Previous Exam Research Articles

Diagnosis of imminent placentitis in mares

Pregnancy loss and neonatal mortality have a significant economic impact on the equine industry. Placentitis is a common cause of abortion, stillbirths, and neonatal infections. Early diagnosis of placentitis allows prompt treatment and increases the chances of a pregnancy reaching term. Our study was designed to identify blood parameters that are diagnostic of imminent placentitis under natural conditions. We hypothesized that differences from physiological parameters of a healthy pregnancy indicate imminent placentitis. Blood sample collections and reproductive exams were prospectively performed, monthly, between 180 to 320 days of gestation, in a cohort of mares from 2 large broodmare herds in Lexington, KY. Twelve mares were diagnosed with placentitis based on rectal ultrasonographic examination (opening at the cervix, thickened placenta, fluid collection, placental edema, and/or placental separation). Blood samples collected on the day of placentitis diagnosis were designated as early onset, and the blood samples collected in the previous reproductive exam with no ultrasonographic abnormalities of the fetoplacental unit were named as pre-onset (before placentitis diagnosis). In addition, 12 gestion and age-matched control mares carrying healthy pregnancies based on the same parameters were paired to the mares with placentitis. We measured several immunological, inflammatory, and hormonal parameters (Table 1). Values were compared between groups within the same timepoint (placentitis vs control) and between timepoints (pre-onset vs early onset) using Paired Student's T test and Mann-Whitney U test, and significance set at p < 0.05. According to the gestational age, the interval between pre-onset timepoint and the diagnosis of placentitis (early onset) was around 40 days (227±6 days and 267±5 days, respectively).No differences were found between groups and timepoints for immunological and inflammatory parameters in the maternal circulation, including serum amyloid A (SAA) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Both proteins have been shown to markedly increase in maternal circulation after experimental induction of placentitis. In the hormonal analyses, no differences were found in plasma progesterone levels and estradiol-17β/progesterone ratio. Plasma estradiol-17β concentration approached statistical difference (p=0.08) in mares at early onset of placentitis (408±35 pg/mL) compared to the control group (498±35 pg/mL). In conclusion, our data showed that early events of spontaneous placentitis do not increase inflammatory and immunological parameters in the maternal circulation. In addition, plasma estradiol-17β may be further investigated as an early indicator of placental dysfunction in mares with naturally occurring placentitis. Acknowledgments: We thank the Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund for Equine Research for supporting our study.

Radiation Exposure from the Patient Perspective: An Argument for the Inclusion of Dose History.

Patients in diagnostic imaging departments often ask about the risk of injury from x radiation. They are referred to wall posters or consent forms that declare (rightly) that the risk of harm from the proposed exam is very small and is far outweighed by the benefit. If a comparative risk value is provided, most likely it is based on a single exposure and derived from population estimates of cancer incidence and mortality. But is that information the most relevant for the patient? In a recent position statement, the AAPM recommends that only current exam risk should be considered, and that risk is independent of previous exams. We argue that if an exam carries risk of a negative event, the likelihood that a negative event occurred over all events increases with the number of exams. This cumulative risk, though still very small, must be a relevant consideration for health management.

How Does Students' Attitude towards Biology Affect Their Academic Achievement at Secondary Level

Despite the widespread importance of Science, students' interest in it has deteriorated over time. Achievement is mainly related to the students' attitude. The major goal of the present research is how students' attitudes about Biology affected their academic performance in Biology at the secondary level. A 24-item questionnaire (Biology Attitude Questionnaire, BAQ) was adopted. All the 10th graders Biology students from public schools constituted the population of the study, belonging to Punjab province. The sample of 10th-grade students was taken from the public secondary schools under the control of the Punjab province using a multistage sampling technique. Utilizing previous class Biology exam scores, achievement data was gathered. SPSS was used to examine the data. The analysis led to the conclusion that girls had a more favourable attitude toward Biology than boys. In addition, attitudes had a substantial impact on achievement for males, females, and urban students, but not for rural respondents.

