Retraining Program Research Articles

Training of specialists and development of design regulatory framework for Russian magnetic levitation transport systems

The article deals with the issues of training of specialists and development of design regulatory framework for Russia’s magnetic levitation transport systems.
 Introduction: The development of maglev technologies in Russia requires solving the task of training specialists and developing the design regulatory framework for the magnetic levitation transport systems (MLTS). The MLTS related specific issues, namely traction, levitation, lateral stabilisation, power supply systems as well as overall safety, should receive special attention.
 Analysis: The maglev transport technology is a further development of a conventional “wheel-track” technology, employing the linear motor and the magnetic levitation system (electromagnetic, electrodynamic, the permanent magnets-based system, and combined types). Each type of MLTS possesses its advantages and limitations, which points at the necessity to justify the choice of an optimal technology.
 A crucial issue is to choose (develop) a linear motor for MLTS on the basis of the four related aspects: electromagnetic, thermal, mechanical, and the cost related one.
 Another significant issue is the overall safety provision of MLTS. The elaboration of the quality management system should be carried out in accordance with all stages of the life cycle of the wheel-track transport, which is specified in EN 50126, EN 50128, and EN 50129.
 Methodology: The methodological base of training specialists and developing the design regulatory framework should become a systematic approach. The necessity of the application of this approach lies in the variety and complexity of physical processes of MLTS. The development of the project and working documentation of the design and construction of MLTS in the territory of Russia should be carried out in accordance with the active Russian legislation, which specifies the application of Special Technical Regulations for new technical systems.
 Conclusion: As of today, it is reasonable to develop the training of specialists for MLTS on the basis of the qualification upgrade and professional retraining programmes of the engineering staff, who already possess the fundamental railway education. All the necessary expertise and competences are available at Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University. For many years, the university’s specialists have been working on the development of the maglev technologies in Russia both on the basis of their own researches and on the study and generalisation of the national and international experience. They have also been developing the projects of the design regulatory framework for future MLTS.

The learning process of gait retraining using real-time feedback in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis

The objective of this study was to investigate the learning process of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients learning to change their foot progression angle (FPA) over a six-week toe-in gait training program.Sixteen patients with medial KOA completed a six-week toe-in gait training program with real-time biofeedback. Patients walked on an instrumented treadmill while receiving real-time feedback on their foot progression angle (FPA) with reference to a target angle. The FPA difference (difference between target and actual FPA) was analyzed during i) natural walking, ii) walking with feedback, iii) walking without feedback and iv) walking with a dual-task at the start and end of the training program. Self-reported difficulty and abnormality and time spent walking and training were also analyzed.The FPA difference during natural walking was significantly decreased from median 6.9 to median 3.6° i.e. by 3.3° in week six (p < 0.001); adding feedback reduced FPA difference to almost zero. However the dual-task condition increased the FPA difference at week one compared to the feedback condition (median difference: 1.8°, p = 0.022), but after training this effect was minimized (median difference: 0.6°, p = 0.167). Self-reported abnormality and difficulty decreased from median 5 to 3 and from median 6 to 3 on the NRS respectively (p < 0.05).Patients with medial KOA could reduce the FPA difference during natural walking after the gait retraining program, with some evidence of a reduction in the cognitive demand needed to achieve this. Automation of adaptions might need support from more permanent feedback using wearable technologies.

