Quick Scoring Research Articles

Development of system for generating questions, answers, distractors using transformers

The goal of this article is to develop a multiple-choice questions generation system that has a number of advantages, including quick scoring, consistent grading, and a short exam period. To overcome this difficulty, we suggest treating the problem of question creation as a sequence-to-sequence learning problem, where a sentence from a text passage can directly mapped to a question. Our approach is data-driven, which eliminates the need for manual rule implementation. This strategy is more effective and gets rid of potential errors that could result from incorrect human input. Our work on question generation, particularly the usage of the transformer model, has been impacted by recent developments in a number of domains, including neural machine translation, generalization, and picture captioning.

Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score Is a Better Predictor of Septic Shock After Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Secondary Analysis of Two Multicenter Prospective Trials.

Introduction: Recent retrospective literature suggests that the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) scoring tool is a potentially superior tool over use of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria to predict septic shock after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) surgery. Here we examine use of qSOFA and SIRS to predict septic shock within data series collected prospectively on PCNL patients as part of a greater study of infectious complications. Materials and Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of two prospective multicenter studies including PCNL patients across nine institutions. Clinical signs informing SIRS and qSOFA scores were collected no later than postoperative day 1. The primary outcome was sensitivity and specificity of SIRS and qSOFA (high-risk score of greater-or-equal to two points) in predicting admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for vasopressor support. Results: A total of 218 cases at 9 institutions were analyzed. One patient required vasopressor support in the ICU. The sensitivity/specificity was 100%/72.4% (McNemar's test p < 0.001) for SIRS and was 100%/90.8% (McNemar's test p < 0.001) for qSOFA. Conclusion: Although positive predictive value for both qSOFA and SIRS in prediction of post-PCNL septic shock is low, prospectively collected data demonstrate use of qSOFA may offer greater specificity than SIRS criteria when predicting post-PCNL septic shock.

Utility of the RIPS Scale and 2CAN Score for In-Hospital Stroke Prediction.

In-hospital strokes are a small but sizeable proportion of all strokes. Identification of in-hospital strokes is confounded by stroke mimics in as many as half of in-patient stroke codes. A quick scoring system based on risk factors and clinical signs during the initial evaluation of a suspected stroke might be helpful to distinguish true strokes from mimics. Two such scoring systems based on ischemic and hemorrhagic risk factors are the risk for in-patient stroke (RIPS) and the 2CAN score. This prospective clinical study was conducted at a quaternary care hospital in Bengaluru, India. All hospitalized patients aged 18 years and above for whom a "stroke code" alert was recorded during the study period of January 2019 to January 2020 were included in the study. A total of 121 in-patient "stroke codes" were documented during the study. Ischemic stroke was the most common etiological diagnosis. A total of 53 patients were diagnosed to have ischemic stroke, 4 had intracerebral hemorrhage, and the rest were mimics. Receiver operative curve analysis was performed and at a cut-off of RIPS ≥3, it predicts stroke with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 73%. At a cut-off of 2CAN ≥3, it predicts stroke with a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 80%. RIPS and 2CAN significantly predicted stroke. There was no difference in the use of either RIPS or 2CAN for differentiating stroke from mimics, and hence they may be used interchangeably. They were statistically significant with good sensitivity and specificity, as a screening tool to determine in-patient stroke.

A Retrospective Study: Quick Scoring of Symptoms to Estimate the Risk of Cardiac Arrest in the Emergency Department.

At present, not enough is known about the symptoms before cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study is to describe the precursor symptoms of cardiac arrest, focusing on the relationship between symptoms and cardiac arrest, and to establish a quick scoring model of symptoms for predicting cardiac arrest. Patients and Methods. A retrospective case-control study was carried out on cardiac arrest patients who visited the emergency department of Peking University Third Hospital from January 2018 to June 2019. Symptoms that occurred or were obviously aggravated within the 14 days before CA were defined as warning symptoms. More than half the cardiac arrest patients experienced warning symptoms within 14 days before cardiac arrest. Dyspnea (p < 0.001) was found to be associated with cardiac arrest; syncope and cold sweat are other symptoms that may have particular clinical significance. Gender (p < 0.001), age (p < 0.001), history of heart failure (p=0.006), chronic kidney disease (p=0.011), and hyperlipidemia (p=0.004) were other factors contributing to our model. Warning symptoms during the 14 days prior to cardiac arrest are common for CA patients. The Quick Scoring Model for Cardiac Arrest (QSM-CA) was developed to help emergency physicians and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel quickly identify patients with a high risk of cardiac arrest.