Cut From the Same Cloth: Bipolar disorder and Frontotemporal Dementia – Apropos a Clinical Case

IntroductionMood disorders have been reported in the literature as a risk factor for developing cognitive deficits. Bipolar disorder (BD) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) share many common features, often presenting as a differential diagnostic challenge to the clinician. The clinical features of mania, such as euphoria, hyper-sexuality and difficulties in impulse control can mimic the impaired judgment and loss of inhibition seen in FTD. Depressive features such as anhedonia and social isolation can mimic apathy associated with FTD. Of the various subtypes, the behavioural-variant of FTD (bvFTD) is most similar to a manic episode.ObjectivesThe authors aim to explore the relationship between BD and FTD, and the implications in differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis with recourse to a clinical case example.MethodsA non-systematized review of pertinent literature on the topic with focus on that which is most relevant to the theme was included. The authors present a clinical case of 55 year-old female with history of BD who was hospitalized in the context of a depressive episode with suicidal ideation and disorganized behaviour.ResultsIt is not uncommon for patients with bvFTD to be initially diagnosed with BD, whereas on the other hand, patients presenting in late with an inaugural manic episode are considered to have dementia. The literature also reports that patients with BD appear to be at increased risk of a later FTD diagnosis, further contributing the diagnostic difficulties. Core symptoms that present in mood disorders, also make-up the clinical picture of FTD, and vice versa. Correct diagnosis is imperative as early-intervention may have significant impact on prognosis of the clinical pictures. The patient underwent complementary diagnostic imaging testing with magnetic resonance imaging, which documented atrophy in the fronto-temporal regions which were not detected on previous exams, thus strongly suggesting a FTD diagnosis in a patient with history of BD.ConclusionsThe literature establishes, especially through various case reports, an apparent clinical overlap between FTD and mood disorders. A multifaceted connection between BD and FTD appears to exist, with clinical and genetic similarities having been described, although further studies are merited demonstrating this relationship. The clinical case highlights the challenges in FTD diagnosis in a patient with prior history of a mood disorder, especially BD, as well as demonstrating the difficult task in establishing a differential diagnosis between the two conditions when the mood disorder presents late in life. The clinician is alerted to the mimicry between the two conditions, taking into account the possibility of a FTD diagnosis in patients with history of BD presenting with unexpected cognitive and behavioural decline.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Cardiologic Manifestations in Omicron‐Type Versus Wild‐Type COVID‐19: A Systematic Echocardiographic Study

Background Information about the cardiac manifestations of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is limited. We performed a systematic prospective echocardiographic evaluation of consecutive patients hospitalized with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 infection and compared them with similarly recruited patients were propensity matched with the wild-type variant. Methods and Results A total of 162 consecutive patients hospitalized with Omicron COVID-19 underwent complete echocardiographic evaluation within 24 hours of admission and were compared with propensity-matched patients with the wild-type variant (148 pairs). Echocardiography included left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic, right ventricular (RV), strain, and hemodynamic assessment. Echocardiographic parameters during acute infection were compared with historic exams in 62 patients with the Omicron variant and 19 patients with the wild-type variant who had a previous exam within 1 year. Of the patients, 85 (53%) had a normal echocardiogram. The most common cardiac pathology was RV dilatation and dysfunction (33%), followed by elevated LV filling pressure (E/e' ≥14, 29%) and LV systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction <50%, 10%). Compared with the matched wild-type cohort, patients with Omicron had smaller RV end-systolic areas (9.3±4 versus 12.3±4 cm2; P=0.0003), improved RV function (RV fractional-area change, 53.2%±10% versus 39.7%±13% [P<0.0001]; RV S', 12.0±3 versus 10.7±3 cm/s [P=0.001]), and higher stroke volume index (35.6 versus 32.5 mL/m2; P=0.004), all possibly related to lower mean pulmonary pressure (34.6±12 versus 41.1±14 mm Hg; P=0.0001) and the pulmonary vascular resistance index (P=0.0003). LV systolic or diastolic parameters were mostly similar to the wild-type variant-matched cohort apart from larger LV size. However, in patients who had a previous echocardiographic exam, these LV abnormalities were recorded before acute Omicron infection, but not in the wild-type cohort. Numerous echocardiographic parameters were associated with higher in-hospital mortality (LV ejection fraction, stroke volume index, E/e', RV S'). Conclusions In patients with Omicron, RV function is impaired to a lower extent compared with the wild-type variant, possibly related to the attenuated pulmonary parenchymal and/or vascular disease. LV systolic and diastolic abnormalities are as common as in the wild-type variant but were usually recorded before acute infection and probably reflect background cardiac morbidity. Numerous LV and RV abnormalities are associated with adverse outcome in patients with Omicron.

Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic: Hepatic mass discovered incidentally with telangiectasia.

A 48-year-old woman with no history of alcohol use or medical history was referred to our hospital for abnormal endoscopic and liver sonography findings collected at another hospital. An gastric angiodysplasia (telangiectasia) on endoscopy and two suspicious liver echogenic masses in hepatic S4 and S6 were detected. Her laboratory tests, including liver function tests and tumor markers, were within the normal ranges and the viral markers were negative. Autoimmune antibodies related to autoimmune hepatitis were negative. As she had a severe allergic reaction to the computed tomography (CT) contrast agent, she underwent liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for further evaluation. The liver MRI revealed dozens of hypervascular nodules of various sizes with a central scar and diffuse vascular abnormalities with peripheral vascular obliteration (Fig. 1a). She had experienced intermittent bleeding of the tongue and several telangiectasias were observed on her tongue (Fig. 1b). The differential diagnoses included hepatocellular adenoma and multiple focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) syndrome with primary or secondary hepatic vascular abnormalities. Osler-Weber-Rendu disease (hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia [HHT]) was also possible considering the diffuse vascular abnormalities in the liver and the telangiectasia on the tongue. The pathology report based on the targeted liver biopsy described a hepatocellular nodular lesion composed of bland looking hepatocytes with sinusoidal dilatation and abnormal vessels, suggesting FNH or hepatocellular adenoma; however, immunohistochemical staining did not confirm either disease (Fig. 2). On the annual MRI follow up, innumerable hypervascular nodules, irregular heterogeneous enhancement of the liver (Fig. 3a), and diffuse vascular abnormalities with peripheral vascular obliteration (Fig. 3b) were the major findings, with no changes seen from the previous exam. Given that the pathology report did not definitively diagnose hepatocellular adenoma or multiple FNH syndrome, a hepatic vascular disorder such as HHT was considered in the differential diagnosis and genetic testing was performed. HHT is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder that affects the vasculature and is considered a rare disease, with a prevalence of 1 in 5000 or 1 in 10 000 births. The pathogenesis of HHT is a heterozygous mutation in the endoglin (ENG) gene or the activin receptor-like kinase type 1 gene, both of which are associated with the transforming growth factor-β superfamily signaling pathway, expressed mostly in the vascular endothelium. As 97% of patients with definite HHT carry a mutation in one of three genes, including ENG, a mutation in a locus mapped to chromosome 5, or an activin receptor-like kinase-1 (ACVRL1), we consulted the genetics department to evaluate the patient for HHT. HHT has traditionally been diagnosed based on clinical features (the Curacao criteria), but can now also be diagnosed by genetic testing. HHT is clinically suspected if two of the four Curacao criteria are met (family history of the disease, hemorrhage, telangiectasia, and visceral involvement) and definite if more than three of the criteria are met. The presence of intrahepatic shunts, disseminated intraparenchymal telangiectases, and other vascular lesions are the typical findings of hepatic involvement. In this patient, three (epistaxis, telangiectasia, and visceral involvement) of the four Curacao criteria were satisfied, leading to a definite diagnosis of HHT. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel performed also showed heterozygous mutation of the ACVRL1 (ALK1) gene, which is consistent with HHT type 2.

