Cognitive Load And Its Major Pedagogical Implications, Focus On Education In Jordan

Through my teaching experience in Jordan, I noticed the amount of work students had to do. I noticed the tremendous amount information they received from their teachers on a daily basis. I also noticed that students forgot most of the information they learned in class right after their exams. I was wondering if that’s the right way of teaching. Then, after my study at SIT, I learned that this is a cognitive overload that can impair the learning process. Cognitive load refers to the information processing abilities in the human memory system which has limitations. When these limitations are exceeded, students suffer from cognitive overload. This is what made me come to the conclusion that students in Jordan are cognitively overloaded. In this thesis, I will explore the Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and make a connection between the CLT and the education system in Jordan. I will also talk about the reforms that have been carried out, taking into consideration new theories of learning including the Cognitive Load Theory

COMPARISON OF IMPLANT-RETAINED OVERDENTURE AND CONVENTIONAL COMPLETE DENTURE IN THE EDENTULOUS MANDIBLE: A SURVEY STUDY TO MEASURE PATIENTS\u27 SATISFACTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN DENTAL SCHOOL CLINICAL ENVIRONMENT

Patient satisfaction and quality of life are integral parts of assessing the quality of oral health care. Current aging population trends suggest a growing need to understand the effects of edentulism on oral health and quality of life. As the proportion of aged Americans expands, there will be an increased need to understand treatment options and patient communication strategies. In addition, as new treatment options and innovative technologies emerge, it will be essential to understand patients\u27 concerns and identify best practices associated with denture treatments\u27 individual fit and function. Advanced denture treatments can now be fabricated using CAD/CAM digital denture techniques. However, for many Americans still using conventional complete dentures (CD) or Implant Retained-Overdentures (IOD), it remains essential to consider improving their oral health outcomes and quality of life metrics. Dental schools often feel pressured to adopt and teach the most advanced practices. However, they must continue to focus on the needs of edentulous patients and develop communication training and treatment options for an expanding population of CD and IOD patients. New technological innovations will not displace the need for dental school clinics to prepare student clinicians to identify patient concerns and carefully communicate treatment options. Due to inexperienced student dentists who provide dental care to patients in dental school settings, patient grievances are generally considered a problem. Patients become unhappy and dissatisfied due to several factors such as less caregiving efficiency, discontinuity of care due to the school\u27s curriculum and summer break, and various institutional policies, i.e., competencies. Patient feedback and satisfaction have proven to be valuable resources for monitoring and improving patient safety. Effective management of patient concerns can assist individual patients and provide insight for dental schools and professional prosthodontic practices that aspire to deliver the highest quality of care possible. Until the new CAD/CAM methods are made more available in public practice and reduced in cost, many edentulous patients will choose between CD and IOD based on the recommendations of their dental provider. In some instances, a CD may be required because of anatomic, functional, or economic reasons. However, implant-retained overdentures are increasingly understood as a preferential alternative treatment option for those with remaining natural teeth and financial ability. While these are the two leading treatment options for edentulism, there is a lack of comparative studies in the literature comparing CD and IOD outcomes. Therefore, there is a need for studies that examine patient satisfaction and quality of life outcomes, particularly as they are associated with student dentists and considered in association with demographic factors. This study assesses patient satisfaction and quality of life among CD wearers and those with IODs. The data collected enable the examination of many essential factors related to oral health and quality of life. Together, these variable considerations allow a deeper understanding of the interpersonal skills and fabrication techniques that should be emphasized in a clinical dental school environment. The research question that guided the comparative analysis was, Is patient satisfaction and quality of life affected by the type of prostheses and provider? A validated questionnaire was mailed to 520 individuals randomly selected from records of patients who had received treatment for edentulous mandible at a student prosthodontic clinic at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry from 2014 to 2016 with at least one year of follow-up time. A validated questionnaire for edentulous patients based on the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-19) was used. In addition, information on patients\u27 oral health-related quality of life, including questions related to the edentulous patients\u27 satisfaction with their dentures, was collected. The response rate was 33% (N = 171). Survey results were analyzed using two-sample t-tests and chi-square tests to evaluate differences between and within groups. The study\u27s findings confirm previous findings which suggest that IODs may have a greater impact on oral health-related quality of life. Data show that 76% of the IOD group reported improvement in experience when using the implants to retain the mandibular denture. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the OHIP scores between overall CD and IOD patient groups. Males with IOD had lower physical pain, limitations, and disability scores than males with CD. However, females with IOD reported more significant concerns associated with a social disability and handicap domains. Comparing users who had experiences with both treatment options, this study discerned important characteristics that contribute to increased patient satisfaction with IOD and identified significance in outcomes by gender. These findings serve to guide prosthodontic practitioners\u27 patient care practices and identify a continuing need to discuss CD and IOD treatment protocols within dental school curricula