Capacity Building Needs of Farmers in Duck Rearing and Marketing for Sustainable Food Security in Benue State, Nigeria

This study identified capacity building needs of farmers in rearing and marketing of duck in Benue State, for sustainable food security. The study was carried out in Benue state. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. Questionnaire survey research design was used for the study. A population of 96 respondents was studied. A 36-item structuredDuck Rearing Capacity Building Needs Questionnaire (DRCBNQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts. Cronbach Alpha reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument and a coefficient of 0.81 was obtained. 96 copies of the questionnaire were administered but only 95 were retrieved and data collected were analyzed using mean Improvement Need-Performance Index (INPI). It was found out that poultry farmers needed capacity building in all the 9 items on feeding of duck, needed capacity building in all the 11 items on management of duck and needed capacity building in all the 16 items on marketing of duck. It was therefore recommended that Agricultural extension agents should utilize the findings of this study on the capacity building needs of farmers to organize training and re-training programmes for improvement of capacity of poultry farmers in the entire production operations of duck. Farmers could be motivated to attend training and re-training programmes organized for their capacity building in duck production to be effective and efficient in duck production to meet the demand for duck in Benue State

Социально-психологические характеристики вовлеченности обучающихся в непрерывное образование на разных этапах процесса обучения

The article presents a substantive analysis of structure patterns of the students’ continuing education process throughout different stages: college, bachelor, master, post-graduate, additional education (professional retraining programs). The structure of engagement is described, including cognitive, affective, behavioral, motivational and value components. Each component has been measured by five indicators. The study covers 593 respondents, including college students, bachelor, master or post-graduate, retraining programs. The article reveals the results of substantive analysis. Coherence (integration), divergence (differentiation) of structures, degree of organization of structure patterns for different groups of students are determined; the most significant components of involvement for each group are identified. The results of the research allowed to come to the following conclusion: the differences between the structural patterns of students’ involvement throughout different stages of education are substantial and multiple.

A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study of Workplace Violence against Prehospital Emergency Medical Technicians.

Background and Purpose Workplace violence is a global phenomenon and violation of human rights affects the people's self-esteem and quality of work and causes inequality, discrimination, disorder, and conflict at work. The present study was carried out aiming at determining the workplace violence against the prehospital emergency medical technicians (PEMTs) in three provinces of Fars, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and Bushehr, Iran. Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional multicenter study in which 206 PEMTs from Fars, Bushehr, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces participated. Simple random sampling was used in this study. In order to collect data, a researcher-made tool was used. Descriptive statistics and SPSS® software version 22 were used to analyze the data. Results Among various types of workplace violence, the most frequent ones were verbal violence (78.1%), physical violence (60.3%), and cultural violence (31.7%), respectively. The most important factor in the occurrence of workplace violence was the lack of the awareness of people about the duties of the PEMTs. With regard to the handling of the violent situations, the results indicated that 61.6% of the personnel asked the attacker to calm down. 48.5% of PEMTs believed that violence was normal in their work. Conclusion Due to the high rate of workplace violence against PEMTs, it is suggested that methods such as formal training and retraining programs for the employees, general education with regard to the duties of the PEMTs, and socially supporting them should be used to reduce and control violence.

An Analysis of Left Ventricular Retraining in Patients With Dextro- and Levo-Transposition of the Great Arteries

Patients with dextro (D)-transposition of the great arteries (TGA) who have undergone a previous atrial switch and for some patients with levo (L)-TGA (ie, no ventricular septal defect or outflow tract obstruction), the left ventricle (LV) may require retraining before late arterial switch. The purpose of this study was to analyze the results of LV retraining for these two entities. This was a retrospective review of 51 patients enrolled in an LV retraining program. There were 25 patients with D-TGA and 26 with L-TGA. The median age of the D-TGA patients was 15 years, and 22 of 25 were in New York Heart Association class III or IV. The median age of the L-TGA patients was 12 months, and 3 of 26 patients were in New York Heart Association class III or IV. LV retraining was successful in 13 of the 25 patients (52%) with D-TGA, and 10 these 13 patients (77%) underwent successful late arterial switch. Of the 26 patients with L-TGA, LV retraining was successful in 24 (92%), and a double-switch operation was successful in 19 of 19 (100%) who subsequently underwent that procedure. A mathematical formula based on the incremental gain in left-to-right ventricular pressure ratio correctly predicted the success or failure in 94% of the patients. The data demonstrate differences in the success of LV retraining and late arterial switch for D-TGA and L-TGA. We would propose that the LV retraining ratio may be useful in objectively selecting patients eligible for late arterial switch.

