scholarly journals Development of a tailor‐made surgical online learning platform, ensuring surgical education in times of the COVID19 pandemic

BMC Surgery ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia M. Schmitz ◽  
Sandra Schipper ◽  
Martin Lemos ◽  
Patrick H. Alizai ◽  
Elda Kokott ◽  
...  

Abstract Background During the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the quality of surgical education experiences sudden major restrictions. Students’ presence in the operating theater and on wards is reduced to a bare minimum and face-to-face teaching is diminished. Aim of this study was therefore to evaluate alternative but feasible educational concepts, such as an online-only-platform for undergraduates. Objective A new online platform for undergraduate surgical education was implemented. A virtual curriculum for online-only education was designed. Methods A video-based online platform was designed. Following this, a cohort of medical students participating in a (voluntary) surgical course was randomized into a test and control group. Prior to conducting a written exam, students in the test group prepared using the video platform. Students in the control group prepared with standard surgical text books. Results of the exam were used to compare educational means. Results Students in the test group preparing through the video-based online platform reached significantly higher scores in the written exams (p = 0.0001) than students of the control group. A trend towards reduced preparation time that did not reach statistical significance was detectable in the test group (p = 0.090). Scores of “perceived workload” and “desire to become a surgeon” offered no differences between the groups. (p = 0.474 and 1.000). Conclusions An online-only, virtual curriculum proved feasible for surgical education in undergraduates. While blended learning concepts were applied in both groups, only the test group had access to case-based videos of surgical procedures and scored significantly better in the written exams. Thus, video-based virtual education offers a realistic alternative to face-to-face teaching or conventional text books in times of restricted access to the operating theatre.

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 312-316
Author(s):  
Mishra Neha Sanjeev ◽  
Harsimran Kaur ◽  
Sandeep Singh Mayall ◽  
Rishika ◽  
Ramakrishna Yeluri

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of placing a resorbable collagen barrier in impeding the extrusion of obturation material in primary molars undergoing resorption. Study design: All the 94 canals in 47 mandibular molars were allocated to 2 groups- Group ‘A’- 47 canals with collagen barrier (Test group) and Group ‘B’- 47 canals without collagen barrier (Control group) based on randomization protocol. Pulpectomy was performed and obturation of both test and control canals were radiographically assessed. Pearson’s chi – square test was applied to analyze the results. The significance level was predetermined at p < 0.05. Results: Among the test group, 93.6% of the canals showed no extrusion while, 6.4% showed visible extrusion of the material outside the apex. In the control group, 83% showed no extrusion whereas 17% of the canals showed visible extrusion outside the apex. But no significant difference was noted (p>0.05). Conclusion: The placement of resorbable collagen barrier in the apical third of the canal prevented the extrusion of obturating material beyond the apex in resorbing primary molars.


Author(s):  
Reem M. Soliman ◽  
Mohamed B. Hamza ◽  
Rasha M. El-Shafiey ◽  
Hesham A. Elserogy ◽  
Nabil M El-Esawy