Science Teachers’ Level of Concern on Dual Language Programme (DLP) in Primary Schools in Sri Aman District

This study aims to identify the Science teachers’ level of concern towards the implementation of Dual Language Programme (DLP) in primary schools in Sri Aman District. Concern Based Adaptation Model (CBAM) is applied as the theoretical framework. Meanwhile, the adapted Stage of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) is used as a research instrument to determine the level of teacher’s concern. A total of 45 Science teachers were selected by using purposive sampling method. Descriptive data analysis was conducted to generate demographic group profiles as well as general profiles of teachers’concerns based on the SoCQ Quick Scoring Device guidelines. The results of the study found both types of profiles; general and demographic, showed high concern for awareness (Stage 0), information (Stagel 1) and personal (Stage 2), whereas, low concern intensity scores for collaboration (Stage 5) and refocusing (Stage 6). Such concern level profiles reflect that teachers show little involvement with, general awareness of and uncertain feeling towards the DLP. The results are important for the stakeholders to provide intervention programmes to support teachers to undergo the curriculum innovation.

Initiating a Validated Pediatric Post-Anesthesia Emergence Delirium Scale in the Pediatric Post-Anesthesia Care Unit

<h3>Introduction</h3> Emergence Delirium(ED) is a frequent occurrence in the pediatric PACU. The PAED scale is a research validated tool that has been shown to help nurses and anesthesiologists recognize and appropriately treat ED. <h3>Identification of the problem</h3> OurPACU was currently not using a measuring tool. After learning about the scales already in place at a national conference, I discussed with the unit manager and she agreed that a PAED scale would be a valuable tool. The anesthesiologist that agreed to be physician support recommended that we carry this out as a research project. <h3>Purpose of the study</h3> The aim of this study is to assess our PACU nurse's current knowledge of delirium, implement education, as well as encourage documentation of the PAED score. The potential benefits of the study include benefiting future pediatric patients and their nurses by improving how our institution approaches pediatric post-anesthesia delirium. <h3>Methods</h3> IRBapproval was obtained. A survey was constructed to measure 2 things: 1) nurses knowledge of PAED pre and post education and implementation of a PAED scale 2) nurses confidence and satisfaction with several aspects of PAED pre and post education and implementation. An invitation email with a link to the online survey was sent to all nurses who worked in the pediatric PACU. Consent was in the email. The prospective participant can elect to participate in the survey or not participate. The consent described the anonymity of the survey by including the statement "Identifiers will be removed and the de-identified information may be used for future research without additional informed consent from the subject." Pre-interventiondata was collected via survey answers. Training for the PAED scale was implemented in concurrence with pediatric emergence delirium training by anesthesia. One month post intervention, the survey was re-sent. A final six-month post intervention survey was repeated. Each survey knowledge question was scored and results were analyzed using the T-test. <h3>Outcomes/Results</h3> A total of 15 PACU nurses participated. 14 responded to the one month survey and 7 responded to the 6 month survey. The most significant increase was knowledge of the PAED scale (↑ 58.3%, p < 0.0001)) as well as knowledge about patient risk factors (↑ 13.3%, p = 0.01) and dispelling common myths surrounding PAED (↑ 14.6%, p = 0.01). It is unclear at this time if the education initiative was ineffective in regards to the other goals of PAED knowledge, or if our pediatric PACU nurses simply pre-possessed much of this knowledge prior to implementation. Nursing confidence and satisfaction also increased with the largest gains being seen in their satisfaction with the tools they have at their disposal (↑28.8%) and the responsiveness of anesthesiologists (↑26.5%). The anesthesiologists were not included in the education sessions; therefore the increase in satisfaction is likely due to either a change in nursing perception or a change in anesthesiologist behavior due to nurses reporting the PAED score. A six-month follow-up survey was distributed to see how these gains change over time. The complete results are pending analysis. <h3>Discussion</h3> ThePAED scale is a research-validated tool that is easy to use to quickly identify and discern if emergence delirium is present. The nursing education initiative and implementation was successful in increasing knowledge of the PAED scale as well as increasing knowledge about patient risk factors and dispelling common myths surrounding PAED. The documentation piece has taken several months to get built as we have 3^rd party vendors to develop most of our screens. Currently we are waiting for the screen to be included in our assessment options. During the study, a verbal reporting of the score was provided to the anesthesia provider. Further studies to determine documentation compliance would be helpful. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The findings have demonstrated that the pediatric PACU nurses are more confident in identifying true ED. Additionally, it showed that they are more aware of the tool used to score delirium and what intervention(s) are the best to implement. <h3>Implications for perianesthesia nurses and future research</h3> The PAED scale chosen for this study promotes quick and easy scoring. Identifying emergence delirium quickly in pediatric patients is crucial to implementing the appropriate intervention(s). Future research desired is to determine if having the parent at bedside before onset of delirium would decrease the intensity and/or longevity of ED.

