Satisfactory Grade Research Articles

From “Robot” to “Rejuvenating Warrior”: An EFL Learner’s Conceptual Metaphors During School Transition

Drawing on conceptual metaphor theory, I investigated the school transition experience of an English as a foreign language (EFL) learner. In this narrative case study, the participant’s emotion labor was followed throughout his first semester at a high school in Turkey. Exploring narrative journals, conceptual metaphors, and interviews, I examined his dynamic emotional states. The findings revealed that school transition may entail inhibiting emotion labor for high school freshman EFL learners. Moreover, it was also shown that these emotions may force adolescent learners to reconceptualize foreign language learning with a negative perspective and develop surviving learner’s strategies that may support them in terms of getting satisfactory grades in a summative assessment culture but may jeopardize language learning in the long run.

Clinical study on resin composite and glass ionomer materials in II class restorations in permanent teeth.

BackgroundGlass ionomer cements (GIC) used for restoration of missing dental structures have high biocompatibility and remineralization potential. However, low mechanical resistance excludes their use for long-term restorations of extensive lesions, particularly on approximal surfaces in permanent dentition. GIC with increased viscosity have much better physical properties, which involves better bonding and wear resistance, so they can be considered as an alternative to composite resin materials. The aim of this study was to perform a clinical and radiological assessment of restorations in permanent teeth, made with an increased viscosity GIC - Equia Fil (Ivoclar Vivadent) with Equia Coat (Ivoclar Vivadent) and composite material - Tetric EvoCeram (Ivoclar Vivadent) in young patients. Material and MethodsA total of 100 cavities on approximal surfaces were filled with the composite material or GIC in 49 patients aged from 12.08 to 19.58 years. During control examinations, the condition of each restoration was assessed with criteria acc. to Hickel et al. Bitewing radiographs had been taken before fillings were placed and after 12 and 24 months. ResultsAfter two years of observations, two GIC restorations were replaced due to loss of retention and staining. The other 96 restorations were given a satisfactory grade. The clinical efficacy of Equia Fil after 24 months was assessed at 95.83%, the Tetric EvoCeram at 100%. The difference was not statistically significant (P=0.145). When GIC was used, there was a higher risk of marginal adaptation deterioration and the occurrence of staining and erosion. Radiographic efficacy of the Equia Fil material for cavity restoration after 24 months was assessed at 93.75%, for the Tetric EvoCeram material at 100%. Differences were not significant statistically (P=0.073). ConclusionsTetric EvoCeram and Equia Fil used for the restoration of approximal lesions in premolars and permanent molars have similar efficacy in a 2-year period of observation. Key words:Dental restoration, permanent, composite resins, glass ionomer cements, clinical study.

'Senior Nursing Students and Interns' Concerns and Willingness to Treat Patients with COVID-19: A Strategy to Expand National Nursing Workforce during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the existing healthcare delivery systems worldwide and overwhelmed the globally short healthcare workforce, particularly nurses. Nurses are recognized as front-line responders to the COVID-19 pandemic and are crucial healthcare members to win the fight against the evolving COVID-19. Considering the long-lasting shortage of national nurses, and turnover of the current nursing workforce, it is essential to consider unconventional strategies aiming at expanding the national nursing workforce in order to embrace the impact of COVID-19.ObjectiveThis study aimed to measure senior nursing students and intern’s willingness to treat patients with COVID-19. Further, this study investigated their feelings, knowledge, and concerns regarding treating patients with COVID-19.MethodsThis quantitative, cross-sectional study utilized self-reported survey gathered from a convenience sample of 178 senior nursing students and interns. A 7-item scale was used to measure the participants’ willingness to treat patients with COVID-19. The data were collected between March 2020 and April 2020.ResultsOut of 178 participants, 50.56% were at Level 8, 89.33% were single, and 53.37% had a very satisfactory grade point average. The highest proportion of the respondents (38.20%) felt neutral about treating patient with COVID-19, while 53.93% had good knowledge about COVID-19. The perceived willingness to treat of participants had an overall mean score of 20.19, which indicated neutral willingness to treat patients with COVID-19. Participants’ feelings about treating patients with COVID-19 predicted their willingness to treat patients with COVID-19 (P<0.001).Conclusion/RecommendationThere is a clear need for educational and training programs both in clinical practice and academia for the improvement among nursing students and interns who reported paucity of knowledge about COVID-19. Furthermore, hospital institutions should provide additional incentives or hazard protections to maintain and even increase the number of staff at the frontline who are willing to care for patients amid the deadly pandemic of COVID-19.