Background: There are few biomarkers that can be easily accessed in clinical settings and may reflect refractory Th2-eosinophlic inflammation and remodeling of the asthmatic airways. Serum periostin may be one such biomarker to aid our understanding of the patho-bio-physiology of asthma and exercise induced asthma. The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between serum periostin level and exercise induced bronchoconstriction in asthmatic children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on (90) children both sexes aged from 6 to 15 years including, (60) children with bronchial asthma and (30) children were enrolled as control group in the period from January 2018 to January 2019. Patients were randomly classified into two groups: I) Patient group: divided into 2 groups according to standardized treadmill exercise challenge test: Group A: (30) asthmatic children with positive test. Group B: (30) asthmatic children with negative test. II-Control group: (30) children apparently healthy with no personal or family history of asthma. All children were subjected to the following Investigations: Chest x-ray, pulmonary functions tests (FEV1 & PEFR) except controls, Laboratory investigations as CBC and Serum periostin level. Results: The mean values of both the percentage of PEFR and FEV1 after exercise in group A were significantly lower than those in group B and the percentage of PEFR and FEV1 after exercise in each group were significantly lower than the percentage before exercise in the same group. The mean value of eosinophilic count in group A was significantly higher than (group B and control group) and the mean value of eosinophilic count in group B was significantly higher than control group. The mean value of serum level of periostin in group A was significantly higher than (group B and control group), however, there was no significant difference between group B and control group as regard to serum level of periostin. Chest tightness, cough and wheezes after exercise and eosinophilic count in patients with high serum periostin level were significantly higher than patients with low serum periostin level, and both PEFR and FEV1 after exercise in patients with high serum periostin level were significantly lower than patients with low serum periostin level. Also the normal serum periostin levels vary among different age groups. Conclusion: Serum periostin level can be considered as a useful biomarker for diagnosis of Exercise induced bronchospasm (EIB) in asthmatic children especially when lung function test cannot be done However, cautious is required in evaluating serum periostin levels in children because it varies with age.


Author(s):  
Marcin Krajczy ◽  
Jan Szczegielniak ◽  
Katarzyna Bogacz ◽  
Jacek Luniewski

Physiotherapy in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CHL) is impeded by post-operative pain which causes a decline in patients’ activity, reduces respiratory muscle function and affects patients’ ability to look after themselves. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of Kinesio Taping (KT) on the increase in effort tolerance in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The task of the research was to compare results of 100-meter walk test in test group and control group before surgery, during and after physiotherapy. The research included 63 patients after CHL treated in General Surgery Department of Hospital in Nysa. Both test group (BA) and control group (KO) included randomly selected volunteers who met test qualification criteria. BA group consisted of 32 patients (26 females and 6 males), KO group consisted of 31 patients (22 females and 9 males). Both groups were subjected to complex physiotherapy and group BA had additional KT applications. The results were subjected to statistical analysis with the use of U MannWhitney test. The level of statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. The results showed that in the test conducted before surgery the level of median time recorded in the 100-meter test did not differ significantly between the two research groups. In further tests, the 100-meter walk test time was significantly shorter in the test group in comparison with the patients from the control group. Conclusion: The improvement in effort tolerance observed in the research indicates the efficiency of Kinesio Taping as a method complementing physiotherapy in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Keywords: Kinesio Taping, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, physiotherapy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Nazli Zainuddin ◽  
Nurul Azira Mohd Shah ◽  
Rosdan Salim

Introduction: The role of virgin coconut oil in the treatment of allergic rhinitis is controversial. Thus, the aim of the present study is to determine the effects of virgin coconut oil ingestion, in addition to standard medications, on allergic rhinitis. We also studied the side effects of consumption of virgin coconut oil. Methods: Fifty two subjects were equally divided into test and control groups. All subjects received a daily dose of 10mg of loratadine for 28 days. The test group was given 10ml of virgin coconut oil three times a day in addition to loratadine. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis were scored at the beginning and end of the study. Results:, the symptom score were divided into nasal and non-nasal symptom scores. Sneezing score showed a significant difference, however the score was more in control group than test group, indicating that improvement in symptom was more in control group. The rest of the nasal symptom and non-nasal symptom score showed no significant difference between test and control groups. Approximately 58% of the test subjects developed side effects from consumption of virgin coconut oil, mainly gastrointestinal side effects. Conclusion: In the present study, ingestion of virgin coconut oil does not improve the overall and individual symptoms of allergic rhinitis, furthermore it has side effects.