Abstract A123: Providing breast cancer screening in vulnerable communities: The impact of a mobile cancer screening van

Abstract Background: Mobile cancer screening vans (MCSV) are a promising approach to providing preventive cancer screenings to those in need. In 2021, the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) at Jefferson launched an MCSV to cover its 7-county catchment area. The primary focus of the screening van is to provide breast cancer screenings, although other cancer screenings as well as connections to resources are periodically offered. Community organizations agree to host the MCSV at their site; up to 14 women can be screened for breast cancer at each event. Screening registration information as well as clinical outcomes from the mammogram are captured in the electronic health record (EMR). Here, we describe the impact of the MCSV during its first 8 months of operation. Methods: Data was pulled from the EMR for all women who received breast cancer screening on the MCSV between September 30, 2021 and May 31, 2022. Patient demographic information included age, gender, race and ethnicity, primary language spoken, insurance status, zip code of residence and breast cancer screening history. Clinical outcomes included screening result, need for follow-up and diagnosis of cancer, if relevant. Means and frequencies were calculated for each variable. Bivariate analyses investigated associations between patient demographics and previous screening history or screening exam results. Results: In partnership with community organizations, we have held 47 screening events and screened a total of 377 women in the previous 8 months. Of the 377 women screened, 175 (46%) were African American, 90 (24%) were Caucasian, and 61 (16%) were Hispanic. 279 (74%) of the women had health insurance while 98 (26%) were uninsured. Seventy (19%) women needed additional imaging or follow-up and one woman has been diagnosed with stage 1b invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. The only significant difference among those screened was that those without health insurance were less likely to have a previous mammogram (X2 =4.002, p,.05).Conclusion: The SKCC MCSV is reaching a diverse population, based on race and ethnicity, and a population in need, based on insurance status. While we did not observe racial nor ethnic differences among those screened on the van in relation to screening results or previous screening, those without insurance are more likely to receive their first screening with the MCSV, another important marker that the van is reaching those in need. Citation Format: Christina L. Yurick, Nicola Cianci, Katie Bradley, Khaldoun Hamade, Christine Bonaccorso, Amy Leader. Providing breast cancer screening in vulnerable communities: The impact of a mobile cancer screening van [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A123.

Natural Language Processing and Graph Theory: Making Sense of Imaging Records in a Novel Representation Frame.

A concise visualization framework of related reports would increase readability and improve patient management. To this end, temporal referrals to prior comparative exams are an essential connection to previous exams in written reports. Due to unstructured narrative texts' variable structure and content, their extraction is hampered by poor computer readability. Natural language processing (NLP) permits the extraction of structured information from unstructured texts automatically and can serve as an essential input for such a novel visualization framework. This study proposes and evaluates an NLP-based algorithm capable of extracting the temporal referrals in written radiology reports, applies it to all the radiology reports generated for 10 years, introduces a graphical representation of imaging reports, and investigates its benefits for clinical and research purposes. In this single-center, university hospital, retrospective study, we developed a convolutional neural network capable of extracting the date of referrals from imaging reports. The model's performance was assessed by calculating precision, recall, and F1-score using an independent test set of 149 reports. Next, the algorithm was applied to our department's radiology reports generated from 2011 to 2021. Finally, the reports and their metadata were represented in a modulable graph. For extracting the date of referrals, the named-entity recognition (NER) model had a high precision of 0.93, a recall of 0.95, and an F1-score of 0.94. A total of 1,684,635 reports were included in the analysis. Temporal reference was mentioned in 53.3% (656,852/1,684,635), explicitly stated as not available in 21.0% (258,386/1,684,635), and omitted in 25.7% (317,059/1,684,635) of the reports. Imaging records can be visualized in a directed and modulable graph, in which the referring links represent the connecting arrows. Automatically extracting the date of referrals from unstructured radiology reports using deep learning NLP algorithms is feasible. Graphs refined the selection of distinct pathology pathways, facilitated the revelation of missing comparisons, and enabled the query of specific referring exam sequences. Further work is needed to evaluate its benefits in clinics, research, and resource planning.

