Mentorship in Higher Education: a Concept, a Model and Development Prospects

The article examines the mentorship development in higher education. The need for a scientific reconsideration of the conceptual framework of mentorship in modern conditions, as well as its important practical significance for adapting students, improving the quality of education and professional activity are forming the relevance of this topic. The purpose of the article is to develop the concept of mentorship, to design a model and to plan the mentoring in higher education. An interdisciplinary approach was used to determine the essence of mentorship (consideration of the category in Psychology and Sociology, Pedagogy, Management), a model of mentorship in higher education has been developed with a structural-system analysis, as well as with graphical and statistical methods. The scientific novelty of the article is the development of the conceptual framework of mentoring and applied aspects of its implementation in higher education in Russia. The essential elements of mentorship were identified and considered, namely: the concept and approaches, purpose and objectives, principles and functions. The types of mentorship in higher education were classified according to key criteria: the number of mentees, formalization, period of interaction, method of implementation, direction of interaction, purpose. The main principles of mentoring in higher education are specified. A model of mentoring in higher education was proposed. A systematic analysis of successful practices and mentoring programs in higher education in Russia was carried out. The problems and prospects for mentorship development in modern conditions were identified. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using conceptual developments in the formation and development of the legal framework for the implementation of mentoring, as well as the development and implementation of a mentoring model in higher education institutions

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (FINE) Detects 98% of Congenital Heart Disease

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146329/1/jum14616.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146329/2/jum14616_am.pd

Small size, big problems: insights and difficulties in prenatal diagnosis of fetal microcephaly

Microcephaly is a sign, not a diagnosis. Its incidence varies widely due to the differences in the definition and the population being studied. It is strongly related to neurodevelopmental disorders. Differences in definitions and measurement techniques between fetuses and newborns pose a great challenge for the diagnosis and prognostication of fetal microcephaly. A false positive diagnosis can result (in countries where it is legal) in erroneous termination of pregnancy, where a false negative diagnosis might lead to the birth of a microcephalic newborn. Microcephaly in growth restricted fetuses deserves special attention and separate evaluation as it is an important prognostic factor, and not necessarily part of the general growth retardation. Several genetic syndromes incorporating microcephaly and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) are discussed. Deceleration of the head circumference (HC) growth rate even when the HC is still within normal limits might be the only clue for developing microcephaly and should be considered during fetal head growth follow up. Combining additional parameters such as a positive family history, associated anomalies, and new measurement parameters can improve prediction in about 50% of cases, and thus should be part of the prenatal workup. Advances in imaging modalities and in prenatal genetic investigation along with the emergence of new growth charts can also improve diagnostic accuracy. In this article, we review the different definitions and etiologies of fetal microcephaly, discuss difficulties in diagnosis, investigate the reasons for the low yield of prenatal diagnosis, and provide improvement suggestions. Finally, we suggest an updated algorithm that will aid in the diagnosis and management of fetal microcephaly

Vermian biometric parameters in the normal and abnormal fetal posterior fossa: three-dimensional sonographic study

The purposes of this study were to describe a 3-dimensional sonographic technique for evaluation of the fetal vermis and to compare vermian biometric parameters in fetuses with a normal and an abnormal posterior fossa. A prospective study was conducted from 2006 through 2008 on 12 fetuses with an abnormal posterior fossa and 73 healthy control fetuses from 18 to 35 weeks' gestation. Three-dimensional scans of the fetal head were performed in the axial plane, using static volume contrast imaging in the C-plane. The vermian perimeter, cross-sectional area, and superoinferior diameter were measured and compared between abnormal and normal fetuses using the Wilcoxon nonparametric test. Linear regression analysis was used to describe trends of the vermis during gestation. The z scores for perimeter, cross-sectional area, and superoinferior diameter measurements in the abnormal posterior fossa group in each 2-week interval were calculated. Twelve fetuses with an abnormal posterior fossa were recruited: 3 with a Blake pouch cyst, 1 vermian cyst, 1 enlarged cisterna magna, 2 Dandy-Walker malformation, 4 partial vermian agenesis, and 1 hemicerebellar hypoplasia. The vermian cross-sectional area was reduced significantly in the fetuses with an abnormal posterior fossa compared with the control fetuses starting at 18 to 19 weeks' gestation (P = .01); the mean vermian superoinferior diameter was lower only from 22 to 23 weeks (P = .01); and the mean vermian perimeter was decreased from 28-29 weeks' gestation (P = .03). Linear regression analysis of the parameters showed that fetuses with an abnormal posterior fossa had a statistically significantly lower growth rate than control fetuses during gestation (P < .001). Measurements of the cross-sectional area were more useful than those of the perimeter and superoinferior diameter in distinguishing between fetuses with a normal and an abnormal posterior fossa during the early stages of gestation