An intelligent case-based knowledge management system for quality improvement in nursing homes

PurposeThis paper aims to maintain the high service quality of the long-term care service providers by establishing a knowledge-based system so as to enhance the service quality of nursing homes and the performance of its nursing staff continually.Design/methodology/approachAn intelligent case-based knowledge management system (ICKMS) is developed with the integration of two artificial intelligence techniques, i.e. fuzzy logic and case-based reasoning (CBR). In the system, fuzzy logic is adopted to assess the performance through the analysis of the long-term care services provided, nurse performance and elderly satisfaction, whereas CBR is used to formulate a customized re-training program for quality improvement. A case study is conducted to validate the feasibility of the proposed system.FindingsThe empirical findings indicate that the ICKMS helps in identification of those nursing staff who cannot meet the essential service standard. Through the customized re-training program, the performance of the nursing staff can be greatly enhanced, whereas the medical errors and complaints can be considerably reduced. Furthermore, the proposed methodology provides a cost-saving approach in the administrative work.Practical implicationsThe findings and results of the study facilitate decision-making using the ICKMS for the long-term service providers to improve their performance and service quality by providing a customized re-training program to the nursing staff.Originality/valueThis study contributes to establishing a knowledge-based system for the long-term service providers for maintaining the high service quality in the health-care industry.

Physiotherapy breathing retraining for asthma: a randomised controlled trial

SummaryBackgroundDespite effective pharmacotherapy, asthma continues to impair quality of life for most patients. Non-pharmacological approaches, including breathing retraining, are therefore of great interest to patients. However, clinicians rarely advocate breathing retraining and access to this intervention is restricted for most patients due to the limited availability of suitable physiotherapists and poor integration of breathing retraining into standard care. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a digital self-guided breathing retraining intervention.MethodsIn this randomised controlled trial, we recruited patients from 34 general practices in the UK. Eligibility criteria for patients with asthma were broad, comprising a physician diagnosis of asthma, age of 16–70 years, receipt of at least one anti-asthma medication in the previous year, and impaired asthma-related quality of life (Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire [AQLQ] score of <5·5). We developed a self-guided intervention, which was delivered as a DVD plus a printed booklet (DVDB). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the DVDB intervention, three face-to-face breathing retraining sessions, or standard care, in a 2:1:2 ratio, for 12 months. Randomisation was achieved using the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit telephone randomisation service by use of random number generators. The primary outcome was the AQLQ score in the intention-to-treat population at 12 months. The trial was powered to show equivalence between the two active intervention groups, and superiority of both intervention groups over usual care. Secondary outcomes included patient-reported and physiological measures of asthma control, patient acceptability, and health-care costs. This trial was registered with International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registry, number ISRCTN88318003.FindingsBetween Nov 5, 2012 and Jan 28, 2014, invitations to participate in the study were sent to 15 203 patients with general practitioner-diagnosed asthma, of whom 655 were recruited into the study. AQLQ scores at 12 months were significantly higher in the DVDB group (mean 5·40, SD 1·14) than in the usual care group (5·12, SD 1·17; adjusted mean difference 0·28, 95% CI 0·11 to 0·44), and in the face-to-face group (5·33, SD 1·06) than in the usual care group (adjusted mean difference 0·24, 95% CI 0·04 to 0·44); AQLQ scores were similar between the DVDB group and the face-to-face group (0·04, 95% CI −0·16 to 0·24). There were no significant differences between the randomisation groups in FEV1 or fraction of exhaled nitric oxide. 744 adverse events occurred in 272 patients: 101 (39%) of 261 patients in the DVDB group, 55 (42%) of 132 patients in the face-to-face group, and 132 (50%) of 262 in the usual care group, with patients reporting one or more event. 11 (4%) patients in the DVDB group, four (3%) patients in the face-to-face group, and 20 (8%) patients in the usual care group had a serious adverse event.InterpretationBreathing retraining programmes improve quality of life in patients with incompletely controlled asthma despite having little effect on lung function or airway inflammation. Such programmes can be delivered conveniently and cost-effectively as a self-guided digital audiovisual programme, so might also reduce health-care costs.FundingUK National Institute of Health Research.

