Relevant Course Research Articles

A Computer Assisted Decision Support System for Education Planning

The advances in technology are eliminating the demand for certain occupations and creating new opportunities. Thus, the universities, teachers, and students have to collaboratively work together to restructure their departments, course offerings, and course contents. Failure to realize the aforementioned initiatives may lead to a loss of quality and competitiveness. This study proposes a decision support system capable of maintaining the quality and competitiveness of the departments and the course offerings. The proposed system consists of three stages. The first stage is the data collection stage. At this stage, data are collected from the internet using web scraping methods. In the second stage, the collected data are turned into meaningful and processable information by natural language processing methods. In the third stage, the alternatives are ranked using multi-criteria decision-making methods. The proposed decision support system provides useful information to several educational stakeholders. First, universities are informed on which departments to create or close as well as the relevant course offerings. Second, information are provided to the teachers to create new courses or shape the course contents. Finally, students are better informed on how to go about choosing the universities, departments, courses, or career paths to pursue. The applicability and reliability of the proposed decision support system were experimentally proven through the use of computer engineering-related job postings and course contents of the universities in Turkey.

The Effect of Sodium Iodide on Stromal Loading, Distribution and Degradation of Riboflavin in a Rabbit Model of Transepithelial Corneal Crosslinking.

PurposeTo evaluate effects of sodium iodide (NaI) on riboflavin concentration in corneal stroma before and during ultraviolet A (UVA) light exposure using a novel transepithelial corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) procedure (EpiSmart CXL system, CXL Ophthalmics, Encinitas CA).MethodsRiboflavin solutions with NaI (Ribostat, CXL Ophthalmics, Encinitas CA) and without NaI were used for CXL in rabbits using EpiSmart. A pilot study determined sufficient riboflavin loading time. Four rabbits were dosed and monitored. Riboflavin fluorescence intensity was assessed from masked slit-lamp photos. A 12 min loading time was selected. Sixteen additional rabbits received the two formulae in contralateral eyes for CXL. Riboflavin uptake was assessed at 0, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 min of UVA exposure using a scale for riboflavin fluorescence previously validated against stromal concentration. Post sacrifice, corneal stromal samples were analyzed for concentrations of riboflavin and riboflavin 5ʹ-phosphate.ResultsEyes dosed with NaI riboflavin had higher riboflavin grades compared to eyes dosed with the NaI-free riboflavin formulation immediately after riboflavin loading and persisting throughout UVA exposure, with significantly higher (P < 0.01 to < 0.05) riboflavin grades from 15 through 25 min of UVA exposure. Riboflavin grades decreased more slowly in eyes dosed with NaI riboflavin through 25 minutes of UVA exposure. Minor conjunctival irritation was noted with or without NaI.ConclusionThe addition of NaI to riboflavin solution is associated with increased riboflavin concentration in corneal stroma throughout a clinically relevant time course of UVA exposure. This effect may be a combination of enhanced epithelial penetration and reduced riboflavin photodegradation and should enhance intrastromal crosslinking.

The role of emergency department computed tomography in early acute pancreatitis.

Computed tomography (CT) is often ordered for patients in whom the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (AP) has already been established via elevated lipase levels and typical abdominal pain. We investigated whether early CT imaging performed in the ED altered the diagnosis or management. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients presenting to a large, academic ED between the years 2013-2015 with AP who received CT imaging. Relevant history, laboratory, imaging data, and hospital course were abstracted from the medical record and analyzed by three independent reviewers, with 100% agreement among reviewers on 30 randomly selected cases. The primary outcome was whether the CT led to a change in diagnosis or management above and beyond the ultrasound. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine association between predictor variables and outcomes. The electronic health record query yielded 458 patients. Of those, 174 met the American College of Gastroenterology criteria for AP and were included in the study. 145 patients (83%) had abdominal CT during their hospital course, 125 (86%) of which were performed in the ED. Of these 145 patients, 57 (39%) had imaging evidence of AP. 107 patients had abdominal ultrasound (US) during their hospital course. Of 84 patients who had both CT and US, 31 (37%) patients were diagnosed with gallstones by US versus 19 (23%) by CT. Biliary dilation/obstruction was diagnosed by US in 5 (6%) patients versus 4 (5%) by CT. CT led to the correct diagnosis or change in management in 21 (14.5%) patients. Early CT may alter the diagnosis or management in up to 15% of patients presenting to the ED with AP, especially older patients with prior episodes of pancreatitis and biliary interventions, however abdominal US may be a more sensitive screening study for biliary etiologies and thereby better direct further management.

