Illinois Occupational Skill Standards. Collision Repair Technician Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended as a guide for workforce preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in occupations in the (vehicle) collision repair technician cluster. It begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Finishing and Distribution Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended as a guide for work force preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in occupations in the finishing and distribution cluster. The document begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Information Technology Operate Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document contains Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for occupations in the Information Technology Operate Cluster (help desk support, computer maintenance and technical support technician, systems operator, application and computer support specialist, systems administrator, network administrator, and database administrator). The skill…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Nursing Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Physical Therapist Assistant Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Medical Office Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Press Operations Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Retail Garden Center Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

Infection prevention and control.

PubMed

Pegram, Anne; Bloomfield, Jacqueline

2015-03-18

All newly registered graduate nurses are required to have the appropriate knowledge and understanding to perform the skills required for patient care, specifically the competencies identified in the Nursing and Midwifery Council's essential skills clusters. This article focuses on the third essential skills cluster - infection prevention and control. It provides an overview and discussion of the key skills and behaviours that must be demonstrated to meet the standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. In doing so, it considers the key principles of infection prevention and control, including local and national policies, standard infection control precautions, risk assessment, standard isolation measures and asepsis.

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Clinical Laboratory Science/Biotechnology Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for workforce preparation program providers, details the Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for clinical laboratory occupations programs. The document begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards and credentialing, the process used to develop the…

Human Services. Georgia Core Standards for Occupational Clusters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Occupational Studies.

This document lists core standards and occupational knowledge and skills that have been identified and validated by industry as necessary to all Georgia students in secondary-level human services occupations programs. First, foundation skills are grouped as follows: basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic/mathematics, listening, speaking);…

Technical/Engineering. Georgia Core Standards for Occupational Clusters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Occupational Studies.

This document lists core standards and occupational knowledge and skills that have been identified and validated by industry as necessary to all Georgia students in secondary-level technical/engineering programs. First, foundation skills are grouped as follows: basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic/mathematics, listening, speaking); thinking…

Health Care. Georgia Core Standards for Occupational Clusters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Occupational Studies.

This document lists core standards and occupational knowledge and skills that have been identified/validated by industry as necessary to all Georgia students in secondary-level health care occupations programs. First, foundation skills are grouped as follows: basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic/mathematics, listening, speaking); thinking…

Environmental and Agricultural Sciences. Georgia Core Standards for Occupational Clusters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Occupational Studies.

This document lists core standards and occupational knowledge amd skills that have been identified/validated by industry as necessary to all Georgia students in secondary-level environmental and agricultural sciences programs. First, foundation skills are grouped as follows: basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic/mathematics, listening,…

Business, Marketing, and Information Management. Georgia Core Standards for Occupational Clusters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Occupational Studies.

This document lists core standards and occupational knowledge and skills that have been identified and validated by industry as necessary to all Georgia students in business, marketing, and information management programs. First, foundation skills are grouped as follows: basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic/mathematics, listening, speaking);…

Related Core Academic Knowledge and Skills. Georgia Core Standards for Occupational Clusters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Occupational Studies.

This document lists the industry-identified core academic knowledge and skills that should be possessed by all Georgia students who are enrolled in occupational cluster programs and are preparing to enter the work force or continue their occupational specialization at the postsecondary level. First, 63 related communications competencies are…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Occupational Therapy Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for work force preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in jobs in occupational therapy. Agency partners involved in this project include: the Illinois State board of Education, Illinois Community College…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Agricultural Sales and Marketing Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for work force preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in jobs in agricultural sales and marketing. Agency partners involved in this project include: the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Community…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: HVAC/R Technician Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for work force preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in jobs in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) industry. Agency partners involved in this project include: the…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Plastics Molding Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for work force preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in jobs in the plastics molding industry. Agency partners involved in this project include: the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Community…

Competency Index. [Business/Computer Technologies Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This index allows the user to scan the competencies under each title for the 28 subjects appropriate for use in a competency list for the 12 occupations within the business/computer technologies cluster. Titles of the 28 units are as follows: employability skills; professionalism; teamwork; professional and ethical standards; economic and business…

Efficacy of an internet-based learning module and small-group debriefing on trainees' attitudes and communication skills toward patients with substance use disorders: results of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Lanken, Paul N; Novack, Dennis H; Daetwyler, Christof; Gallop, Robert; Landis, J Richard; Lapin, Jennifer; Subramaniam, Geetha A; Schindler, Barbara A

2015-03-01

To examine whether an Internet-based learning module and small-group debriefing can improve medical trainees' attitudes and communication skills toward patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). In 2011-2012, 129 internal and family medicine residents and 370 medical students at two medical schools participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial, which assessed the effect of adding a two-part intervention to the SUDs curricula. The intervention included a self-directed, media-rich Internet-based learning module and a small-group, faculty-led debriefing. Primary study outcomes were changes in self-assessed attitudes in the intervention group (I-group) compared with those in the control group (C-group) (i.e., a difference of differences). For residents, the authors used real-time, Web-based interviews of standardized patients to assess changes in communication skills. Statistical analyses, conducted separately for residents and students, included hierarchical linear modeling, adjusted for site, participant type, cluster, and individual scores at baseline. The authors found no significant differences between the I- and C-groups in attitudes for residents or students at baseline. Compared with those in the C-group, residents, but not students, in the I-group had more positive attitudes toward treatment efficacy and self-efficacy at follow-up (P<.006). Likewise, compared with residents in the C-group, residents in the I-group received higher scores on screening and counseling skills during the standardized patient interview at follow-up (P=.0009). This intervention produced improved attitudes and communication skills toward patients with SUDs among residents. Enhanced attitudes and skills may result in improved care for these patients.

Care, compassion and communication.

PubMed

Bloomfield, Jacqueline; Pegram, Anne

2015-02-20

Care, compassion and effective communication are essential elements of nursing, which must be demonstrated by all nurses and nursing students. These requirements form the basis of the first essential skills cluster, which stipulates key skills and behaviours that must be demonstrated to meet the standards for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This article discusses the core aspects of compassionate care and effective communication and, in doing so, uses examples to demonstrate their use within nursing.

The application of k-Nearest Neighbour in the identification of high potential archers based on relative psychological coping skills variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taha, Zahari; Muazu Musa, Rabiu; Majeed, Anwar P. P. Abdul; Razali Abdullah, Mohamad; Muaz Alim, Muhammad; Nasir, Ahmad Fakhri Ab

2018-04-01

The present study aims at classifying and predicting high and low potential archers from a collection of psychological coping skills variables trained on different k-Nearest Neighbour (k-NN) kernels. 50 youth archers with the average age and standard deviation of (17.0 ±.056) gathered from various archery programmes completed a one end shooting score test. Psychological coping skills inventory which evaluates the archers level of related coping skills were filled out by the archers prior to their shooting tests. k-means cluster analysis was applied to cluster the archers based on their scores on variables assessed k-NN models, i.e. fine, medium, coarse, cosine, cubic and weighted kernel functions, were trained on the psychological variables. The k-means clustered the archers into high psychologically prepared archers (HPPA) and low psychologically prepared archers (LPPA), respectively. It was demonstrated that the cosine k-NN model exhibited good accuracy and precision throughout the exercise with an accuracy of 94% and considerably fewer error rate for the prediction of the HPPA and the LPPA as compared to the rest of the models. The findings of this investigation can be valuable to coaches and sports managers to recognise high potential athletes from the selected psychological coping skills variables examined which would consequently save time and energy during talent identification and development programme.

Human Resource Consulting Education: Professional Development for the Personnel Consulting Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bone, John

1996-01-01

Interviews and surveys of 200 personnel consultants revealed an urgent need for basic and ongoing professional development education and for national competence standards and accreditation. Skill needs clustered in three categories: recruitment, selection, and sales/marketing. Professional education should recognize lifelong learning, take…

The identification of high potential archers based on relative psychological coping skills variables: A Support Vector Machine approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taha, Zahari; Muazu Musa, Rabiu; Majeed, A. P. P. Abdul; Razali Abdullah, Mohamad; Aizzat Zakaria, Muhammad; Muaz Alim, Muhammad; Arif Mat Jizat, Jessnor; Fauzi Ibrahim, Mohamad

2018-03-01

Support Vector Machine (SVM) has been revealed to be a powerful learning algorithm for classification and prediction. However, the use of SVM for prediction and classification in sport is at its inception. The present study classified and predicted high and low potential archers from a collection of psychological coping skills variables trained on different SVMs. 50 youth archers with the average age and standard deviation of (17.0 ±.056) gathered from various archery programmes completed a one end shooting score test. Psychological coping skills inventory which evaluates the archers level of related coping skills were filled out by the archers prior to their shooting tests. k-means cluster analysis was applied to cluster the archers based on their scores on variables assessed. SVM models, i.e. linear and fine radial basis function (RBF) kernel functions, were trained on the psychological variables. The k-means clustered the archers into high psychologically prepared archers (HPPA) and low psychologically prepared archers (LPPA), respectively. It was demonstrated that the linear SVM exhibited good accuracy and precision throughout the exercise with an accuracy of 92% and considerably fewer error rate for the prediction of the HPPA and the LPPA as compared to the fine RBF SVM. The findings of this investigation can be valuable to coaches and sports managers to recognise high potential athletes from the selected psychological coping skills variables examined which would consequently save time and energy during talent identification and development programme.

Fundamental movement skills and motivational factors influencing engagement in physical activity.

PubMed

Kalaja, Sami; Jaakkola, Timo; Liukkonen, Jarmo; Watt, Anthony

2010-08-01

To assess whether subgroups based on children's fundamental movement skills, perceived competence, and self-determined motivation toward physical education vary with current self-reported physical activity, a sample of 316 Finnish Grade 7 students completed fundamental movement skills measures and self-report questionnaires assessing perceived competence, self-determined motivation toward physical education, and current physical activity. Cluster analysis indicated a three-cluster structure: "Low motivation/low skills profile," "High skills/low motivation profile," and "High skills/high motivation profile." Analysis of variance indicated that students in the third cluster engaged in significantly more physical activity than students of clusters one and two. These results provide support for previous claims regarding the importance of the relationship of fundamental movement skills with continuing engagement in physical activity. High fundamental movement skills, however, may represent only one element in maintaining adolescents' engagement in physical activity.

Observations regarding the Development of Occupational/Skill Clusters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCage, Ronald D.

This paper presents an overview and suggestions about the development of occupational and skill clusters by the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS), based on the observations of the executive director of the organization. Aspects reviewed include the following: development of occupational and skill clusters; classification…

Grade Expectations for Vermont's Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities, Summer 2004 (Physical Education)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermont Department of Education, 2004

2004-01-01

Educators from around the state, with the help of The Vermont Institutes, developed Vermont Physical Education Grade Cluster Expectations (GCEs) as a means to identify the physical education content knowledge and skills expected of all students for local assessment required under Act 68. This work was accomplished using the "Vermont's…

On-road driving impairments and associated cognitive deficits after stroke.

