Dynamic stabilization versus fusion for treatment of degenerative spine conditions.

Study design Comparative effectiveness review.Study rationale Spinal fusion is believed to accelerate the degeneration of the vertebral segment above or below the fusion site, a condition called adjacent segment disease (ASD). The premise of dynamic stabilization is that motion preservation allows for less loading on the discs and facet joints at the adjacent, non-fused segments. In theory, this should decrease the rate of ASD. However, clinical evidence of this theoretical decrease in ASD is still lacking. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the evidence in the literature comparing dynamic stabilization with fusion.Clinical question In patients 18 years or older with degenerative disease of the cervical or lumbar spine, does dynamic stabilization lead to better outcomes and fewer complications, including ASD, than fusion in the short-term and the long-term?Methods A systematic search and review of the literature was undertaken to identify studies published through March 7, 2011. PubMed, Cochrane, and National Guideline Clearinghouse Databases as well as bibliographies of key articles were searched. Two individuals independently reviewed articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria which were set a priori. Each article was evaluated using a predefined quality-rating scheme.Results No significant differences were identified between fusion and dynamic stabilization with regard to VAS, ODI, complications, and reoperations. There are no long-term data available to show whether dynamic stabilization decreases the rate of ASD.Conclusions There are no clinical data from comparative studies supporting the use of dynamic stabilization devices over standard fusion techniques

A GLOBAL DATABASE OF DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TOURIST NUMBERS AT NATIONAL AND SUBNATIONAL LEVEL

We present a new, global data base on tourist destinations. The data base differs from other data bases in that it includes both domestic and international tourists; and it contains data, for the most important destinations, data at national level as well as at lower administrative levels. Missing observations are interpolated using statistical models. The data are freely accessible on the internet.tourism, data

A Simulation Activity to Assess Student Pharmacists\u27 Knowledge and Perceptions of Oncology Pharmacy

Objective. To assess the impact of an interactive activity on student pharmacists’ confidence in answering oncology-related questions and their perceptions of an oncology pharmacists’ roles in practice. Methods. Two cohorts (2016 and 2017) of third-year student pharmacists completed a two-hour, interactive, four-station activity during the fourth week of an oncology module. Each station simulated a different oncology-related scenario that represented a specific practice settings. Pre- and post-activity surveys were administered to determine changes in students’ confidence levels and perceptions. Results. Over the two years, 66 student pharmacists completed the pre- and post-activity survey instruments. In both cohorts, there was a significant increase in scores on all items regarding students’ confidence. Student pharmacists’ perceptions of pharmacists\u27 roles also improved significantly. Conclusion. The simulation activity was effective as confirmed by improvement in student pharmacists’ post-activity scores on confidence and perception. Determining student pharmacists’ comfort in responding to oncology scenarios is important to prepare them for practice in any setting

Interface band gap narrowing behind open circuit voltage losses in Cu₂ZnSnS₄ solar cells

We present evidence that band gap narrowing at the heterointerface may be a major cause of the large open circuit voltage deficit of Cu$_2$ZnSnS$_4$/CdS solar cells. Band gap narrowing is caused by surface states that extend the Cu$_2$ZnSnS$_4$ valence band into the forbidden gap. Those surface states are consistently found in Cu$_2$ZnSnS$_4$, but not in Cu$_2$ZnSnSe$_4$, by first-principles calculations. They do not simply arise from defects at surfaces but are an intrinsic feature of Cu$_2$ZnSnS$_4$ surfaces. By including those states in a device model, the outcome of previously published temperature-dependent open circuit voltage measurements on Cu$_2$ZnSnS$_4$ solar cells can be reproduced quantitatively without necessarily assuming a cliff-like conduction band offset with the CdS buffer layer. Our first-principles calculations indicate that Zn-based alternative buffer layers are advantageous due to the ability of Zn to passivate those surface states. Focusing future research on Zn-based buffers is expected to significantly improve the open circuit voltage and efficiency of pure-sulfide Cu$_2$ZnSnS$_4$ solar cells.Comment: Accepted at Applied Physics Letter

