavirus. The WHO (World Health Organization) reported that this virus first appeared on December 31, 2019 and the country that was first confirmed was China, precisely in the city of Wuhan. Indonesia became one of the confirmed countries after President Jokowi and Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto on Monday, March 2, 2020. Most people who are exposed to COVID-19 experience symptoms such as: fever, respiratory tract infection, loss of sense of smell, coughing runny nose, headaches, sore throats, loss of sense of taste, and nausea.. Previous research is a science to find comparisons and results to find new inspiration for research. Research methodology is a scientific process or method to obtain data to be used for research purposes. Methodology is also a theoretical analysis of a method or method, research is a systematic investigation to increase a number of knowledge. Based on the results of the CF calculation, the value obtained for the Covid-19 disease from the calculation results above can be seen the level of confidence from the results of the diagnosis of the Covid-19 disease, which is 0.97 x 100%, which is 97% with the results obtained, the system identifies that the patient is Covid-19 negative. Based on the results of the analysis and design that have been achieved, it can be applied to apply an expert system application to diagnose Covid-19 disease, where in this application the user can enter and find out the types of symptoms of the Covid-19 disease that the user has and can find out the right handling solution to help dealing with Covid-19.

Pembelajaran Kontekstual Melalui Permainan Kelereng pada Siswa Kelas 3A MIN 2 Probolinggo untuk Meningkatkan Pemahaman Konsep Perkalian

Learning is said to be good if during the learning process all students are active or participate in answering or asking questions. The learning process is a form of educative interaction, which is an educationally valuable interaction that consciously sets the goal to change a person's behavior and actions. Educational interaction must describe a two-way active relationship between teachers and students with a number of knowledge as the medium. In educative interactions, the elements of teachers and students must be active, it is impossible for an educational interaction process to occur if only one element is active. Active in the sense of attitude, mental, and deed.

Unknown Oriented Programming: Mathematical Continuation

Natural language semantic engineering problems are faced with unknown input and intensive knowledge challenges. In order to adapt to the featuresof natural language semantic engineering, the AI programinglanguage needs to be expanded mathematically: 1) Using many ways to improve the spatial distribution and coverage of instances; 2) Keeping different abstract function versions running at the same time; 3) Providing a large numberof knowledge configuration files and supporting functions to deal with intensive knowledge problems; 4) Using the most possibilitypriority call to solve the problem of multiple running branchestraversal. This paper introduces the unknown oriented programming ideas, basic strategy formulation,language design and simulation running examples. It provides a new method for the incremental research and development of large-scale natural language semantic engineeringapplication. Finally, this paper summarizes the full text and puts forward the further research direction.

IMPACT OF EDUCATION ON KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AMONG MEDICAL AND TECHNICAL STUDENTS IN AL-AFAQ COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, SANA'A CITY, YEMEN.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). . HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), it suppress the immune system and interferes with the ability of body to fight against infection and disease. There's no cure for HIV/AIDS, but medications can dramatically slow the progression of the disease. These drugs have ability to reduce AIDS deaths in many developed nations. A number of knowledge, attitude, and practice studies conducted in different parts of world reveal widespread misconceptions about the disease among young people. Medical students are the budding doctors of tomorrow and have just entered the noble profession.
 Thus, there is a need to assess impact of education on knowledge and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among students. The results of this study showed that the education had an effect on the students who participating; It also helped increase knowledge and change misconceptions about the disease.

To assess the knowledge and attitude of college students in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh towards HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and sexuality

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a major public health problem in India. It affects young people of sexually active age group. A number of Knowledge, Attitude and practice studies conducted in different parts of India revealed widespread ignorance and mis-concepts about the disease among young people. Young students are the budding professionals and future of India who have just entered the temples of learning. Thus there is a need to assess the existing knowledge and attitude towards HIV/ AIDS among students of Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. Aims and Objectives of the study: To Assess the knowledge and attitude about the spread, prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and sexuality. To assess the impact of gender and place of residence of the students on the knowledge and attitude. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive, cross sectional, survey based, community education study of one-year duration among 2000 students of randomly selected 15 colleges of Hamirpur District of Himachal Pradesh. After taking informed consent, students were given predesigned and pretested questionnaire to provide information on Knowledge and attitude regarding HIV and AIDS. Results: The results of 2000 students who voluntarily participated in the study there were 1345 (67.25 %) girls and 655 (32.75%) boys. Over all awareness among boys and girls was very high (70.6 %) on Knowledge of and attitude towards HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: Though general level of students about HIV/AIDS is quite high and it is not poor but they have some mis-concepts about it. More education is required.