How gender composition and group formation impact the effectiveness of group work in two-stage collaborative exams

Two-stage collaborative exams are an increasingly popular form of formative assessment which have shown promising results in promoting student learning. While the benefit of two-stage collaborative exams is well researched, there is no clear consensus on the best way of implementing them—specifically with respect to forming student groups. In some studies students self-select their groups, and in others they are assigned by the instructor (either randomly or with a specific grouping algorithm). Research has shown that performance and satisfaction in group learning situations improves when faculty, not students, select the groups. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that students’ learning benefits from working in groups with diverse learning styles, abilities, gender, and race. In this study, we report on a controlled experiment conducted during a two-stage collaborative exam in an introductory physics course at Harvard University. For the group stage of the exam, half of the groups were formed by the instructor (based on balancing gender and performance on previous exams) and the other half were student selected. We compared performance on both the individual and group stage of the exam for the instructor-formed versus student-formed groups. We also surveyed students on their experiences during the group exam. We found that female students perform better on two-part collaborative exams when they are in student-formed groups. We also found that in the student-formed groups students (especially female students) felt more comfortable speaking up and felt that their groups were both “more effective and productive” and “more receptive to their ideas” than in the instructor-formed groups. This study provides important insights into best practice implementation of two-stage collaborative exams.Received 25 August 2022Accepted 28 October 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020137Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasInstructional strategiesLearning environmentPhysics Education Research

Formative Feedback on Problem-Solving Skills: Intent and Action

Formative feedback is integral for the learning of difficult skills such as problem solving. To understand why less than ideal amounts of feedback are sometimes provided to students, this study elicited undergraduate engineering instructors’ intentions, and then observed their actions regarding formative feedback on midterm exams in courses that purport to teach problem solving. Intentions were collected through a survey that emulated the intentions-focused portion of the Teaching Perspectives Inventory. The questions were reworked to reference Fink’s FIDeLity feedback system. Actions were then measured by analyzing feedback provided on previous midterm exams administered by the same instructors who filled out the survey. Alignment between the instructors’ intentions and actions were analyzed by comparing the survey results and the midterm exam marking. Overall, instructors’ actions are generally aligned with their intentions. However, their intentions tend to favour time saving practices rather than using every known method for providing high-quality formative feedback.

Predictive modelling and analytics of students' grades using machine learning algorithms.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused significant disruption in all sectors and industries around the world. To tackle the spread of the novel coronavirus, the learning process and the modes of delivery had to be altered. Most courses are delivered traditionally with face-to-face or a blended approach through online learning platforms. In addition, researchers and educational specialists around the globe always had a keen interest in predicting a student’s performance based on the student’s information such as previous exam results obtained and experiences. With the upsurge in using online learning platforms, predicting the student’s performance by including their interactions such as discussion forums could be integrated to create a predictive model. The aims of the research are to provide a predictive model to forecast students’ performance (grade/engagement) and to analyse the effect of online learning platform’s features. The model created in this study made use of machine learning techniques to predict the final grade and engagement level of a learner. The quantitative approach for student’s data analysis and processing proved that the Random Forest classifier outperformed the others. An accuracy of 85% and 83% were recorded for grade and engagement prediction respectively with attributes related to student profile and interaction on a learning platform.

Accounting for radiation exposure from previous CT exams while deciding on the next exam: What do referring clinicians think?

PurposeTo obtain clinicians’ views of the need to account for radiation exposure from previous CT scans and the advisability of a regulatory mechanism to control the number of CT scans for an individual patient. MethodsA convenience survey was conducted by emailing a link to a three-question electronic survey to clinicians in many countries, mostly through radiology and radiation protection contacts. Results505 responses were received from 24 countries. 293 respondents (58%) understand that current regulations do not limit the number of CT scans that can be prescribed for a single patient in a year. When asked whether there should be a regulation to limit the number of CT scans that can be prescribed for a single patient in one year, only a small fraction (143, 28%) answered ‘No’, 182 (36%) answered ‘Maybe’ and 166 (33%) answered ‘Yes’. Most respondents (337; 67%) think that radiation risk should form part of the consideration when deciding whether to request a CT exam. A minority (138; 27%) think the decision should be based only on the medical indication for the CT exam. Comparison among the 4 countries (South Korea, Hungary, USA and Canada) with the largest number of respondents indicated wide variations in responses. ConclusionsA majority of the surveyed clinicians consider radiation risk, in addition to clinical factors, when prescribing CT exams. Most respondents are in favor of, or would consider, regulation to control the number of CT scans that could be performed on a patient annually.