Tibiotalocalcaneal nailing for osteoporotic ankle fractures in the frail patient: a narrative review with a clinical score proposal for the decision-making process.

Osteoporotic ankle fractures result from mechanical forces that would not ordinarily result in fracture, known as ‘low-energy’ trauma, such as those equivalent to a fall from a standing height or less.Osteoporotic ankle fractures in frail patients are becoming more and more frequent in daily practice and represent a therapeutic challenge for orthopaedic surgeons.The main problems with frail patients are the poor condition of the soft tissues around the ankle, dependence for activities of daily living and high comorbidity.The decision to operate on these patients is complex because conservative treatment is poorly tolerated in unstable fractures and conventional open reduction and internal fixation is associated with a high rate of complications.The authors conducted a narrative review of the literature on primary tibiotalocalcaneal nailing of ankle fractures in frail patients and categorized the different factors to consider when treatment is indicated for this conditon. Difficulty of ambulation, age over 65 years old, deteriorated baseline state and instability of the fracture were the most frequently considered factors.Finally, the authors propose an easy and quick clinical scoring system to help in the decision-making process, although further comparative studies are required to explore its validity.

Evidence-based librarianship (EBL) in e-resources acquisition: How concerned are librarians?

E-resources acquisition is a prevalent topic in the global economic crisis. To ensure the continuity of e-resources, librarians venture into various approaches, including evidence-based librarianship (EBL). This study reports librarians' concerns about EBL implementation during the acquisition process. The Concern-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) tools, including the modified Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) and the Quick Scoring Device, were used to measure the individual librarian stages of concern. The results indicate that the scores for librarians' concerns are at the peak in stage 2 (Self), followed by stage 5 (Collaboration), stage 3 (Management), stage 1 (Informational), and stage 6 (Refocusing), with the lowest score at stage 0 (Unconcern). The findings demonstrate that librarians are more concerned about how EBL implementation could affect themselves (as in Stage 2 (Self)) in performing their tasks as librarians. The results are significant in providing perspectives on individual librarians' sensitivity to EBL implementation as an innovation in their work processes.

Harmless Acute Pancreatitis Negative among Cases of Acute Pancreatitis in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Acute Pancreatitis is a common disease, diagnosed in about 3% of cases presenting with abdominal pain. Severe disease with multiple systemic complications develops in 10-20% of the cases which require intensive care in specialized centres. Harmless acute pancreatitis score is a simple and economical score predicting the non-severe course of disease within 30 minutes of admission. The aim of our study was to find the prevalence of harmless (harmless acute pancreatitis) among cases of acute pancreatitis in a tertiary care centre. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted after obtaining the ethical approval (Reference no. 344/2076/77). The study was carried out from September 2019 to February 2020 taking 50 patients with the first attack of acute pancreatitis. Convenient sampling was done. Harmless acute pancreatitis score prediction of severe disease and final outcome as severe or non-severe was noted with predefined severity criteria. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and results represented in tables and charts. Point estimate at 95% was done and frequency and percentage were calculated. Out of 50 patients with first attack of acute pancreatitis, using the harmless acute pancreatitis score, the prevalence of harmless acute pancreatitis was 22 (56%) (44.45-67.5 at 90% Confidence Interval). The harmless acute pancreatitis score is an easy, less expensive, quick and promising early scoring system for prediction of non-severe courses of acute pancreatitis. The prevalence of harmless (harmless acute pancreatitis) among cases of acute pancreatitis was found to be similar toother studies.