PubMed

Devos, Hannes; Tant, Mark; Akinwuntan, Abiodun E

2014-01-01

Little is known about the critical on-road driving skills that get affected after a stroke. The purpose of this study was to investigate the key on-road driving impairments and their associated cognitive deficits after a stroke. A second aim was to investigate if lateralization of stroke impacts results of the cognitive and on-road driving tests. In this cross-sectional study, 99 participants with a first-ever stroke who were actively driving prior to stroke underwent a cognitive battery and a standardized road test that evaluated 13 specific on-road driving skills. These on-road driving skills were mapped onto an existing, theoretical framework that categorized the on-road items into hierarchic clusters of operational, tactical, visuo-integrative, and mixed driving skills. The total score on the road test and the on-road decision, made by a certified fitness-to-drive expert, decided the main outcome. The critical on-road driving skills predicting the on-road decision were identified using logistic regression analysis. Linear regression analysis was employed to determine the cognitive impairments leading to poor total on-road scores. Analyses were repeated for right- and left-sided strokes. In all, 37 persons scored poorly on the road test. These participants performed worse in all hierarchic clusters of on-road driving. Performances on the operational cluster and the visuo-integrative cluster best predicted on-road decisions (R(2) = 0.60). 'Lane changing' and 'understanding, insight, and quality of traffic participation' were the critical skill deficits leading to poor performance on the road test (R(2) = 0.65). Divided attention was the main determinant of on-road scores in the total group (R(2) = 0.06). Participants with right-sided stroke performed worse on visual field, visual neglect, visual scanning, visuo-constructive skills, and divided attention compared with those with left-sided stroke. Divided attention was the main determinant of total on-road scores in the right-sided stroke group (R(2) = 0.10). A combination of visual scanning, speed of processing, and executive dysfunction yielded the best model to predict on-road scores in left-sided strokes (R(2) = 0.46). Poor performance in the road test after stroke is determined by critical operational and visuo-integrative driving impairments. Specific and different driving evaluation and training programs are needed for right- and left-sided strokes. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Mobile phones as a health communication tool to improve skilled attendance at delivery in Zanzibar: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Lund, S; Hemed, M; Nielsen, B B; Said, A; Said, K; Makungu, M H; Rasch, V

2012-09-01

To examine the association between a mobile phone intervention and skilled delivery attendance in a resource-limited setting. Pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial with primary healthcare facilities as the unit of randomisation. Primary healthcare facilities in Zanzibar. Two thousand, five hundred and fifty pregnant women (1311 interventions and 1239 controls) who attended antenatal care at one of the selected primary healthcare facilities were included at their first antenatal care visit and followed until 42 days after delivery. All pregnant women were eligible for study participation. Twenty-four primary healthcare facilities in six districts in Zanzibar were allocated by simple randomisation to either mobile phone intervention (n = 12) or standard care (n = 12). The intervention consisted of a short messaging service (SMS) and mobile phone voucher component. Skilled delivery attendance. The mobile phone intervention was associated with an increase in skilled delivery attendance: 60% of the women in the intervention group versus 47% in the control group delivered with skilled attendance. The intervention produced a significant increase in skilled delivery attendance amongst urban women (odds ratio, 5.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-21.81), but did not reach rural women. The mobile phone intervention significantly increased skilled delivery attendance amongst women of urban residence. Mobile phone solutions may contribute to the saving of lives of women and their newborns and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, and should be considered by maternal and child health policy makers in developing countries. © 2012 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2012 RCOG.

Employment Opportunities and Job Analysis for Selected Environmental Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stitt, Thomas R.

Clusters of environmental occupations have been surveyed to identify and describe those occupations at the professional, technical, skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled levels. The duties and responsibilities, special knowledge, and special skills required are listed for each. Occupational clusters covered are (1) applied biological and…

Evaluation of an Australian health literacy training program for socially disadvantaged adults attending basic education classes: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

McCaffery, Kirsten J; Morony, Suzanne; Muscat, Danielle M; Smith, Sian K; Shepherd, Heather L; Dhillon, Haryana M; Hayen, Andrew; Luxford, Karen; Meshreky, Wedyan; Comings, John; Nutbeam, Don

2016-05-27

People with low literacy and low health literacy have poorer health outcomes. Literacy and health literacy are distinct but overlapping constructs that impact wellbeing. Interventions that target both could improve health outcomes. This is a cluster randomised controlled trial with a qualitative component. Participants are 300 adults enrolled in basic language, literacy and numeracy programs at adult education colleges across New South Wales, Australia. Each adult education institute (regional administrative centre) contributes (at least) two classes matched for student demographics, which may be at the same or different campuses. Classes (clusters) are randomly allocated to receive either the health literacy intervention (an 18-week program with health knowledge and skills embedded in language, literacy, and numeracy training (LLN)), or the standard Language Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) program (usual LLN classes, specifically excluding health content). The primary outcome is functional health literacy skills - knowing how to use a thermometer, and read and interpret food and medicine labels. The secondary outcomes are self-reported confidence, more advanced health literacy skills; shared decision making skills, patient activation, health knowledge and self-reported health behaviour. Data is collected at baseline, and immediately and 6 months post intervention. A sample of participating teachers, students, and community health workers will be interviewed in-depth about their experiences with the program to better understand implementation issues and to strengthen the potential for scaling up the program. Outcomes will provide evidence regarding real-world implementation of a health literacy training program with health worker involvement in an Australian adult education setting. The evaluation trial will provide insight into translating and scaling up health literacy education for vulnerable populations with low literacy. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616000213448 .

Dialectical behavior therapy skills use and emotion dysregulation in personality disorders and psychopathy: a community self-report study.

PubMed

Neacsiu, Andrada D; Tkachuck, Mathew A

2016-01-01

Emotion dysregulation is a critical transdiagnostic mental health problem that needs to be further examined in personality disorders (PDs). The current study examined dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills use, emotion dysregulation, and dysfunctional coping among adults who endorsed symptoms of cluster B PDs and psychopathy. We hypothesized that skills taught in DBT and emotion dysregulation are useful for adults with PDs other than borderline personality disorder (BPD). Using a self-report questionnaire, we examined these constructs in three groups of community adults: those who reported symptoms consistent with borderline personality disorder (BPD; N = 29), those who reported symptoms consistent with any other cluster B PD (N = 22), and those with no reported cluster B PD symptoms (N = 77) as measured by the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 + . Both PD groups reported higher emotion dysregulation and dysfunctional coping when compared to the no PD group. Only the BPD group had significantly lower DBT skills use. DBT skills use was found to be a significant predictor of cluster B psychopathology but only before accounting for emotion dysregulation. When added to the regression model, emotion dysregulation was found to be a significant predictor of cluster B psychopathology but DBT skills use no longer had a significant effect. Across all groups, DBT skills use deficits and maladaptive coping, but not emotion dysregulation, predicted different facets of psychopathy. Emotion dysregulation and use of maladaptive coping are problems in cluster B PDs, outside of BPD, but not in psychopathy. Inability to use DBT skills may be unique to BPD. Because this study relied exclusively on self-report, this data is preliminary and warrants further investigation.

Sydney Playground Project: A Cluster-Randomized Trial to Increase Physical Activity, Play, and Social Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bundy, Anita; Engelen, Lina; Wyver, Shirley; Tranter, Paul; Ragen, Jo; Bauman, Adrian; Baur, Louise; Schiller, Wendy; Simpson, Judy M.; Niehues, Anita N.; Perry, Gabrielle; Jessup, Glenda; Naughton, Geraldine

2017-01-01

Background: We assessed the effectiveness of a simple intervention for increasing children's physical activity, play, perceived competence/social acceptance, and social skills. Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted, in which schools were the clusters. Twelve Sydney (Australia) primary schools were randomly allocated to…

Prediction of sea ice thickness cluster in the Northern Hemisphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuckar, Neven-Stjepan; Guemas, Virginie; Johnson, Nathaniel; Doblas-Reyes, Francisco

2016-04-01

Sea ice thickness (SIT) has a potential to contain substantial climate memory and predictability in the northern hemisphere (NH) sea ice system. We use 5-member NH SIT, reconstructed with an ocean-sea-ice general circulation model (NEMOv3.3 with LIM2) with a simple data assimilation routine, to determine NH SIT modes of variability disentangled from the long-term climate change. Specifically, we apply the K-means cluster analysis - one of nonhierarchical clustering methods that partition data into modes or clusters based on their distances in the physical - to determine optimal number of NH SIT clusters (K=3) and their historical variability. To examine prediction skill of NH SIT clusters in EC-Earth2.3, a state-of-the-art coupled climate forecast system, we use 5-member ocean and sea ice initial conditions (IC) from the same ocean-sea-ice historical reconstruction and atmospheric IC from ERA-Interim reanalysis. We focus on May 1st and Nov 1st start dates from 1979 to 2010. Common skill metrics of probability forecast, such as rank probability skill core and ROC (relative operating characteristics - hit rate versus false alarm rate) and reliability diagrams show that our dynamical model predominately perform better than the 1st order Marko chain forecast (that beats climatological forecast) over the first forecast year. On average May 1st start dates initially have lower skill than Nov 1st start dates, but their skill is degraded at slower rate than skill of forecast started on Nov 1st.

Measuring the Indonesian provinces competitiveness by using PCA technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runita, Ditha; Fajriyah, Rohmatul

2017-12-01

Indonesia is a country which has vast teritoty. It has 34 provinces. Building local competitiveness is critical to enhance the long-term national competitiveness especially for a country as diverse as Indonesia. A competitive local government can attract and maintain successful firms and increase living standards for its inhabitants, because investment and skilled workers gravitate from uncompetitive regions to more competitive ones. Altough there are other methods to measuring competitiveness, but here we have demonstrated a simple method using principal component analysis (PCA). It can directly be applied to correlated, multivariate data. The analysis on Indonesian provinces provides 3 clusters based on the competitiveness measurement and the clusters are Bad, Good and Best perform provinces.

Electrician Cluster, STEP Training Plan. Skills Training and Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Postsecondary Education, Montgomery.

This guide is a training plan for the electrical skills cluster of the Skills Training and Education Program (STEP), an open-entry, open-exit program funded by the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). In the STEP training plan, each task has its own lesson plan guide. This manual contains the following information: definitions, instructions for…

Clerical Cluster, STEP Training Plan. Skills Training and Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Postsecondary Education, Montgomery.

This guide is a training plan for the clerical skills cluster of the Skills Training and Education Program (STEP), an open-entry, open-exit program funded by the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). In the STEP training plan, each task has its own lesson plan guide. This manual contains the following information: definitions, instructions for…

Health Occupations Cluster Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem.

Intended to assist the vocational teacher in designing and implementing a cluster program in health occupations, this guide suggests ideas for teaching the specific knowledge and skills that qualify students for entry-level employment in the health occupations field. The knowledge and skills are applicable to 12 occupations: dental assistant;…

A comparison of visual search strategies of elite and non-elite tennis players through cluster analysis.

PubMed

Murray, Nicholas P; Hunfalvay, Melissa

2017-02-01

Considerable research has documented that successful performance in interceptive tasks (such as return of serve in tennis) is based on the performers' capability to capture appropriate anticipatory information prior to the flight path of the approaching object. Athletes of higher skill tend to fixate on different locations in the playing environment prior to initiation of a skill than their lesser skilled counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine visual search behaviour strategies of elite (world ranked) tennis players and non-ranked competitive tennis players (n = 43) utilising cluster analysis. The results of hierarchical (Ward's method) and nonhierarchical (k means) cluster analyses revealed three different clusters. The clustering method distinguished visual behaviour of high, middle-and low-ranked players. Specifically, high-ranked players demonstrated longer mean fixation duration and lower variation of visual search than middle-and low-ranked players. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that cluster analysis is a useful tool for detecting and analysing the areas of interest for use in experimental analysis of expertise and to distinguish visual search variables among participants'.

Skilled delivery service utilization and its association with the establishment of Women's Health Development Army in Yeky district, South West Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Negero, Melese Girmaye; Mitike, Yifru Berhan; Worku, Abebaw Gebeyehu; Abota, Tafesse Lamaro

2018-01-30

Because of the unacceptably high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, the government of Ethiopia has established health extension program with a community-based network involving health extension workers (HEWs) and a community level women organization which is known as "Women's Health Development Army" (WHDA). Currently, the HEWs and WHDA network is the approach preferred by the government to register pregnant women and encourage them to link in the healthcare system. However, its association with skilled delivery service utilization is not well known. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2015. Within 380 clusters of WHDA, a total of 748 reproductive-age women who gave birth in 1 year preceding the study, were included using multistage sampling technique. The data were entered into EPI info version 7 statistical software and exported to STATA version 11 for analysis. Multilevel analysis technique was applied to check for an association of selected variables with a utilization of skilled delivery service. About 45% of women have received skilled delivery care. A significant heterogeneity was observed between "Women's Health Development Teams (clusters)" for skilled delivery care service utilization which explains about 62% of the total variation. Individual-level predictors including urban residence [AOR (95% CI) 35.10 (4.62, 266.52)], previous exposure of complications [AOR (95% CI) 3.81 (1.60, 9.08)], at least four ANC visits [AOR (95% CI) 7.44 (1.48, 37.42)] and preference of skilled personnel [AOR (95% CI) 8.11 (2.61, 25.15)] were significantly associated with skilled delivery service use. Among cluster level variables, the distance of clusters within 2 km radius from the nearest health facility was significantly associated [AOR (95% CI) 6.03 (1.92, 18.93)] with skilled delivery service utilization. In this study, significant variation among clusters of WHDA was observed. Both individual and cluster level variables were identified to predict skilled delivery service utilization. Encouraging women to have frequent ANC visits (- 4 and above), enhancing awareness creation towards the delivery care attendance, constructing more health facilities and roads in hard to reach areas and establishing telemedicine services are recommended.