ASSESSMENT OF E-COMMERCE USAGE FOR EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA BANKING SECTOR

This study assessed the extent of e-commerce usage for effective service delivery in Nigeria banking sector. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study covered 64 microfinance banks in Oyo State, South-West, Nigeria. The population was made up of 1275 staffs from the 64 microfinance banks. The sample size consisted of 28 microfinance banks of which 280 staffs were purposively selected. A 28-item structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. Four experts carried out the face and content validity of the instrument. The reliability was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha statistic Reliability Coefficient and reliability coefficient of 0.86 was obtained. The arithmetic mean and standard deviation were used to analyze data, answer research questions and determine the homogeneity or otherwise of the respondents’ means while ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that microfinance banks in Oyo State have not use electronic payment cards as e-commerce delivery channels. They also use Internet marketing for product advertising and loan availability display; electronic fund transfer but have not been using it for online customers’ enlightment, online promotion of services and sending statements of account. It was recommended among other things, that management of microfinance banks should adopt most of the e-commerce delivery channel used by commercial banks in order to boost their standard of operation within the banking sector also, microfinance bank management should engage, encourage and sponsor their staff for re-training programmes to update their ICT knowledge, skills and competencies to effectively use the resources for quality customer service delivery. Article visualizations:

Control of impact loading during distracted running before and after gait retraining in runners

ABSTRACTGait retraining using visual biofeedback has been reported to reduce impact loading in runners. However, most of the previous studies did not adequately examine the level of motor learning after training, as the modified gait pattern was not tested in a dual-task condition. Hence, this study sought to compare the landing peak positive acceleration (PPA) and vertical loading rates during distracted running before and after gait retraining. Sixteen recreational runners underwent a two-week visual biofeedback gait retraining program for impact loading reduction, with feedback on the PPA measured at heel. In the evaluation of PPA and vertical loading rates before and after the retraining, the participants performed a cognitive and verbal counting task while running. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant interaction between feedback and training on PPA (F = 4.642; P = 0.048) but not vertical loading rates (F > 1.953; P > 0.067). Pairwise comparisons indicated a significantly lower PPA and vertical loading rates after gait retraining (P < 0.007; Cohen’s d > 0.68). Visual feedback after gait retraining reduced PPA and vertical loading rates during distracted running (P < 0.033; Cohen’s d > 0.36). Gait retraining is effective in lowering impact loading even when the runners are distracted. In dual-task situation, visual biofeedback provided beneficial influence on kinetics control after gait retraining.

Gait Retraining for the Reduction of Injury Occurrence in Novice Distance Runners: 1-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The increasing popularity of distance running has been accompanied by an increase in running-related injuries, such that up to 85% of novice runners incur an injury in a given year. Previous studies have used a gait retraining program to successfully lower impact loading, which has been associated with many running ailments. However, softer footfalls may not necessarily prevent running injury. Purpose: To examine vertical loading rates before and after a gait retraining program and assess the effectiveness of the program in reducing the occurrence of running-related injury across a 12-month observation period. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A total of 320 novice runners from the local running club completed this study. All the participants underwent a baseline running biomechanics evaluation on an instrumented treadmill with their usual running shoes at 8 and 12 km/h. Participants were then randomly assigned to either the gait retraining group or the control group. In the gait retraining group (n = 166), participants received 2 weeks of gait retraining with real-time visual feedback. In the control group (n = 154), participants received treadmill running exercise but without visual feedback on their performance. The training time was identical between the 2 groups. Participants’ running mechanics were reassessed after the training, and their 12-month posttraining injury profiles were tracked by use of an online surveillance platform. Results: A significant reduction was found in the vertical loading rates at both testing speeds in the gait retraining group (P < .001, Cohen’s d > 0.99), whereas the loading rates were either similar or slightly increased in the control group after training (P = .001 to 0.461, Cohen’s d = 0.03 to −0.14). At 12-month follow-up, the occurrence of running-related musculoskeletal injury was 16% and 38% in the gait retraining and control groups, respectively. The hazard ratio between gait retraining and control groups was 0.38 (95% CI, 0.25-0.59), indicating a 62% lower injury risk in gait-retrained runners compared with controls. Conclusion: A 2-week gait retraining program is effective in lowering impact loading in novice runners. More important, the occurrence of injury is 62% lower after 2 weeks of running gait modification. Registration: HKUCTR-1996 (University of Hong Kong Clinical Trials Registry).