Philosophy and Ideology of the Future in the Context of Modern Science

The article analyzes the issues of the philosophy and ideology of the future from the point of view of the theory of self-organization, or synergetics. This interdisciplinary approach allows researchers to focus their efforts on the key problems of the development of civilization and, in particular, on designing the future. In the theory of valuable information developed by D.S. Chernavsky, it is shown that there is a number of knowledge, skills, and abilities that increase the probability of their holders to survive and convey essential information to the future generations. In the 21st century, civilizational choice and ideology will be such knowledge. Several “brief histories of the future” are currently popular, from S. Lem and A. Toffler to J. Attali and S.P. Huntington. All of them focus on the projection onto society of achieved or promising industrial technical changes. D. Bell’s theory of post-industrial development as well as the theory of the humanitarian and technological revolution, which is actively developing at the present time, show that this is not correct. The key factor will be the image of the desired future, which underlies the ideology adopted by the elites and public consciousness. The article shows that now a choice is being made between the society that adopts a new leftist ideology or the New Middle Ages. The current socio-economic and military-political instability in the world, which was clearly demonstrated by the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, shows that without it the world will be dependent on the establishment and other centers of power pursuing their own, far from common, interests.

Improving Knowledge Numbers Ability with Card Media in Early Age Children

The initial developmental stages are the basis for further developmental stages, if a stage is interrupted, it will inhibit the next stage. Likewise in the educational process, for children aged 4 to 6 years can be formally pursued in kindergarten, and is expected to obtain physical-motor, cognitive, social, and emotional stimuli in accordance with their age level. Every child has differences, so students who cannot learn as they should are called learning difficulties. Some learning difficulties experienced by young children are reading, writing and arithmetic. Especially in learning to count, mathematics is very useful for developing thinking processes in early childhood. It also cannot be separated from the role of parents who provide physical and psychological needs at the beginning of a child's life. Therefore the purpose of this study is to find out the cause of a 5-year-old child who cannot memorize numbers 1-10. The method in this study uses a qualitative research design with a single case experience with the provision of interventions, namely the introduction of numbers with the media card and assistance and counseling to parents. The intervention was carried out at the subject's home for two weeks for six meetings. The results obtained during six meetings, subjects can recognize the symbol numbers 1-10. The subject better understands numerical symbols by looking at cards or visually. This affects the subject's learning process at school and at home. The subject can continue the process of understanding number symbols using cards or learning visually

Modelo didáctico analógico como mediador de enseñanza y aprendizaje universitario del Sistema Cardiovascular