A Model of Directorate of Students Welfare Scholarship that integrates Higher Education among the students of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat

Abstract: The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda's flagship programme is the Directorate of Students' Welfare (DSW). It was established by the then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Yogesh Singh, and higher authorities to provide financial aid to the University's economically disadvantaged students. The primary goal of DSW is to provide financial assistance to 'genuine but economically disadvantaged' future assets of the country who are pursuing their studies at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. DSW was established in the academic year 2012-13 with the goal of putting the haves and have-nots on an equal footing. Students who apply for a scholarship must have a family income of less than 3.5 lakh rupees per year and have received 55 percent in their previous year's exam. The online application can be made on the Maharaja Sayajirao University website (https://msubaroda.ac.in/dsw) with all the supporting papers such as Aadhar card, Bank Account details, Electricity bills, and so on. The DSW collaborates with members of its Core Committee and Faculty Coordinators. The Faculty Committee, which consists of the Dean, three professors, the dean of students, and the dean of sports, conducts the initial examination. The core committee then verifies the qualifications and assigns Recommendation, Strongly Recommendation, or Not Recommended ratings based on the students' merits. Each academic year, the committee meets to debate the agenda, make plans, and act in accordance with the Vice Chancellor sir's instructions. Every year, needy and genuine students are discovered through a methodical process that culminates in a personal interview in which the students are asked for personal information and all documents are verified. If during the interview the committee feels the need to go for home visit for further verification. After they are shortlisted, the funds are directly transferred to their bank accounts. For educational year 2020-21 the method was completely online due to Covid situation. Total 2925 students had done registration out of that 2621 application was completed with necessary documents. A total Rs. 90, 40, 490 Lakh has been given to 2004 students this educational year. If we see the data we have helped 1662 Grant in Aid students and 342 Higher payment students as they have received the scholarship. Also gender wise distribution is seen it is 1181 boys and 823 girls were benefitted with DSW scholarship. Keyword: Directorate of Students’ Welfare, Scholarship, Higher Education

Communication of radiation risk from imaging studies: an IAEA-coordinated international survey

The purpose of this IAEA-coordinated international study was to understand aspects related to the communication of radiation risk from imaging studies, such as how often imaging department personnel and referring physicians are asked about radiation risks in diagnostic imaging, who asks about these risks, how often professionals are able to provide satisfactory answers using qualitative metrics and how often quantitative risk estimates are needed. A web-based questionnaire with ten questions was completed by 386 healthcare professionals from 63 countries from all four continents, including clinicians/referring physicians (42.5%), radiologists or nuclear medicine physicians (26.7%), medical physicists (23.1%), radiographers/radiological technologists (6.2%) and others (1.6%). The results indicate that radiation risk-related questions are largely asked by patients (73.1%) and parents of child patients (38.6%), and 78% of the professionals believe they are able to answer those questions using qualitative metrics such as very small/minimal, small, medium rather than number of cancers likely occurring. The vast majority, with over three times higher frequency, indicated the purpose of knowing previous radiological exams as ‘both clinical information and radiation exposure history’ rather than ‘only clinical information’. Nearly two-thirds of the clinicians/referring physicians indicated that knowing the radiation exposure history of the patient will affect their decision-making for the next exam, as against only about one-fifth who said ‘no, it will not affect their decision-making’. The same question, when addressed to radiologists, resulted in a slightly larger fraction of about three-quarters who said ‘yes’, as opposed to a smaller fraction of about 12% who said ‘no, it will not affect their decision-making’. Mapping the present situation of communication of benefits and risks for patients is important and may be the basis of further analysis, regular monitoring and possibly a target for clinical audits. Further studies focused on specific professional groups might help in obtaining á deeper understanding of the need for practical communication tools.