Gait retraining versus foot orthoses for patellofemoral pain: a pilot randomised clinical trial

ObjectivesTo determine the feasibility of a clinical trial that compares a 6-week, physiotherapist-guided gait retraining program with a foot orthoses intervention in runners with patellofemoral pain. DesignPilot randomised controlled trial. MethodsRunners aged 18–40 years with clinically diagnosed patellofemoral pain were randomly allocated to either a 6-week gait retraining intervention of increasing cadence and use of a minimalist shoe or prefabricated foot orthoses. Outcomes at baseline and 12-weeks included recruitment, retention, adherence, adverse events, global improvement, anterior knee pain scale, worst and average pain on a 100mm visual analogue scale. ResultsOf the 16 randomised participants, two withdrew prior to commencing treatment due to non-trial related matters (n=1 from each group) and 14 completed the pilot trial. Minor calf muscle soreness was reported by 3 participants in the gait retraining group while no adverse events were reported in the foot orthoses group. There were no deviations from the treatment protocols. There was a large between-group difference favouring gait retraining at 12-weeks in the anterior knee pain scale and the worst pain in the past week, which was reflected in the number needed-to-treat of 2. ConclusionsThis study supports the feasibility of a trial comparing gait retraining with foot orthoses and provides point estimates of effect that informs the design and planning of a larger clinical trial. It appears that a 6-week gait retraining program has a clinically meaningful effect on runners with patellofemoral pain when compared to an evidence-based treatment of foot orthoses.

Relearning in semantic dementia: Word retraining programs to help rebuild vocabulary

Background: Semantic dementia (SD) is a syndrome which significantly impacts word knowledge, resulting in marked deficits to both spoken and written word retrieval. Research has now shown that spoken retrieval can be improved via word retraining, but remediation of written retrieval has not been studied.

The experience of “VBK - distant” supplementary education programs of professional retraining using distance education technologies

Currently, great importance is attached to continuing education and part of it - additional education. The author highlights the activities of the Training center of the Russian state library. The directions of training of specialists in library and information field are examines. The experience of creating and implementing the professional retraining program "Higher library courses-distant" ("VBK - distant") with the use of distance learning technologies. The content of the program and the results of its implementation are presented.

Differentiating Instruction in Early Childhood Care Education: Teachers’ Practice

Differentiated instruction involves altering the implementation and design of the lesson and activities so that the needs of all children are met. Through it children use different pathways to explore and learn while taking away the same essential ideas and understanding on the content. The study sought to determine teachers’/caregivers practice in differentiating instruction in pre-primary classrooms in Owerri educational zone of Imo state. This descriptive survey is guided by three research questions and two hypotheses. Population comprised all teachers/caregivers in the government approved preprimary schools totaling 119. This number was purposively sampled. Instrument was a validated 17-item questionnaire and data generated were analysed using grand mean, percentages and chi square. Results show that teachers’ practice was very poor. Years of experience had influence on their practice but location did not. Recommendations made among others include the need to mount retraining and retooling programmes to improve teachers’/caregivers practice in differentiating instruction at this foundation level.Key words: childhood education, Differentiated instruction, teachers/ caregivers’practice

看護師の学び直しプログラム"バーチャル・カレッジ"のシステム開発と課題

看護師の学び直しプログラム"バーチャル・カレッジ"のシステム開発と課題

A randomised controlled study of the effectiveness of breathing retraining exercises taught by a physiotherapist either by instructional DVD or in face-to-face sessions in the management of asthma in adults.

