550 research outputs found
A Student Perspective on the Effectiveness of PASS in Seminar Courses: A Mixed-Method Study
The General Education Foundation (GEF) Programme, consisting of two seminar courses, namely âIn Dialogue with Humanityâ and âIn Dialogue with Nature,â has been a common core requirement of The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 2012. Aided by selected classics, students from all faculties engage in dialogues with their teachers and each other to reflect on what it means to have a good life, what an ideal society is, and the nature of intellectual pursuit in the sciences. Reading classics and discussing serious questions in class, however, can be challenging for some students. To help students meet these challenges, Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) were introduced in the pilot stage of GEF in 2010 and, with subsequent refinements, continue to this day. The seminar-style and interdisciplinary nature of GEF makes it an atypical case for PASS. This paper will examine and evaluate how PASS can improve student learning in seminar-style courses like GEF with a mixed-method study from a student perspective. According to evidence from online surveys and focus group interviews, PASS successfully 1) improves studentsâ understanding of the course content at a cognitive level, 2) assists and motivates them to prepare better for seminar discussions, effecting a behavioural change, and 3) facilitates affective learning outcomes in terms of confidence and motivation. Major challengesâincluding studentsâ misperceptions about PASS, differences in leadersâ approaches and organisational difficultiesâare identified. Proposed solutions to these challenges will also be discussed
Morphological and bone strength indices in girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and their correlations with leptin and soluble leptin receptor
Incidence of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Hospitalized Chinese Medical Patients and the Impact of DVT Prophylaxis
Objective. To evaluate the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in hospitalized Chinese medical patients and the impact of DVT prophylaxis. Methods. All cases of confirmed proximal DVT from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008 were reviewed retrospectively to determine the presence of risk factors and whether DVT developed: during hospitalization in medical wards or in case of readmission with a diagnosis of DVT within 14 days of discharge from a recent admission to medical wards. The impact of prophylaxis will be estimated by comparing the annual incidence of proximal DVT among medical patients hospitalized from 2005 to 2007 with that of 2008 (DVT prophylaxis commonly used). Results. From 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008, 3938 Doppler ultrasound studies were performed for suspected DVT. Proximal DVT was diagnosed in 687 patients. The calculated incidence of proximal DVT among medical patients hospitalized for at least two days was 1.8%, 2%, and 1.7% for the year 2005, 2006, and 2007, respectively. The incidence was 1.1% for 2008 (P < .001). Conclusion. Proximal DVT was substantial in Chinese medical patients, and DVT prophylaxis might reduce such risk
Evaluation of the ClearVoice Strategy in Adults Using HiResolution Fidelity 120 Sound Processing
ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the benefits of ClearVoice strategy on speech perception in noise and in everyday listening situations in Cantonese-speaking cochlear implant users.MethodsTwelve experienced adult users of the Harmony implant and HiRes 120 sound processing participated in the study. The study employed a prospective within-subjects design wherein speech recognition in adults using HiRes 120 without ClearVoice turned on (control option) was compared to their performance with HiRes 120 with ClearVoice turned on. Each subject was evaluated with two different ClearVoice gain settings: -12 dB (ClearVoice medium) and -18 dB (ClearVoice high) after one-week of use. The Cantonese hearing in noise test and a questionnaire were used as the outcome measures.ResultsSubjects performed significantly better with ClearVoice medium than with control option in noise. No significant difference in performance was noted among the 3 settings in quiet. Most subjects reported high level of satisfaction with ClearVoice in daily listening situations and preferred to keep ClearVoice on.ConclusionClearVoice can help cochlear implant recipients to hear better in noise
Early exclusion of major adverse cardiac events in emergency department chest pain patients: A prospective observational study
Background
The current evaluation of patients with chest pain presenting to an emergency department (ED) with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a lengthy process involving serial measurements of troponin.
Objective
We aimed to validate the diagnostic accuracy of a Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score with single high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) for early rule out of 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and to compare the TIMI score with combinations of heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) and a modified HEART (history, electrocardiogram, age, risk factors, troponin) score.