Correlation of ER & PR with proto-oncogene & grades of invasive duct carcinoma

Background & Methods: The present study entitled “Correlation of ER & PR with proto-oncogene & grades of invasive duct carcinoma” was conducted in Dept. of Pathology, at SRMSIMS, Bareilly. Result: The quick scoring of ER & PR is combination of proportion and intensity scoring. Out of 56 cases, 24 cases (42.85%) were ER negative & 22 cases (39.28%) were PR negative while both were negative in 18 cases (32.14%). There was a significant relationship between tumour grading & receptor status. As the grade of tumour increases ER & PR positivity decreases. Most of the tumour of grade 01 were both ER & PR positive. Here the value of (p<0.05) for both ER & PR which is significant. Study Designed: Observational Study Conclusion: For all invasive carcinomas, hormone receptor status is also studied using immunoperoxidase method and Quick scoring was done. Hormone receptor status was also correlated with other tumor characteristics as histological grading. Both ER & PR positive immune staining was observed in 71.42% cases of grade I, 64.10%casesof grade II were positive for ER & 25% were positive for PR and20% cases of grade III were found positive for ER & 10% was found positive for PR. Keywords: ER & PR, Pro-oncogene & Carcinoma.

To study ductal carcinoma breast with histopathological grades of Nottingham score

Background & Methods : This case study was prospective and retrospective. Prospective cases were selected from the patients admitted for surgery of invasive ductal carcinoma breast in Medical College Hospital. As regards retrospective cases, they were obtained from the histopathological records obtained from Pathology department of SRMS-IMS, Bareilly. Result: Out of 56 cases, 52 cases (92.85%) had undergone modified radical mastectomy under which whole breast tissue including axillary tail, nipple, surrounding skin were excised. In 2 cases (3.57%) radical mastectomy was done under which besides pectoralis muscles was also excised. In 2 cases (3.57%) core biopsies from breast were taken. The quick scoring of ER & PR is combination of proportion and intensity scoring. Out of 56 cases, 24 cases (42.85%) were ER negative & 22 cases (39.28%) were PR negative while both were negative in 18 cases (32.14%). Study Designed: Observational Study Conclusion: For all invasive carcinomas, hormone receptor status is also studied using immunoperoxidase method and Quick scoring was done. The Quick score for ER was 0 in 42.85% (24/56) cases and for PR was0 in 39.28% (22/56) cases, indicating no hormone expression in majority. Keywords: Carcinoma Breast Histopathological & Nottingham score.

MANAGEMENT OF INTRAARTICULAR FRACTURE OF THE BASE OF THE FIRST METACARPAL BONE BY DYNAMIC EXTERNAL FIXATOR

Background: Fractures of the hand are common injuries and in particular, fractures involving the articular surfaces can present difficulties to the orthopedic surgeon in practice. Objective: To assess how to surgically manage intra-articular fracture of the base of the first metacarpal bone by Dynamic K-wire External Fixator. Subjects and methods: This was a non-randomized clinical trial carried out at Al-Azhar University Hospitals on 10 patients, during the period from March 2018 till May 2020. Results: The mean time before operation was 9.5±5, Blunt trauma was most common type of trauma with a percent of 60%.The mean operative time (minutes) was 40.1 ±2 with range of (30-45) minutes and mean time for k wire removal was 28.1 ±5 with range of (15-41).There was significant improvement of Quick DASH functional scoring. There was high significant improvement of range of motion. There is significant difference between the normal and operated side as regard range of motion. Regarding complications, 10% of cases had post-operative pain which continued whole period of follow up, 0% had secondary arthrosis, 10% had superficial pin tract infection and 0% had valgus deformity. Conclusion: Closed reduction and external fixation can be effective and safe treatments for unstable fractures at the base of the first metacarpal. Such external fixation structures were simple and versatile and able to simultaneously achieve effects such as meeting the retractor, adjusting the angulation, and shortening the displacement, especially for local wounds.