Asthma control is suboptimal, resulting in quality of life (QoL) impairment and costs. Breathing retraining exercises have evidence of effectiveness as adjuvant treatment, but are infrequently used. To transfer the contents of a brief (three-session) physiotherapist-delivered breathing retraining programme to a digital versatile disc (DVD) and booklet format; to compare the effectiveness of the self-guided intervention with that of 'face-to-face' physiotherapy and usual care for QoL and other asthma-related outcomes; to perform a health economic assessment of both interventions; and to perform a process evaluation using quantitative and qualitative methods. Parallel-group three-arm randomised controlled trial. General practice surgeries in the UK. In total, 655 adults currently receiving asthma treatment with impaired asthma-related QoL were randomly allocated to the DVD (n = 261), physiotherapist (n = 132) and control (usual care) (n = 262) arms in a 2 : 1 : 2 ratio. It was not possible to blind participants but data collection and analysis were performed blinded. Physiotherapy-based breathing retraining delivered through three 'face-to-face' respiratory physiotherapist sessions or a self-guided programme (DVD plus our theory-based behaviour change booklet) developed by the research team, with a control of usual care. The primary outcome measure was asthma-specific QoL, measured using the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Secondary outcomes included asthma symptom control [Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)], psychological state [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)], hyperventilation symptoms (Nijmegen questionnaire), generic QoL [EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D)], assessments of airway physiology (spirometry) and inflammation (exhaled nitric oxide) and health resource use and costs. Assessments were carried out at baseline and at 3, 6 and 12 months post randomisation. Patient engagement and experience were also assessed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Primary efficacy analysis was between-group comparison of changes in AQLQ scores from baseline to 12 months in the intention-to-treat population with adjustments for prespecified covariates. Significant improvements occurred in the DVD group compared with the control group [adjusted mean difference 0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.44; p < 0.001] and in the face-to-face physiotherapy group compared with the control group (adjusted mean difference 0.24, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.44; p < 0.05), with equivalence between the DVD and the face-to-face physiotherapy groups (adjusted mean difference 0.04, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.24). In all sensitivity analyses, both interventions remained significantly superior to the control and equivalence between the interventions was maintained. In other questionnaire outcome measures and in the physiological measures assessed, there were no significant between-group differences. Process evaluations showed that participants engaged well with both of the active interventions, but that some participants in the DVD arm would have liked to receive tuition from a professional. Asthma health-care costs were lower in both intervention arms than in the control group, indicating 'dominance' for both of the interventions compared with the control, with lowest costs in the DVD arm. The rate of adverse events was lower in the DVD and face-to-face physiotherapy groups than in the control group. Only 10% of the potentially eligible population responded to the study invitation. However, breathing retraining exercises improved QoL and reduced health-care costs in adults with asthma whose condition remains uncontrolled despite standard pharmacological therapy, were engaged with well by patients and can be delivered effectively as a self-guided intervention. The intervention should now be transferred to an internet-based platform and implementation studies performed. Interventions for younger patients should be developed and trialled. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN88318003. This project was primarily funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 21, No. 53. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. Additional financial support was received from Comprehensive Local Research Networks.

