scholarly journals Tumor imaging instruction and assessment at chiropractic colleges in North America: a pilot study with implications for National Board of Chiropractic Examiners content

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-131
Author(s):  
Kathleen L. Linaker ◽  
Sarah A. Arpin ◽  
Charles P. Fischer ◽  
Michael Sackett ◽  
Lesley Georger
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Tumor Imaging ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Instrument ◽  
National Board ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Ambiguous Data

Objective: This pilot study tested a survey instrument pertaining to the instruction and assessment of tumor imaging in chiropractic training programs. The secondary purpose was to gather data regarding credentials of lead instructors, textbook and resource use, and tumors taught and assessed. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to lead tumor imaging instructors at all chiropractic colleges in the United States and Canada. A focus group of tumor imaging instructors was conducted to clarify ambiguous data. Results: Diplomate status with the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology was held by 87.5% of the instructor respondents. There were similarities in course content and assessment across institutions. A total of 26 tumors were considered clinically significant by more than 65% of instructors, 9 tumors were identified as not clinically significant by more than 65%, and 4 tumors were considered clinically significant by 35% to 65% of instructors. There was correlation between those instructors who evaluated on various tumors and those who feel it is important to evaluate such tumors (rS = 0.94, p < .001). The focus group addressed the 4 equivocal tumors and recommended 3 be added to the list of clinically insignificant tumors. Conclusion: The survey instrument is ready to be used to conduct a study of all clinical areas of the chiropractic curriculum. A total of 12 tumors were recommended for removal from National Board of Chiropractic Examiners tests. The authors recommend that the Academics Committee of the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology share information regarding learning libraries to allow for a richer learning experience across all campuses.

scholarly journals “I would have to evaluate their objections”: Privacy tensions between smart home device owners and incidental users

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (4) ◽  
pp. 54-75
Author(s):  
Camille Cobb ◽  
Sruti Bhagavatula ◽  
Kalil Anderson Garrett ◽  
Alison Hoffman ◽  
Varun Rao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Instrument ◽  
Popular Press ◽  
Privacy Preferences ◽  
Open Dialogue ◽  
Privacy Risks

Abstract Recent research and articles in popular press have raised concerns about the privacy risks that smart home devices can create for incidental users—people who encounter smart home devices that are owned, controlled, and configured by someone else. In this work, we present the results of a user-centered investigation that explores incidental users’ experiences and the tensions that arise between device owners and incidental users. We conducted five focus group sessions through which we identified specific contexts in which someone might encounter other people’s smart home devices and the main concerns device owners and incidental users have in such situations. We used these findings to inform the design of a survey instrument, which we deployed to a demographically representative sample of 386 adults in the United States. Through this survey, we can better understand which contexts and concerns are most bothersome and how often device owners are willing to accommodate incidental users’ privacy preferences. We found some surprising trends in terms of what people are most worried about and what actions they are willing to take. For example, while participants who did not own devices themselves were often uncomfortable imagining them in their own homes, they were not as concerned about being affected by such devices in homes that they entered as part of their jobs. Participants showed interest in privacy solutions that might have a technical implementation component, but also frequently envisioned an open dialogue between incidental users and device owners to negotiate privacy accommodations.

HOW STUDENTS DEFINE THEIR SUCCESS: A RESEARCH STUDY

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Ullrich ◽  
David S. Strong
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Survey Instrument ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Full Study ◽  
Definition Of Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Diverse Groups

How undergraduate engineering students define their success and plan for their future differs notably amongst students. With a push for greater diversity and inclusion in engineering schools, it is valuable to also better understand the differences in these areas among different students to allow institutions to better serve the needs of these diverse groups.  The purpose of this research study is to explore students’ definition of success both in the present and projecting forward 5 to 10 years, as well as to understand to what level students reflect on, and plan for, the future. The proposed survey instrument for the pilot stage of this research includes 56 closed-ended questions and 3 open-ended questions. Evidence for the validity of the research instrument is established through a mixed-method pilot study. This paper will discuss the survey instrument, the pilot study, and outline plans for the full study.