El aula es un espacio donde el docente puede poner al estudiante en el rol de un cientifico a traves del empleo de modelos para predecir y explicar nuevos fenomenos del conocimiento (Bahamonde y Galindo 2016). Esto pone en palabras que los alumnos son constructores de su conocimiento y que aprender Ciencias significativamente implica recrear las teorias en sistemas de representacion internas donde los conceptos estan relacionados, y que a partir de la investigacion accion pueden ser identificados (Gentiletti 2012). El objetivo de esta investigacion es analizar los modelos mentales iniciales de los estudiantes, y compararlos con los modelos mentales finales que elaboran luego de varias intervenciones didacticas de corte socioconstructivista. Se realiza un estudio de tipo cualitativo y cuantitativo donde se estudio el proceso de aprendizaje autorregulado y guiado por el docente sobre estructura y funcion del Sistema Cardiovascular en 57 estudiantes universitarios de la Carrera del Profesorado en Ciencias Biologicas (UNLPam, Argentina). Se analizaron retrospectivamente producciones obtenidas a lo largo de los anos, a partir de una consigna y del empleo del Modelo didactico analogico (MDA) (Galagovsky y Aduriz-Bravo 2001). Se solicito al estudiante que realizase un esquema del Sistema Cardiovascular con sus conocimientos previos (modelo mental inicial) y que luego de modificaciones personales; de trabajo colaborativo entre pares y la intervencion docente con enfoque pedagogico en la interdisciplina efectuara un esquema final individual (modelo mental final). Se encontro que del esquema inicial al final se incremento significativamente el numero de conocimientos o ideas claves es decir, la diferencia de efecto medio fue - 2,01 a favor de los modelos mentales finales (t=-12,05 ; p < 0.01; g.l. 1). La investigacion accion presentada es innovadora en la ensenanza universitaria porque evidencia que pos intervencion pedagogica los estudiantes reconfiguraron significativamente los modelos mentales iniciales con una mirada positiva a las Ciencias en el tratamiento pedagogico del Sistema cardiovascular. Palabras clave: Modelo didactico analogico; interdisciplina; formacion del profesorado; modelos mentales; sistema cardiovascular. Analog didactic model as a mediator of university teaching and learning of the Cardiovascular System Abstract: The classroom is a space where the teacher can put the student in the role of a scientist through the use of models to predict and explain new phenomena of knowledge (Bahamonde and Galindo 2016). This puts into words that students are builders of their knowledge and that learning science significantly implies recreating theories in internal representation systems where concepts are related, and that from action research can be identified (Gentiletti 2012). The objective of this investigation is to analyze the initial mental models of the students, and compare them with the final mental models that they elaborate after various didactic interventions of a socio-constructivist nature. A qualitative and quantitative study was carried out where the self-regulated and teacher-guided learning process on the structure and function of the Cardiovascular System was studied in 57 university students of the Biological Sciences Teaching Career (UNLPam, Argentina). Productions obtained over the years were analyzed retrospectively, based on a slogan and the use of the Analogue Teaching Model (MDA) (Galagovsky and Aduriz-Bravo 2001). The student was asked to make a scheme of the Cardiovascular System with his previous knowledge (initial mental model) and after personal modifications; Collaborative work between peers and the teaching intervention with a pedagogical focus in the interdiscipline will carry out an individual final scheme (final mental model). It was found that from the initial scheme to the end the number of knowledge or key ideas increased significantly, that is, the difference in the mean effect was - 2.01 in favor of the final mental models (t = -12.05; p <0.01; gl 1). The action research presented is innovative in university education because it shows that after pedagogical intervention, students significantly reconfigured the initial mental models with a positive view of the Sciences in the pedagogical treatment of the cardiovascular system. Keywords: analog didactic model; interdisciplinary; teacher training; mental models; cardiovascular system.

Kepribadian Guru Pendidikan Agama Islam Menurut Buya Hamka

The teacher is a position or profession that requires special skills as a teacher. This work cannot be done by people who do not have the expertise to carry out activities or work as a teacher. Every teacher has a different personality and background and teaching experience. Every teacher has a personality according to the characteristics they have. Personality is actually an abstract, can only be seen through appearance, action, speech, how to dress, and how to deal with every problem. The teacher's personality is the main capital in carrying out the role and duty as an educator. Personality, character is a crown for a human, because that is what distinguishes humans from animals. Good character does not just appear, it is a lifelong learning process. To grow good character, a teacher can learn about the lives of characters who are considered to have good character or personality. Buya Hamka is a National figure who can be a role model in learning to have a great character and personality. The research conducted was included in the type of qualitative descriptive research with library research. The method used is critical analytical descriptive, the primary data source is the works of Buya Hamka who deal with professional teachers and the secondary data are similar works that have the same theme. The analysis in this study uses the method of content analysis. The results of the study are that the teacher according to Hamka functions as an institution that seeks to develop all the potential that exists in students to the fullest, in accordance with the rhythms of their development, both physicaly and mental spiritual have a good personality because students will imitate the behavior of his teacher. Teacher's Personality in Islamic Education According to Buya Hamka's Thought, the teacher must understand the concept of the educator as an exemplary subject, the tasks of the educator, and have character (traits), as befits an educator. Hamka expressed his opinion about how should the characteristics of Islamic religious education teachers, namely: 1) Having extensive knowledge, 2) Good communication, 3) Good example for students and those around them, 4) Ikhlash, 5) Having good methods for teaching, 6) Humility, 7) Responsibility, 8) Confidence, 9) Gentleness, 10) Patience, 11) Passion, 12) Apply and say honestly. Relevance of Hamka's Thought about the Teacher's Personality of Islamic Education with Education Today Teachers should help shape the character, mind, character, and personality of students, so that he knows which is good and what is bad. While Islamic teaching is an attempt to fill the intellectuals of students with a number of knowledge. Keyword: Teacher Personality, Buya Hamka