Computational Analysis of the Stability Limits of Premixed Methane-air Combustion in Micro-channels

Technological progress in the last decades facilitated the development of integrated microsystem devices, including electrical and mechanical components for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Such systems necessitate an external power supply, but typical batteries yet have some unavoidable limitations. To address this problem, numerous studies have been conducted to develop alternatives powered by micro combustion – in order to effectively utilize the high-density energy of hydrocarbon fuels. Such a global need has resulted in much more attention devoted to the combustion-based micro-power generation systems. However, to better understand the typical combustion characteristics in such microscale systems, design and performance restrictions need to be further examined. A notable research step in this direction is undertaken within the frame of the present thesis, where the behavior of a premixed methane-air flame in a quartz microreactor of diameter 2.3 mm, with a wall temperature externally controlled by a McKenna-style flat-flame burner fueled by a hydrogen-air mixture, is computationally studied. A premixed methane-air mixture is supplied to this microreactor at various inlet velocities in the range from 0.1 m/s to 0.6 m/s. In addition, various equivalence ratios in the range 0.6 ≤ ≤ 1.4 are considered and further investigated at two inlet velocities of 0.2 m/s and 0.4 m/s. Such a combination of equivalence ratios and inlet velocities provides insights into the impact of the equivalence ratio on both the stable and unstable flames. The present simulation results are validated by the prior experimental data as well as by other similar studies in the literature, with good agreement observed. The present work provides in-depth insights into a variety of phenomena such as ignition, flame propagation, flames with repetitive extinctions and ignitions (FREI) and flame stabilization. In particular, the ignition time and location, the flame span, and the FREI-related characteristics are scrutinized. The present work also provides a solid basis to predict the flame behavior under various conditions and aid in acquiring knowledge of the combustion dynamics for many practical combustors

Method of adaptive solar tracking using variable step size

A method for controlling a photovoltaic (PV) panel in a PV system including a computing device that provides motor control signals and implements an iterative adaprtive control (IAC) algorithm for adjusting an angle of the PV panel. The IAC algorithm relates P at a current time k (P(k)), an elevation angle of the PV panel at k (0s(k)), P after a next step (P(k+1)) and an elevation angle of the PV panel at k+1 (0s(k+1)). The algorithm generates a perturbed power value P(k+1) to provide a power perturbation to P(k), and calculates 0s(k+1) using P(k+1). The motor control signals cause the motor to position the PV panel to achieve 0s(k+1). A change in P resulting from the positioning is compared to a predetermined change limit, and only if the change in P is greater than/equal to the change limit, again sensing P, and repeating the generating, calculating and positioning

A Simplified Technique for Implant-Abutment Level Impression After Soft Tissue Adaptation Around Provisional Restoration

Impression techniques for implant restorations can be implant level or abutment level impressions with open tray or closed tray techniques. Conventional implant-abutment level impression techniques are predictable for maximizing esthetic outcomes. Restoration of the implant traditionally requires the use of the metal or plastic impression copings, analogs, and laboratory components. Simplifying the dental implant restoration by reducing armamentarium through incorporating conventional techniques used daily for crowns and bridges will allow more general dentists to restore implants in their practices. The demonstrated technique is useful when modifications to implant abutments are required to correct the angulation of malpositioned implants. This technique utilizes conventional crown and bridge impression techniques. As an added benefit, it reduces costs by utilizing techniques used daily for crowns and bridges. The aim of this report is to describe a simplified conventional impression technique for custom abutments and modified prefabricated solid abutments for definitive restorations

Iterative Adaptive Solar Tracking Having Variable Step Size

A system controller for position controlling a photovoltaic (PV) panel in a PV system including a power sensor sensing output power (P), and a motor for positioning the PV panel. The system controller includes a computing device having memory that provides motor control signal and implements an iterative adaptive control (IAC) algorithm stored in the memory for adjusting an angle of the PV panel. The IAC algorithm includes an iterative relation that relates P at current time k (P(k)), its elevation angle at k (?s(k)), P after a next step (P(k+1)) and its elevation angle at k+1(?s(k+1)). The IAV algorithm generates a perturbed power value P(k+1) to provide a power perturbation to P(k), and calculates a position angle ?s(k+1) of the PV panel using the perturbed power value. The motor control signals from the computing device cause the motor to oposition the PV panel to achieve ?s(k+1)

Thrombocytopenia and disseminated histoplasmosis in immunocompetent adults

Disseminated histoplasmosis among immunocompetent patients is rare, but may be associated with clinically significant refractory thrombocytopenia. Platelet counts often return to normal levels following antifungal therapy. Therefore, the most important management of this refractory thrombocytopenia is the recognition and treatment of histoplasmosis infection

Efficacy of Stem Cell Allograft in Maxillary Sinus Bone Regeneration: A Randomized Controlled Clinical and Blinded Histomorphometric Study