TEACHER’S STRATEGIES TO CREATE A CONDUCIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN THE RON CLARK STORY MOVIE

In learning process, a good teacher indeed needs a strategy to create a conducive learning environment in order that it runs smoothly. The Ron Clark Story Movie depicts how a teacher uses various strategies to create a conducive classroom environment so that the learning process can run well. The purposes of this research are to identify what strategies used by the teacher, Mr. Clark, to create a conducive learning environment in The Ron Clark Story Movie and to describe how the strategies are implemented by the teacher to create a condusive learning environment in the Movie. This study was designed qualitatively. The data of this study were scenes on the teacher’s strategies to create a conducive learning environment in the movie. The source of data in this study was a movie entitled The Ron Clark Story.It was found that Mr. Clark used 5 types of teacher’s strategies to create a conducive classroom environment: physical design of the classroom, rules and routines, relationship, engaging and motivation, and discipline. Each of the strategies has several classifications. By applying these strategies, the students of Mr. Clark finally succeeded in passing the exam with satisfactory grades.

P155 Process Evaluation of a Sustainable Food Systems Course for First-Year College Students

<h3>Objective</h3> To describe process evaluation findings for a pilot sustainable food systems course. <h3>Use of Theory or Research</h3> The Value-Belief-Norm Theory, a pro-environmental behavior theory used to describe socially responsible behavior, was used. Process evaluation ensured theory-based learning outcomes were properly implemented and participants were reached. <h3>Target Audience</h3> Twelve first year college students (67% female) enrolled at a large southeastern US university. Most (67%) identified as non-Hispanic White. <h3>Course/Curriculum Description</h3> The curriculum was used for a pilot 12-week 1-credit hour exploratory course which included guest speakers from various food system sectors, case studies, documentary viewings, a cooking demonstration, and a culminating group project. The class met 1 evening per week and students were required to receive a satisfactory grade (70% or higher) to receive credit. <h3>Evaluation Methods</h3> Dose delivered was evaluated by curriculum implementation and instructor effectiveness. Student engagement and likability evaluated dose received. Class attendance assessed reach, and fidelity was evaluated by curriculum completion and course implementation alignment of the theoretical framework and learning outcomes. Context was assessed via situational factors. <h3>Results</h3> Dose delivered was high with 92.86% of the implementation checklist met. Dose received was adequate with a score of 3.80 ± 0.63 out of 5 for engagement and 4.13 ± 0.28 out of 5 for likability. Reach was high with a class mean attendance of 11.20 ± 0.68 students. Fidelity was considered high with 100% completion reported for the curriculum checklist and high alignment of the theoretical framework and learning outcomes. Context assessment revealed external barriers prohibited lessons to be taught chronologically but did not impact curriculum delivery. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Well-developed food systems education may shape future sustainable food practices in college students. Process evaluation of this pilot course suggested overall adequate implementation and future scaled-up testing was deemed an appropriate next step.