Uncertainty in fertility intentions from a life course perspective: Which life course markers matter?

Objective: The aim of this study is to extend our knowledge about uncertainty in fertility intentions from a life course perspective. We want to find out if life course markers such as economic circumstances, relationship status, family size, and the so-called “biological clock” (getting older) influence uncertainty in fertility intentions. Uncertainty in fertility intentions is the state in which individuals are not sure whether they will have (more) children.&#x0D; Background: Determining what drives uncertainty in fertility intentions may lead to a better understanding of fertility decision-making and its outcomes.&#x0D; Method: We use German panel data (German Family Panel, pairfam) for three birth cohorts (1971-73, 1981-83, 1991-93), and employ multinomial fixed-effects logit models as well as bivariate analyses based on waves 1 to 11.&#x0D; Results: Uncertainty in fertility intentions is volatile across an individual’s life course, serving as a transitional phase between certainly intending and not intending to have any (more) children. Approaching the end of the reproductive life span (getting older), separating from a partner, having two or more children, and, for men, subjective economic fears increase the odds of being uncertain.&#x0D; Conclusion: By showing that uncertainty in fertility intentions is a volatile concept and that relevant life course markers shape this volatility, we provide new insights into the process of fertility decision-making.

Arquivologia e educação

Este trabalho objetivou apresentar um panorama das interlocuções entre a Arquivologia e a Educação, a partir de múltiplas abordagens a serem exploradas como: difusão, ações educativas, serviço educativo em arquivos, Educação Patrimonial e iniciativas que partem das universidades via projetos de extensão, grupos de pesquisa, disciplina e eventos. Consideramos relevante, inicialmente apresentar esse panorama por evidenciar as possibilidades de temas e ações que podem advir do diálogo entre os campos de conhecimento, além de demonstrar que o entrecruzamento entre esses campos vem se desenvolvendo ao longo do tempo. Posteriormente abordamos o arquivo escolar como um eixo relevante dessa aproximação, a partir de alguns aspectos como uma contextualização da sua construção enquanto objeto de estudo e as suas possibilidades e usos. Consideramos que a aproximação entre as áreas proporciona uma compreensão multidimensional dos arquivos como instrumentos não apenas direcionados a atender demandas legais, comprobatórias, administrativas e funcionais, mas também funções educativas, históricas e culturais. Além de que, defendemos que tanto nas escolas quanto nas instituições arquivísticas podemos empreender esforços no sentido de potencializar os usos dos arquivos com fins educativos, tornando-os visíveis para serem utilizados enquanto instrumentos favoráveis nos processos de ensino e aprendizagem, com destaque à metodologia da educação patrimonial.