Developmental trajectories of children's symbolic numerical magnitude processing skills and associated cognitive competencies.

PubMed

Vanbinst, Kiran; Ceulemans, Eva; Peters, Lien; Ghesquière, Pol; De Smedt, Bert

2018-02-01

Although symbolic numerical magnitude processing skills are key for learning arithmetic, their developmental trajectories remain unknown. Therefore, we delineated during the first 3years of primary education (5-8years of age) groups with distinguishable developmental trajectories of symbolic numerical magnitude processing skills using a model-based clustering approach. Three clusters were identified and were labeled as inaccurate, accurate but slow, and accurate and fast. The clusters did not differ in age, sex, socioeconomic status, or IQ. We also tested whether these clusters differed in domain-specific (nonsymbolic magnitude processing and digit identification) and domain-general (visuospatial short-term memory, verbal working memory, and processing speed) cognitive competencies that might contribute to children's ability to (efficiently) process the numerical meaning of Arabic numerical symbols. We observed minor differences between clusters in these cognitive competencies except for verbal working memory for which no differences were observed. Follow-up analyses further revealed that the above-mentioned cognitive competencies did not merely account for the cluster differences in children's development of symbolic numerical magnitude processing skills, suggesting that other factors account for these individual differences. On the other hand, the three trajectories of symbolic numerical magnitude processing revealed remarkable and stable differences in children's arithmetic fact retrieval, which stresses the importance of symbolic numerical magnitude processing for learning arithmetic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlates of domestic violence experience among recently-married women residing in slums in Pune, India

PubMed Central

Iyer, Sandhya R.; Kolhe, Ambika R.; Dhayarkar, Sampada; Paranjape, Anuradha; del Rio, Carlos; Stephenson, Rob; Sahay, Seema

2018-01-01

The high risk of experiencing domestic violence (DV) among married women in India who reside in slum communities underscores the need for effective, evidence-based, and culturally-tailored primary prevention. To inform such DV primary prevention strategies for this population, we herein aimed to identify correlates of DV experience in early marriage. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, potential correlates of DV experience were explored among a geographically-clustered random sample of 100 recently-married women residing in slums in Pune, India. In multivariable regression, DV experience was associated with less educational attainment by the participant’s spouse (standardized β = -0.281, p = 0.004), less satisfaction of the spouse’s family with the maanpaan (wedding-related gifts provided by the bride’s family) they received at the time of marriage (standardized β = -0.298, p<0.001), poorer conflict negotiation skills (standardized β = -0.308, p<0.001), and greater acknowledgement of DV occurrence in family and friends (standardized β = 0.436, p<0.001). These correlates suggest strategies that could be incorporated into future DV primary prevention interventions for this vulnerable population (i.e. promoting completion of formal education of boys alongside girls, mitigating causes of familial dowry harassment, improving conflict negotiation skills, and challenging norms surrounding DV). PMID:29608581

Correlates of domestic violence experience among recently-married women residing in slums in Pune, India.

PubMed

Kalokhe, Ameeta S; Iyer, Sandhya R; Kolhe, Ambika R; Dhayarkar, Sampada; Paranjape, Anuradha; Del Rio, Carlos; Stephenson, Rob; Sahay, Seema

2018-01-01

The high risk of experiencing domestic violence (DV) among married women in India who reside in slum communities underscores the need for effective, evidence-based, and culturally-tailored primary prevention. To inform such DV primary prevention strategies for this population, we herein aimed to identify correlates of DV experience in early marriage. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, potential correlates of DV experience were explored among a geographically-clustered random sample of 100 recently-married women residing in slums in Pune, India. In multivariable regression, DV experience was associated with less educational attainment by the participant's spouse (standardized β = -0.281, p = 0.004), less satisfaction of the spouse's family with the maanpaan (wedding-related gifts provided by the bride's family) they received at the time of marriage (standardized β = -0.298, p<0.001), poorer conflict negotiation skills (standardized β = -0.308, p<0.001), and greater acknowledgement of DV occurrence in family and friends (standardized β = 0.436, p<0.001). These correlates suggest strategies that could be incorporated into future DV primary prevention interventions for this vulnerable population (i.e. promoting completion of formal education of boys alongside girls, mitigating causes of familial dowry harassment, improving conflict negotiation skills, and challenging norms surrounding DV).

Effect of mobile application-based versus DVD-based CPR training on students’ practical CPR skills and willingness to act: a cluster randomised study

PubMed Central

Nord, Anette; Svensson, Leif; Hult, Håkan; Kreitz-Sandberg, Susanne; Nilsson, Lennart

2016-01-01

Objectives The aim was to compare students’ practical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and willingness to perform bystander CPR, after a 30 min mobile application (app)-based versus a 50 min DVD-based training. Settings Seventh grade students in two Swedish municipalities. Design A cluster randomised trial. The classes were randomised to receive app-based or DVD-based training. Willingness to act and practical CPR skills were assessed, directly after training and at 6 months, by using a questionnaire and a PC Skill Reporting System. Data on CPR skills were registered in a modified version of the Cardiff test, where scores were given in 12 different categories, adding up to a total score of 12–48 points. Training and measurements were performed from December 2013 to October 2014. Participants 63 classes or 1232 seventh grade students (13-year-old) were included in the study. Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary end point was the total score of the modified Cardiff test. The individual variables of the test and self-reported willingness to make a life-saving intervention were secondary end points. Results The DVD-based group was superior to the app-based group in CPR skills; a total score of 36 (33–38) vs 33 (30–36) directly after training (p<0.001) and 33 (30–36) and 31 (28–34) at 6 months (p<0.001), respectively. At 6 months, the DVD group performed significantly better in 8 out of 12 CPR skill components. Both groups improved compression depth from baseline to follow-up. If a friend suffered cardiac arrest, 78% (DVD) versus 75% (app) would do compressions and ventilations, whereas only 31% (DVD) versus 32% (app) would perform standard CPR if the victim was a stranger. Conclusions At 6 months follow-up, the 50 min DVD-based group showed superior CPR skills compared with the 30 min app-based group. The groups did not differ in regard to willingness to make a life-saving effort. PMID:27130166

Theory of mind predicts severity level in autism.

PubMed

Hoogenhout, Michelle; Malcolm-Smith, Susan

2017-02-01

We investigated whether theory of mind skills can indicate autism spectrum disorder severity. In all, 62 children with autism spectrum disorder completed a developmentally sensitive theory of mind battery. We used intelligence quotient, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) diagnosis and level of support needed as indicators of severity level. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, we found three distinct clusters of theory of mind ability: early-developing theory of mind (Cluster 1), false-belief reasoning (Cluster 2) and sophisticated theory of mind understanding (Cluster 3). The clusters corresponded to severe, moderate and mild autism spectrum disorder. As an indicator of level of support needed, cluster grouping predicted the type of school children attended. All Cluster 1 children attended autism-specific schools; Cluster 2 was divided between autism-specific and special needs schools and nearly all Cluster 3 children attended general special needs and mainstream schools. Assessing theory of mind skills can reliably discriminate severity levels within autism spectrum disorder.

Does Intervening in Childcare Settings Impact Fundamental Movement Skill Development?

PubMed

Adamo, Kristi B; Wilson, Shanna; Harvey, Alysha L J; Grattan, Kimberly P; Naylor, Patti-Jean; Temple, Viviene A; Goldfield, Gary S

2016-05-01

Knowing that motor skills will not develop to their full potential without opportunities to practice in environments that are stimulating and supportive, we evaluated the effect of a physical activity (PA)-based intervention targeting childcare providers on fundamental movement skills (FMS) in preschoolers attending childcare centers. In this two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial, six licensed childcare centers in Ottawa, Canada, were randomly allocated into one of two groups (three controls, n = 43; three interventions, n = 40). Participants were between the ages of 3 and 5 yr. Childcare providers in the experimental condition received two 3-h workshops and a training manual at program initiation aimed at increasing PA through active play and several in-center "booster" sessions throughout the 6-month intervention. Control childcare centers implemented their standard curriculum. FMS were measured at baseline and 6 months using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Groups did not differ on sociodemographic variables. Compared with control, children in the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in their standardized gross motor quotient (score, 5.70; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.74-10.67; P = 0.025 and gross motor quotient percentile, 13.33; 95% CI, 2.17-24.49; P = 0.020). Over the 6-month study period, the intervention group showed a significantly greater increase in locomotor skills score (1.20; 95% CI, 0.18-2.22; P = 0.022) than the control group. There was a significant decrease in the object control scores in the control group over the study period. A childcare provider-led PA-based intervention increased the FMS in preschoolers, driven by the change in locomotor skills. The childcare environment may represent a viable public health approach for promoting motor skill development to support future engagement in PA.

The Relationship among the Six Vocational Identity Statuses and Five Dimensions of Planned Happenstance Career Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhee, Eunjeong; Lee, Bo Hyun; Kim, Boyoung; Ha, Gyuyoung; Lee, Sang Min

2016-01-01

The current study investigated how the five components of planned happenstance skills are related to vocational identity statuses. For determination of relationships, cluster and discriminant analyses were conducted sequentially on a sample of 515 university students in South Korea. Cluster analysis revealed vocational identity statuses to be…

State estimation and prediction using clustered particle filters.

PubMed

Lee, Yoonsang; Majda, Andrew J

2016-12-20

Particle filtering is an essential tool to improve uncertain model predictions by incorporating noisy observational data from complex systems including non-Gaussian features. A class of particle filters, clustered particle filters, is introduced for high-dimensional nonlinear systems, which uses relatively few particles compared with the standard particle filter. The clustered particle filter captures non-Gaussian features of the true signal, which are typical in complex nonlinear dynamical systems such as geophysical systems. The method is also robust in the difficult regime of high-quality sparse and infrequent observations. The key features of the clustered particle filtering are coarse-grained localization through the clustering of the state variables and particle adjustment to stabilize the method; each observation affects only neighbor state variables through clustering and particles are adjusted to prevent particle collapse due to high-quality observations. The clustered particle filter is tested for the 40-dimensional Lorenz 96 model with several dynamical regimes including strongly non-Gaussian statistics. The clustered particle filter shows robust skill in both achieving accurate filter results and capturing non-Gaussian statistics of the true signal. It is further extended to multiscale data assimilation, which provides the large-scale estimation by combining a cheap reduced-order forecast model and mixed observations of the large- and small-scale variables. This approach enables the use of a larger number of particles due to the computational savings in the forecast model. The multiscale clustered particle filter is tested for one-dimensional dispersive wave turbulence using a forecast model with model errors.

State estimation and prediction using clustered particle filters

PubMed Central

Lee, Yoonsang; Majda, Andrew J.