Decision factors and benchmarks of EIA report quality for Japan’s cooperation projects

The quality of environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports is fundamental to making good decisions, but the low quality of EIA reports is a constraint in developing countries. Previous studies pointed out many factors influencing report quality based on professional perspectives. However, the decision factors of report quality are not well known. The purposes of this study are to identify the decision factors and benchmarks of the overall quality of EIA reports for Japan’s cooperation projects and to verify the effects of the decision factors on report quality. The study reviewed the quality of 160 reports from 2001 to 2016 and examined potential factors influencing the overall quality of reports using statistical tests, cluster analysis, decision tree analysis, and covariance structure analysis. The study identified the alternatives and public involvement as the decision factors among potential factors, and their linkage affected the quality of reports. The study concluded that the just satisfactory grade of alternatives and public involvement at scoping and draft reporting stages were the benchmarks for satisfactory EIA reports. Further verification through comparative studies and case studies is needed to confirm how two processes have an effect on the quality of reports.

QoS Provision in a Dynamic Channel Allocation Based&lt;?brk?&gt; on Admission Control Decisions

Cognitive Radio Networks have emerged in the last decades as a solution of two problems: spectrum underutilization and spectrum scarcity. In this work, we propose a dynamic spectrum sharing mechanism, where primary users have strict priority over secondary ones in order to improve the mean spectrum utilization with the objective of providing to secondary users a satisfactory grade of service with a small interruption probability. We study a stochastic model for Cognitive Radio Networks with fluid limits techniques. Our main findings consist in a Gaussian limit theorem in the sub-critical case, and a non-Gaussian limit theorem, under a different scaling scheme, in the critical case. These results provide us practical QoS criteria for sharing policies. We support our analysis with representative simulated examples in both scenarios.

The prediction of acute ischemic stroke patients\u2019 long-term functional outcomes treated with bridging therapy

BackgroundIntravenous thrombolysis therapy (IVT) bridged with intra-arterial thrombectomy (IAT) has recently been recommended as favorable treatment option to ensure that the thrombolytic effect is delivered to the affected region for acute ischemic stroke patients. However, there remains a lack of studies reporting outcome prediction in this group of patients. In this study, we aimed to identify indicators from baseline data that could be used for early prediction of long-term functional outcomes.MethodsThis retrospective single center cohort study included acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients (n = 92) who received IVT and IAT. Functional outcomes were assessed by the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index. We investigated the relationship between functional outcomes at one-year post-procedure and potential predictors such as occlusion site, modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score following the IVT/IAT procedure, and degree of stenosis measured by carotid duplex.Results67.4% of the studied patients had satisfactory outcomes with mTICI grades of 2b or 3. From baseline to one-year post-procedure, the NIHSS score improved in 88.0%, the mRS score improved in 69.6%, and the Barthel index improved with 59.8%. Patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) or vertebral artery (VA) stenosis detected by carotid duplex had significantly poorer functional outcomes, measured by the mRS score and Barthel index. In patients with a satisfactory mTICI grade, improvement in the mRS score was only observed in 60.0% of patients with ICA stenosis, compared to 93.8% without ICA stenosis. The VA stenosis was the most significant factor associated with the improvement of mRS (OR = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.01–0.63; P = 0.017) and Barthel Index (OR = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.01–0.47; P = 0.008) in multiple regression analysis.ConclusionsICA or VA stenosis detected by carotid duplex could serve as predictors of significantly poorer functional outcomes in stroke patients treated with bridging therapy; they might be useful clinical markers, particularly as stenosis could be detected by a non-invasive and portable method.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ ТРЕВОГИ И ДЕПРЕССИИ У СТУДЕНТОВ ХАНТЫ-МАНСИЙСКОЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЙ МЕДИЦИНСКОЙ АКАДЕМИИ

The problem of anxiety and depressive disorders is very relevant among medical Students. Various factors of the external and internal environment influence the level of anxiety and depression. The purpose of this study was to study the severity of anxiety and depression in medical students, depending on gender, faculty, marital status, place of residence, academic performance. The predominance of an anxious background over a depressive one was found in students of Khanty-Mansiysk State Medical Academy, especially in girls, and the prevalence of increased anxiety was also found in students who passed the exams with “good” and “excellent”, while students with satisfactory grades and academic debt have a higher depressive background.