'People like me don't do well at school': The roles of identity compatibility and school context in explaining the socioeconomic attainment gap.

BackgroundSchool students who are eligible for reduced or free school meals (FSM) – an indicator of economic disadvantage – have lower academic attainment than their peers.AimsWe investigated whether identity compatibility – the perceived compatibility between one’s social identities and the stereotype of a high‐achieving student – contributes to this socioeconomic attainment gap, and whether the association between socioeconomic status and identity compatibility is moderated by school context.SampleOur sample was 4,629 students aged 15–16 years old across 29 schools in England.MethodWe assessed students’ perceptions of identity compatibility via self‐report questionnaires 8 months prior to them taking national, standardized exams.ResultsMultilevel regression analyses revealed a negative indirect effect from eligibility for FSM to exam results via identity compatibility. These effects existed even while accounting for students’ gender and language status, other psychological variables known to predict academic attainment, and their previous exam results. Furthermore, school context moderated the relationship between FSM eligibility and identity compatibility. In line with the identities in context model of educational inequalities, there was a significant negative association between FSM and identity compatibility only for students attending schools in which there was previously a relatively large socioeconomic attainment gap.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate the importance of social psychological variables in explaining educational inequalities, and of the local educational context in determining the educational experience of students from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds.

Informing training needs for the revised certified clinical data manager (CCDMTM) exam: analysis of results from the previous exam.

ObjectiveTo inform training needs for the revised Certified Clinical Data Manager (CCDMTM) Exam.IntroductionClinical data managers hold the responsibility for processing the data on which research conclusions and regulatory decisions are based, highlighting the importance of applying effective data management practices. The use of practice standards such as the Good Clinical Data Management Practices increases confidence in data, emphasizing that the study conclusions likely hold much more weight when utilizing standard practices.MethodsA quantitative, descriptive study, and application of classic test theory was undertaken to analyze past data from the CCDMTM Exam to identify potential training needs. Data across 952 sequential exam attempts were pooled for analysis.ResultsCompetency domain-level analysis identified training needs in 4 areas: design tasks; data processing tasks; programming tasks; and coordination and management tasks.ConclusionsAnalysis of past CCDMTM Exam results using classic test theory identified training needs reflective of exam takers. Training in the identified areas could benefit CCDMTM Exam takers and improve their ability to apply effective data management practices. While this may not be reflective of individual or organizational needs, recommendations for assessing individual and organizational training needs are provided.

Clustering, Classification, and Association Rule Mining for Educational Datasets

Understanding students/pupils within the context of school is the focus of the expanding research topic known as educational data mining. Before the adoption of data mining tools in student analysis, it was challenging to identify students who were at risk of failure. However, using educational data mining tools has made it straightforward to examine student performance on previous exams. It helps teachers understand the kind of children they are working with. This knowledge can assist teachers to tailor their lecture notes to each student's needs and help difficult students focus more throughout the class. In this study, 1428 newly admitted student records from a tertiary institution in Nigeria were examined. Decision trees, association rules, and K-means clustering techniques were used to analyze the data. The results showed that arts courses were primarily responsible for lows cores, social science courses for average scores, and the high JAMB scores came from science courses. Additionally, students from the geopolitical zones of the South-East, South-South, and North-East performed better than those from the geopolitical zones of the North-West, North Central, and South-West. The students with the highest JAMB marks were those who offered Physics and had an English score of at least 70. Most males offered Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology while most females offered Economics, Government, CRS, and Literature in English. We highly recommend that Students who did not perform well should be given more attention and extra lessons/classes should be held for them to improve their grades in the various departments they were admitted.

Higher Order Thinking by Setting and Debriefing Tasks in Dutch Geography Lessons.