Methods
We recruited 602 consecutive adult patients with chest pain and suspected ACS in the ED. Each patient had TIMI and HEART scores, and a point-of-care H-FABP test.
Results
MACE occurred in 42 (7.0%) patients within 30 days. A low risk for 30-day MACE was identified by a modified TIMI score of 0 in 65 (11%) patients, and by a HEART score †2 in 96 (16%) patients. No MACE occurred in these groups, giving both scores a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.6â100%), and specificity of 11.6% (95% CI 9.2â14.5%) and 17.1% (95% CI 14.2â20.5%), respectively. Use of combined TIMI and HEART scores improved the specificity further to 22.0% (95% CI 18.7â25.6%) without lowering sensitivity. Early H-FABP measurement > 7 ÎŒg/L had a sensitivity of 41.5% (95% CI 27.8â56.6%) and a specificity of 91.1% (95% CI 88.4â93.2%) for predicting 30-day MACE.
Conclusions
A modified TIMI score of 0 or a HEART score of †2, incorporating a single hs-cTnT level, will identify patients with low risk of 30-day MACE for early discharge within 2 h of ED arrival
Suicide ideation in older people: a qualitative review and Meta-aggregation of Asian studies
AimsTo appraise and synthesize qualitative studies examining older Asian peopleâs experiences of suicidal ideation.DesignQualitative review and meta-aggregation.Data sourcesFour databases were accessed to retrieve papers published between 1990 and 2022 including the grey literature, hand-searching of reference lists of retrieved papers and key journals. The phenomenon of interest included participants older than 60âyears old, must have experienced a form of suicidal ideation and/or an unsuccessful attempt, had actively thought about harming themselves and be of Asian ethnicity.Review methodsThis review was conducted according to Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research and the Joanna Briggs Instituteâs System for the Unified Management of the Assessment and Review of Information.ResultsOf the 289 potential studies, seven papers met the inclusion criteria. Two synthesized findings resulted from this reviewâThe Suffering Situation: A Life without Meaning in Older Age and The Healing Situation: A Life Worth Living. The experiences of older Asian people varied from feelings of loneliness, despair and isolation to wanting to live a fruitful life into old age.ConclusionSuicidal ideation in the older person is a growing concern especially with the rise in suicide in this age group. Rising health care costs and erosion of traditional family values means that the older person views themselves as a burden. However, because of the limited number of qualitative studies from an Asian perspective it is difficult to ascertain the full extent of the issues surrounding suicide in older people
Recommended from our members
Unique local bone tissue characteristics in iliac crest bone biopsy from adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with severe spinal deformity
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a complex disease with unclear etiopathogenesis. Systemic and persistent low bone mineral density is an independent prognostic factor for curve progression. The fundamental question of how bone quality is affected in AIS remains controversy because there is lack of site-matched control for detailed analysis on bone-related parameters. In this case-control study, trabecular bone biopsies from iliac crest were collected intra-operatively from 28 severe AIS patients and 10 matched controls with similar skeletal and sexual maturity, anthropometry and femoral neck BMD Z-score to control confounding effects. In addition to static histomorphometry, micro-computed tomography (ÎŒCT) and real time-PCR (qPCR) analyses, individual trabecula segmentation (ITS)-based analysis, finite element analysis (FEA), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were conducted to provide advanced analysis of structural, mechanical and mineralization features. ÎŒCT and histomorphometry showed consistently reduced trabecular number and connectivity. ITS revealed predominant change in trabecular rods, and EDX confirmed less mineralization. The structural and mineralization abnormality led to slight reduction in apparent modulus, which could be attributed to differential down-regulation of Runx2, and up-regulation of Spp1 and TRAP. In conclusion, this is the first comprehensive study providing direct evidence of undefined unique pathological changes at different bone hierarchical levels in AIS
Evaluating bone strength with finite element analysis for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS): a case-control study with HR-pQCT
- âŠ