УПРАВЛІНСЬКА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬІ. П. ЛЬВОВА НА ПОСАДІ ЗАВІДУВАЧА КАФЕДРИ ПЕДАГОГІКИ ЧЕРНІГІВСЬКОГО ПЕДАГОГІЧНОГО ІНСТИТУТУ (1952–1958)

The article shows I. P. Lvov, сhairman of the Department for pedagogy of Chernihiv Pedagogical Institute. I. P. Lvov worked as the Head of the Department of Pedagogy from 1952 to 1958. He developed didactic materials on pedagogy, logic and psychology. The curriculum for the second semester was analyzed, where the main tasks were students' educational work, advanced training of teachers and realization of рublic works under the teachers. At the faculty meeting, the lecturers approved the Individual work plans of the members of the department, monitoring the lectures and pedagogical lessons from the point of view of scientific and methodological execution, control over the work of a laboratory assistant, review and approval of the work plan of pedagogical practice of students. I. P. Lviv had intended to purchase a separate room for conducting psychological experiments. Unfortunately, the intention failed for unknown reasons. He controlled the quality of lectures and seminars on pedagogy, lectures on psychology, and reported on the visit by the directorate of the institute and individual members of the chair they reviewed. In 1952, a pedagogical circle was formed at the department of pedagogy. I. P. Lviv was group leader of the circle at one of the meetings read a report "Modern problems of restructuring the science of psychology in the academician I. P. Pavlov". I. P. Lviv appreciated the work of the laboratory assistant of the department of G. P. Svirid, pointing to her faithful discharge of her duties: providing students with educational and recommended literature. The content of the documents of I. P. Lvov on an administrative post was analyzed and he was found that he made some comments in the report at the meeting of the pedagogy department of the Chernihiv Pedagogical Institute, as well as at the meeting of the Institute council concerning the issues that were in the report "On the condition of pedagogical science and eliminating its backlog" on the resolution of I. A. Kairov. In 1955 I. P. Lvov was the head of the commission on State examinations of the correspondence department of the Russian language and literature of the Chernihiv Pedagogical Institute. Analysis of students' answers in pedagogy, according to I. P. Lvov, showed that most were positive answers, but some students had satisfactory grades, they did not possess good material in pedagogy.

Does Daily Physical Activity Level Determine the Physical Efficiency of Children After Treatment of Leukemia?

The aim of the study was to assess daily physical activity level and its influence on the physical efficiency of children after the treatment of leukemia. The study was comprised of 34 children (23 boys and 11 girls) after the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or myeloid leukemia (mean age of 11.29 ± 2.81 years, mean body height of 146.88 ± 16.11 cm, and mean body weight of 43.68 ± 13.93 kg). The mean time since treatment completion was 3.09 ± 1.80 years. The level of physical activity was assessed with the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children questionnaire (HBSC). Physical efficiency was assessed based on the palant ball throw (assessment of strength, coordination, and upper limb speed), the long jump (assessment of jumping ability, speed and coordination) and the 60 m run (assessment of speed). Measurements of motor skills were normalized, classified according to age and sex, and converted into grades. The mean values obtained in the run and the ball throw showed low pass grades in the study group. In the case of the long jump, satisfactory grades were obtained. A correlation of r = 0.512 was found between vigorous physical activity (HBSC 3) and the grade in the run. A correlation of r = −0.437 was observed between the duration of computer use in leisure time (HBSC 6) and the grade in the long jump, whereas correlations of r = −0.482 and −0.485 were noted between the number hours per week spent on games (HBSC 5) and the duration of computer use in leisure time (HBSC 6) and the grade obtained in the ball throw, respectively. In addition, different levels of physical activity and physical efficiency were demonstrated depending on the time elapsed since treatment completion. Supervised programs promoting daily physical activity should include children after the treatment of leukemia. These programs should also be aimed at improving their physical efficiency.

