CLOSING THE LOOP: THE USE OF A CURRICULAR DATABASE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISING EXAM SECURITY

At the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, there is ever-increasing recognition that the development of high-quality medical student examinations is a fundamental part of a high-quality educational experience. As growing faculty time is spent in the development of reliable exams, question banks and the reuse of testing items are both becoming more prevalent. Security of these examinations is thus increasingly becoming a priority. However, our faculty also recognizes the importance of student feedback. In past years, we have allowed students directly access to their tests following the examination sessions, but the increasing importance of exam security obviously conflicts with this approach. The authors and course directors are attempting to resolve this dilemma by utilizing a curricular database to provide students with individualized feedback while maintaining exam security

William Avery Bishop

Public history posters on Canada’s military past, William Billy Avery Bishop a Canadian fighter pilot in WWI, by students Derek Musa, Lisa Marie Lam, Romario Parkeshttps://source.sheridancollege.ca/swfhass_military_posters/1001/thumbnail.jp

Wordless Intervention for Epilepsy in Learning Disabilities (WIELD): Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial

Epilepsy is the most common neurological problem that affects people with learning disabilities. The high seizure frequency, resistance to treatments, associated skills deficit and co-morbidities make the management of epilepsy particularly challenging for people with learning disabilities. The Books Beyond Words booklet for epilepsy uses images to help people with learning disabilities manage their condition and improve quality of life. Our aim is to conduct a randomized controlled feasibility trial exploring key methodological, design and acceptability issues, in order to subsequently undertake a large-scale randomized controlled trial of the Books Beyond Words booklet for epilepsy

Improved Patient Notes from Medical Students during Web-Based Teaching Using Faculty-Calibrated Peer Review and Self-Assessment

Background: This study examines the effectiveness of Calibrated Peer Review (TM) (CPR), a Web-based writing development program, to teach and assess medical students\u27 patient note-writing skills in a standardized fashion. Method: At the end of the clerkship year, 67 medical students were divided inot three groups, introduced to CPR, and instructed in patient note-writing. Students then wrote notes for three clinical cases, presented in different order to each group. After training on faculty-calibrated standards, students evaluated their peers; notes and tehir own notes. Trained faculty, blinded to author, order, and group, also graded student notes. Results: Faculty gave lower scores than students, but both groups found students\u27 scores improved significantly from the first to the third note writteb, Conclusions: Student-written pateint notes improved in quality while using CPR. The program uses approaches valued in medicine (accurate peer review and self-reflection) to enhance performanc

Tweens' expression of self-concept through the symbolic consumption of brands

This paper looks at tweens' expression of self-concept through the symbolic consumption of brand

Synthesis and characterization of a series of nickel(II) alkoxide precursors and their utility for Ni(0) nanoparticle production

A series of nickel(ii) aryloxide ([Ni(OAr)2(py)x]) precursors was synthesized from an amide-alcohol exchange using [Ni(NR2)2] in the presence of pyridine (py). The H-OAr selected were the mono- and di-ortho-substituted 2-alkyl phenols: alkyl = methyl (H-oMP), iso-propyl (H-oPP), tert-butyl (H-oBP) and 2,6-di-alkyl phenols (alkyl = di-iso-propyl (H-DIP), di-tert-butyl (H-DBP), di-phenyl (H-DPhP)). The crystalline products were solved as solvated monomers and structurally characterized as [Ni(OAr)2(py)x], where x = 4: OAr = oMP (1), oPP (2); x = 3: OAr = oBP (3), DIP (4); x = 2: OAr = DBP (5), DPhP (6). The excited states (singlet or triplet) and various geometries of 1-6 were identified by experimental UV-vis and verified by computational modeling. Magnetic susceptibility of the representative compound 4 was fit to a Curie Weiss model that yielded a magnetic moment of 4.38(3)μB consistent with a Ni2+ center. Compounds 1 and 6 were selected for decomposition studied under solution precipitation routes since they represent the two extremes of coordination. The particle size and crystalline structure were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The materials isolated from 1 and 6 were found by TEM to form irregular shape nanomaterials (8-15 nm), which by PXRD were found to be Ni0 hcp (PDF: 01-089-7129) and fcc (PDF: 01-070-0989), respectively

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Liver Fibrosis Among Adult HIV-Infected Patients Attending Urban and Rural Care Clinics in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis is common among HIV-infected patients. Risk factors vary by location. Understanding this variation may inform prevention strategies. We compared the prevalence and correlates of liver fibrosis among HIV-infected patients attending care clinics in Uganda. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 2030 HIV-infected patients attending care clinics in urban and rural Uganda. Liver fibrosis was defined as liver stiffness measurement (LSM) >7.1 KPa. Proportions and correlates of liver fibrosis were assessed and compared using logistic regression stratified by gender and site. RESULTS: Prevalence of liver fibrosis was higher among participants in the rural clinic (15% vs 11%; P = .017). History of tobacco use (urban P = .022; rural P = .035) and serologic evidence of hepatitis C infection (HCV; urban P = .028; rural P = .03) was associated with liver fibrosis in all men. Elevated liver transaminases (urban P = .002; rural P = .028) and increasing age (urban P = .008; rural P = .052) were risk factors among all women. Tobacco use among women was only a risk factor in those attending the rural clinic (P = .003), and detectable HIV viral load (P = .002) for men in the urban clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Liver fibrosis is prevalent among HIV-infected persons in Uganda. HIV viral suppression and avoiding tobacco may be strategies to prevent liver fibrosis and cancer risk

Attentional bias towards positive and negative images amongst offenders and non-offenders with intellectual disabilities

Aims: The aim of the study was to examine attentional bias towards positive and negative images amongst men with intellectual disabilities, some of whom had a history of criminal offending. A secondary aim was to explore the relationship between attentional bias, empathy and distorted cognitions. Method: Forty-six men with intellectual disabilities with a history of criminal offending and 51 men with intellectual disabilities without any known history of criminal offending were recruited and invited to complete a dot-probe paradigm using images, as well as measures of distorted cognitions and empathy. Comparisons were made between the two groups. Results: Non-offenders had a significant attentional bias away from negative images, while offenders had a small attentional bias towards negative images. There was a significant positive relationship between distorted cognitions and an attentional bias towards negative images. There was a significant negative relationship between empathy and an attentional bias towards negative images

Extending the sub-sea-floor biosphere

En libre-accès sur Archimer : http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-4209.pdfInternational audienceSub-sea-floor sediments may contain two-thirds of Earth's total prokaryotic biomass. However, this has its basis in data extrapolation from ~500-meter to 4-kilometer depths, whereas the deepest documented prokaryotes are from only 842 meters. Here, we provide evidence for low concentrations of living prokaryotic cells in the deepest (1626 meters below the sea floor), oldest (111 million years old), and potentially hottest (~100 degrees C) marine sediments investigated. These Newfoundland margin sediments also have DNA sequences related to thermophilic and/or hyperthermophilic Archaea. These form two unique clusters within Pyrococcus and Thermococcus genera, suggesting unknown, uncultured groups are present in deep, hot, marine sediments (~54 degrees to 100 degrees C). Sequences of anaerobic methane-oxidizing Archaea were also present, suggesting a deep biosphere partly supported by methane. These findings demonstrate that the sub-sea-floor biosphere extends to at least 1600 meters below the sea floor and probably deeper, given an upper temperature limit for prokaryotic life of at least 113 degrees C and increasing thermogenic energy supply with depth