MANAGEMENT OF INTRAARTICULAR FRACTURE OF THE BASE OF THE FIRST METACARPAL BONE BY DYNAMIC EXTERNAL FIXATOR

Background: Fractures of the hand are common injuries and in particular, fractures involving the articular surfaces can present difficulties to the orthopedic surgeon in practice. Objective: To assess how to surgically manage intra-articular fracture of the base of the first metacarpal bone by Dynamic K-wire External Fixator. Subjects and methods: This was a non-randomized clinical trial carried out at Al-Azhar University Hospitals on 10 patients, during the period from March 2018 till May 2020. Results: The mean time before operation was 9.5±5, Blunt trauma was most common type of trauma with a percent of 60%.The mean operative time (minutes) was 40.1 ±2 with range of (30-45) minutes and mean time for k wire removal was 28.1 ±5 with range of (15-41).There was significant improvement of Quick DASH functional scoring. There was high significant improvement of range of motion. There is significant difference between the normal and operated side as regard range of motion. Regarding complications, 10% of cases had post-operative pain which continued whole period of follow up, 0% had secondary arthrosis, 10% had superficial pin tract infection and 0% had valgus deformity. Conclusion: Closed reduction and external fixation can be effective and safe treatments for unstable fractures at the base of the first metacarpal. Such external fixation structures were simple and versatile and able to simultaneously achieve effects such as meeting the retractor, adjusting the angulation, and shortening the displacement, especially for local wounds.

Comparison of BISAP and Ranson’s score for predicting severe acute pancreatitis and establish the validity of BISAP score

Background: Pancreatitis can lead to serious complications with severe morbidity and mortality. So an early, quick and accurate scoring system is necessary to stratify the patients according to their severity so as to enable early initiation of required management and care. Scoring system commonly used have some drawbacks. This study aimed to compare bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) and Ranson’s score to predict severe acute pancreatitis and establish the validity of a simple and accurate clinical scoring system for stratifying patients.Methods: This is a prospective comparative study on 100 patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis admitted in department of general surgery. Parameters included in the BISAP and Ranson’s criteria were studied at the time of admission and after 48 hours. Result of these two were compared with that of revised Atlanta classification.Results: As per the BISAP score, the sensitivity and specificity were 95.8 % (95% CI, 76.8-99.8), 94.7 % (95% CI, 86.3-98.3) whereas positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio 18.21 (95% CI, 6.9-47.44), 0.04 (95% CI, 0.01-0.30) and accuracy was 95 % (95% CI, 88.72%-98.36%). On using Ranson’s score, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.6 (95% CI, 71.5-98.5) and 89.4 (95% CI, 79.8-95) with a positive predictive value 8.71 (95% CI, 4.47-18.96) and negative predictive value of 0.09 (95% CI, 0.02-0.35) and accuracy of 90% (95% CI, 82.38%-95.10%)..Conclusions: BISAP score outperformed Ranson’s score in terms of Sensitivity and specificity of prediction of severe pancreatitis. The authors recommend inclusion of BISAP Scoring system in standard treatment protocol of management of acute pancreatitis.

Comparison of affinity ranking using AutoDock-GPU and MM-GBSA scores for BACE-1 inhibitors in the D3R Grand Challenge 4.

