Differences in instrumental practice time and strategies among Chinese music majors

The purpose of this study was to explore differences in time spent practicing and the practice strategies used by Chinese music majors according to university location, instrument played, and participant gender. A total of 154 participants who played string, woodwind, brass, and keyboard instruments, including 103 participants attending Chinese universities and 51 Chinese participants pursuing degrees abroad (in the United States, Russia, and Great Britain) completed a Likert-type scale questionnaire. Findings indicated that students studying abroad spent more hours on weekly practice and had more years of instrumental study than students studying in China, but their responses also indicated they were less organized about their practice and had more difficulty concentrating while practicing than students in China. According to the analyses by instrument, woodwind and brass players were more likely to organize their practice than keyboard players; string, woodwind, and brass players were more likely to use recordings and metronomes than keyboard players; and brass players reported concentrating better than keyboard players. Regarding gender differences, the only significant difference was that female participants had spent more years studying their instruments than males. Identified differences can help instrumental instructors better understand students’ practice habits and tailor their teaching to fit the needs of students in response to individual differences.

Bone ice skates in the medieval Novgorod (based on archaeological research of the Institute of Archaeology RAS in 2018–2019)

The article summarizes available information on bone ice skates and presents the results of research and classification of the collection of skates of the 11th–15th centuries found by the Novgorod Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology RAS. Medieval ice skates are small bone runners made from the tubular bones of large domestic animals. All objects show traces of the specific processing of original bones: cut off epiphyses and a flattened plantar side (sliding surface). The amount of accumulated archaeological material, instrumental study of wear pattern on the working surface, experiments in the use and manufacture of skates, numerous ethnographic parallels in the use of bone skates in a number of countries almost up to the present day, as well as the fact of skating on bone shoes recorded in a 12th century source, make it safe to say that, in functional terms, ice skating was one of the forms of winter pastime and was a part of the Novgorod dwellers’ everyday life.

Formation of the timber industry competitiveness

The article is devoted to the methodological and instrumental study of the process of forming the competitiveness of the timber industry. The authors substantiated the structural and logical scheme of the competitive development of the logging industry, which includes the directions for generating competitive advantages in the process of industry development. Within the framework of the program-targeted approach, the main directions of the system of measures for the formation of the competitive development of the logging industry were formulated in the form of a draft Program for the Development of the Competitiveness of the Timber Industry, considering the time periods of the Strategy for the Development of the Forestry Complex of the Russian Federation until 2030. The authors have proposed the Passport of the Program for the Development of the Competitiveness of the Timber Industry, which includes a set of Subprograms within the framework of the legal and regulatory framework that regulates the use and reproduction of forests. The tactical goals are clarified, tasks are solved within each subprogram; target objectively controlled indicators of the Program are proposed.

New score scale for assessing the risk of establishing chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

The aim of the study was to develop a score scale for assessing the high risk of establishing chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), based on echocardiography (EchoCG) evidence.Materials and methods. A clinical and instrumental study of 175 patients, of which 108 (61.7%) women and 67 (38.3%) men, aged 71 [64; 78] years was performed in the 1st City Clinical Hospital in Minsk in 2017–2018. In order to validate the score scale for assessing the risk of HFpEF establishment in 2019–2020 a reproductive clinical and instrumental study of 129 patients was performed at the Minsk Scientific and Practical Center for Surgery, Transplantology and Hematology, of which 55 (42.6%) were men and 74 (57.4%) women aged 65 [58; 70] years. Inclusion criteria: sinus rhythm, essential arterial hypertension, chronic coronary heart disease: atherosclerotic heart disease, past myocardial infarction of left ventricle (LV), after which at least six months have passed, necessary to stabilize the structural and functional parameters of the LV, HFpEF, informed consent of the patient. Exclusion criteria: primary mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral valve repair or prosthetics, congenital heart defects, acute and chronic diseases of the kidneys, lungs. EchoCG was performed on ultrasound machines Siemens Acuson S1000 (Germany) and Vivid E9 (GE Healthcare, USA).Results. The developed scale for assessing the risk of establishing HFpEF in a patient with sinus rhythm including the criteria: LV diastolic dysfunction type II – 47 points, deceleration time of peak E of the transmitral blood flow DTE ≤171 ms – 25 points, the speed of early diastolic movement of the septal part of the mitral fibrous ring e'septal ≤7 cm/s – 25 points, LV early diastolic filling index E/е'septal >7.72 – 20 points, index of the end-systolic volume of the left atrium >34.3 ml/m2 – 24 points, has high diagnostic reliability (AUC 0.96, sensitivity (S) 96.6%, specificity (Sp) 83.2%) and reproducibility of results in an examination cohort of patients (AUC 0.99, S 98.8%, Sp 98.0%). A total score > 45 indicates a high probability of HFpEF. If the total score is ≤45, it is recommended to perform 2D Speckle Tracking EchoCG. The leading patho-functional mechanisms for the development of HFpEF are a decrease of LV global systolic longitudinal strain GLSAVG > −18.9% (S 94.9%, Sp 98.0%), GLS of the right ventricle (RV) > −19.9% (S 76.5%, Sp 88.5%), mechanical dispersion with LV mechanical dispersion index > 54.69 ms (S 70.7%, Sp 90.2%), RV mechanical dispersion index > 50.29 msec (S 78.1%, Sp 73.9%) and ventricular dyssynergy with LV global post systolic index >5.59% (S 82.6%, Sp 87.5%), RV global post systolic index > 2.17% (S 84.5%, Sp 69.9%).Conclusions. The use of the developed scale will improve the efficiency of ultrasound imaging of HFpEF.