According to the Tambovagrochemcenter data, zinc deficiency in animal rations exceeds 33%. To de-termine the efficiency of ration additives 3 groups of calves were formed, one of which was control and received regular feed, first test group received additional Zinc Sulphate, and second test group received additional Zinc Bioplex. To assess the results, we take into account the following values: chemical com-position and nutritional values of the feed, body mass value, amount of immunoglobulins in blood, bio-chemical and hematological values of blood, morphological values of fur and skin. Noticeable results were achieved in 4 months, with first and second test groups receiving accordingly 3,15% and 6,13% more body mass increase over the control group. A tendency towards higher albumin concentration in both test groups was noted, and calves of the second test group had higher amounts of hemoglobin and higher concentrations of it per erythrocyte. In samples of epidermis and hairs of the second test group the papillary layer was well developed, with the amount of hair and hair follicles exceeding 7 in the field of view, with the thickness of hairs being at least 70 μm. Inner papilla of hair contained 6 to 8 layers of hair, thickness of awn hairs reaching 80-90 μm, down hairs reaching 40 μm, with the hair cortex making up more than 80% of the hair thickness. Thus, introducing zinc salts and chelated zinc compounds to the milk-fed calves’ ration, has resulted in monetary profit increases over the control group by 255,0 and 612,0 roubles accordingly. By all researched values, the highest results were reached from adding zinc bioplex with approximately 360 mg added per animal for the entire duration of the growth process.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Yang Tao ◽  
Yun Zhong ◽  
Jacqueline Thompson ◽  
Jamal Rahmani ◽  
...  

UNSTRUCTURED Lifestyle interventions have been recognised as a line treatment of non-communicable diseases. The aimed of this study was to evaluate a bespoke mHealth approach to delivers personalised feedback to improve blood pressure and weight for hypertensive patients in community settings. A total of 307 participants, 50 from each community, were expected to be in the intervention or control group. A professional health facilitator was assigned for each of the 6 communities. The primary outcomes of the study are the reduction in blood pressure and weight at baseline and post-intervention. Of 307 recruited,192 (62.5%) participants completed the study (intervention: 104 and control: 88). There was no difference in attrition rates between the two groups (33.5%vs41.9%, p=0.291). After 6-months of intensive feedback intervention through mHealth approach, patients had better blood pressure, weight, and BMI compared with control. People who were adherent to the intervention demonstrated a clinical benefit with regards to weight and blood pressure.


Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 558
Author(s):  
David Valiente ◽  
Héctor Campello-Vicente ◽  
Emilio Velasco-Sánchez ◽  
Fernando Rodríguez-Mas ◽  
Nuria Campillo-Davo

University education approaches related to the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), have generally particularized on teaching activity and learning programs which are commonly understood as reoriented lessons that fuse theoretic concepts interweaved with practical activities. In this context, team work has been widely acknowledged as a means to conduct practical and hands-on lessons, and has been revealed to be successful in the achievement of exercise resolution and design tasks. Besides this, methodologies sustained by ICT resources such as online or blended approaches, have also reported numerous benefits for students’ active learning. However, such benefits have to be fully validated within the particular teaching context, which may facilitate student achievement to a greater or lesser extent. In this work, we analyze the impact of attendance modalities on the learning performance of a STEM-related course on “Machines and Mechanisms Theory”, in which practical lessons are tackled through a team work approach. The validity of the results is reinforced by group testing and statistical tests with a sample of 128 participants. Students were arranged in a test group (online attendance) and in a control group (face-to-face attendance) to proceed with team work during the practical lessons. Thus, the efficacy of distance and in situ methodologies is compared. Moreover, additional variables have also been compared according to the historical record of the course, in regards to previous academic years. Finally, students’ insights about the collaborative side of this program, self-knowledge and satisfaction with the proposal have also been reported by a custom questionnaire. The results demonstrate greater performance and satisfaction amongst participants in the face-to-face modality. Such a modality is prooven to be statistically significant for the final achievement of students in detriment to online attendance.


Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
David Chavarri-Prado ◽  
Aritza Brizuela-Velasco ◽  
Ángel Álvarez-Arenal ◽  
Markel Dieguez-Pereira ◽  
Esteban Pérez-Pevida ◽  
...  