Teaching undergraduate medical students Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP): a Delphi study on curriculum content

BackgroundThe prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children and young people is high but despite this, many doctors have difficulty identifying and managing psychiatric disorders presenting in this age group. The purpose of this study was to determine appropriate curriculum content in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) for a Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) course. Doctors with a background in primary care who were also involved in undergraduate teaching rated how necessary they considered a number of knowledge, skills and attitudes items were for inclusion in the CAP curriculum.MethodsAn online questionnaire study was carried out using modified Delphi methodology in two rounds. The questionnaire was derived from a list of CAP learning objectives and/or curricular content obtained from a thorough review of the literature. 23 of the 24 doctors who had agreed to participate went on to complete the round one questionnaire (95.8% response rate) with 19 also completing round 2 (82.6%). Where there was high agreement (70% or more) amongst participants, items were considered as having sufficient consensus to either accept or reject them. Mean scores were then used as a way to prioritise items.ResultsAt the end of round two, there was consensus to consider including 26 of the 34 knowledge items, 16 of the 20 skills items and three of the four attitudes items in the CAP curriculum. The most highly rated knowledge, skills and attitudes items were depression/ suicide; communicating with children, young people and families; and rapport building. The majority (83.3%) of round two responders, considered that the current amount of CAP teaching time was “too little”.ConclusionsDelphi methodology proved useful for determining consensus and the priority rankings of the CAP knowledge, skills and attitudes items can now be used to help educators determine which topics to focus upon. The study findings support the need for additional CAP teaching time in the GEM curriculum and will help to shape new CAP content. Additional formal CAP teaching time has already been incorporated into the psychiatry speciality attachment, a new clinical skills session has been developed and CAP topics have been introduced into written and clinical examinations.

Early developmental trajectories of number knowledge and math achievement from 4 to 10 years: Low-persistent profile and early-life predictors

Little is known about the development of number knowledge (NK) and the antecedents of low-persistent NK profiles in early childhood. We documented the developmental trajectories of NK across the transition from preschool to elementary school, their predictive validity with respect to later math achievement, and the child and family early-life factors associated with low NK profiles. Children's NK was assessed four times at regular intervals between the ages 4 and 7 years in a large, representative population-based sample. Developmental trajectories of NK were established for 1597 children. These children were also assessed with respect to several features of their family environment at 5, 17, and 29 months, as well as their cognitive skills at age 41 months. Analyses revealed a best-fitting 4-trajectory model, characterized by Low-Increasing (10% of the children), Moderate-Increasing (39%), Moderate-Fast Increasing (32%) and High-Increasing (19%) groups. Children of these trajectory groups differed significantly with respect to math achievement at ages 8 and 10 years, with the Low-Increasing group persistently scoring lower than the other groups throughout these years. Children of Low-Increasing NK group were from household of lower income and father with low educational background, poorer early cognitive development, and more importantly, reduced visual-spatial skills and memory-span. Children displaying reduced cognitive abilities and impoverished living conditions early in life are at greater risk of low NK throughout late preschool and school entry, with ensuing difficulties in math achievement. They deserve early preventive attention to help alleviate later mathematic difficulties.