Tasks are a powerful instrument for geography teachers, as they let students engage with the subject. To advance the cumulative learning of students, teachers have to make sure that students learn how to deal with complex and abstract knowledge structures. In the Netherlands, teachers face a dilemma when it comes to task setting: the intended curriculum aims for a considerable part at (parts of) higher order thinking, whereas the high-stakes exams have a clear focus on the use of thinking strategies. This paper explores the task setting and debriefing of Dutch geography teachers by analyzing twenty-three videotaped lessons in upper secondary education by using the Geography Task Categorization Framework. The results show that Dutch teachers mostly rely on textbooks when setting tasks. The focus lies on reproduction and the use of thinking strategies. Tasks aiming at (parts of) higher order thinking are barely used. Furthermore, teachers use tasks from previous high-stakes exams already used in an early stage of upper secondary education. In the debriefing of tasks, teachers move from simple and concrete to complex and abstract knowledge and vice versa. However, most of these movements aim at simplifying knowledge structures. In the observed lessons, curriculum aims at the level of (parts of) higher order thinking are not achieved. The evaluative rules as set by the high-stakes exams and the type of tasks offered by textbooks seem to be dominant.

Differential diagnosis of pulmonary Sarcoidosis in an elderly patient: case report/ Diagnóstico diferencial de Sarcoidose pulmonar em um paciente idoso: relato de caso

INTRODUCTION: Sarcoidosis is a worldwide disease with a lifetime incidence rate of 0.85–2.4%, generally affecting people between 25 and 40 years of age. The clinical phenotype of sarcoidosis can be extremely diverse in terms of presentation, involved organs, duration and severity, however, pulmonary involvement is present in 86–92% of cases according to chest radiography, alone or in association with locations extrapulmonary in about 50% of cases. PURPOSE: to demonstrate a clinical case, by differential diagnosis, of pulmonary sarcoidosis. METHODOLOGY: this is a clinical case study with a qualitative and descriptive perspective, which consists of research that, in general, takes place with direct data collection, whose researcher is the indispensable instrument. CASE REPORT: elderly patient, who, after admission to the emergency room, had symptoms such as mental confusion, wasting syndrome, with previous imaging exams without alterations. The results of transbronchial biopsy showed foci of fibrosis in the lamina propria and non-caseating epithelioid granulomatous inflammation in the lung parenchyma, as well as negative Baar and fungus tests. From this perspective, the differential diagnosis was found, closing the clinical case for pulmonary sarcoidosis. DISCUSSION: The diversity of the sarcoidosis phenotype is often linked to epidemiological factors and, interestingly, as shown by recent studies, to the genotype. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: sarcoidosis is a frequent but multifaceted disease that still poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Examining the critical role of evaluation and adaptation in self-regulated learning

Researchers and many educators agree that the ability to self-regulate learning is important for academic success. Yet, many students struggle to anticipate learning difficulties and adjust accordingly. Further, despite theorizing that self-regulated learning involves adaptation across learning cycles, few researchers have examined students’ evaluative judgments, their implications for students’ behavior in a subsequent learning cycle, or their effects on achievement. Utilizing data from a large, introductory college biology course, we examined how struggling students’ evaluative judgments made after a first unit exam predicted changes in learning behaviors as well as how those changes predicted performance on a subsequent exam. We used natural language processing to analyze data from a reflective essay written after a first unit exam, identifying language that reflected evaluation of prior studying and plans to adapt learning. Then, we utilized digital traces of learning behaviors to measure students’ actual adaptation of their use of learning resources. Results from a path analysis revealed students’ evaluations predicted how extensively they discussed plans to adapt their learning process. Plans to adapt described in written reflections predicted an increase in the frequency of desirable learning behaviors, which in turn predicted higher subsequent exam scores, after controlling for previous exam performance. These findings provide empirical evidence of multiple theorized self-regulated learning processes, including how evaluations of learning at the end of a learning cycle can inform planning and behavior changes in a subsequent learning cycle, and that increases in the enactment of effective learning strategies predict improved performance in complex learning tasks.