Molecular docking has been successfully used in computer-aided molecular design projects for the identification of ligand poses within protein binding sites. However, relying on docking scores to rank different ligands with respect to their experimental affinities might not be sufficient. It is believed that the binding scores calculated using molecular mechanics combined with the Poisson-Boltzman surface area (MM-PBSA) or generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) can predict binding affinitiesmore accurately. In this perspective, we decided to take part in Stage 2 of the Drug Design Data Resource (D3R) Grand Challenge 4 (GC4) to compare the performance of a quick scoring function, AutoDock4, to that of MM-GBSA in predicting the binding affinities of a set of [Formula: see text]-Amyloid Cleaving Enzyme 1 (BACE-1) ligands. Our results show that re-scoring docking poses using MM-GBSA did not improve the correlation with experimental affinities. We further did a retrospective analysis of the results and found that our MM-GBSA protocol is sensitive to details in the protein-ligand system: (i) neutral ligands are more adapted to MM-GBSA calculations than charged ligands, (ii) predicted binding affinities depend on the initial conformation of the BACE-1 receptor, (iii) protonating the aspartyl dyad of BACE-1 correctly results in more accurate binding affinity predictions.

“I USE MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTION IN MOST ASSESSMENT I PREPARED”: EFL TEACHERS’ VOICE ON SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

The study aimed at investigating Senior High School English teachers’ views on the drawbacks and the strengths of the employement of Multicple Choice Question as a summative assessment. Rooting within qualitative research paradigm, the current study employed descriptive qualitative design. The data were collected through in-depth interview with three experienced EFL teachers of a prominent state senior high school in Banjar, West Java. The results of the interview indicated that there are three strengths in using Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) as a summative assessment. These strengths included teachers’ view that MCQ could result in quick and easy scoring, facilitate the assessment of varied language skills and encourage the students to answer the question carefully. Additionally, there were three drwabacks in using MCQ as a summative assessment such as teachers’ view that MCQ could only facilitate on low order of critical thinking, have low positive washback and require a lot of time in its designing phase. Interestingly, two out of three participants thought that MCQ has been a mandatory type of summative assessment suggested by the government. However, in fact, there has been no government policy which recommend certain type of summative assessment. Therefore, looking at the strengths and drawbacks of the use of MCQ could help to be better informed before deciding to use MCQ as a summative assessment.

Computer-based peer assessment as a part of learning process

This study aimed to develop prototype of computer based peer assessment application. This application is used for learning assessment which involves the students in learning process, either individually or in group. This study was research and development (R&amp;D) model which adopted 4D model (Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate). Prototype of this application was developed by utilizing internet media (online). The users of this system are lectures and students. In this application, the lecturers has roles to design the scoring rubrics, give the tasks, and assess the students’ tasks. The students had roles to submit the tasks, and assess their pairs. Every kind of scoring rubrics can be implemented in some subject matters which have same characteristics (sharing rubrics). This application is expected to produce transparent, quick, correct, and accurate scoring. It is also efficient for lecturers in students assessment. The online-based application design will make this application become an electronic assessment which can be accessed whenever and wherever.

A Comparison of Rubrics and Graded Category Rating Scales with Various Methods Regarding Raters’ Reliability