L'ignorance des cathares d'après Izarn

The debate between Izarn, a Dominican and inquisitor, and the Catharian repentant bishop Sicart de Figueiras raises the question of the so-called ignorance of the Catharians, especially in biblical studies. If the Interrogatio Iohannis, one of the Catharian sources and an apocryphal and gnostic gospel, appears during the debate, the exegetical tradition is also present in the myth of fallen angels. In one of his main accusations Izarn evokes the metempsychosis revealing the antiques doctrines influence on the Catharians. Therefore, the heretics expressed a large number of knowledge in the vernacular language receptive to the most humbles and the illiterates persons. This has been their strength face to the rational and scholarly theology acquired from books by the Catholic clergy.

A Study on Knowledge Quality and Job Performance of Knowledge Workers by Analyzing Content of Social Network Sites Using Sentiment Network Analysis

The importance of knowledge quality has become a key research area in recent research works. Many organizations realize that benefits of knowledge creation and sharing cannot be obtained unless quality of knowledge is achieved. This research investigates the perception of knowledge workers that uses social network sites as a means for social interaction, collaboration and knowledge sharing. The entries posted by these knowledge workers on the social network sites are gathered and studied with the presence of the element of sentiment such as emotion using sentiment network analysis. Based on the analysis, the results investigate the relationship between sentiment and quality of knowledge shared among knowledge workers on social networking sites and individual job performance. This research will analyse the improvements of employees’ job performance through the quality knowledge using interview, questionnaire survey, and text analysis to look for conversational patterns and element of sentiment. This research will investigate a number of knowledge driven companies that use social network sites. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is used to analyse responses collected from survey data.

Knowledge about and attitude towards HIV/AIDS among first year medical students: A cross-sectional study

Background: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major public health problem in India. It affects mainly young people in sexually active age groups. A number of knowledge, attitude, and practice studies conducted in different parts of India reveal widespread ignorance and misconceptions about the disease among young people. Medical students are the budding doctors of tomorrow and have just entered the noble profession. Thus, there is a need to assess the existing knowledge and attitude towards this HIV/AIDS among them. Objective: The objective was to assess the extent of knowledge and attitude towards HIV/AIDS among first year medical students of a government medical college in North Karnataka. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among all (97) first year medical students of a government medical college in North Karnataka. After taking informed consent, the information regarding knowledge and attitude towards HIV/AIDS was collected from them using a predesigned, pretested structured questionnaire. Results: Of the 97 students who participated, 52 were males and 45 were females. All the students were aware of HIV/AIDS in terms of definition and causation. There was no statistically significant difference among males and females about their knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: Though the general level of knowledge of students about HIV/AIDS was not poor, they had a number of misconceptions about it.

A review of factors that influence adult handwriting performance

Handwriting is an important activity for people of all ages. Handwriting is frequently affected after stroke and other neurological conditions. However, research on the handwriting of healthy adults is difficult to find. This review aims to advance the development of evidence-informed handwriting assessment and retraining. The aim of this paper was to review factors that influence the handwriting performance of unimpaired adults, some of which are amenable to intervention. Searches were conducted of eight electronic databases up to April 2009 and again in November 2010. Reference lists were also used to identify potential studies of interest. No limits were placed on study design. Age: Younger adults write more legibly and faster than older adults. Gender: Women write faster and more legibly than men. Pengrip: Grips other than the traditional dynamic tripod are functional, producing legible text in an acceptable time. Pen pressure: Pressure varies with different letters, words, text size, speed and across a page of text. Error corrections and a mixed writing style occur in healthy adult handwriting. Research was inconclusive about the association between speed, pressure and upper limb movements on handwriting performance. Other factors able to predict adult handwriting legibility have been largely unexplored. A number of knowledge and research gaps about adult handwriting were identified, including the need for more contemporary normative data.