Functional outcome of displaced supracondylar fracture humerus in children treated by closed reduction and percutaneous pinning with Kirchner wires: An observational study

Background: Displaced supracondylar fracture of humerus is a common orthopaedics problem in children. The most common complications associated with these fractures are mal-union leading to cubitus varus, stiffness of elbow, myositis ossificans, compartment syndrome and neurovascular deficit. Different methods have been described for its management of which closed reduction and percutaneous pinning with K-wires has been preferred treatment with satisfactory results.Material and Methods: Between March 2017 to May 2018, 36 patients with supracondylar fracture of humerus of Gartland type II & III in children were included in this study. These patients were treated by closed reduction of fracture and percutaneous fixation with K-wire under C-arm guidance. The functional outcome was assed clinically by Flynn’s criteria. The assimilated data was analyzed using various statistical methods like descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, standard error), chi-square test. Estimates of population proportions were obtained using estimator sample proportions and 95% confidence intervals under standard normal distribution approximation for large sample. Results: In our study, the mean age of the patients was found to be 6.64 years with male preponderance (72.22%) as compared to females (27.78%). Statistical analysis (test statistic; Fisher Exact test for count data – two sided) on the observations of Flynn’s grading score for different fixation methods viz. 2 Cross-wire (2C), 2 Lateral (2L) and 3K-wire depicted that proportions of satisfactory grading in all fixation methods (2C, 2L and 3K) are same (p-value 1.00) and hence results found no significant difference between fixation methods and Flynn’s grading score. This study revealed that the mean hospital length of stay for 2C and 3K fixation methods was 2.11± 0.29 and 2.33 ± 0.35 (p-0.609) respectively. The satisfactory result for loss of carrying angle and loss of range of motion was 94.44% and 100% for 2C and 3K fixation methods respectively. Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrated that closed reduction and percutaneous fixation using K-wire of displaced supracondylar fractures of humerus in children would be the simple, cheap, safe and effective method of treatment with relatively fewer complications and reduced hospital stay.

The Safe Management of Acne Vulgaris in Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review with Evidence-Based Treatment Recommendations.

To date, there have been no studies that have specifically investigated which medications can and cannot be safely used to treat acne vulgaris in patients who have lupus erythematosus (LE). These patients require a highly individualized treatment approach, as the use of certain acne medications may exacerbate LE symptomology, such as photosensitivity and hypercoagulability. In this systematic review, we examine safety outcomes associated with commonly prescribed oral acne medications, specifically in the context of LE. A literature search, conducted on PubMed/MEDLINE, revealed 146 studies, of which 13 met the criteria. We assigned a level of evidence to each study and sought to determine evidence-based recommendations for each class of drug; each recommendation was then assigned a corresponding grade. There were very few high-quality studies available on this topic. Although we determined recommendations based on the existing literature, the grading was occasionally unfavorable due to the low-quality nature of the evidence supporting the recommendation. However, our recommendation against the use of combined oral contraceptive pills and in favor of spironolactone for the treatment of acne, in the setting of LE, received a satisfactory grading (grade A). While no definitive recommendations for the treatment of acne in LE can be made based on the existing quality and quantity of studies available, this article aims to provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of oral acne medication safety in patients with LE, while emphasizing the immense need for higher quality studies and distinct acne treatment guidelines for this vulnerable patient population.

ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ MASTERY TO USE PREPOSITIONS AT THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS OF STATE POLYTECHNIC OF CILACAP

Communication skill in English is regarded important nowadays. People need to have good English communication skill to express their feelings better. Some Indonesian students find it quite difficult to communicate well in English. One of the aspects that needs to master well is vocabulary aspect. Vocabulary does not consist of vocabulary only, but it also includes parts of speech, such as verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions. Preposition as one of the parts of speech plays significant role in communication, but some Indonesian students face some difficulties in applying it. The subject consisted of 22 students of Information Technology study program. This study is a case study in nature by using combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches in analysis. In analyzing the data, some steps were used. First, the writer analyzed the correct answers of the students and categorized them into the suitable profile. And the last, the writer analyzed the problems faced by the students of using prepositions. The result of the study showed that most of the Information Technology students (63,64%) achieved satisfactory grade in using prepositions. The average percentage of the students’ correct answer was 75,64% in which it showed that the students were on the average achievement in using prepositions. It could also be concluded that some students still found difficulties in applying the correct prepositions because they did not clearly understand the difference among the prepositions. More practice is regarded necessary to make the students’ mastery to use prepositions better.

