Intractable epilepsy in South African children based on criteria defined by the international league against epilepsy (ILAE)

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references

Building a Criterion-Referenced Test in Measurement and Evaluation and Determining Its Cut-Off Score by Several Methods

The current study aimed to build a criterion-referenced test in measurement and evaluation and determine its cut-off score by several methods. The primary test form had 45 items, which a group of professors and measurement and evaluation experts reviewed; their comments and feedback were taken into account, and the final test form had 40 items. The test has been presented to 174 university students to examine its psychometric characteristics. Multiple statistical techniques were later performed using the SPSS program, and the results show that the discrimination and difficulty coefficients ranged from 0.36 to 0.82. Additionally, the test reliability was calculated using the Kuder-Richardson -20 and Spilt half statistical methods, and the concurrent validity was 0.76. The results showed that the value of the Kuder-Richardson -20 method was 0.81, while the value of the Spilt-Half method was 0.79. Finally, the cut-off score has been calculated using four methods, and the results indicate that the Angoff method value was 65%, the Nedelsky method was 64%, the contrasting groups’ method was 68%, and the criterion groups’ method was 62%. Keywords: criterion-referenced test, measurement, and evaluation, university student, the cut-off score. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-1-06 Publication date: January 31st 202

Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome at Tertiary Care Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2014

During March–May 2014, a Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak occurred in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that included many persons who worked or received medical treatment at King Fahd General Hospital. We investigated 78 persons who had laboratory-confirmed MERS during March 2–May 10 and documented contact at this hospital. The 78 persons with MERS comprised 53 patients, 16 healthcare workers, and 9 visitors. Among the 53 patients, the most probable sites of acquisition were the emergency department (22 patients), inpatient areas (17), dialysis unit (11), and outpatient areas (3). Infection control deficiencies included limited separation of suspected MERS patients, patient crowding, and inconsistent use of infection control precautions; aggressive improvements in these deficiencies preceded a decline in cases. MERS coronavirus transmission probably was multifocal, occurring in multiple hospital settings. Continued vigilance and strict application of infection control precautions are necessary to prevent future MERS outbreaks