2016-01-01

Particle filtering is an essential tool to improve uncertain model predictions by incorporating noisy observational data from complex systems including non-Gaussian features. A class of particle filters, clustered particle filters, is introduced for high-dimensional nonlinear systems, which uses relatively few particles compared with the standard particle filter. The clustered particle filter captures non-Gaussian features of the true signal, which are typical in complex nonlinear dynamical systems such as geophysical systems. The method is also robust in the difficult regime of high-quality sparse and infrequent observations. The key features of the clustered particle filtering are coarse-grained localization through the clustering of the state variables and particle adjustment to stabilize the method; each observation affects only neighbor state variables through clustering and particles are adjusted to prevent particle collapse due to high-quality observations. The clustered particle filter is tested for the 40-dimensional Lorenz 96 model with several dynamical regimes including strongly non-Gaussian statistics. The clustered particle filter shows robust skill in both achieving accurate filter results and capturing non-Gaussian statistics of the true signal. It is further extended to multiscale data assimilation, which provides the large-scale estimation by combining a cheap reduced-order forecast model and mixed observations of the large- and small-scale variables. This approach enables the use of a larger number of particles due to the computational savings in the forecast model. The multiscale clustered particle filter is tested for one-dimensional dispersive wave turbulence using a forecast model with model errors. PMID:27930332

The effectiveness and feasibility of TREAT (Tailoring Research Evidence and Theory) journal clubs in allied health: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Wenke, Rachel J; Thomas, Rae; Hughes, Ian; Mickan, Sharon

2018-05-09

Journal clubs (JC) may increase clinicians' evidence-based practice (EBP) skills and facilitate evidence uptake in clinical practice, however there is a lack of research into their effectiveness in allied health. We investigated the effectiveness of a structured JC that is Tailored According to Research Evidence And Theory (TREAT) in improving EBP skills and practice compared to a standard JC format for allied health professionals. Concurrently, we explored the feasibility of implementing TREAT JCs in a healthcare setting, by evaluating participating clinicians' perceptions and satisfaction. We conducted an explanatory mixed methods study involving a cluster randomised controlled trial with a nested focus group for the intervention participants. Nine JCs with 126 allied health participants were randomly allocated to receive either the TREAT or standard JC format for 1 h/month for 6 months. We conducted pre-post measures of EBP skills and attitudes using the EBP questionnaire and Assessing Competence in Evidence-Based Medicine tool and a tailored satisfaction and practice change questionnaire. Post-intervention, we also conducted a focus group with TREAT participants to explore their perceptions of the format. There were no significant differences between JC formats in EBP skills, knowledge or attitudes or influence on clinical practice, with participants maintaining intermediate level skills across time points. Participants reported significantly greater satisfaction with the organisation of the TREAT format. Participants in both groups reported positive changes to clinical practice. Perceived outcomes to the TREAT format and facilitating mechanisms were identified including the use of an academic facilitator, group appraisal approach and consistent appraisal tools which assisted skill development and engagement. It is feasible to implement an evidence-based JC for allied health clinicians. While clinicians were more satisfied with the TREAT format, it did not significantly improve their EBP skills, attitudes, knowledge and/or practice, when compared to the standard format. The use of an academic facilitator, group based critical appraisal, and the consistent use of appraisal tools were perceived as useful components of the JC format. A structured JC may maintain EBP skills in allied health clinicians and facilitate engagement, however additional training may be required to further enhance EBP skills. ACTRN12616000811404 Retrospectively registered 21 June 2016.

Career Clusters: Forecasting Demand for High School through College Jobs, 2008-2018

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnevale, Anthony P.; Smith, Nicole; Stone, James R., III; Kotamraju, Pradeep; Steuernagel, Bruce; Green, Kimberly A.

2011-01-01

This report presents data on job opportunities and skill requirements through 2018 arranged by the 16 career and technical education (CTE) career clusters in the Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006 (Perkins IV). These skill requirements reflect the length and extent of education and training required for the job. The authors detail changes in education…

Effect of life skills building education and micronutrient supplements provided from preconception versus the standard of care on low birth weight births among adolescent and young Pakistani women (15-24 years): a prospective, population-based cluster-randomized trial.

PubMed

Baxter, Jo-Anna B; Wasan, Yaqub; Soofi, Sajid B; Suhag, Zamir; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2018-05-31

Risk factors known to impact maternal and newborn nutrition and health can exist from adolescence. If an undernourished adolescent girl becomes pregnant, her own health and pregnancy are at an increased risk for adverse outcomes. Offering preconception care from adolescence could provide an opportunity for health and nutrition promotion to improve one's own well-being, as well as future pregnancy outcomes and the health of the next generation. The Matiari emPowerment and Preconception Supplementation (MaPPS) Trial is a population-based two-arm, cluster-randomized, controlled trial of life skills building education and multiple micronutrient supplementation provided in a programmatic context to evaluate the impact on pre-identified nutrition and health outcomes among adolescent and young women (15-24 years) in Matiari district Pakistan, and the infants born to them within the context of the trial. The primary aim is to assess the effect of the intervention on the prevalence of low birth weight births (< 2500 g). The intervention includes bi-monthly life skills building education provided from preconception, and supplementation with multiple micronutrients during preconception (twice-weekly), pregnancy (daily), and post-partum (daily to 6 months). The standard of care includes non-regulated community-based health sessions and daily iron and folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Additional outcome information will also be collected at set time periods. Among participants, these relate to nutrition (anthropometry, nutritional status), morbidity, and mortality. Among infants, these include birth outcomes (stillbirth, preterm birth, length of gestation, small for gestational age, birth defects), anthropometry, morbidity, and mortality. Preconception care from adolescence that includes interventions targeting life skills development and nutrition is suggested to be important to improving the health and nutrition of adolescent and young women and their future offspring. This study is expected to offer insight into providing such an intervention both within a programmatic context and with an extended exposure period prior to conception. The MaPPS Trial was registered retrospectively on clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03287882 ) on September 19, 2017.

Relationship between Procedural Tactical Knowledge and Specific Motor Skills in Young Soccer Players

PubMed Central

Aquino, Rodrigo; Marques, Renato Francisco R.; Petiot, Grégory Hallé; Gonçalves, Luiz Guilherme C.; Moraes, Camila; Santiago, Paulo Roberto P.; Puggina, Enrico Fuini

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between offensive tactical knowledge and the soccer-specific motor skills performance. Fifteen participants were submitted to two evaluation tests, one to assess their technical and tactical analysis. The motor skills performance was measured through four tests of technical soccer skills: ball control, shooting, passing and dribbling. The tactical performance was based on a tactical assessment system called FUT-SAT (Analyses of Procedural Tactical Knowledge in Soccer). Afterwards, technical and tactical evaluation scores were ranked with and without the use of the cluster method. A positive, weak correlation was perceived in both analyses (rho = 0.39, not significant p = 0.14 (with cluster analysis); and rho = 0.35; not significant p = 0.20 (without cluster analysis)). We can conclude that there was a weak association between the technical and the offensive tactical knowledge. This shows the need to reflect on the use of such tests to assess technical skills in team sports since they do not take into account the variability and unpredictability of game actions and disregard the inherent needs to assess such skill performance in the game. PMID:29910300

Conditional Subspace Clustering of Skill Mastery: Identifying Skills that Separate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nugent, Rebecca; Ayers, Elizabeth; Dean, Nema

2009-01-01

In educational research, a fundamental goal is identifying which skills students have mastered, which skills they have not, and which skills they are in the process of mastering. As the number of examinees, items, and skills increases, the estimation of even simple cognitive diagnosis models becomes difficult. We adopt a faster, simpler approach:…

Evaluation of a self-management patient education program for patients with fibromyalgia syndrome: study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Musekamp, Gunda; Gerlich, Christian; Ehlebracht-König, Inge; Faller, Hermann; Reusch, Andrea

2016-02-03

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex chronic condition that makes high demands on patients' self-management skills. Thus, patient education is considered an important component of multimodal therapy, although evidence regarding its effectiveness is scarce. The main objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of an advanced self-management patient education program for patients with FMS as compared to usual care in the context of inpatient rehabilitation. We conducted a multicenter cluster randomized controlled trial in 3 rehabilitation clinics. Clusters are groups of patients with FMS consecutively recruited within one week after admission. Patients of the intervention group receive the advanced multidisciplinary self-management patient education program (considering new knowledge on FMS, with a focus on transfer into everyday life), whereas patients in the control group receive standard patient education programs including information on FMS and coping with pain. A total of 566 patients are assessed at admission, at discharge and after 6 and 12 months, using patient reported questionnaires. Primary outcomes are patients' disease- and treatment-specific knowledge at discharge and self-management skills after 6 months. Secondary outcomes include satisfaction, attitudes and coping competences, health-promoting behavior, psychological distress, health impairment and participation. Treatment effects between groups are evaluated using multilevel regression analysis adjusting for baseline values. The study evaluates the effectiveness of a self-management patient education program for patients with FMS in the context of inpatient rehabilitation in a cluster randomized trial. Study results will show whether self-management patient education is beneficial for this group of patients. German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00008782 , Registered 8 July 2015.

Using Complementary Learning Clusters in Studying Literature to Enhance Students' Medical Humanities Literacy, Critical Thinking, and English Proficiency.

PubMed

Liao, Hung-Chang; Wang, Ya-Huei

2016-04-01

This study examined whether students studying literature in complementary learning clusters would show more improvement in medical humanities literacy, critical thinking skills, and English proficiency compared to those in conventional learning clusters. Ninety-three students participated in the study (M age = 18.2 years, SD = 0.4; 36 men, 57 women). A quasi-experimental design was used over 16 weeks, with the control group (n = 47) working in conventional learning clusters and the experimental group (n = 46) working in complementary learning clusters. Complementary learning clusters were those in which individuals had complementary strengths enabling them to learn from and offer assistance to other cluster members, hypothetically facilitating the learning process. Measures included the Medical Humanities Literacy Scale, Critical Thinking Disposition Assessment, English proficiency tests, and Analytic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric. The results showed that complementary learning clusters have the potential to improve students' medical humanities literacy, critical thinking skills, and English proficiency. © The Author(s) 2016.

Student profiling on university co-curricular activities using cluster analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajenthran, Hemabegai A./P.; Shaharanee, Izwan Nizal Mohd; Jamil, Jastini Mohd.

2017-11-01

In higher learning institutions, the co-curricular programs are needed for the graduation besides the standard academic programs. By actively participating in co-curricular, students can attain many of soft skills and proficiencies besides learning and adopting campus environment, community and traditions. Co-curricular activities are implemented by universities mainly for the refinement of the academic achievement along with the social development. This studies aimed to analyse the academic profile of the co-curricular students among uniform units. The main objective of study is to develop a profile of student co-curricular activities in uniform units. Additionally, several variables has been selected to serve as the characteristics for student co-curricular profile. The findings of this study demonstrate the practicality of clustering technique to investigate student's profiles and allow for a better understanding of student's behavior and co-curriculum activities.

Career Clusters: Forecasting Demand for High School through College Jobs, 2008-2018. State Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnevale, Anthony P.; Smith, Nicole; Stone, James R., III; Kotamraju, Pradeep; Steuernagel, Bruce; Green, Kimberly A.

2011-01-01

This report presents data on job opportunities and skill requirements through 2018 arranged by the 16 career clusters in the Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006. The data are arranged state-by-state and the District of Columbia, from 2008 through 2018. Skill requirements are reflected in the length and extent of educational preparation and training…

Relationships between academic performance, SES school type and perceptual-motor skills in first grade South African learners: NW-CHILD study.

PubMed

Pienaar, A E; Barhorst, R; Twisk, J W R

2014-05-01

Perceptual-motor skills contribute to a variety of basic learning skills associated with normal academic success. This study aimed to determine the relationship between academic performance and perceptual-motor skills in first grade South African learners and whether low SES (socio-economic status) school type plays a role in such a relationship. This cross-sectional study of the baseline measurements of the NW-CHILD longitudinal study included a stratified random sample of first grade learners (n = 812; 418 boys and 394 boys), with a mean age of 6.78 years ± 0.49 living in the North West Province (NW) of South Africa. The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration-4 (VMI) was used to assess visual-motor integration, visual perception and hand control while the Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, short form (BOT2-SF) assessed overall motor proficiency. Academic performance in math, reading and writing was assessed with the Mastery of Basic Learning Areas Questionnaire. Linear mixed models analysis was performed with spss to determine possible differences between the different VMI and BOT2-SF standard scores in different math, reading and writing mastery categories ranging from no mastery to outstanding mastery. A multinomial multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between a clustered score of academic performance and the different determinants. A strong relationship was established between academic performance and VMI, visual perception, hand control and motor proficiency with a significant relationship between a clustered academic performance score, visual-motor integration and visual perception. A negative association was established between low SES school types on academic performance, with a common perceptual motor foundation shared by all basic learning areas. Visual-motor integration, visual perception, hand control and motor proficiency are closely related to basic academic skills required in the first formal school year, especially among learners in low SES type schools. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Does objective cluster analysis serve as a useful precursor to seasonal precipitation prediction at local scale? Application to western Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ying; Moges, Semu; Block, Paul

2018-01-01

Prediction of seasonal precipitation can provide actionable information to guide management of various sectoral activities. For instance, it is often translated into hydrological forecasts for better water resources management. However, many studies assume homogeneity in precipitation across an entire study region, which may prove ineffective for operational and local-level decisions, particularly for locations with high spatial variability. This study proposes advancing local-level seasonal precipitation predictions by first conditioning on regional-level predictions, as defined through objective cluster analysis, for western Ethiopia. To our knowledge, this is the first study predicting seasonal precipitation at high resolution in this region, where lives and livelihoods are vulnerable to precipitation variability given the high reliance on rain-fed agriculture and limited water resources infrastructure. The combination of objective cluster analysis, spatially high-resolution prediction of seasonal precipitation, and a modeling structure spanning statistical and dynamical approaches makes clear advances in prediction skill and resolution, as compared with previous studies. The statistical model improves versus the non-clustered case or dynamical models for a number of specific clusters in northwestern Ethiopia, with clusters having regional average correlation and ranked probability skill score (RPSS) values of up to 0.5 and 33 %, respectively. The general skill (after bias correction) of the two best-performing dynamical models over the entire study region is superior to that of the statistical models, although the dynamical models issue predictions at a lower resolution and the raw predictions require bias correction to guarantee comparable skills.