A Functionally Distinct CXCR3+/IFN-γ+/IL-10+ Subset Defines Disease-Suppressive Myelin-Specific CD8 T Cells.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the CNS. We have previously demonstrated that CNS-specific CD8 T cells possess a disease-suppressive function in MS and variations of its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), including the highly clinically relevant relapsing-remitting EAE disease course. Regulatory CD8 T cell subsets have been identified in EAE and other autoimmune diseases, but studies vary in defining phenotypic properties of these cells. In relapsing-remitting EAE, PLP178-191 CD8 T cells suppress disease, whereas PLP139-151 CD8 T cells lack this function. In this study, we used this model to delineate the unique phenotypic properties of CNS-specific regulatory PLP178-191 CD8 T cells versus nonregulatory PLP139-151 or OVA323-339 CD8 T cells. Using multiparametric flow cytometric analyses of phenotypic marker expression, we identified a CXCR3+ subpopulation among activated regulatory CD8 T cells, relative to nonregulatory counterparts. This subset exhibited increased degranulation and IFN-γ and IL-10 coproduction. A similar subset was also identified in C57BL/6 mice within autoregulatory PLP178-191 CD8 T cells but not within nonregulatory OVA323-339 CD8 T cells. This disease-suppressing CD8 T cell subpopulation provides better insights into functional regulatory mechanisms, and targeted enhancement of this subset could represent a novel immunotherapeutic approach for MS.

CREATIVE PATH OF THE OUTSTANDING ARTIST ANATOLIY HAIDENKO

CREATIVE PATH OF THE OUTSTANDING ARTIST ANATOLIY HAIDENKO

In situ evaluation of spatiotemporal distribution of doxorubicin from Drug-eluting Beads in a tissue mimicking phantom

Understanding the intra-tumoral distribution of chemotherapeutic drugs is extremely important in predicting therapeutic outcome. Tissue mimicking gel phantoms are useful for studying drug distribution in vitro but quantifying distribution is laborious due to the need to section phantoms over the relevant time course and individually quantify drug elution. In this study we compare a bespoke version of the traditional phantom sectioning approach, with a novel confocal microscopy technique that enables dynamic in situ measurements of drug concentration. Release of doxorubicin from Drug-eluting Embolization Beads (DEBs) was measured in phantoms composed of alginate and agarose over comparable time intervals. Drug release from several different types of bead were measured. The non-radiopaque DC Bead™ generated a higher concentration at the boundary between the beads and the phantom and larger drug penetration distance within the release period, compared with the radiopaque DC Bead LUMI™. This is likely due to the difference of compositional and structural characteristics of the hydrogel beads interacting differently with the loaded drug. Comparison of in vitro results against historical in vivo data show good agreement in terms of drug penetration, when confounding factors such as geometry, elimination and bead chemistry were accounted for. Hence these methods have demonstrated potential for both bead and gel phantom validation, and provide opportunities for optimisation of bead design and embolization protocols through in vitro-in vivo comparison.

Emergency Cricothyrotomy: A 10-Year Single Institution Experience.

With recent technological advances reducing the demand for emergent surgical airway placement, surgeons are less often performing this life-saving procedure. We sought to assess the characteristics and outcomes surrounding patients undergoing modern emergent cricothyrotomy. A retrospective case series was performed between January 2010 and January 2020 at a single tertiary academic level 1 trauma center. Patients who underwent tracheostomy (CPT 31600, 31601) within 48 hours of admission or listed in the trauma registry were queried. Charts were individually reviewed to identify patients with cricothyrotomy. Demographic, operative and relevant hospital course data were collected. A total of 1642 patients were identified with 12 of those found to have met inclusion criteria. The population was mostly male (91.7%) with an average age of 43 years and average body mass index of 30. Survival rate of patients was 75%. A total of 7 patients (58%) had appropriate anatomical placement of cricothyrotomy. Of those patients, 75% were performed by Trauma Surgery. Of the 5 patients with misplaced cricothyrotomy, all were male, with an average age and body mass index of 36 years and 25, respectively. Procedures were performed by prehospital personnel (20%), referring hospital (20%), and Trauma Surgery (60%). Cricothyrotomy remains a vital tool in the successful management of emergent airway access. The most common complication observed was improper anatomical placement, which occurred in nearly half of patients. Trauma surgeons perform 75% of cricothyrotomies, with an anatomical accuracy rate of 66.7%.