Assessment and Critical Pedagogy

2019 ◽  
pp. 306-324
Author(s):  
Frank Abrahams
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Critical Theory ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Performance ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
The United States ◽  
Summative Assessments ◽  
The World ◽  
Integrative Assessment

This chapter aligns the tenets of critical pedagogy with current practices of assessment in the United States. The author posits that critical pedagogy is an appropriate lens through which to view assessment, and argues against the hegemonic practices that support marginalization of students. Grounded in critical theory and based on Marxist ideals, the content supports the notion of teaching and learning as a partnership where the desire to empower and transform the learner, and open possibilities for the learner to view the world and themselves in that world, are primary goals. Political mandates to evaluate teacher performance and student learning are presented and discussed. In addition to the formative and summative assessments that teachers routinely do to students, the author suggests integrative assessment, where students with the teacher reflect together on the learning experience and its outcomes. The chapter includes specific examples from the author’s own teaching that operationalize the ideas presented.

scholarly journals The WxChallenge: Forecasting Competition, Educational Tool, and Agent of Cultural Change

2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (10) ◽  
pp. 1501-1506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley G. Illston ◽  
Jeffrey B. Basara ◽  
Christopher Weiss ◽  
Mike Voss
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Change ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
The United States ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Educational Tool ◽  
Web Interfaces ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
University Of Oklahoma ◽  
The University

The WxChallenge, a project developed at the University of Oklahoma, brings a state-of-the-art, fun, and exciting forecast contest to participants at colleges and universities across North America. The challenge is to forecast the maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, and maximum wind speeds for select locations across the United States over a 24-h prediction period. The WxChallenge is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, as well as higher-education faculty, staff, and alumni. Through the use of World Wide Web interfaces accessible by personal computers, tablet computer, and smartphones, the WxChallenge provides a state-of-the-art portal to aid participants in submitting forecasts and alleviate many of the administrative issues (e.g., tracking and scoring) faced by local managers and professors. Since its inception in 2006, 110 universities have participated in the contest and it has been utilized as part of the curricula for 140 classroom courses at various institutions. The inherently challenging nature of the WxChallenge has encouraged its adoption as an educational tool. As its popularity has grown, professors have seen the utility of the Wx-Challenge as a teaching aid and it has become an instructional resource of many meteorological classes at institutions for higher learning. In addition to evidence of educational impacts, the competition has already begun to leave a cultural and social mark on the meteorological learning experience.

scholarly journals Examining concurrent validity between COMLEX-USA Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation and COMLEX-USA Level 2-Performance Evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Craig ◽  
Xiaolin Wang ◽  
Jeanne Sandella ◽  
Tsung-Hsun Tsai ◽  
David Kuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Concurrent Validity ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Board ◽  
Cognitive Evaluation ◽  
Competency Domain ◽  
Medical Examiners ◽  
Pearson Correlations ◽  
Level 2

Abstract Context The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States of America (COMLEX-USA) is a three level examination used as a pathway to licensure for students in osteopathic medical education programs. COMLEX-USA Level 2 includes a written assessment of Fundamental Clinical Sciences for Osteopathic Medical Practice (Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation [L2-CE]) delivered in a computer based format and separate performance evaluation (Level 2-Performance Evaluation [L2-PE]) administered through live encounters with standardized patients. L2-PE was designed to augment L2-CE. It is expected that the two examinations measure related yet distinct constructs. Objectives To explore the concurrent validity of L2-CE with L2-PE. Methods First attempt test scores were obtained from the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners database for 6,639 candidates who took L2-CE between June 2019 and May 2020 and matched to the students’ L2-PE scores. The sample represented all colleges of osteopathic medicine and 97.5% of candidates who took L2-CE during the complete 2019–2020 test cycle. We calculated disattenuated correlations between the total score for L2-CE, the L2-CE scores for the seven competency domains (CD1 through CD7), and the L2-PE scores for the Humanistic Domain (HM) and Biomedical/Biomechanical Domain (BM). All scores were on continuous scales. Results Pearson correlations ranged from 0.10 to 0.88 and were all statically significant (p<0.01). L2-CE total score was most strongly correlated with CD2 (0.88) and CD3 (0.85). Pearson correlations between the L2-CE competency domain subscores ranged from 0.17 to 0.70, and correlations which included either HM or BM ranged from 0.10 to 0.34 with the strongest of those correlations being between BM and L2-CE total score (0.34) as well as between HM and BM (0.28).The largest increase between corresponding Pearson and disattenuated correlations was for pairs of scores with lower reliabilities such as CD5 and CD6, which had a Pearson correlation of 0.17 and a disattenuated correlation of 0.68. The smallest increase in correlations was observed in pairs of scores with larger reliabilities such as L2-CE total score and HM, which had a Pearson correlation of 0.23 and a disattenuated correlation of 0.28. The reliability of L2-CE was 0.87, 0.81 for HM, and 0.73 for BM. The reliabilities for the L2-CE competency domain scores ranged from 0.22 to 0.74. The small to moderate correlations between the L2-CE total score and the two L2-PE support the expectation that these examinations measure related but distinct constructs. The correlations between L2-PE and L2-CE competency domain subscores reflect the distribution of items defined by the L2-PE blueprint, providing evidence that the examinations are performing as designed. Conclusions This study provides evidence supporting the validity of the blueprints for constructing COMLEX-USA Levels 2-CE and 2-PE examinations in concert with the purpose and nature of the examinations.