Research on Extensible and Self-Adaptive Knowledge Service for Complex Product Design

To solve the difficulties in increasing large number of knowledge, with unstable irresponsible quality and acquiring automatically and implicitly dynamic individual knowledge needs of designers, an approach of knowledge service implementation in complex product design (CPD) process is put forward. The knowledge affair-matter-element model is proposed, achieving the organic integration between knowledge and design activities. Finally, the method of extensible knowledge optimization and the method of self-adaptive knowledge service are discussed.

Outcomes from the Delphi exercise on training modules

Since last October, we have published three papers describing the outcomes of the Delphi exercise to decide the content of the curriculum for each of five advanced training modules in pharmaceutical medicine [1-3]. The final paper [4] dealing with the sixth module and with course delivery and assessment appears in this issue (see page 105). At the outset, we explained the Delphi exercise [5], and now we can judge what it achieved. A panel of correspondents for each module was drawn from Fellows, Members and Associates of the Faculty and others. The six panels were more or less the same size (range 27-35) and the number who replied, some after several reminders, was acceptable after phase 1 (range 16-27) but less so after phase 2 (range 10-21). The panel for healthcare marketplace was the most responsive and the one for clinical development least so. Each panel was asked, in phase 1, to accept or reject a number of knowledge and skill statements and, if they so wished, to suggest other statements. A small percentage was proposed. In phase 2, panellists were requested to put each remaining statement into one of five categories; definitely necessary, important, worth considering, not important or definitely unnecessary. Weightings factors (10, 8, 6, 4 and 2) were applied, corresponding to the rank order of the five statements. The average weightings from all panellists was calculated. As a result, a large number of statements (n = 571) fell outside the top two categories. The number of statements accepted at the conclusion of the two phases (n = 364) was just over one third. Over the six modules, the range (29-87) for the number of accepted statements was broad. Clinical pharmacology had the highest number and medicines regulation the lowest. The percentage loss of statements over phases 1 and 2 was greatest for statistics and data management (77%) and lowest for clinical development (45%). These figures may appear worse than they really are, because the statements were each presented at three levels of competency: being able to perform the task alone and unaided, doing so as part of a team, or simply having an understanding of the principles. Even so, the Delphi exercise did demonstrate differences in how the iterative process worked for one module compared with another. The draft guidelines, issued in 1997 by the Faculty, provided a skeleton curriculum for each module [6]. For three modules (clinical pharmacology, drug safety surveillance, statistics and data management) there were simply six or seven headings, and for the other three each heading was expanded by several short statements. The Delphi exercise has provided a varying number of competency statements for each module: healthcare marketplace (83), clinical pharmacology (87), medicines regulation (29), drug safety surveillance (61), statistics and data management (39) and clinical development (65). Thus, 364 statements are now assembled, but there is slight duplication from one module to another, and in a few instances the competency is one that should be dealt with in basic training and assessed by the Diploma examination, so some editing will be done. Once these six curricula are approved, hopefully in the next few weeks, the proposed training, the potential providers of training and the methods of assessment can be finalised. In the paper in this issue, course delivery and assessment were surveyed, inviting 190 correspondents, of whom 67% replied, to identify what they felt was appropriate (18 out of 30 statements were accepted). These two aspects will form the focus of the Faculty's deliberations in coming weeks. The Delphi exercise took time, roughly a year, and required money and people to run it. Among the latter, the staff at Keele University applied themselves diligently and thoroughly, the advisers and the correspondents offered their help willingly, and the Faculty officers, staff and various working party members have committed many hours to it. Few medical specialities have been so original in deciding the curricula for training of their future specialists. It must rank as one of the biggest and most ambitious consultation exercises ever mounted in defining a higher education programme.

Does demographic knowledge matter? Results of a poll in the New York City watershed.

A 1993 telephone survey of 1,150 households in 15 upstate towns in the New York City watershed asked a number of knowledge and attitude questions related to perceptions of national, local, and world population size. Considerable public ignorance of population size was revealed, with gender differences the most critical explanatory variable. Males were much more likely to respond to knowledge questions on population size, and to respond more accurately, even after several other characteristics were held constant. However, knowledge is at best unrelated to measures of concern about population, and even shows a slight tendency to be associated with lower concern.