Critical thinking in higher education: The influence of teaching styles and peer collaboration on science and math learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quitadamo, Ian Joseph

Many higher education faculty perceive a deficiency in students' ability to reason, evaluate, and make informed judgments, skills that are deemed necessary for academic and job success in science and math. These skills, often collected within a domain called critical thinking (CT), have been studied and are thought to be influenced by teaching styles (the combination of beliefs, behavior, and attitudes used when teaching) and small group collaborative learning (SGCL). However, no existing studies show teaching styles and SGCL cause changes in student CT performance. This study determined how combinations of teaching styles called clusters and peer-facilitated SGCL (a specific form of SGCL) affect changes in undergraduate student CT performance using a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test research design and valid and reliable CT performance indicators. Quantitative analyses of three teaching style cluster models (Grasha's cluster model, a weighted cluster model, and a student-centered/teacher-centered cluster model) and peer-facilitated SGCL were performed to evaluate their ability to cause measurable changes in student CT skills. Based on results that indicated weighted teaching style clusters and peer-facilitated SGCL are associated with significant changes in student CT, we conclude that teaching styles and peer-facilitated SGCL influence the development of undergraduate CT in higher education science and math.

Module Cluster: TLA-004.00 (GSC) Teaching Language Arts in the Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mignogna, William D.

The purpose of this module cluster is to enable students to a) identify the areas that the language arts focus on in the elementary school; b) analyze and synthesize expressive and receptive skills as they relate to the language arts program; c) demonstrate a knowledge of and skill in the use of a variety of techniques and materials for teaching…

Effect of mobile application-based versus DVD-based CPR training on students' practical CPR skills and willingness to act: a cluster randomised study.

PubMed

Nord, Anette; Svensson, Leif; Hult, Håkan; Kreitz-Sandberg, Susanne; Nilsson, Lennart

2016-04-29

The aim was to compare students' practical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and willingness to perform bystander CPR, after a 30 min mobile application (app)-based versus a 50 min DVD-based training. Seventh grade students in two Swedish municipalities. A cluster randomised trial. The classes were randomised to receive app-based or DVD-based training. Willingness to act and practical CPR skills were assessed, directly after training and at 6 months, by using a questionnaire and a PC Skill Reporting System. Data on CPR skills were registered in a modified version of the Cardiff test, where scores were given in 12 different categories, adding up to a total score of 12-48 points. Training and measurements were performed from December 2013 to October 2014. 63 classes or 1232 seventh grade students (13-year-old) were included in the study. Primary end point was the total score of the modified Cardiff test. The individual variables of the test and self-reported willingness to make a life-saving intervention were secondary end points. The DVD-based group was superior to the app-based group in CPR skills; a total score of 36 (33-38) vs 33 (30-36) directly after training (p<0.001) and 33 (30-36) and 31 (28-34) at 6 months (p<0.001), respectively. At 6 months, the DVD group performed significantly better in 8 out of 12 CPR skill components. Both groups improved compression depth from baseline to follow-up. If a friend suffered cardiac arrest, 78% (DVD) versus 75% (app) would do compressions and ventilations, whereas only 31% (DVD) versus 32% (app) would perform standard CPR if the victim was a stranger. At 6 months follow-up, the 50 min DVD-based group showed superior CPR skills compared with the 30 min app-based group. The groups did not differ in regard to willingness to make a life-saving effort. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Parenting Skills and Emotional Availability: An RCT.

PubMed

Yousafzai, Aisha K; Rasheed, Muneera A; Rizvi, Arjumand; Armstrong, Robert; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2015-05-01

To investigate whether a responsive stimulation intervention delivered to caregivers of young children either alone or integrated with nutrition interventions would benefit parenting skills and emotional availability to promote children's development and growth compared with either a nutrition intervention alone or the usual standard of care. A cluster randomized factorial effectiveness trial was implemented in an impoverished community in Pakistan. The 4 trial arms were control (usual standard of care), responsive stimulation (responsive care and stimulation), enhanced nutrition (education and multiple micronutrients), and a combination of both enriched interventions. The 4 intervention packages were delivered by community health workers to 1489 mother-infant dyads in the first 2 years of life. Parenting skills and emotional availability indexed by mother-child interaction, caregiving environment, knowledge and practices pertaining to early childhood care and feeding, and maternal depressive symptoms were assessed at multiple intervals. An intention-to-treat factorial analysis was conducted. Intervention groups were comparable at baseline. Responsive stimulation significantly benefitted parenting skills with large effect sizes on mother-child interaction (Cohen's d 0.8), caregiving environment (Cohen's d 0.9-1.0), and knowledge and practices (Cohen's d 0.7-1.1) compared with small-modest significant effects as a result of nutrition intervention on mother-child interaction and caregiving environment only (Cohen's d 0.4 and 0.2, respectively). The combined intervention had a small significant effect on decreasing maternal depressive symptoms over time (Cohen's d 0-0.2). A responsive stimulation intervention can promote positive caregiving behaviors among impoverished families. Additional research is needed on interventions to reduce maternal depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Marketing Occupations. Cluster Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem.

This cluster guide, which is designed to show teachers what specific knowledge and skills qualify high school students for entry-level employment (or postsecondary training) in marketing occupations, is organized into three sections: (1) cluster organization and implementation, (2) instructional emphasis areas, and (3) assessment. The first…

A Hybrid Supervised/Unsupervised Machine Learning Approach to Solar Flare Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benvenuto, Federico; Piana, Michele; Campi, Cristina; Massone, Anna Maria

2018-01-01

This paper introduces a novel method for flare forecasting, combining prediction accuracy with the ability to identify the most relevant predictive variables. This result is obtained by means of a two-step approach: first, a supervised regularization method for regression, namely, LASSO is applied, where a sparsity-enhancing penalty term allows the identification of the significance with which each data feature contributes to the prediction; then, an unsupervised fuzzy clustering technique for classification, namely, Fuzzy C-Means, is applied, where the regression outcome is partitioned through the minimization of a cost function and without focusing on the optimization of a specific skill score. This approach is therefore hybrid, since it combines supervised and unsupervised learning; realizes classification in an automatic, skill-score-independent way; and provides effective prediction performances even in the case of imbalanced data sets. Its prediction power is verified against NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center data, using as a test set, data in the range between 1996 August and 2010 December and as training set, data in the range between 1988 December and 1996 June. To validate the method, we computed several skill scores typically utilized in flare prediction and compared the values provided by the hybrid approach with the ones provided by several standard (non-hybrid) machine learning methods. The results showed that the hybrid approach performs classification better than all other supervised methods and with an effectiveness comparable to the one of clustering methods; but, in addition, it provides a reliable ranking of the weights with which the data properties contribute to the forecast.

Summary Diagrams for Coupled Hydrodynamic-Ecosystem Model Skill Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

reference point have the smallest unbiased RMSD value (Fig. 3). It would appear that the cluster of model points closest to the reference point may...total RMSD values. This is particularly the case for phyto- plankton absorption (Fig. 3B) where the cluster of points closest to the reference...pattern statistics and the bias (difference of mean values) each magnitude of the total Root-Mean-Square Difference ( RMSD ). An alternative skill score and

The Efficiency of Cluster Method in Improving the Creative Writing Skill of 6th Grade Students of Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahbaz, Namik Kemal; Duran, Gozde

2011-01-01

The aim of this research is to search the effect of the cluster method on the creative writing skill of 6th grade students. In this paper, the students of 6-A, studying at Ulas Primary School in 2010-2011 academic year, were divided into two groups as experiment and control. Taking into consideration the various variants, pre-test and last-test…

Stressful jobs and non-stressful jobs: a cluster analysis of office jobs.

PubMed

Carayon, P

1994-02-01

The purpose of the study was to determine if office jobs could be characterized by a small number of combinations of stressors that could be related to job-title information and self-report of psychological strain. Two-hundred-and-sixty-two office workers from three public service organizations provided data on nine job stressors and seven indicators of psychological strain. Using cluster analysis on the nine stressors, office jobs were classified into three clusters. The first cluster included jobs with high skill utilization, task clarity, job control and social support and low future ambiguity, but also high on job demands such as quantitative work-load, attention and work pressure. The second cluster included jobs with high demands and future ambiguity and low skill utilization, task clarity, job control and social support. The third cluster was intermediary between the first two clusters. The three clusters were related to job-title information. The second cluster was the highest on a range of psychological strain indicators, while the other two clusters were high on certain strain indicators but low on others. The study showed that office jobs could be characterized by a small number of combinations of stressors that were related to job-title information and psychological strain.

Skill transfer, affordances and dexterity in different climbing environments.

PubMed

Seifert, L; Wattebled, L; L'hermette, M; Bideault, G; Herault, R; Davids, K

2013-12-01

This study explored how skills in one region of a perceptual-motor landscape of performance, created in part by previous experience in rock climbing, can shape those that emerge in another region (ice climbing). Ten novices in rock climbing and five intermediate rock climbers were observed climbing an icefall. Locations of right and left ice tools and crampons were videotaped from a frontal camera. Inter-individual variability of upper and lower limb couplings and types of action regarding icefall properties were assessed by cluster hierarchical analysis, distinguishing three clusters. Pelvis vertical displacement, duration and number of pelvis pauses were also analyzed. Experienced rock climbers were grouped in the same cluster and showed the highest range and variability of limb angular locations and coordination patterns, the highest vertical displacement and the shortest pelvis plateaux durations. Non-fluent climbers (clusters 2 and 3) showed low range and variability of limb angular locations and coordination patterns. In particular, climbers of cluster 3 exhibited the lowest vertical displacement, the longest plateaux durations and the greatest ratio between tool swinging and definitive anchorage. Our results exemplified the positive influence of skills in rock climbing on ice climbing performance, facilitated by the detection of affordances from environmental properties. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Softly, Softly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Abigail

2008-01-01

The term "soft skills" encompasses a cluster of personality traits, language abilities, personal habits and, ultimately, values and attitudes. Soft skills complement "harder", more technical, skills, such as being able to read or type a letter, but they also have a significant impact on the ability of people to do their jobs…

The effect of a physical activity intervention on preschoolers' fundamental motor skills - A cluster RCT.

PubMed

Wasenius, Niko S; Grattan, Kimberly P; Harvey, Alysha L J; Naylor, Patti-Jean; Goldfield, Gary S; Adamo, Kristi B

2018-07-01

To assess the effect of a physical activity intervention delivered in the childcare centres (CC), with or without a parent-driven home physical activity component, on children's fundamental motor skills (FMS). Six-month 3-arm cluster randomized controlled trial. Preschoolers were recruited from 18 licensed CC. CC were randomly assigned to a typical curriculum comparison group (COM), childcare intervention alone (CC), or childcare intervention with parental component (CC+HOME). FMS was measured with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Linear mixed models were performed at the level of the individual while accounting for clustering. Raw locomotor skills score increased significantly in the CC group (mean difference=2.5 units, 95% Confidence Intervals, CI, 1.0-4.1, p<0.001) and the CC+HOME group (mean difference=2.4 units, 95% CI, 0.8-4.0, p<0.001) compared to the COM group. No significant (p>0.05) between group differences were observed in the raw object control skills, sum of raw scores, or gross motor quotient. No significant sex differences were found in any of the measured outcomes. A physical activity intervention delivered in childcare with or without parents' involvement was effective in increasing locomotor skills in preschoolers. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

V-TECS Career Cluster Frameworks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vocational Technical Education Consortium of States, Decatur, GA.