scholarly journals Women's considerations and experiences for breast cancer screening and surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: A focus group study

2021 ◽  
Vol 151 ◽  
pp. 106542
Author(s):  
Karen E. Schifferdecker ◽  
Danielle Vaclavik ◽  
Karen J. Wernli ◽  
Diana S.M. Buist ◽  
Karla Kerlikowske ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
United States ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Breast Cancer Screening ◽  
The United States ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Screening And Surveillance

scholarly journals The Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma Use in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Livius Tirnea ◽  
Felix Bratosin ◽  
Iulia Vidican ◽  
Bianca Cerbu ◽  
Mirela Turaiche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
White Blood Cells ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plasma Therapy ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
United States Food ◽  
States Food

Background and Objectives: On 24 March 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of convalescent plasma therapy for critically ill patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as an emergency investigational new drug. This pilot study from Romania aimed to determine if convalescent plasma transfusion can be beneficial in the treatment of selected critically ill patients diagnosed with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Materials and Methods: Donor and receiver eligibility for critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients was based on Romanian guidelines issued at the time of the study. Here, we describe the evolution of a total of five eligible patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who received convalescent plasma (CP) in Romania. Results: In spite of our efforts and convalescent plasma administration, three of the five patients did not survive, while the other two recovered completely. Over the course of our five-day laboratory record, the surviving patients had significantly lower values for C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and white blood cells. Conclusions: This pilot study provides insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy of convalescent plasma use as a therapeutic option for critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Factors in Targeting Proficiency Levels and an Approach to “Real” and “Realistic” Practice

1980 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-41
Author(s):  
Gail Guntermann
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Coherent System ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Communication Events ◽  
Present Decade ◽  
Communication Needs

During most of the present decade the foreign-language teaching profession in the United States has devoted prodigious efforts to the creation and publication of classroom exercises to develop the learners' ability to communicate. While the resulting diversity of activities bears testimony to the ingenuity of foreign language educators, it also manifests the lack of a coherent system for specifying objectives and creating or selecting appropriate activities for practice. That ubiquitous term “communicative competence” has lacked an operational definition. The concept of functional syllabus design, founded on the identification of the sociolinguistic factors that comprise communication events, suggests some means to fill that void. Once the learners' communication needs have been ascertained, inventories of functions, notions, and keys should be valuable tools for selecting appropriate linguistic exponents and generally determining course content.

Neural Dysfunction in Postpartum Depression: An fMRI Pilot Study

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 853-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Silverman ◽  
Holly Loudon ◽  
Michal Safier ◽  
Xenia Protopopescu ◽  
Gila Leiter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Postpartum Period ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Depressive Illness ◽  
Critical Gap ◽  
Amygdala Activity ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Striatal Function

ABSTRACTIntroduction:With ∼4 million births each year in the United States, an estimated 760,000 women annually suffer from a clinically significant postpartum depressive illness. Yet even though the relationship between psychiatric disorders and the postpartum period has been documented since the time of Hippocrates, fewer than half of all these cases are recognized.Objective:Because postpartum depression (PPD), the most common complication of childbearing, remains poorly characterized, and its etiology remains unclear, we attempted to address a critical gap in the mechanistic understanding of PPD by probing its systems-level neuropathophysiology, in the context of a specific neurobiological model of fronto-limbic-striatal function.Methods:Using emotionally valenced word probes, with linguistic semantic specificity within an integrated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol, we investigated emotional processing, behavioral regulation, and their interaction (functions of clinical relevance to PPD), in the context of fronto-limbic-striatal function.Results:We observed attenuated activity in posterior orbitofrontal cortex for negative versus neutral stimuli with greater PPD symptomatology, increased amygdala activity in response to negative words in those without PPD symptomotology, and attenuated striatum activation to positive word conditions with greater PPD symptomotology.Conclusion:Identifying the functional neuroanatomical profile of brain systems involved in the regulation of emotion and behavior in the postpartum period will not only assist in determining whether the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition psychiatric diagnostic specifier of PPD has an associated, unique, functional neuroanatomical profile, but a neurobiological characterization in relation to asymptomatic (postpartum nondepressed) control subjects, will also increase our understanding of the affective disorder spectrum, shed additional light on the possible mechanism(s) responsible for PPD and provide a necessary foundation for the development of more targeted, biologically based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for PPD.

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