Evidence Based Practice: Assessing the educational outcome

Healthcare providers and patients strive for optimal outcomes with a growing trend to embed the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) into mainstream care delivery by practicing dentists. The foundations of future best practice are built at dental school. How do we evaluate the outcome of an EBP syllabus? This study describes the use of the KACE assessment tool to assess the learning outcomes of final year DDS students who had completed an EBP program. The use of a validated instrument to measure four dimensions, knowledge, attitudes about it, familiarity with sources for accessing evidence and confidence in critical appraisal skills can be an important outcomes assessment tool. 90 dental students from the final year completed the questionnaire in 2016. 84% demonstrated good knowledge of evidence hierarchy. 92% agreed of the value to future practice and improvement in quality of patient care with 88% agreeing with the value of it as an integral part of a dental school curriculum. Students demonstrate confidence in appraising study design, recognizing bias, generalizability and value of the research report. However, even with electronic access to databases, when it came to accessing evidence over 75% would ask a friend with less than 25% consulting the Cochrane Database. The outcome of the training had been positive in providing the skills for EBP. The use of a validated tool ensured the graduating students received a good foundation to provide their future patients with the best clinical evidence for optimal and cost-effective dental care

Cultural Competency in Universities and Library Services: Definition and Review

Cultural competency is critical aspects that requires proper management in view of the fact that institutions of higher learning worldwide are more diverse with the greater rate of international student enrollment, expansion of opportunities for women and ethnic minorities, and increase in more affordable options for achieving a degree. This qualitative study sought to presents a literature review of the concept of cultural competency as it pertains to the provision of educational and library and information services at institutions of higher education. This literature review explores the various definitions for cultural literacy, how the concept has been used in higher education and library and information science research, and the questions about the concept and its use that remain unanswered. This review is intended to serve as a starting point for future discussion of cultural diversity and the inclusion of international students within the literature. The data was thematically analysed. The paper suggested some recommendations based on the results of the study

Educating International Security Practitioners: Preparing to Face the Demands of the 21st Century International Security Environment

The authors examine the challenges of the 21st century international security environment to which future strategic leaders and policy practitioners will need to respond. More specifically, they offer the reader insights into security studies and leadership development at their respective levels (military undergraduate, civilian undergraduate, traditional and nontraditional graduate, and senior military officer) and institutions (including research centers and professional outreach programs). The goal is to inform a broader audience about what is currently being done in the way of educating strategic practitioners at these various institutions, and what might need to be done differently or better.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1835/thumbnail.jp

Stimulation of chondrogenic differentiation of adult human bone marrow-derived stromal cells by a moderate-strength static magnetic field

Tissue-engineering strategies for the treatment of osteoarthritis would benefit from the ability to induce chondrogenesis in precursor cells. One such cell source is bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs). Here, we examined the effects of moderate-strength static magnetic fields (SMFs) on chondrogenic differentiation in human BMSCs in vitro. Cells were cultured in pellet form and exposed to several strengths of SMFs for various durations. mRNA transcript levels of the early chondrogenic transcription factor SOX9 and the late marker genes ACAN and COL2A1 were determined by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, and production of the cartilage-specific macromolecules sGAG, collage type 2 (Col2), and proteoglycans was determined both biochemically and histologically. The role of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway was also examined. Results showed that a 0.4 T magnetic field applied for 14 days elicited a strong chondrogenic differentiation response in cultured BMSCs, so long as TGF-β3 was also present, that is, a synergistic response of a SMF and TGF-β3 on BMSC chondrogenic differentiation was observed. Further, SMF alone caused TGF-β secretion in culture, and the effects of SMF could be abrogated by the TGF-β receptor blocker SB-431542. These data show that moderate-strength magnetic fields can induce chondrogenesis in BMSCs through a TGF-β-dependent pathway. This finding has potentially important applications in cartilage tissue-engineering strategies