This document includes 16 vocational-technical crosswalk wheels relating the 14 Vocational Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS) Career Families to the 16 Career Clusters developed by the U.S. Department of Education. The career clusters are based on the common academic, workplace, and technical knowledge and skills that cut across all…

Profiles of Emergent Literacy Skills among Preschool Children Who Are at Risk for Academic Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabell, Sonia Q.; Justice, Laura M.; Konold, Timothy R.; McGinty, Anita S.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore patterns of within-group variability in the emergent literacy skills of preschoolers who are at risk for academic difficulties. We used the person-centered approach of cluster analysis to identify profiles of emergent literacy skills, taking into account both oral language and code-related skills.…

A cluster randomized implementation trial to measure the effectiveness of an intervention package aiming to increase the utilization of skilled birth attendants by women for childbirth: study protocol

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Nepal is on track to achieve MDG 5 but there is a huge sub-national disparity with existing high maternal mortality in western and hilly regions. The national priority is to reduce this disparity to achieve the goal at sub-national level. Evidences from developing countries show that increasing utilization of skilled attendant at birth is an important indicator for reducing maternal death. Further, there is a very low utilization during childbirth in western and hilly regions of Nepal which clearly depicts the barriers in utilization of skilled birth attendants. So, there is a need to overcome the identified barriers to increase the utilization thereby decreasing the maternal mortality. The hypothesis of this study is that through a package of interventions the utilization of skilled birth attendants will be increased and hence improve maternal health in Nepal. Method/Design This study involves a cluster randomized controlled trial involving approximately 5000 pregnant women in 36 clusters. The 18 intervention clusters will receive the following interventions: i) mobilization of family support for pregnant women to reach the health facility, ii) availability of emergency funds for institutional childbirth, iii) availability of transport options to reach a health facility for childbirth, iv) training to health workers on communication skills, v) security provisions for SBAs to reach services 24/24 through community mobilization; 18 control clusters will not receive the intervention package. The final evaluation of the intervention is planned to be completed by October 2014. Primary study output of this study is utilization of SBA services. Secondary study outputs measure the uptake of antenatal care, post natal checkup for mother and baby, availability of transportation for childbirth, operation of emergency fund, improved reception of women at health services, and improved physical security of SBAs. Discussion The intervention package is designed to increase the utilization of skilled birth attendants by overcoming the barriers related to awareness, finance, transport, security etc. If proven effective, the Ministry of Health has committed to scale up the intervention package throughout the country. Trial registration number ISRCTN78892490. PMID:24646123

A cluster randomized implementation trial to measure the effectiveness of an intervention package aiming to increase the utilization of skilled birth attendants by women for childbirth: study protocol.

PubMed

Bhandari, Gajananda P; Subedi, Narayan; Thapa, Janak; Choulagai, Bishnu; Maskey, Mahesh K; Onta, Sharad R

2014-03-19

Nepal is on track to achieve MDG 5 but there is a huge sub-national disparity with existing high maternal mortality in western and hilly regions. The national priority is to reduce this disparity to achieve the goal at sub-national level. Evidences from developing countries show that increasing utilization of skilled attendant at birth is an important indicator for reducing maternal death. Further, there is a very low utilization during childbirth in western and hilly regions of Nepal which clearly depicts the barriers in utilization of skilled birth attendants. So, there is a need to overcome the identified barriers to increase the utilization thereby decreasing the maternal mortality. The hypothesis of this study is that through a package of interventions the utilization of skilled birth attendants will be increased and hence improve maternal health in Nepal. This study involves a cluster randomized controlled trial involving approximately 5000 pregnant women in 36 clusters. The 18 intervention clusters will receive the following interventions: i) mobilization of family support for pregnant women to reach the health facility, ii) availability of emergency funds for institutional childbirth, iii) availability of transport options to reach a health facility for childbirth, iv) training to health workers on communication skills, v) security provisions for SBAs to reach services 24/24 through community mobilization; 18 control clusters will not receive the intervention package. The final evaluation of the intervention is planned to be completed by October 2014. Primary study output of this study is utilization of SBA services. Secondary study outputs measure the uptake of antenatal care, post natal checkup for mother and baby, availability of transportation for childbirth, operation of emergency fund, improved reception of women at health services, and improved physical security of SBAs. The intervention package is designed to increase the utilization of skilled birth attendants by overcoming the barriers related to awareness, finance, transport, security etc. If proven effective, the Ministry of Health has committed to scale up the intervention package throughout the country. ISRCTN78892490.

A Taxonomy of Technical Assistance Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogden, Evelyn; Musumeci, Marilyn

To operationalize the Technical Assistance Brokerage System, the first major task called for the development of a taxonomy of training and technical assistance services specifying requisite skills and skill clusters by the dimensions of client type, stages of dissemination, and levels of experience. From a literature search approximately 400…

Exploration and validation of clusters of physically abused children.

PubMed

Sabourin Ward, Caryn; Haskett, Mary E

2008-05-01

Cluster analysis was used to enhance understanding of heterogeneity in social adjustment of physically abused children. Ninety-eight physically abused children (ages 5-10) were clustered on the basis of social adjustment, as measured by observed behavior with peers on the school playground and by teacher reports of social behavior. Seventy-seven matched nonabused children served as a comparison sample. Clusters were validated on the basis of observed parental sensitivity, parents' self-reported disciplinary tactics, and children's social information processing operations (i.e., generation of solutions to peer relationship problems and attributions of peer intentions in social situations). Three subgroups of physically abused children emerged from the cluster analysis; clusters were labeled Socially Well Adjusted, Hanging in There, and Social Difficulties. Examination of cluster differences on risk and protective factors provided substantial evidence in support of the external validity of the three-cluster solution. Specifically, clusters differed significantly in attributions of peer intent and in parenting (i.e., sensitivity and harshness of parenting). Clusters also differed in the ways in which they were similar to, or different from, the comparison group of nonabused children. Results supported the contention that there were clinically relevant subgroups of physically abused children with potentially unique treatment needs. Findings also pointed to the relevance of social information processing operations and parenting context in understanding diversity among physically abused children. Pending replication, findings provide support for the importance of considering unique treatment of needs among physically abused children. A singular approach to intervention is unlikely to be effective for these children. For example, some physically abused children might need a more intensive focus on development of prosocial skills in relationships with peers while the prosocial skills of other abused children will be developmentally appropriate. In contrast, most physically abused children might benefit from training in social problem-solving skills. Findings also point to the importance of promoting positive parenting practices in addition to reducing harsh discipline of physically abusive parents.

Knowledge translation strategies for enhancing nurses' evidence-informed decision making: a scoping review.

PubMed

Yost, Jennifer; Thompson, David; Ganann, Rebecca; Aloweni, Fazila; Newman, Kristine; McKibbon, Ann; Dobbins, Maureen; Ciliska, Donna

2014-06-01

Nurses are increasingly expected to engage in evidence-informed decision making (EIDM); the use of research evidence with information about patient preferences, clinical context and resources, and their clinical expertise in decision making. Strategies for enhancing EIDM have been synthesized in high-quality systematic reviews, yet most relate to physicians or mixed disciplines. Existing reviews, specific to nursing, have not captured a broad range of strategies for promoting the knowledge and skills for EIDM, patient outcomes as a result of EIDM, or contextual information for why these strategies "work." To conduct a scoping review to identify and map the literature related to strategies implemented among nurses in tertiary care for promoting EIDM knowledge, skills, and behaviours, as well as patient outcomes and contextual implementation details. A search strategy was developed and executed to identify relevant research evidence. Participants included registered nurses, clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, and advanced practice nurses. Strategies were those enhancing nurses' EIDM knowledge, skills, or behaviours, as well as patient outcomes. Relevant studies included systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, cluster randomized controlled trials, non-randomized trials (including controlled before and after studies), cluster non-randomized trials, interrupted time series designs, prospective cohort studies, mixed-method studies, and qualitative studies. Two reviewers performed study selection and data extraction using standardized forms. Disagreements were resolved through discussion or third party adjudication. Using a narrative synthesis, the body of research was mapped by design, clinical areas, strategies, and provider and patient outcomes to determine areas appropriate for a systematic review. There are a sufficiently high number of studies to conduct a more focused systematic review by care settings, study design, implementation strategies, or outcomes. A focused review could assist in determining which strategies can be recommended for enhancing EIDM knowledge, skills, and behaviours among nurses in tertiary care. © 2014 The Authors. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Sigma Theta Tau International.

Reaching the unreached through trained and skilled birth attendants in Ethiopia: a cluster randomized controlled trial study protocol.

PubMed

Zerfu, Taddese Alemu; Taddese, Henok; Nigatu, Tariku; Tenkolu, Girma; Vogel, Joshua P; Khan-Neelofur, Dina; Biadgilign, Sibhatu; Deribew, Amare

2017-01-26

Despite improvements since 1990 to 2014, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) remains high in Ethiopia. One of the key drivers of maternal mortality in Ethiopia is the very low coverage of Skilled Birth attendance (SBA) in rural Ethiopia. This cluster randomized trial piloted an innovative approach of deploying trained community reproductive nurses (CORN) to hard to reach/unreachable rural Ethiopia to improve the coverage of SBA. We used a three-arm cluster randomized trial to test the effect of deploying CORN in rural communities in South Ethiopia to improve SBA and other maternal health indicators. A total of 282 villages/clusters (94 from each arm) were randomly selected in the three districts of the zone for the study. The intervention was implemented in four consecutive phases that aimed at of provision of essential maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) services mainly focusing on SBA. The CORN were trained and deployed in health centres (arm 1) and in the community/health posts (arm2). A third arm (arm 3) consisting control villages without the intervention. A baseline and end line assessment was conducted to compare the difference in the proportion of SBA and other MNCH service uptake across the three arms Data was entered into computer, edited, cleaned, and analyzed using Epi-data statistical software. The presentation followed the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement guidelines for cluster-randomized trials. This trial is designed to test the impact of an innovative and newly designed means of distribution for the national health extension program strategy with additional service package with no change to the target population. The focus is on effect of CORN in revitalizing the Health Extension Program (HEP) through improving SBA service uptake and other maternal health service uptake indicators. The study findings may guide national policy to strengthen and shape the already existing HEP that has certain limitations to improve maternal health indicators. The competency based training methodology could provide feedback for health science colleges to improve the national nursing or midwifery training curriculum. clinicaltrails.gov NCT02501252 dated on July 14, 2015.

Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) for Cluster B Personality Disorders: Creating Meaning, Mattering, and Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pankey, Julieann

2012-01-01

There are ten identified personality disorders, broken into three clusters: A, B, and C. Individuals with a cluster B diagnosis may demonstrate marked displays of emotional instability, erratic and disruptive patterns around interpersonal relationships, a myopic and restricted range of affect, a pronounced lack of empathy and insight, barriers…

Making Sense of Industry-Based Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Thomas; Merritt, Donna

The objectives and development of the skill standards movement were examined along with 22 pilot projects that were undertaken as part of an effort to promote the development of a national system of voluntary industry-based skill standards. First, the past and present of the skill standards movement and certification practices were analyzed along…

Effectiveness of Music Education for the Improvement of Reading Skills and Academic Achievement in Young Poor Readers: A Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Cogo-Moreira, Hugo; de Ávila, Clara Regina Brandão; Ploubidis, George B.; Mari, Jair de Jesus

2013-01-01

Introduction Difficulties in word-level reading skills are prevalent in Brazilian schools and may deter children from gaining the knowledge obtained through reading and academic achievement. Music education has emerged as a potential method to improve reading skills because due to a common neurobiological substratum. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of music education for the improvement of reading skills and academic achievement among children (eight to 10 years of age) with reading difficulties. Method 235 children with reading difficulties in 10 schools participated in a five-month, randomized clinical trial in cluster (RCT) in an impoverished zone within the city of São Paulo to test the effects of music education intervention while assessing reading skills and academic achievement during the school year. Five schools were chosen randomly to incorporate music classes (n = 114), and five served as controls (n = 121). Two different methods of analysis were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention: The standard method was intention-to-treat (ITT), and the other was the Complier Average Causal Effect (CACE) estimation method, which took compliance status into account. Results The ITT analyses were not very promising; only one marginal effect existed for the rate of correct real words read per minute. Indeed, considering ITT, improvements were observed in the secondary outcomes (slope of Portuguese = 0.21 [p<0.001] and slope of math = 0.25 [p<0.001]). As for CACE estimation (i.e., complier children versus non-complier children), more promising effects were observed in terms of the rate of correct words read per minute [β = 13.98, p<0.001] and phonological awareness [β = 19.72, p<0.001] as well as secondary outcomes (academic achievement in Portuguese [β = 0.77, p<0.0001] and math [β = 0.49, p<0.001] throughout the school year). Conclusion The results may be seen as promising, but they are not, in themselves, enough to make music lessons as public policy. PMID:23544117

Effectiveness of music education for the improvement of reading skills and academic achievement in young poor readers: a pragmatic cluster-randomized, controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Cogo-Moreira, Hugo; Brandão de Ávila, Clara Regina; Ploubidis, George B; Mari, Jair de Jesus

2013-01-01

Difficulties in word-level reading skills are prevalent in Brazilian schools and may deter children from gaining the knowledge obtained through reading and academic achievement. Music education has emerged as a potential method to improve reading skills because due to a common neurobiological substratum. To evaluate the effectiveness of music education for the improvement of reading skills and academic achievement among children (eight to 10 years of age) with reading difficulties. 235 children with reading difficulties in 10 schools participated in a five-month, randomized clinical trial in cluster (RCT) in an impoverished zone within the city of São Paulo to test the effects of music education intervention while assessing reading skills and academic achievement during the school year. Five schools were chosen randomly to incorporate music classes (n = 114), and five served as controls (n = 121). Two different methods of analysis were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention: The standard method was intention-to-treat (ITT), and the other was the Complier Average Causal Effect (CACE) estimation method, which took compliance status into account. The ITT analyses were not very promising; only one marginal effect existed for the rate of correct real words read per minute. Indeed, considering ITT, improvements were observed in the secondary outcomes (slope of Portuguese = 0.21 [p<0.001] and slope of math = 0.25 [p<0.001]). As for CACE estimation (i.e., complier children versus non-complier children), more promising effects were observed in terms of the rate of correct words read per minute [β = 13.98, p<0.001] and phonological awareness [β = 19.72, p<0.001] as well as secondary outcomes (academic achievement in Portuguese [β = 0.77, p<0.0001] and math [β = 0.49, p<0.001] throughout the school year). The results may be seen as promising, but they are not, in themselves, enough to make music lessons as public policy.