The influence of mathematics self-efficacy on numeracy performance in first-year nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

To examine the factors that influence nursing students' mathematics self-efficacy, the effect of numeracy instruction on self-efficacy, and the association between self-efficacy and numeracy test performance. Medication administration errors, including administering incorrect dosages or infusion rates, can result in serious harm to patients. Hence, it is essential that nursing students are adequately prepared with the necessary numeracy skills during their nursing program. This quasi-experimental cohort study used a pre- and post-test survey design. The study complied with the STROBE checklist for cohort research. In total, n = 715 undergraduate first year nursing students participated in the study from June to October 2017 at a single multi-campus university in the Western Sydney region of Australia. Data were collected at three time-points: (a) baseline, including assessing pre-instruction mathematics self-efficacy (NSE-Math scale); (b) 6-week follow-up; including assessing post-instruction mathematics self-efficacy; and (c) numeracy test performance was collected at 7-week follow-up. At baseline, those with high NSE-Math scale scores were more likely to be male and have at least high school advanced mathematics level education. Following structured numeracy instruction, NSE-Math scale scores increased significantly, and those who obtained a satisfactory grade in their numeracy assessment were more likely to have high NSE-Math scale scores and high academic performance in the previous semester. The study shows that structured numeracy instruction improved mathematics self-efficacy, which in turn influenced numeracy test performance. Using a structured medication numeracy pedagogical approach, to teach skills in nursing undergraduate programs, provides students with the foundations to improve mathematics self-efficacy and to be successful and safe with medication numeracy calculations and administration in clinical practice.

Factors that Affect the National Student Performance Examination Grades of Brazilian Undergraduate Medical Programs.

Background: The Brazilian National Student Performance Examination - ENADE is an instrument used to measure the quality of undergraduate courses. The identification of factors that influence the result of this examination can contribute to providing support necessary to improve the quality of medical courses. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the factors that affect the National Student Performance Examination grades of Brazilian undergraduate medical programs. Methods: Factors that influenced the 2010 ENADE grades of 100 undergraduate medical programs were studied. Data collection was performed using public databases. Academic and healthcare infrastructure variables were investigated. The data analysis was based on the performance of the medical programs on the 2010 ENADE, whereby the programs were divided into two groups: ENADE 1-2 (unsatisfactory grade) versus ENADE 4-5 (satisfactory grade). Results: One hundred schools were included in this analysis. In the univariate analysis the university variables (p=0.037), public institution (p<0.001), lower number of openings per course (p=0.036), lower number of specialist professors (p=0.003) and higher number of doctors (p=0.010), strictu sensu post-graduation program (p<0.001), higher course lifetime (p<0.001) were associated to best results in ENADE. In the multivariate analysis of logistic binary regression four variables remained independently associated to a better performance in ENADE: public institution (OR 9.9; 95%CI 1.03 to 95.5), lower number of openings per course (OR 0.984; 95% CI 0.969 to 0.999), strictu sensu post-graduation program (OR 8.189; 95% CI 1.459 to 45.971) and longer course lifetime (OR 1.058; 95% CI 1.013 to 1.105). Conclusions: The satisfactory score of this evaluation (ENADE 4-5) was associated to the public administration category of higher degree institutions, lower number of openings offered per course, the presence of a strictu sensu and longer course lifetime.