Prediction of degree student achievement analysis

Accurately estimating student upcoming achievement based on their going on educational records is critical for successfully bringing out needful pedagogical to guarantee student on time acceptable graduation. There has been ample of literature survey done on estimating in student achievement analysis, it has been faced certain problems while collecting the student data such as Student having low financial background selected course, Some courses give less detail which leads to formulating imprecise decisions and student upcoming scores should be included. In this proposed system, a machine learning function is build to estimate student achievement in graduation programs to eliminate above challenges. In this proposed system, for estimating student achievement a Logistic Regression and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XgBoost) algorithm are used. The data is collected from various junior college with computer science course as elective dataset of India to estimate student’s achievement for selecting a relevant course.

Association of Non–High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Measured in Adolescence, Young Adulthood, and Mid-Adulthood With Coronary Artery Calcification Measured in Mid-Adulthood

Elevated non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) is associated with the presence of coronary artery calcification (CAC), a marker of heart disease in adulthood. However, the relative importance of non-HDL-C levels at specific life stages for CAC remains unclear. To identify the relative association of non-HDL-C measured at distinct life stages (adolescence, young adulthood, mid-adulthood) with the presence of CAC measured in mid-adulthood. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study is a population-based prospective cohort study that started in 1980 with follow-up over 28 years. Participants from 3 population centers (Kuopio, Tampere, and Turku in Finland) represent a convenience sample drawn from the 3 oldest cohorts at baseline (aged 12-18 years in 1980). Data were collected from September 1980 to August 2008. Analysis began February 2020. Non-HDL-C levels were measured at 3 life stages including adolescence (aged 12-18 years), young adulthood (aged 21-30 years), and mid-adulthood (aged 33-45 years). In 2008, CAC was determined from computed tomography and dichotomized as 0 (no CAC, Agatston score = 0) and 1 (presence of CAC, Agatston score ≥1) for analysis. Using a bayesian relevant life course exposure model, the relative association was determined between non-HDL-C at each life stage and the presence of CAC in mid-adulthood. Of 589 participants, 327 (56%) were female. In a model adjusted for year of birth, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, blood glucose level, smoking status, lipid-lowering and antihypertensive medication use, and family history of heart disease, cumulative exposure to non-HDL-C across all life stages was associated with CAC (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; 95% credible interval [CrI], 1.14-1.92). At each life stage, non-HDL-C was associated with CAC and exposure to non-HDL-C during adolescence had the strongest association (adolescence: OR, 1.16; 95% CrI, 1.01-1.46; young adulthood: OR, 1.14; 95% CrI, 1.01-1.43; mid-adulthood: OR, 1.12; 95% CrI, 1.01-1.34). These data suggest that elevated non-HDL-C levels at all life stages are associated with coronary atherosclerosis in mid-adulthood. However, adolescent non-HDL-C levels showed the strongest association with the presence of CAC in mid-adulthood, and greater awareness of the importance of elevated non-HDL-C in adolescence is needed.

Examining the Use and Awareness of Educational Blogs among University Students

Blogs are widely used in education since their emergence particularly in higher education. This research study investigated the use of educational blogs by students at university level. 100 male and female university students were the sample of this study. Data was collected through a questionnaire and focused group discussions. Descriptive statistics i.e., frequency and percentages, were calculated for the analysis of quantitative data and the qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The results of the study indicated that students used blogs to get educational ideas and communicate with other people. They used educational blogs and commented on relevant course related posts. In this way, students get knowledge of different subjects through blogs. Students and teachers also used educational blogs to get to know each other better by visiting and reading blogs. Educational blogs help teachers to teach and students to learn. It is suggested that at university and college level there should be workshops and awareness programs for the use of modern technology into education. Teachers should offer blogs related courses at university and college levels. This study also creates awareness among university students about the use of blogs for educational purposes.

