This study is part of ongoing educational research conducted by the Department of Conservative Dentistry, University of Malaya, Malaysia, to evaluate the perception of clinical pairing. A thirteen-question survey was distributed to 148 dental students after they had experienced four-handed dentistry. The objectives were to identify the advantages, disadvantages, and the acceptance of the implementation of clinical pairing from the students' point of view. The responses from the open-ended questions were categorized into six main themes (areas of interest): quality-related (Q), patient-related (PT), partner-related (P), lecturer-related (T), infection control (IC), and learning environment (L). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 18. Results indicated that the students perceived they possessed enough knowledge regarding clinical pairing. However, it was found that they still preferred to work independently as compared to working in pairs. The beneits of clinical pairing may not be viewed in the same vein by both dental students and teachers. The quality-related theme was perceived by students as the main advantage of clinical pairing, whilst the partner-related theme was perceived otherwise. The study also revealed that students may have some preconceived notions about pairing that may have impaired their acceptance. As a consequence, some reluctance was seen in their responses.Dr. Ahmad is Senior Lecturer,
At childbirth (parturition), zinc (Zn) homeostasis in cord blood (CB) can be affected by a number of factors: Zn in maternal blood, parturition related stress as well as metallothionein (MT). Both Zn and stress are known inducers of MT which is primarily involved in Zn homeostasis. This study analyzed Zn concentration [Zn], in CB components and MT-2A transcription in CB mononuclear cells (MNC) in relation to primiparous and multiparous childbirth. [Zn] in CB (n = 47) plasma, erythrocytes, and MNCs were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (λ = 213.9 nm). The MT-2A transcription in CB-MNC was quantified using real-time PCR. Significant correlations (Pearson r) were found between: plasma-[Zn] and erythrocyte-[Zn] (p = 0.002); [Zn] and MT-2A messenger RNA (mRNA) (p = 0.000) in CB-MNC. Student's t tests showed higher levels of MT-2A mRNA and MNC-[Zn] in CB of older (≥25 years) compared to younger mothers (≤24 years) (p = 0.043 and p = 0.016, respectively). Significantly higher [Zn] was found in CB plasma (p = 0.017) and MNC (p = 0.041) of older primiparous compared to the younger primiparous and older multiparous mothers respectively. MT-2A mRNA in CB-MNC was significantly lower in CB of younger primiparous mothers compared to their older counterparts (p = 0.001). Path analysis showed that MNC-[Zn] (β = 0.83; p = 0.000) had a greater influence on MT-2A mRNA expression, compared to parity (β = -0.14; p = 0.033). Higher [Zn] in CB of primiparous mothers could be linked to higher stress during parturition, however, might be beneficial for the growth and development of the child. Together MNC-[Zn] and parity contributed ~70 % of the MT-2A transcription in CB-MNC.
Background Previous studies have reported conflicting findings between serum anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) participants with and without periodontitis (Pd). This study aimed to analyse possible correlations between serum ACPA levels and clinical parameters in Pd and RA participants. Methods Full mouth periodontal examination (probing pocket depth, clinical attachment levels, gingival bleeding index, visual plaque index) was conducted and serum samples obtained from 80 participants comprising RA, Pd, both RA and Pd (RAPd) and healthy individuals (HC). Erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) and periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) were obtained. Serum samples were analysed for ACPA quantification using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Median levels (IU/mL) of ACPA (interquartile range, IQR) in RAPd, RA, Pd and HC groups were 118.58(274.51), 102.02(252.89), 78.48(132.6) and 51.67(91.31) respectively. ACPA levels were significantly higher in RAPd and RA as compared to HC group (p < 0.05). However, ACPA levels of any of the groups were not correlated with any clinical periodontal and RA parameters within the respective groups. Conclusions At individual level, the amount of serum ACPA seem to have an increasing trend with the diseased condition in the order of RAPd > RA > Pd > HC. However, lack of any significant correlation between the serum ACPA levels with the clinical Pd and RA parameters warrants further studies to investigate the causal link between RA and Pd for such a trend. Further studies involving more inflammatory biomarkers might be useful to establish the causal link between Pd in the development and progression of RA or vice versa.
Purpose -The study sought to determine the hierarchical nature of reading skills. Whether reading is a 'unitary' or 'multi-divisible' skill is still a contentious issue. So is the hierarchical order of reading skills. Determining the hierarchy of reading skills is challenging as item difficulty is greatly influenced by factors related to test characteristics. To examine the interaction between these factors and item difficulty, and determine the possibility of such a hierarchy, this study used the multifaceted Rasch approach.Methodology -In this descriptive study, a 42-MCQ reading test was administered to 944 ESL lower secondary students, randomly selected from eleven Malaysian national-type schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and the state of Selangor. These student populations were selected as the development of reading ability was considered critical at this stage of schooling. The reading test items were identified according to the following aspects: Reading Skill Areas (Interpreting information, making Inference, Understanding figurative language, Drawing conclusions, Scanning for details and Long passage and weather forecast). Applying the Many-Facet Rasch model of measurement, the study analyzed student responses to the test items with the help of FACETS, version 3.7.1.4.Findings -The findings showed that context types, skill areas, and text types differed in difficulty (p<.01), with those items that required understanding and interpretation being more demanding. Test items based on linear contexts were more difficult than those based on non-linear contexts. Understanding figurative language was found to be the most difficult skill followed by Making inference and Interpreting information. The easiest reading skill was Scanning for details, followed by Finding word meanings. The reading skill, Drawing conclusions, was close to the average difficulty level. The findings also indicated that texts that were longer and had more information tended to be more difficult.Significance -This study has also shed new light on the theory and practice of reading. The findings support the hierarchical nature of reading skills. Different reading skills were found to exert differential cognitive demands, and those which required higher cognitive ability were more difficult for learners to acquire and perform. Understanding the hierarchy of reading skills will help language teachers to target their teaching more effectively; course designers to produce more appropriate teaching and learning materials; and test writers to develop test items that better meet students' reading competencies.
The purpose of this quantitative inquiry was to examine the self-efficacy of Indonesian secondary school English as foreign language (EFL) teachers in developing a school-based EFL syllabus. The data were collected through a survey to 98 secondary school EFL teachers in the District of Kerinci, Jambi Sumatra, Indonesia. The data were analyzed through the Rasch Analysis (Linacre 2004, 2006). The results revealed that the teachers had a high-self efficacy in developing the syllabus. However, they tended to be less efficacious on theoretical tasks in the syllabus development and on tasks that were not part of their responsibility in previous curricula. In addition, this study also produced an instrument for measuring teachers’ self-efficacy in developing the syllabus that can be used for similar purposes in other contexts.
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