The variance of knowledge and practices about diabetes mellitus in primary health care physicians of Jazan region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objective: To assess PHC physicians’ knowledge and practice related to DM. Methods: A total of 109 (PHC) physicians in Jazan Region were interviewed using a questionnaire that comprised personal characteristics data and PHC physicians’ assessment of knowledge (15 questions), and practice (10 questions). Results: Regarding PHC physicians’ knowledge, 27.5% had poor grade, 48.6% had satisfactory grade while 23.9% had good grade. Regarding their practice, 53.2% had poor grade, 22% had satisfactory grade while 24.8% had good knowledge grade. PHC physicians’ knowledge grades differed significantly according to their age groups (p=0.041), with highest percentage of “good” knowledge grade among those aged>40 y. PHC physicians’ practice grades differed significantly according to their age groups (p=0.009), with least percentages of “good” grade among those aged<30 y. Practice grades also differed significantly according to nationality (p=0.005), with none of the Saudi physicians having “satisfactory or good” grades. Practice grades differed significantly according to qualification (p<0.001), with least percentage of “good” grade among those with MBBS degree. Practice grades differed significantly according to duration of experience after graduation (p<0.001), with least percentages of “good” grade among those having least experience. Conclusions: PHC physicians’ knowledge and practice grades in Jazan Region are suboptimal. Better knowledge and practice grades about DM are present among older, non-Saudi, more experienced and higher qualified PHC physicians. Therefore, continuing medical education and training should be enforced for all PHC physicians, especially Saudi, younger, newly graduated PHC physicians.

Improving the quality of university education in Sri Lanka: an analysis of Quality Assurance Agency Council's reviews

Knowledge economy requires institutions with the ability to discover new knowledge, develop innovative applications of these discoveries and transfer them into the marketplace through entrepreneurial activities. Knowledge accumulation is increasingly at the core of a country’s competitive advantage. In Sri Lanka, during the last two decades, increasing concern has been expressed about the quality of university education.TheWorldBank (2009) reiterated that the establishment of a Quality Assurance System for the full higher education sector is of great importance. The Quality Assurance Agency Council of the University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka (QAAC) was established in 2007 to review programmes of study offered by various Departments of Study (Subject Reviews) and the quality of higher education institutions (Institutional Reviews). This paper analyses the institutional and subject review reports submitted for the state universities by the Quality Assurance Agency Council of Sri Lanka to identify key issues that the universities need to take up in order to assure quality. Overall, institutional reviews portray a positive scenario with the majority of the universities being on the way to improve their quality. Analysis of the Subject Review Reports indicate that, on the whole, the Departments in universities have performed satisfactorily, obtaining Good grades for half the courses and Satisfactory grades for 41% of courses. Eight Universities have received a higher percentage of Good grades for their courses. However, in some aspects directly impinging on teaching-learning, performance of some of the Departments has been adjudged to be Unsatisfactory. It has to be recognized that External Reviews can contribute only to a certain extent to improve the quality. These Reviews need to be seriously discussed at Faculty Boards and Senates and progress monitoring be maintained if the desirable outcome is to be achieved.

Relationship Between Writing Skill and Oral Performance of Taiwanese Students

English is the most important foreign language in Taiwan because of globalization. Hence, receiving a satisfactory grade in English class is required to all college students before they graduate. In learning English, oral performance and knowing how to write articles and reports are used to evaluate the student’s proficiency ability. To understand this issue, this study investigated the relationship between writing skills and oral performance in a sample of 32 students who were randomly selected from a population 140 students in 2 classes. Students’ age and gender were used as independent variables while oral performance and writing skills were used as dependent variables. Regression analysis was used to measure relationship between students’ oral performance and writing scores. The regression results show that better writing skills significantly improve oral performance as the age of a student increases. Further, students coming from areas other than northern Taiwan present a negative relationship between their writing skills and oral performances. The results of this study present useful findings that inform Taiwanese teachers of English about the importance of improving writing skills on oral performance.

Is It Time to Decrease Preprofessional Pharmacy Requirements?

Is It Time to Decrease Preprofessional Pharmacy Requirements?