Supporting decision-making in upper-level chemical engineering laboratories

We redesigned the upper-level chemical engineering laboratory sequence at Stanford University to shift the focus from learning various analytic techniques, to having students learn to make the same decisions that an expert experimentalist makes in the laboratory. Each course in the two-course sequence had different levels of structure and available agency to scaffold the decision-making process for students in a way that would help them practice making the relevant decisions. In the first lab course, students were given targeted feedback as they made a limited set of experimentation decisions, such as deciding how much data to collect or how to control variables, for a predefined experimental question. In the second lab course, students were given the opportunity to make almost all of the same decisions an expert experimentalist would conducting their research, including choosing a research question. We found that students tended to make more decisions per week in the second lab course than in the first, partly because some decisions, such as whether an experiment was feasible, were made for the students in the first lab. In the projects in the second lab course, we found substantial variations in the temporal patterns of student decision-making between groups, but the variation in decision-making did not seem to be correlated with the type of research question students chose to explore. Student testimonials suggest that the first lab course laid the groundwork for students to be successful in the more open-ended projects in the second course. These results motivate future research that systematically varies the amount of agency afforded to students to understand the role of other variables, such as relevant course preparation or prior research experiences, in learning to make expert-level decisions during experimentation.

A comparison of learning outcomes from two poverty simulation experiences.

Five nationally representative U.S. federal data sources consistently showed the link between poverty and poor health outcomes. To determine the modality effective in teaching students about poverty and health, this study compared the attitudes toward poverty of students participating in the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) and the poverty table-top simulation (Dwell™). In this quasi-experimental study, undergraduate and graduate nursing students and physical therapy students participated in either CAPS or a table-top simulation (TTS) depending on their semester of enrollment in the relevant course. The Undergraduate Perception of Poverty Tracking Survey (UPPTS) was administered before and after each simulation. The analysis included 118 matched pairs. Using MANOVA tests, the authors found no group difference in the overall change of attitude after the simulations (p=.232). However, by the subscale analyses, TTS significantly increased students' willingness to help (p=.008, η2 =0.058) and their empathy toward those living in poverty (p=.039, η2 =0.039). TTS participants had more elements of improvement, but both modalities were found to change participants' attitudes.

Using related Legal Systems to secure the Execution of just Satisfaction awarded by the ECtHR

The present article hopes to initiate a discussion concerning alternative methods through which applicants themselves can ensure that recalcitrant respondent States comply with their obligations to execute the judgments of the ECtHR. This may be done by mobilising related legal systems towards this end. This paper focuses on the 'just satisfaction' element of the judgment and examines one possible avenue through which applicants themselves can secure their payment. The relevant course of action has two elements: (i) securing the recognition of the ECtHR's order to pay within the national legal order of a non-respondent High Contracting Party to the Convention and requesting that the relevant national court issue a third-party debt order against the European Commission and (ii) securing the waiver of the European Commission's immunity.

Design of signal and system virtual teaching course platform based on LabVIEW

"Signals and Systems" is the core professional course of electronic information majors. Aiming at its characteristics of strong theory, abstract content, and high memory requirements, a virtual teaching platform based on LabVIEW is designed to strengthen students' understanding of this course It is of great significance to reduce the difficulty of students' learning, improve students' learning efficiency, and stimulate students' interest in learning. At the same time, with the synchronous teaching of relevant course experiments, it can greatly reduce the difficulty of teachers' teaching and improve the quality of teaching.

Development of Oral Communicative Competence: A Teachers’ Perspective

This study was an attempt to determine the point to which the English language textbook, “English for Class 8” prescribed by the Punjab Textbook Board fulfills the learners ‘language learning needs of English as foreign language in Pakistan. The study aimed to explore as to what degree the suggested textbook increases the likelihood of learning the language and the diligent effort to development oral communicative competence (OCC) among the target learners. A quantitative approach enabled the researcher to comprehensively answer the research question. The results indicate that the relevant course book fails to facilitate the target learners to acquire English as foreign language to enable them to use the language for communicative purposes. The tasks presented in the textbook, do not focus on sociolinguistic and extended verbal expression in speech of the target language. By including tasks that challenge the learners to engage themselves in producing meaningful utterances, the present English language textbook can become even better a tool to develop speech proficiency.&#x0D;