Student Retention in School Bands and Orchestras: A Literature Review

The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature on attrition and retention in instrumental music and to identify strategies to encourage students’ continued participation in school bands and orchestras. Retaining members from 1 year to the next is a key factor in building ensembles and helping individual musicians reach their full potential. At least 35 years of research, however, has yielded little consistency in determining why students persist in or dropout of instrumental study. Most decisions likely involve (a) practical considerations, especially related to scheduling and other interests and commitments; (b) students’ attitudes on their musicianship and various aspects of the program; and (c) the influence of other people. The MUSICSM Model of Motivation can provide a framework through which stakeholders examine how their school bands and orchestras meet the needs of students, thus influencing their decisions to leave or remain in the program.

Biochemical and Instrumental Characterization of Vermicompost Produced From Patchouli Bagasse: A Waste by-product of Essential Oil Industries

Biochemical and instrumental analysis was carried out for understanding the maturity and stability of the vermicomposted patchouli bagasse (PB) and cow dung (CD) mixtures. Two important enzymes namely urease and dehydrogenase were evaluated to understand the biological changes. On the other hand, instrumental study includes scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging; X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and UV-VIS spectrophotometer analysis of the vermicomposting end products. The results showed enhancement in urease (1.14-2.84 folds) and dehydrogenase (1.7-3.1 folds) activities confirming the maturity and stability of the vermicomposting end products. The spectrophotometric analysis revealed that there was significant decrease in humification index (1.5 to 3.4 folds) in the vermicompost samples than the initial level. The SEM images depicted the porous, fragmented and granular structure of end vermicompost samples. Further, the XRD analysis showed the micromorphological crystalline structure and enhanced decomposition of the substrate mixture during vermicomposting process. As a whole, the end vermicompost product was found to be much stable and mature for agronomic use.

Clinical features of tuboovarial educations in the prepublic period (on the example of the clinical case)

Aim. To analyze the clinical features of subacute purulent salpingoophoritis, saktosalpinx, pyovar in a 9-year-old girl. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the medical history of a patient born in 2001, who was treated in the gynecological department of the Novourengoy Central City Hospital, was carried out. Results. The article presents complaints, anamnesis of the disease and life, the results of a clinical, laboratory, and instrumental study of a 9-year-old girl who was admitted to the hospital in an emergency with a diagnosis of Tuboovarial formation of the left appendages. Mild anemia. According to urgent indications, diagnostic laparoscopy, ovariosalpingoviscerolysis on the left, salpingectomy on the left, drainage of the piovar on the left, and sanitation of the left ovarian cavity were performed. Postoperative diagnosis: Subacute purulent salpingoophoritis with the formation of sactosalpinx. Piovar on the left. Adhesive process of the small pelvis of the first degree. The analysis of the clinical features of the course of the disease, possible pathogenetic mechanisms of its development was carried out. Conclusion. The clinical picture of tubovarial formations in the prepubertal period can be characterized by an erased course and inconsistency of the clinical picture of the disease with the severity of the purulent-inflammatory process in the uterine appendages, which must be taken into account when conducting a diagnostic examination.

IMPLANT TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE TOOTH WEAR ON THE OCCLUSAL SURFACE

Examination along with implant treatment was carried out in 21 patients with severe tooth wear on the occlusal surface. This disorder features a variety of clinical symptoms including changes in the facial features and the lower jaw movement amplitude, disturbed canine and incisor guidance, supercontacts, asynchronous operation of the masticatory muscles, etc. We have proposed a treatment algorithm aimed at eliminating these issues. The temporary non-removable dentures allowed creating occlusal marks (Stage 1) followed with their transfer onto permanent orthopedic structure (Stage 2) using implants. The complexity of the approach to treating this disease, as well as the effectiveness of our method has been confirmed by clinical data and the outcomes obtained through an instrumental study involving electromyography and electronic axiography. The extra additional research methods employed, such as electromyography and electronic axiography, allowed to assess the activity of masticatory muscles and the lower jaw articulation, thus to ensure occlusal-articulation interaction when restoring the lower facial height.

Psychometric properties of the Attitudes towards Medical Communication Scale in nursing students

Background Adequate communication skills in healthcare professionals are one of the key elements required for achieving high-quality healthcare. Thus, measurement instruments able to assess the dimensions related to these skills, including attitudes towards communication, are useful and convenient tools. Objectives To (a) cross-culturally adapt and validate a scale to measure attitudes towards communication in a sample of nursing students in the Spanish environment; (b) describe the perceived attitudes of nursing degree students towards communication. Methods We conducted an instrumental study. First, we adapted the scale by applying a standardised linguistic validation procedure. After that, we determined its structural equivalence and evaluated its psychometric properties. Participants A total of 255 students participated; their average age was 22.66 years (SD = 4.75) and 82% were female. Results The internal consistency of the scale was adequate (0.75), and the data fit well with the model (CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.99; RMSEA = .01 95% CI [.00–.05]). The overall instrument score poorly correlated with the self-efficacy in communication skills variable. Conclusions The attitudes towards communication scores for these nursing students were high. The Spanish version of the Attitudes Towards Health Communication scale had adequate psychometric properties and this tool could quickly and easily be applied to assess the attitudes of health profession students.