Comparison of Oral Stereognostic Proficiency Between New and Previous Complete Denture Wearers

Objective: To compare oral stereognostic proficiency scores between new and previous complete denture wearers. Study design and study settings: This cross-sectional study design was conducted at Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi. Methodology: Total 60 patients belonging to age group of 45–75 years were selected from the study setting. Oral stereognostic proficiency was recorded by using different oral stereognostic intra oral testing tools and scores were noted. Data analysis was done using SPSS (version 20) software. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the scores of new and old previous complete denture wearers. Effect modifier like gender was rectified by method of stratification. Post stratification independent sample t-test was applied and p value of 0.05 or less was considered to be significant. Results: The mean age of patients was 59.8+7.85 years. Previous complete denture wearers were found to have a higher value as compared to the new complete denture wearers. Significant difference between both groups according to age was found with older individuals having a lower stereognostic value than younger individuals. Conclusions: Oral stereognostic test is a dependable test to measure patients’ oral stereognostic perception which can help the dentist in better educating the patient in terms of his/her expectations regarding the prosthesis and in better understanding the limitations of the prosthesis

Selected Skill Sets As Building Blocks for Secondary-To-Tertiary Education Bridge: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study Among Undergraduate Medical Students

Background: The secondary-to-tertiary education transition is a significant milestone in the students’ academic journeys. This is particularly relevant to entry into medical schools, which is characterized by multiple stressors. Although this crucial transition has been repetitively explored, the concept of proactively intervening to support this transition, by fostering Self- Regulated Learning, is still novel. Accordingly, through this study, the authors investigate the efficacy of an online Multi-dimensional Resilience Building Intervention and analyse the association between the students' proficiency of selected skill sets and their academic performance over time. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted on one cohort of undergraduate medical students. The students were offered an online learning and development intervention around four skill sets during the first curricular year of an undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery program. Deidentified data, related to the students' proficiency of the four selected skill sets and the students’ academic performance: Grade-Point-Average, were retrieved. The data was analysed using SPSS for Windows version 27.0. Results: Out of the 63 admitted students, 28 participated in the offered intervention. The correlational analysis showed how increase in the overall score of skill sets proficiency was significantly associated with Year 1 GPA and cGPA. The students’ proficiency in the respective skill sets, however, was independent from their Year 2 GPA. Additionally, the performance of the students seemed to be not associated with their proficiency scores in each of the selected skill sets, independently. Conclusions: The innovative intervention of developing selected skill sets constituted an efficacious bridge to facilitate the secondary-to-tertiary education transition. Adapting such a multi-dimensional, resilience building intervention holds the potential of facilitating the students’ entry into medical school and improving their performance. As the medical student progresses, the acquired skills need to be continuously reinforced and effectively built upon.

Association Between Proficiency and Efficiency in Electronic Health Records Among Pediatricians at a Major Academic Health System

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the variations in electronic health record (EHR) activity among General and Specialty pediatricians by investigating the time spent and documentation length, normalized for workload.Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of pediatric physicians using Epic EHR at a major Southeastern academic healthcare system. We collected user-level EHR activity data of 104 pediatric physicians over 91 days from April 1 to June 30, 2020.Results: Of the 104 pediatrics physicians, 56 (54%) were General pediatricians and 48 (46%) were Specialists pediatricians. General pediatricians spent an average of 17.6 min [interquartile range (IQR): 12.9–37] using the EHR per appointment, while Specialists spent 35.7 min (IQR: 28–48.4) per appointment.Significant negative associations were found between proficiency scores and the amount of time spent in the system for Generalists (p < 0.001). On the contrary, significant positive associations were found between proficiency scores and the amount of time spent in the system for Specialists (p < 0.01).Conclusions: We report an association between EHR proficiency and efficiency levels among pediatricians within the same healthcare system, receiving the same EHR training, and using the same EHR system. The profound differences in EHR activity suggest that higher priority should be given to redesigning EHR training methods to accommodate the learning needs of physicians.

Tackler and ball-carrier technique during moderate and severe injuries (≥8 days lost) compared with player-matched and team-matched injury-free controls in Elite Rugby Union