Survei Penggunaan Uji Statistik dalam Penelitian Tugas Akhir Mahasiswa dengan Topik Ergonomi di Prodi Teknik Industri Unika Atma Jaya Jakarta

This study presented a survey results of the statistical tools used by undergraduate university students in Department of Industrial Engineering,Faculty of Engineering, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia. A number of 26 reports of students’ final project from 2018-2020 was identified and studied. A checksheet form was developed to record the 14 statistical tools used by students consists of descriptive statistics (2 items), inference statistics (10 items), multivariate (1 item) and statistical package used (1 item). The data were analyzed for its frequency and percentage. Results showed that all reports used descriptive statistics to present participant’s demography of their research, as well as the summary of statistics. For inference statistics, the students used a variety of normality test, 2 t-test, anova, equal variance, proportion test, a few nonparametric tests, regression and correlation and multivariate statistics. For statistical package, most students used Minitab (46,2%), followed by SPSS (34,4%) and other such as AMOS, Listrel, PLS(15.4%). Among them, 11.5% used more than one software. In addition, the results of this study could be used to evaluate the contents of the relevant course.

Content and Language Integrated Learning Methodology in Optional Humanities Courses for First-Year University Students: A Case Study

The article analyzes using Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) for teaching one of the optional humanities disciplines to Ukrainian university students of different majors. The discipline discussed in the article as an example of using CLIL methodology is “The Fundamentals of Psychology and Pedagogy” and it is in the list of optional humanities subjects for the first-year students of Alfred Nobel University in Dnipro, Ukraine. However, unlike the other optional humanities disciplines, the methodology underlying this course is based on teaching the subject in English, instead of Ukrainian, following the CLIL approach widely used in the European education but still little known in Ukraine. The purpose of the paper is to expose and analyze the original methodology developed that conditioned the specific structure of the relevant course, and the specific learning activities used in it. The essence of the developed CLIL theory-based methodology and its practical application are manifested through learning activities that include students’ mini-lectures/workshop-type presentations, brainstorming, case-studies, discussions, and a learning project with its results summarized in students’ essays, abstracts, and summaries written in English. The students collect the information required for completing their tasks not only from the teacher’s lectures and the recommended literature but also (and mostly) by way of doing extensive Internet-search on psychological and pedagogical sites in English. All this makes CLIL in the case under discussion experiential-interactive (through personal experience in extra-linguistic subject-related activities gained in interaction with other students), blended (with the organic combination of traditional in-class learning and out-of-class online information search), autonomous (students’ autonomous learning activities-centered), and cooperative (with those activities being done in students’ cooperative interaction). As the result, students mostly self-construct their knowledge of the discipline by way of using the target language as the tool for such self-construction. This makes the elaborated course a clear-cut case of constructivism in CLIL pedagogy. Subject Classification Numbers: PACS 01.40.-d (Education)

Multimodal Integration of Active Learning inthe Veterinary Classroom.

Historically, pre-clinical professional veterinary instruction has relied heavily on didactic methods. With the shift toward competency-based education in health professions teaching, instructors at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine are exploring alternative engagement strategies to focus on learner outcomes. In this article, we report on the integration of competency-based active learning techniques in a large-lecture setting, along with preliminary outcomes from the student perspective. A total of 110 students from Zoonotic Diseases, a two-credit core course offered in the second year of the 4-year professional curriculum, participated in the learning techniques and retrospective pre-/post-questionnaire. Results of the questionnaire indicated improvement in learners' perceived competency. For practical skills (e.g., donning and doffing of personal protective equipment), students also reported improved self-efficacy. Students enjoyed the interactive and self-directed learning techniques and described an improvement in their ability to evaluate their own understanding of relevant course concepts. The active learning techniques described herein may be used to supplement, and even transform, primarily lecture-based courses to better achieve professional competency and develop practice-ready veterinarians.