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the quality and quantity of newly generated bone in the maxillary sinus grafted with stem cell-based allograft material. Methods: This study was a single site, prospective, blinded, randomized, and controlled clinical trial. Eleven subjects with 18 edentulous posterior maxillary sites requiring sinus augmentation for delayed implant placement using a lateral window approach were enrolled. At the time of sinus augmentation, test sinus was grafted with stem cell-based allograft (Osteocel Plus; NuVasive Therapeutics), while the control sinus was grafted with conventional cortico-cancellous allograft (alloOss; ACE Surgical). Cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) scan was taken before and 14 weeks post-sinus augmentation procedure, i.e., 2 weeks before implant placement. Thirty-six trephined core bone biopsies were harvested from the anterior and posterior grafted lateral-window osteotomy sites at the time of implant placement. Results: The results showed a statistically significant difference in the vital bone percentage between the test and the control groups at the posterior grafted sites (p = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the percentage of vital bone between the anterior and posterior grafted sites within the test and control groups (p \u3e .05). The CBCT analysis showed that the maxillary sinuses at the posterior grafted sites were statistically wider than those at the anterior grafted sites in both groups (p \u3c .05). Conclusions: Different allograft bone materials can be used in the maxillary sinus augmentation procedures. Stem cell allograft has more osteogenic potential with a better outcome in the wide posterior sinus

Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter in Liver Transplantation: An Important Predictor of Early and Late Morbidity and Mortality

Postoperative atrial fibrillation/flutter (POAF) is the most common perioperative arrhythmia and may be particularly problematic after liver transplantation (LT). This study is a single‐center retrospective analysis of POAF to determine its incidence following LT, to identify risk factors, to assess its impact on clinical outcomes, and to summarize management strategies. The records of all patients who underwent LT between 2010 and 2018 were reviewed. Extracted data included pre‐LT demographics and cardiac evaluation, in‐hospital post‐LT cardiac events, early and late complications, and survival. Among 1011 patients, the incidence of post‐LT POAF was 10%. Using binary logistic regression, pre‐LT history of atrial fibrillation was the strongest predictor of POAF (odds ratio [OR], 6.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.00‐22.57; P < 0.001), followed by history of coronary artery disease (CAD; OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.10‐5.81; P = 0.03). Cardiac stress testing abnormality and CAD on cardiac catheterization were also associated with higher risk. Median time to POAF onset after LT was 3 days with 72% of cases resolving within 48 hours. POAF patients had greater hospital length of stay, death during the LT admission, and 90‐day and 1‐year mortality. POAF was an independent risk factor for post‐LT mortality (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3‐3.0; P < 0.01). Amiodarone was administered to 73% of POAF patients with no evidence of increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels. POAF occurred in 10% of post‐LT patients with early onset and rapid resolution in most affected patients. POAF patients, however, had significant morbidity and mortality, suggesting that POAF is an important marker for worse early and late post‐LT outcomes

Pre‐Liver Transplant Cardiac Catheterization is Associated with Low Rate of Myocardial Infarction and Cardiac Mortality

Background A previous study at Indiana University demonstrated a reduction in myocardial infarction (MI) incidence with increased frequency of cardiac catheterization (CATH) in liver transplant (LT) candidates. A strict protocol for performing CATH based upon predefined risk factors, rather than non‐invasive testing alone, was applied to a subgroup (2009‐2010) from that study. CATH was followed by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in cases of significant coronary artery disease (CAD; ≥50% stenosis). The current study applies this screening protocol to a larger cohort (2010‐2016) to assess post‐LT clinical outcomes. Results Among 811 LT patients, 766 underwent stress testing (94%), and 559 underwent CATH (69%) of whom 10% had CAD requiring PCI. The sensitivity of stress echocardiography in detecting significant CAD was 37%. Predictors of PCI included increasing age, male gender and personal history of CAD (p<0.05 for all). Compared to patients who had no CATH, patients who underwent CATH had higher mortality (p=0.07), and the hazard rates (HR) for mortality increased with CAD severity [normal CATH (HR: 1.35 [95% CI: 0.79, 2.33], p=0.298); non‐obstructive CAD (HR: 1.53 [95% CI: 0.84, 2.77], p=0.161); and significant CAD (HR: 1.96 [95% CI: 0.93, 4.15], p=0.080)]. Post‐LT outcomes were compared to the 2009‐2010 subgroup from the previous study and showed similar 1‐year overall mortality (8% and 6%, p=0.48); 1‐year MI incidence (<1% and <1%, p=0.8); and MI deaths as portion of all deaths (3% and 9%, p=0.35). Conclusion Stress echocardiography alone is not reliable in screening LT patients for CAD. Aggressive CAD screening with CATH is associated with low rate of MI and cardiac mortality and validates the previously published protocol when extrapolated over a larger sample and longer follow‐up period