Efficacy of the Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP) Primary Version

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, James Clyde; Lei, Puiwa; Bellinger, Jillian; Cheng, Weiyi

2015-01-01

A multisite cluster randomized trial was conducted to examine the effects of the Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP; Elliott & Gresham, 2007) on students' classroom social behavior. The final sample included 432 students across 38 second grade classrooms. Social skills and problem behaviors were measured…

Geriatric Syndromes in Hospitalized Older Adults Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities

PubMed Central

Bell, Susan P.; Vasilevskis, Eduard E.; Saraf, Avantika A.; Jacobsen, J. Mary Lou; Kripalani, Sunil; Mixon, Amanda S.; Schnelle, John F.; Simmons, Sandra F.

2016-01-01

Background Geriatric syndromes are common in older adults and associated with adverse outcomes. The prevalence, recognition, co-occurrence and recent onset of geriatric syndromes in patients transferred from hospital to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are largely unknown. Design Quality improvement project. Setting Acute care academic medical center and 23 regional partner SNFs. Participants 686 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized between January 2013 and April 2014 and referred to SNFs. Measurements Nine geriatric syndromes were measured by project staff -- weight loss, decreased appetite, incontinence and pain (standardized interview), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), delirium (Brief-Confusion Assessment Method), cognitive impairment (Brief Interview for Mental Status), falls and pressure ulcers (hospital medical record utilizing hospital-implemented screening tools). Estimated prevalence, new-onset prevalence and common coexisting clusters were determined. The extent that syndromes were commonly recognized by treating physicians and communicated to SNFs in hospital discharge documentation was evaluated. Results Geriatric syndromes were prevalent in more than 90% of hospitalized adults referred to SNFs; 55% met criteria for 3 or more co-existing syndromes. Overall the most prevalent syndromes were falls (39%), incontinence (39%), decreased appetite (37%) and weight loss (33%). Of individuals that met criteria for 3 or more syndromes, the most common triad clusters included nutritional syndromes (weight loss, loss of appetite), incontinence and depression. Treating hospital physicians commonly did not recognize and document geriatric syndromes in discharge summaries, missing 33–95% of syndromes present as assessed by research personnel. Conclusion Geriatric syndromes in hospitalized older adults transferred to SNF are prevalent and commonly co-exist with the most frequent clusters including nutritional syndromes, depression and incontinence. Despite the high prevalence, this clinical information is rarely communicated to the SNF on discharge. PMID:27059831

Geriatric Syndromes in Hospitalized Older Adults Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities.

PubMed

Bell, Susan P; Vasilevskis, Eduard E; Saraf, Avantika A; Jacobsen, J M L; Kripalani, Sunil; Mixon, Amanda S; Schnelle, John F; Simmons, Sandra F

2016-04-01

To determine the prevalence, recognition, co-occurrence, and recent onset of geriatric syndromes in individuals transferred from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Quality improvement project. Acute care academic medical center and 23 regional partner SNFs. Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized between January 2013 and April 2014 and referred to SNFs (N = 686). Project staff measured nine geriatric syndromes: weight loss, lack of appetite, incontinence, and pain (standardized interview); depression (Geriatric Depression Scale); delirium (Brief Confusion Assessment Method); cognitive impairment (Brief Interview for Mental Status); and falls and pressure ulcers (hospital medical record using hospital-implemented screening tools). Estimated prevalence, new-onset prevalence, and common coexisting clusters were determined. The extent to which treating physicians commonly recognized syndromes and communicated them to SNFs in hospital discharge documentation was evaluated. Geriatric syndromes were prevalent in more than 90% of hospitalized adults referred to SNFs; 55% met criteria for three or more coexisting syndromes. The most-prevalent syndromes were falls (39%), incontinence (39%), loss of appetite (37%), and weight loss (33%). In individuals who met criteria for three or more syndromes, the most common triad clusters were nutritional syndromes (weight loss, loss of appetite), incontinence, and depression. Treating hospital physicians commonly did not recognize and document geriatric syndromes in discharge summaries, missing 33% to 95% of syndromes present according to research personnel. Geriatric syndromes in hospitalized older adults transferred to SNFs are prevalent and commonly coexist, with the most frequent clusters including nutritional syndromes, depression, and incontinence. Despite the high prevalence, this clinical information is rarely communicated to SNFs on discharge. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

Spatio-temporal pattern clustering for skill assessment of the Korea Operational Oceanographic System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.; Park, K.

2016-12-01

In order to evaluate the performance of operational forecast models in the Korea operational oceanographic system (KOOS) which has been developed by Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), a skill assessment (SA) tool has developed and provided multiple skill metrics including not only correlation and error skills by comparing predictions and observation but also pattern clustering with numerical models, satellite, and observation. The KOOS has produced 72 hours forecast information on atmospheric and hydrodynamic forecast variables of wind, pressure, current, tide, wave, temperature, and salinity at every 12 hours per day produced by operating numerical models such as WRF, ROMS, MOM5, WW-III, and SWAN and the SA has conducted to evaluate the forecasts. We have been operationally operated several kinds of numerical models such as WRF, ROMS, MOM5, MOHID, WW-III. Quantitative assessment of operational ocean forecast model is very important to provide accurate ocean forecast information not only to general public but also to support ocean-related problems. In this work, we propose a method of pattern clustering using machine learning method and GIS-based spatial analytics to evaluate spatial distribution of numerical models and spatial observation data such as satellite and HF radar. For the clustering, we use 10 or 15 years-long reanalysis data which was computed by the KOOS, ECMWF, and HYCOM to make best matching clusters which are classified physical meaning with time variation and then we compare it with forecast data. Moreover, for evaluating current, we develop extraction method of dominant flow and apply it to hydrodynamic models and HF radar's sea surface current data. By applying pattern clustering method, it allows more accurate and effective assessment of ocean forecast models' performance by comparing not only specific observation positions which are determined by observation stations but also spatio-temporal distribution of whole model areas. We believe that our proposed method will be very useful to examine and evaluate large amount of numerical modeling data as well as satellite data.

34 CFR 106.43 - Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical education classes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical... Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 106.43 Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical education classes. If use of a single standard of measuring skill or progress in physical education classes...

Group Facilitation: Functions and Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, L. Frances; Robertson, Sharon E.

1985-01-01

Discusses a model based on a specific set of assumptions about causality and effectiveness in interactional groups. Discusses personal qualities of group facilitators and proposes five major functions and seven skill clusters central to effective group facilitation. (Author/BH)

Ohio's Resource Guide for Voluntary Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Springfield-Clark Joint Vocational School, Springfield, OH.

Voluntary skill standards are industry-based, industry-verified performance specifications that identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities individuals need for success in an industry. This resource guide is designed to raise awareness of voluntary skill standards, identify their benefits, and encourage stakeholder involvement in implementation…

Development and Application of Skill Standards for Security Practitioners

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

Development and Application of Skill Standards for Security Practitioners Henry K. Simpson Northrop Grumman Technical Services Lynn F. Fischer...and Application of Skill Standards for Security Practitioners Henry K. Simpson, Northrop Grumman Technical Services Lynn F. Fischer, Defense...described in the present report was driven by a JSTC tasking to develop skill standards for security practitioners in seven different security

MAAMD: a workflow to standardize meta-analyses and comparison of affymetrix microarray data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Mandatory deposit of raw microarray data files for public access, prior to study publication, provides significant opportunities to conduct new bioinformatics analyses within and across multiple datasets. Analysis of raw microarray data files (e.g. Affymetrix CEL files) can be time consuming, complex, and requires fundamental computational and bioinformatics skills. The development of analytical workflows to automate these tasks simplifies the processing of, improves the efficiency of, and serves to standardize multiple and sequential analyses. Once installed, workflows facilitate the tedious steps required to run rapid intra- and inter-dataset comparisons. Results We developed a workflow to facilitate and standardize Meta-Analysis of Affymetrix Microarray Data analysis (MAAMD) in Kepler. Two freely available stand-alone software tools, R and AltAnalyze were embedded in MAAMD. The inputs of MAAMD are user-editable csv files, which contain sample information and parameters describing the locations of input files and required tools. MAAMD was tested by analyzing 4 different GEO datasets from mice and drosophila. MAAMD automates data downloading, data organization, data quality control assesment, differential gene expression analysis, clustering analysis, pathway visualization, gene-set enrichment analysis, and cross-species orthologous-gene comparisons. MAAMD was utilized to identify gene orthologues responding to hypoxia or hyperoxia in both mice and drosophila. The entire set of analyses for 4 datasets (34 total microarrays) finished in ~ one hour. Conclusions MAAMD saves time, minimizes the required computer skills, and offers a standardized procedure for users to analyze microarray datasets and make new intra- and inter-dataset comparisons. PMID:24621103

Standard Setting Methods for Pass/Fail Decisions on High-Stakes Objective Structured Clinical Examinations: A Validity Study.

PubMed

Yousuf, Naveed; Violato, Claudio; Zuberi, Rukhsana W

2015-01-01

CONSTRUCT: Authentic standard setting methods will demonstrate high convergent validity evidence of their outcomes, that is, cutoff scores and pass/fail decisions, with most other methods when compared with each other. The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was established for valid, reliable, and objective assessment of clinical skills in health professions education. Various standard setting methods have been proposed to identify objective, reliable, and valid cutoff scores on OSCEs. These methods may identify different cutoff scores for the same examinations. Identification of valid and reliable cutoff scores for OSCEs remains an important issue and a challenge. Thirty OSCE stations administered at least twice in the years 2010-2012 to 393 medical students in Years 2 and 3 at Aga Khan University are included. Psychometric properties of the scores are determined. Cutoff scores and pass/fail decisions of Wijnen, Cohen, Mean-1.5SD, Mean-1SD, Angoff, borderline group and borderline regression (BL-R) methods are compared with each other and with three variants of cluster analysis using repeated measures analysis of variance and Cohen's kappa. The mean psychometric indices on the 30 OSCE stations are reliability coefficient = 0.76 (SD = 0.12); standard error of measurement = 5.66 (SD = 1.38); coefficient of determination = 0.47 (SD = 0.19), and intergrade discrimination = 7.19 (SD = 1.89). BL-R and Wijnen methods show the highest convergent validity evidence among other methods on the defined criteria. Angoff and Mean-1.5SD demonstrated least convergent validity evidence. The three cluster variants showed substantial convergent validity with borderline methods. Although there was a high level of convergent validity of Wijnen method, it lacks the theoretical strength to be used for competency-based assessments. The BL-R method is found to show the highest convergent validity evidences for OSCEs with other standard setting methods used in the present study. We also found that cluster analysis using mean method can be used for quality assurance of borderline methods. These findings should be further confirmed by studies in other settings.