ObjectiveTo analyse tackler and ball-carrier technical proficiency during moderate and severe contact injuries (≥8 days lost) in professional rugby union, and compare it with injury-free event-matched controls from the same player and from the same team.MethodsTechnical proficiency for 74 (n=74) (moderate and severe; ≥8 days lost) tackler and ball-carrier injuries during The Currie Cup (2014–2018) and 623 matched non-injury events (253 own controls, 370 team controls) were examined through video analysis using a standardised list of technical criteria.ResultsMean technical proficiency score for injured tacklers during front-on tackles was 6.19/16 (arbitrary units (AU) 95% CI 4.89 to 7.48), which was significantly different to their own controls (8.90/16 AU, 95% CI 8.37 to 9.43, p<0.001, effect size (ES)=1.21, large) and team controls (9.93/16 AU, 95% CI 9.50 to 10.40, p<0.001, ES=1.71, large). Mean technical proficiency score for injured ball-carriers during front-on tackles was 5.60/14 AU (95% CI 4.65 to 6.55), which was significantly different to their own controls (8.08/14 AU, 95% CI 7.56 to 8.60, p<0.001, ES=1.16, moderate) and team controls (8.16/14 AU, 95% CI 7.75 to 8.57, p<0.001, ES=1.25, large).ConclusionFor the tackler and ball-carrier, for both front-on and side-on/behind tackles, overall technical proficiency scores were significantly lower for the injury-causing event, when compared with the player’s own injury-free tackles and the team’s injury-free tackles. Through analysing player and team controls, player technique deficiencies for the injured player and player technique deficiencies that expose all players to injury were highlighted, which may inform injury prevention strategies and policies, and assist coaches in optimising training to reduce tackle injury risk.

Prior processing, foreign language classroom anxiety, and L2 fluency

This study examines the role of prior processing (understood as L2 use earlier in discourse) in moderating the contributions of foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and proficiency to L2 utterance fluency. Two groups with comparable FLCA and proficiency scores performed the same narrative task. One group completed it in the absence of any other L2 task, and one group completed it immediately after responding to a similar but not identical prompt. The participants’ speech was analyzed using breakdown, speed, and repair fluency measures. Results showed that prior processing can reduce FLCA’s interference during L2 production. Unexpectedly, prior processing did not produce significant fluency gains associated with lexical retrieval and syntactic encoding. Instead, the patterns of variation revealed that more attention was paid to message conceptualization. This finding implies that prior processing can moderate FLCA’s role in L2 production because it alters the way attentional resources are allocated in subsequent performance.

Do English Language Development Curriculum Materials Matter for Students’ English Proficiency?

Castañeda v. Pickard mandated that educational programs for emergent bilinguals be tested for program efficacy. As English language development (ELD) curricular materials are one part of an instructional program, we assess this mandate by examining the effectiveness of ELD materials in Texas, a large, diverse U.S. state with large numbers of emergent bilingual (EB) students. Using local linear matching, we find robust evidence that schools that do not purchase any ELD curricula have significantly lower English language proficiency scores relative to schools that purchase state-adopted ELD materials. In contrast, there is no significant difference between schools that adopt the two most popular ELD curricula in the state. This study suggests that curriculum materials matter for EBs’ English proficiency and implies that states should take a more active role in ensuring students have access to these materials.

A New Measurement Instrument for Music-Related Argumentative Competence: The MARKO Competency Test and Competency Model

In this paper, we introduce the MARKO competency test and competency model, a new measurement instrument for music-related argumentative competence (MARKO: Musikbezogene ARgumentationsKOmpetenz; German for music-related argumentative competence). This competence, which plays an essential role in school curricula, refers to the ability to justify, and defend judgments about music. The two main goals of this study were 1) to design an assessment test for music-related argumentation that fulfills psychometric criteria and 2) to derive competency levels based on empirical data to describe the cognitive dispositions that are necessary when engaging in argumentation about music. Based on a theoretical framework, we developed a competency test to assess music-related argumentative competence. After two pretests (n = 391), we collected data from 440 students from grade nine to the university level. The final test consisted exclusively of open-ended items, which were rated with coding schemes that had been designed for each item. After ensuring inter-rater reliability, we composed an item pool that met psychometric criteria (e.g., local stochastic independence and item homogeneity) and represented content-related aspects in a meaningful way. Based on this item pool, we estimated a one-dimensional partial credit model. Following a standard-setting approach, four competency levels were derived from the empirical data. While individuals on the lowest competency level expressed their own opinions about the music by referring to salient musical attributes, participants on the highest level discussed different opinions on the music, and considered the social and cultural context of the music. The proficiency scores significantly varied between grades. Our findings empirically support some theoretical assumptions about music-related argumentation and challenge others.

The Effects of Science Intervention Material in the Academic Performance of Junior High School Students

The researcher being a science teacher identified problems encountered by the students namely; low mean proficiency scores in science grade 10 during the first quarter examination, lack of interest during discussion and frequent absenteeism among students. The Division mean proficiency score target is 68 but the grade 10 students only obtained a score of 60 which is behind the target of the department. Science intervention material was conceptualized and created by the researcher based on the least mastered competencies. This material was utilized as intervention to address the problem of poor academic performance. The 15 respondents who received the science intervention material obtained M=27.9, SD=3.13 compared to the 15 respondents in the control group who obtained M=14.37, SD=9 demonstrated significantly better scores, t = - 21.29, p = <.00001. Intervention material based on least mastered compe-tencies is an effective method of improving the academic performance of students.