Backward compared to forward over ground gait retraining have additional benefits for gait in individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease: A randomized controlled trial

Over ground gait retraining in the reverse direction has shown to be beneficial for neurological rehabilitation, but has not yet been investigated in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Backwards walking (BW) might be a useful training alternative to improve PD gait and possibly reduce fall risk during complex multi-directional daily activities. The primary aim was to compare the effect of an eight-week forward (FWG) and backwards (BWG) gait retraining program on gait parameters in PD individuals. Twenty-nine participants (aged 71.0±8.8years; UPDRS-III 38.1±12.3; H&Y 2.7±0.5) were randomly assigned to either the control (FWG; n=14) or experimental group (BWG; n=15). Baseline measures included disease severity (UPDRS III), global cognition (MoCA) and depression (PHQ-9). Outcome measures were selected gait variables on the 10m-instrumented-walk-test (i10mWT) assessed before and after the interventions. Both groups improved usual gait speed (FWG: p=0.03, d=0.35; BWG: p<0.01, d=0.35) and height-normalized gait speed (FWG: p=0.04, d=0.35; BWG: p<0.01, d=0.57). Additionally, the BWG demonstrated improved cadence (p<0.01, d=0.67) and stride length (SL; p=0.02, d=0.39). Both interventions were effective to improved gait speed sufficiently to independently navigate in the community.

Профессиональная переподготовка заместителей директоров школ по воспитательной работе в информационно-образовательной среде академии социального управления

The article describes the system of professional retraining of the Deputy Directors of schools on educational work in the Moscow region. The importance of the activities of the Deputy head and modern requirements to professional competence are revealed. The results of microanalysis of the current state of the professional level of organizers of education are given, conducted by teachers of the Department of educational systems of the Academy of social management (ASOU). Next, special attention is paid to additional professional program of professional retraining «Management in education». It seems the structure, content summary, and technology implementation. The program is aimed at providing targeted assistance to the heads of educational institutions and teaching staff in the restructuring process of education and management on the principles of system- activity and competence approaches, and the definition of specific competences in the field of education. In the conclusion the main tasks of the nearest path of development of the faculty of professional retraining of pedagogical workers and ASOU are given, the expected results of their implementation are designed.

‘A IS FOR APPEL?’: IMPROVING WRITTEN WORD RETRIEVAL IN SEMANTIC DEMENTIA THROUGH WORD RETRAINING

Semantic dementia (SD), the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia, is a dementia syndrome which significantly impacts word knowledge. This results in marked deficits in naming and understanding words, but also can affect written word production or spelling. While improvements in verbal word retrieval have been demonstrated through word retraining, research studies have not yet focused on written word retrieval, despite this having been identified as a possible area of remediation. The aim of this study was to investigate potential benefits of word retraining on written word retrieval in patients with SD. Data was analysed from 8 patients with SD who completed an individually tailored 2-month word training program. Participants engaged in a “Look, Listen, Repeat” practice, viewing photographs of everyday objects and hearing and seeing word labels on their home computer. Performance on both verbal and written word retrieval was assessed at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and at a 2-month follow up. Written word accuracy was scored either as correct if the word provided was spelled correctly, or otherwise as incorrect. Incorrect responses were then classified by error type (‘don't know/ no written response’, ‘correct word retrieved but spelt incorrectly’, ‘wrong word retrieved – semantic error’, ‘wrong word retrieved – other error’, ‘neologistic response’). All patients improved both in their ability to retrieve words verbally and in written form immediately post-intervention (p<0.001). For the majority of participants, this change reflected an improvement from no written response to the correct response. In patients with milder semantic impairments, up to 100% of newly relearned words were spelt correctly at immediate post-intervention and were well maintained at the 2-month follow up. Written retrieval was less accurate for those with severe semantic impairments, however, the majority of newly relearned words were spelt correctly by these patients (57% accuracy). Words untrained did not change over the period of the study. Patients with semantic impairments can show successful relearning of written words. While spelling errors are more likely to occur for patients with severe deficits, accurate relearning of written labels is still possible. Future word retraining programs should include both verbal and written practice.