Effectiveness of Facebook Groups and Pages on Participant Recruitment Into a Randomized Controlled Trial During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND: In response to the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, conventional recruitment approaches were halted, causing the suspension of numerous clinical trials. Previously, Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc) has emerged as a promising tool for augmenting participant recruitment. While previous research has explored the use of Facebook for surveys and qualitative studies, its potential for recruiting participants into randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remains underexplored. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to comprehensively examine the effectiveness of using Facebook groups and pages to facilitate participant recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic for an RCT on the effectiveness of a remote parenting program, 1-2-3 Magic, in families who have children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United Kingdom. METHODS: We disseminated 5 Facebook posts with an attached digital flyer across 4 prominent ADHD UK support groups and pages run by the National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Services, reaching an audience of around 16,000 individuals over 2 months (January 7 to March 4, 2022). Eligibility criteria mandated participants to be parents or caregivers of a child with diagnosed ADHD aged 12 years or younger, be residing in the United Kingdom, have access to stable internet, and have a device with the Zoom (Zoom Video Communications) app. Participants were required to have never attended 1-2-3 Magic training previously. Prospective participants expressed their interest through Microsoft Forms (Microsoft Corporation). The trial aimed to recruit 84 parents. It is important to note that the term "parent" or "caregiver" in the RCT and in this study within a trial refers to anybody who has legal responsibility for the child. RESULTS: Overall, 478 individuals registered their interest through Microsoft Forms within the stipulated 2-month window. After the eligibility check, 135 participants were contacted for a baseline meeting through Zoom. The first 84 participants who attended a baseline meeting and returned a completed consent form were enrolled. Subsequently, another 16 participants were added, resulting in a final sample of 100 participants. This recruitment strategy incurred negligible expenses and demanded minimal human resources. The approach yielded favorable outcomes by efficiently attracting eligible participants in a condensed time frame, transcending geographical barriers throughout the United Kingdom, which would have been tedious to achieve through traditional recruitment methods. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience demonstrated that digital flyers posted in the targeted Facebook groups were a cost-effective and quick method for recruiting for an RCT, which opened during the COVID-19 pandemic when lockdown restrictions were in place in the United Kingdom. Trialists should consider this low-cost recruitment intervention for trials going forward, and in the case of a global pandemic, this novel recruitment method enabled the trial to continue where many have failed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 15281572; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15281572

Pengaruh Metode Discovery terhadap Kemampuan Berpikir Kreatif Siswa Kelas VIII MTs Negeri Bandung, Tulungagung Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017