The measurement of psychological attributes can be performed in two ways. One is to give examinees a number of stimuli (questions) assumed to stimulate the psychological attribute in focus; in this case, examinees respond to predetermined standard response categories depending on the magnitude of the attribute in themselves. This method, called direct self-report, simply covers tests in which examinees choose the correct answer from options available to them. In indirect selfreport, examinees are similarly provided with a stimulus, but they are not offered standard response categories - they can create responses themselves (Erkuc, 2012). Examples of indirect self-report include open-ended questions and performance tasks which aim at measuring skills such as writing, critical thinking and creativity, where responses are structured by examinees themselves.In tests which require examinees to select the correct answer, scoring can be carried out by scoring a correct answer as 1 and an incorrect answer as 0. In other words, there is no degree of correct answers. This is a condition that increases objectivity and reliability in scoring. However, as regards tests in which responses are constructed by examinees themselves, answers close to the correct answer are likely, as well as the correct answer. This situation adversely affects objectivity and reliability in scoring. In order to overcome the adverse effect, graded-category rating scales and rubrics are widely used for the scoring of such tools (Haladyna, 1997; Jonsson & Svingby, 2007; Rezaei & Lovorn, 2010).Graded-Category Rating ScalesGraded-Category Rating Scales (GCRSs) are scoring tools containing the criteria regarding properties intended to be measured in student work along with success levels regarding these criteria. GCRSs offer dimensions for scoring and the range of scoring regarding student work (Haladyna, 1997). In this way, differentiation of the scores assigned by the raters can be prevented to a certain degree. However, since performance levels of success pertaining to the criterion are not defined, success measured as three points by one rater may be measured as two points by another. This situation can be considered as a major weakness of GCRSs. Conversely, their biggest advantage is their ease of preparation and quick scoring (Haladyna, 1997).RubricsRubrics are scoring tools used to define the criteria against which student work is evaluated, and the level to which their performance corresponds (Goodrich, 1996). The most distinctive aspect of rubrics in comparison to GCRSs is that they provide performance definition of each criterion for different levels of success. In other words, rubrics contain separate definitions made for each performance level regarding the criteria. In this context, rubrics have the advantage of giving feedback for students while enhancing objectivity in scoring for teachers. This ultimately contributes to a more standardized and objective determination, not varying from rater to rater.Rubrics can be prepared for a certain scope (task-specific rubric). They can also be developed in order to score general skills such as writing and communication (generic rubric). In addition to these, there are two types of rubrics based on the structure of the tool (Haladyna, 1997). The first of these is the holistic rubric. In holistic rubrics, one single point is given to the student's entire performance and descriptions are available for all performance levels. Such rubrics are used in situations where small mistakes in student performance can be ignored and focus is placed on the whole performance (Arter & McTighe, 2001; Kutlu, Dogan, & Karakaya, 2010). The other type is the analytical rubric. Used more widely, the analytical rubric is a scoring tool that provides information about the achievement levels of student performance in various dimensions. Thus, it can provide a profile of the strengths and weaknesses of students in a certain area (Gronlund, 1998). …

Immunohistochemical Staining of Estrogen Receptor and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 in Carcinoma Breast in Bangladeshi Women

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among women. Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2/ neu) status are used as an important prognostic marker for breast cancer.Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate ER and Her-2 in breast carcinoma among Bangladeshi women and to co-relate with other prognostic parameters.Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in a tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh during the period of January 2010 to December 2011. Total 100 histologically proved breast carcinoma cases were included in the study. Immunostaining for ER and Her-2/neu were carried out. Quick scoring of ER and expression of Her-2/neu were correlated with histomorphological parameters.Results: Among 100 cases 93 were ductal carcinoma and 07 were non ductal. Among all, 38% show ER positive (score- 3-8) while 62% are ER negative (score 0-2). Her-2/neu was over expressed in 30%, 22% were borderline and 48% were negative. There were inverse relationship between ER positivity and Her-2/neu overexpression. ER positivity was related with lower histological grade, while Her-2/neu overexpression was related with higher histological grade.Conclusions: ER positivity in Breast carcinoma patients in Bangladesh is lower in comparison to western literature while Her-2/neu overexpression rate is quite high like other Asian countries.Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.11(1) 2015: 7-13

A Quick Phenotypic Neurological Scoring System for Evaluating Disease Progression in the SOD1-G93A Mouse Model of ALS.

The SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse is the most widely used animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). At ALS TDI we developed a phenotypic screening protocol, demonstrated in video herein, which reliably assesses the neuromuscular function of SOD1-G93A mice in a quick manner. This protocol encompasses a simple neurological scoring system (NeuroScore) designed to assess hindlimb function. NeuroScore is focused on hindlimb function because hindlimb deficits are the earliest reported neurological sign of disease in SOD1-G93A mice. The protocol developed by ALS TDI provides an unbiased assessment of onset of paresis (slight or partial paralysis), progression and severity of paralysis and it is sensitive enough to identify drug-induced changes in disease progression. In this report, the combination of a detailed manuscript with video minimizes scoring ambiguities and inter-experimenter variability thus allowing for the protocol to be adopted by other laboratories and enabling comparisons between studies taking place at different settings. We believe that this video protocol can serve as an excellent training tool for present and future ALS researchers.