Objectives: To determine the effect of mechanical loading of bone on the stability and histomorphometric variables of the osseointegration of dental implants using an experimental test in an animal model. Materials and Methods: A total of 4 human implants were placed in both tibiae of 10 New Zealand rabbits (n = 40). A 6-week osseointegration was considered, and the rabbits were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (Test group) included 5 rabbits that ran on a treadmill for 20 min daily during the osseointegration period; Group B (Controls) included the other 5 that were housed conventionally. The monitored variables were related to the primary and secondary stability of the dental implants (implant stability quotient—ISQ), vertical bone growth, bone to implant contact (BIC), area of regenerated bone and the percentage of immature matrix. Results: The results of the study show a greater vertical bone growth (Group A 1.26 ± 0.48 mm, Group B 0.32 ± 0.47 mm, p < 0.001), higher ISQ values (Group A 11.25 ± 6.10 ISQ, 15.73%; Group B 5.80 ± 5.97 ISQ, 7.99%, p = 0.006) and a higher BIC (Group A 19.37%, Group B 23.60%, p = 0.0058) for implants in the test group, with statistically significant differences. A higher percentage of immature bone matrix was observed for implants in the control group (20.68 ± 9.53) than those in the test group (15.38 ± 8.84) (p = 0.108). A larger area of regenerated bone was also observed for the test implants (Group A 280.50 ± 125.40 mm2, Group B 228.00 ± 141.40 mm2), but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.121). Conclusions: The mechanical loading of bone improves the stability and the histomorphometric variables of the osseointegration of dental implants.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2604
Author(s):  
Jin-Young Park ◽  
Kyung-A Ko ◽  
Ji-Yeong Lee ◽  
Jae-Woon Oh ◽  
Hyun-Chang Lim ◽  
...  

Background: Mangosteen and propolis extracts (MAEC) have been potential therapeutic agents known to exhibit powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the clinical and immunological efficacy of MAEC as well as safety and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) on gingivitis and incipient periodontitis. Methods: This study was performed on 104 patients diagnosed with gingivitis or incipient periodontitis. At baseline, the participants were randomly allocated to either the test group, with daily intake of a single capsule containing 194 mg of MAEC for eight weeks, or control group, with placebo. Clinical periodontal evaluation and immunological parameters from saliva and gingival sulcular fluid were assessed at baseline, four, and eight weeks. Individual PROMs were assessed by OHIP-14 questionnaires. Results: There was a significant difference of modified gingival index at four and eight weeks between the test and control groups. In the test group, crevicular interleukin (IL)-6 was reduced, and the salivary matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 was increased after eight weeks. PROMs were improved up to four weeks compared to placebo. Conclusion: Oral administration of MAEC would have a potential to reduce gingival inflammation clinically and immunologically in the patients with gingivitis and incipient periodontitis.


Author(s):  
Joanna Matla ◽  
Katarzyna Filar-Mierzwa ◽  
Anna Ścisłowska-Czarnecka ◽  
Agnieszka Jankowicz-Szymańska ◽  
Aneta Bac

Seniors are a constantly growing group of people in many societies. It is necessary to develop physiotherapeutic programs to improve their mobility. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the physiotherapeutic program conducted unstable ground on selected indicators of motor functions of elderly women. Sixty women (60–80 years) participated in the research. Group A (N = 20) underwent a 12-week physiotherapeutic program on stable ground, group B (N = 20) followed an exercise program on unstable ground, and group C (N = 20) (control group) had no therapeutic intervention. The effects of the therapy were assessed by using a FreeMed platform (foot load analysis) and a Biosway balance system. The results were compared using ANOVA (the one-way analysis), the Kruskal–Wallis test and also the post hoc tests (Tukey’s test and the multiple comparison test). In group A, a statistically significant change was observed in the static test and balance assessment, in group B this was observed in the static and dynamic foot tests and balance assessment, in group C, no statistical significance was achieved. The authors’ physiotherapeutic program had a statistically significant effect on changes in the balance and selected indicators of the motor functions of the examined people. Comparing the results before and after the therapy more improvement changes were noted in women training on an unstable ground compared to women training on a stable ground.


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