ABSTRAK Nurma Dewi. NIM. 2814133141, 2017, “Pengaruh Metode Discovery terhadap Kemampuan Berpikir Kreatif Siswa Kelas VIII MTs Negeri Bandung, Tulungagung Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017”, Skripsi, Jurusan Tadris Matematika, Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Ilmu Keguruan (FTIK), Institut Agama Islam Negeri Tulungagung, Pembimbing: Dr. Muniri, M.Pd. Kata Kunci : Kemampuan Berpikir Kreatif Metode Discovery Kemampuan berpikir kreatif merupakan salah satu kemampuan yang harus dibina melalui pendidikan. Hal ini sesuai dengan tujuan pembelajaran matematika yaitu mengembangkan aktivitas kreatif yang melibatkan imajinasi, intuisi dan penemuan dengan mengembangkan pemikiran divergen, orisinil dan rasa ingin tahu membuat prediksi dan dugaan serta mencoba-coba. Banyak metode pembelajaran yang merangsang siswa untuk belajar mandiri, kreatif dan lebih aktif dalam mengikuti kegiatan pembelajaran. Salah satu metode pembelajaran yang bisa digunakan dan memberikan kesempatan kepada siswa untuk belajar mandiri, lebih aktif dan kreatif adalah dengan metode pembelajaran discovery. Metode Discovery merupakan suatu metode pembelajaran yang mengupayakan pemahaman siswa terhadap matematika yang didasarkan pada prinsip dan langkah-langkah dari belajar berbasis discovery, meliputi enam langkah pembelajaran yaitu memberikan atau merumuskan masalah, menganalisis masalah, merencanakan penyelesaian, memeriksa perencanaan penyelesaian masalah, melanjutkan penyelesaian dan guru memberikan latihan. Rumusan masalah dari penelitian ini adalah : adakah pengaruh metode discovery terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif siswa kelas VIII MTs Negeri Bandung, Tulungagung Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui adakah pengaruh metode discovery terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif siswa kelas VIII MTs Negeri Bandung, Tulungagung Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di MTs Negeri Bandung Tulungagung pada bulan Pebruari 2017. Rancangan penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dan jenis penelitian eksperimen. Populasi penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas VIII MTs Negeri Bandung, Tulungagung Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017. Sedangkan sampling yang digunakan menggunakan teknik Puposive Sampling. Sehingga sampel yang digunakan adalah siswa kelas VIII G dan VIII H. Proses pembelajaran dengan mengikuti langkah-langkah metode pembelajaran discovery (penemuan terbimbing). Metode pengumpulan data menggunakan tes, observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian Metode Discovery terhadap Kemampuan Berpikir Kreatif Siswa Kelas VIII MTs Negeri Bandung, Tulungagung Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017, sangat membantu siswa dalam pembelajaran matematika. Melalui enam langkah pembelajaran discovery (penemuan terbimbing), siswa lebih senang menemukan sendiri rumus luas dan volume kubus dan balok dan siswa memahami benar materi kubus dan balok sebab mengalami sendiri proses menemukannya sehingga mampu membuat mata pelajaran matematika yang dianggap sulit dan menakutkan menjadi lebih menarik dan menyenangkan serta mampu dengan mudah diterima siswa. Setelah memberikan treatment dengan metode pembelajaran discovery (penemuan terbimbing) dalam pembelajaran matematika dan tes tingkat berpikir kreatif menunjukkan bahwa siswa kelas VIII G MTs Bandung Tulungagung yang berada pada tingkat berpikir sangat kreatif ada 16 anak yaitu sebesar 47.1% dari jumlah siswa kelas VIII G, sedangkan tingkat berpikir kreatif ada 8 anak yaitu sebesar 23.5% dari jumlah siswa kelas VIII G dan tingkat berpikir cukup kretif ada 10 anak yaitu sebesar 29.4% dari jumlah siswa kelas VIII G, sehingga metode discovery berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif matematika siswa kelas VIII MTs Bandung Tulungagung. Hal ini sesuai dengan hasil analisa data siswa yang masuk pada tingkat berpikir sangat kreatif dan kreatif sebesar 70.58% lebih besar dari pada 50% dari banyaknya siswa. Selain itu dengan perhitungan uji t-test , hasil perhitungan data menunjukkan bahwa nilai t hitung = 2,015 lebih besar dari nilai t tabel = 2,000 pada taraf signifikansi 5%, dengan demikian t hitung > t tabel, sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa H0 ditolak dan H1 diterima, yang berarti bahwa terdapat pengaruh kemampuan berpikir kreatif antara siswa yang diajar dengan metode discovery dengan siswa yang diajar dengan model pembelajaran konvensional. Dengan demikian dapat dikatakan bahwa “Ada Pengaruh Metode Discovery terhadap Kemampuan Berpikir Kreatif Siswa Kelas VIII MTs Negeri Bandung Tulungagung”

Multimodal Evidence of Atypical Processing of Eye Gaze and Facial Emotion in Children With Autistic Traits

According to the shared signal hypothesis (SSH) the impact of facial expressions on emotion processing partially depends on whether the gaze is directed toward or away from the observer. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD) several aspects of face processing have been found to be atypical, including attention to eye gaze and the identification of emotional expressions. However, there is little research on how gaze direction affects emotional expression processing in typically developing (TD) individuals and in those with ASD. This question is investigated here in two multimodal experiments. Experiment 1 required processing eye gaze direction while faces differed in emotional expression. Forty-seven children (aged 9–12 years) participated. Their Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores ranged from 0 to 6 in the experiment. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were sensitive to gaze direction and emotion, but emotion processing did not depend on gaze direction. However, for angry faces the gaze direction effect on the N170 amplitude, as typically observed in TD individuals, diminished with increasing ADOS score. For neutral expressions this correlation was not significant. Experiment 2 required explicit emotion classifications in a facial emotion composite task while eye gaze was manipulated incidentally. A group of 22 children with ASD was compared to a propensity score-matched group of TD children (mean age = 13 years). The same comparison was carried out for a subgroup of nine children with ASD who were less trained in social cognition, according to clinician’s report. The ASD group performed overall worse in emotion recognition than the TD group, independently of emotion or gaze direction. However, for disgust expressions, eye tracking data revealed that TD children fixated relatively longer on the eyes of the stimulus face with a direct gaze as compared with averted gaze. In children with ASD we observed no such modulation of fixation behavior as a function of gaze direction. Overall, the present findings from ERPs and eye tracking confirm the hypothesis of an impaired sensitivity to gaze direction in children with ASD or elevated autistic traits, at least for specific emotions. Therefore, we conclude that multimodal investigations of the interaction between emotional processing and stimulus gaze direction are promising to understand the characteristics of individuals differing along the autism trait dimension.Peer Reviewe