Effect of two additional interventions, test and reflection, added to standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation training on seventh grade students' practical skills and willingness to act: a cluster randomised trial.

PubMed

Nord, Anette; Hult, Håkan; Kreitz-Sandberg, Susanne; Herlitz, Johan; Svensson, Leif; Nilsson, Lennart

2017-06-23

The aim of this research is to investigate if two additional interventions, test and reflection, after standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training facilitate learning by comparing 13-year-old students' practical skills and willingness to act. Seventh grade students in council schools of two municipalities in south-east Sweden. School classes were randomised to CPR training only (O), CPR training with a practical test including feedback (T) or CPR training with reflection and a practical test including feedback (RT). Measures of practical skills and willingness to act in a potential life-threatening situation were studied directly after training and at 6 months using a digital reporting system and a survey. A modified Cardiff test was used to register the practical skills, where scores in each of 12 items resulted in a total score of 12-48 points. The study was conducted in accordance with current European Resuscitation Council guidelines during December 2013 to October 2014. 29 classes for a total of 587 seventh grade students were included in the study. The total score of the modified Cardiff test at 6 months was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were the total score directly after training, the 12 individual items of the modified Cardiff test and willingness to act. At 6 months, the T and O groups scored 32 (3.9) and 30 (4.0) points, respectively (p<0.001), while the RT group scored 32 (4.2) points (not significant when compared with T). There were no significant differences in willingness to act between the groups after 6 months. A practical test including feedback directly after training improved the students' acquisition of practical CPR skills. Reflection did not increase further CPR skills. At 6-month follow-up, no intervention effect was found regarding willingness to make a life-saving effort. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Effect of two additional interventions, test and reflection, added to standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation training on seventh grade students’ practical skills and willingness to act: a cluster randomised trial

PubMed Central

Nord, Anette; Hult, Håkan; Kreitz-Sandberg, Susanne; Herlitz, Johan; Svensson, Leif; Nilsson, Lennart

2017-01-01

Objectives The aim of this research is to investigate if two additional interventions, test and reflection, after standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training facilitate learning by comparing 13-year-old students’ practical skills and willingness to act. Settings Seventh grade students in council schools of two municipalities in south-east Sweden. Design School classes were randomised to CPR training only (O), CPR training with a practical test including feedback (T) or CPR training with reflection and a practical test including feedback (RT). Measures of practical skills and willingness to act in a potential life-threatening situation were studied directly after training and at 6 months using a digital reporting system and a survey. A modified Cardiff test was used to register the practical skills, where scores in each of 12 items resulted in a total score of 12–48 points. The study was conducted in accordance with current European Resuscitation Council guidelines during December 2013 to October 2014. Participants 29 classes for a total of 587 seventh grade students were included in the study. Primary and secondary outcome measures The total score of the modified Cardiff test at 6 months was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were the total score directly after training, the 12 individual items of the modified Cardiff test and willingness to act. Results At 6 months, the T and O groups scored 32 (3.9) and 30 (4.0) points, respectively (p<0.001), while the RT group scored 32 (4.2) points (not significant when compared with T). There were no significant differences in willingness to act between the groups after 6 months. Conclusions A practical test including feedback directly after training improved the students’ acquisition of practical CPR skills. Reflection did not increase further CPR skills. At 6-month follow-up, no intervention effect was found regarding willingness to make a life-saving effort. PMID:28645953

ELECTROMECHANICAL INSTALLATION AND REPAIR CLUSTER--AN INVESTIGATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLUSTER CONCEPT AS A PROGRAM IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MALEY, DONALD

THIS COURSE OUTLINE ON ELECTROMECHANICAL INSTALLATION AND REPAIR IS PART OF THE FINAL REPORT ON "CLUSTER CONCEPT" COURSES IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION (ED 010 301). EACH JOB ENTRY TASK WAS ANALYZED FOR HUMAN REQUIREMENTS (COMMUNICATION, MEASUREMENT, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, SKILLS, AND INFORMATION) NECESSARY TO…

Prediction models for clustered data: comparison of a random intercept and standard regression model

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background When study data are clustered, standard regression analysis is considered inappropriate and analytical techniques for clustered data need to be used. For prediction research in which the interest of predictor effects is on the patient level, random effect regression models are probably preferred over standard regression analysis. It is well known that the random effect parameter estimates and the standard logistic regression parameter estimates are different. Here, we compared random effect and standard logistic regression models for their ability to provide accurate predictions. Methods Using an empirical study on 1642 surgical patients at risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting, who were treated by one of 19 anesthesiologists (clusters), we developed prognostic models either with standard or random intercept logistic regression. External validity of these models was assessed in new patients from other anesthesiologists. We supported our results with simulation studies using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) of 5%, 15%, or 30%. Standard performance measures and measures adapted for the clustered data structure were estimated. Results The model developed with random effect analysis showed better discrimination than the standard approach, if the cluster effects were used for risk prediction (standard c-index of 0.69 versus 0.66). In the external validation set, both models showed similar discrimination (standard c-index 0.68 versus 0.67). The simulation study confirmed these results. For datasets with a high ICC (≥15%), model calibration was only adequate in external subjects, if the used performance measure assumed the same data structure as the model development method: standard calibration measures showed good calibration for the standard developed model, calibration measures adapting the clustered data structure showed good calibration for the prediction model with random intercept. Conclusion The models with random intercept discriminate better than the standard model only if the cluster effect is used for predictions. The prediction model with random intercept had good calibration within clusters. PMID:23414436

Prediction models for clustered data: comparison of a random intercept and standard regression model.

PubMed

Bouwmeester, Walter; Twisk, Jos W R; Kappen, Teus H; van Klei, Wilton A; Moons, Karel G M; Vergouwe, Yvonne

2013-02-15

When study data are clustered, standard regression analysis is considered inappropriate and analytical techniques for clustered data need to be used. For prediction research in which the interest of predictor effects is on the patient level, random effect regression models are probably preferred over standard regression analysis. It is well known that the random effect parameter estimates and the standard logistic regression parameter estimates are different. Here, we compared random effect and standard logistic regression models for their ability to provide accurate predictions. Using an empirical study on 1642 surgical patients at risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting, who were treated by one of 19 anesthesiologists (clusters), we developed prognostic models either with standard or random intercept logistic regression. External validity of these models was assessed in new patients from other anesthesiologists. We supported our results with simulation studies using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) of 5%, 15%, or 30%. Standard performance measures and measures adapted for the clustered data structure were estimated. The model developed with random effect analysis showed better discrimination than the standard approach, if the cluster effects were used for risk prediction (standard c-index of 0.69 versus 0.66). In the external validation set, both models showed similar discrimination (standard c-index 0.68 versus 0.67). The simulation study confirmed these results. For datasets with a high ICC (≥15%), model calibration was only adequate in external subjects, if the used performance measure assumed the same data structure as the model development method: standard calibration measures showed good calibration for the standard developed model, calibration measures adapting the clustered data structure showed good calibration for the prediction model with random intercept. The models with random intercept discriminate better than the standard model only if the cluster effect is used for predictions. The prediction model with random intercept had good calibration within clusters.

A Cluster Randomized Trial of the Social Skills Improvement System-Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP) in First Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, James Clyde; Lei, Puiwa; Cheng, Weiyi; Hart, Susan Crandall; Bellinger, Jillian

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a universal social skills program, the Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP; Elliott & Gresham, 2007), for students in first grade. Classrooms from 6 elementary schools were randomly assigned to treatment or business-as-usual control conditions.…

Interpreting Measures of Fundamental Movement Skills and Their Relationship with Health-Related Physical Activity and Self-Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarvis, Stuart; Williams, Morgan; Rainer, Paul; Jones, Eleri Sian; Saunders, John; Mullen, Richard

2018-01-01

The aims of this study were to determine proficiency levels of fundamental movement skills using cluster analysis in a cohort of U.K. primary school children; and to further examine the relationships between fundamental movement skills proficiency and other key aspects of health-related physical activity behavior. Participants were 553 primary…

Job-Related Basic Math Skills: An Analysis of Employees and Employers/Supervisors' Perception of Needed Math Skills for Office Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redmann, Donna H.

Phase I of a study was conducted to identify the basic mathematics competencies needed for job success in office occupations (14 job clusters). It also sought to determine the differences between employees' and employer/supervisors' perceptions of the degree of importance of mathematics skills for office occupations. Following a review of…

The effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction: animation versus dispatcher through a cellular phone.

PubMed

Choa, Minhong; Park, Incheol; Chung, Hyun Soo; Yoo, Sun K; Shim, Hoshik; Kim, Seungho

2008-04-01

We developed a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction programme using motion capture animation integrated into cellular phones. We compared the effectiveness of animation-assisted CPR instruction with dispatcher-assisted instruction in participants with no previous CPR training. This study was a single blind cluster randomized trial. Participants were allocated to either animation-assisted CPR (AA-CPR; 8 clusters, 44 participants) group or dispatcher-assisted CPR (DA-CPR; 8 clusters, 41 participants). The overall performance and time of each step of CPR cycle were recorded on a checklist by 3 assessors. The objective performances were evaluated using the Resusci Anne SkillReporter Manikin. Differences between the groups were compared using an independent t-test adjusted for the effect of clustering. The AA-CPR group had a significantly better checklist score (p<0.001) and time to completion of 1 CPR cycle (p<0.001) than the DA-CPR group. In an objective assessment of psychomotor skill, the AA-CPR group demonstrated more accurate hand positioning (68.8+/-3.6%, p=0.033) and compression rate (72.4+/-3.7%, p=0.015) than DA-CPR group. However, the accuracy of compression depth (p=0.400), ventilation volume (p=0.977) and flow rate (p=0.627) were below 30% in both groups. Audiovisual animated CPR instruction through a cellular phone resulted in better scores in checklist assessment and time interval compliance in participants without CPR skill compared to those who received CPR instructions from a dispatcher; however, the accuracy of important psychomotor skill measures was unsatisfactory in both groups.

Association Between the Safe Delivery App and Quality of Care and Perinatal Survival in Ethiopia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Lund, Stine; Boas, Ida Marie; Bedesa, Tariku; Fekede, Wondewossen; Nielsen, Henriette Svarre; Sørensen, Bjarke Lund

2016-08-01

Health apps in low-income countries are emerging tools with the potential to improve quality of health care services, but few apps undergo rigorous scientific evaluation. To determine the effects of the safe delivery app (SDA) on perinatal survival and on health care workers' knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation. In a cluster-randomized clinical trial in 5 rural districts of Ethiopia, 73 health care facilities were randomized to the mobile phone intervention or to standard care (control). From September 1, 2013, to February 1, 2015, 3601 women in active labor were included at admission and followed up until 7 days after delivery to record perinatal mortality. Knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation were assessed at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after the intervention among 176 health care workers at the included facilities. Analyses were performed based on the intention-to-treat principle. Health care workers in intervention facilities received a smartphone with the SDA. The SDA is a training tool in emergency obstetric and neonatal care that uses visual guidance in animated videos with clinical instructions for management. The primary outcome was perinatal death. Secondary outcomes included the knowledge and clinical management of neonatal resuscitation (skills) of health care workers before the intervention and after 6 and 12 months. The analysis included 3601 women and 176 health care workers. Use of the SDA was associated with a nonsignificant lower perinatal mortality of 14 per 1000 births in intervention clusters compared with 23 per 1000 births in control clusters (odds ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.32-1.81). The skill scores of intervention health care workers increased significantly compared with those of controls at 6 months (mean difference, 6.04; 95% CI, 4.26-7.82) and 12 months (mean difference, 8.79; 95% CI, 7.14-10.45) from baseline, corresponding to 80% and 107%, respectively, above the control level. Knowledge scores also significantly improved in the intervention compared with the control group at 6 months (mean difference, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.02-2.32) and at 12 months (mean difference, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.98-2.09), corresponding to 39% and 38%, respectively, above the control level. The SDA was an effective method to improve and sustain the health care workers' knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation as long as 12 months after introduction. Perinatal mortality was nonsignificantly reduced after the intervention. The results are highly relevant in low-income countries, where quality of care is challenged by a lack of continuing education. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01945931.

Competency Index. [Health Technology Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This competency index lists the competencies included in the 62 units of the Tech Prep Competency Profiles within the Health Technologies Cluster. The unit topics are as follows: employability skills; professionalism; teamwork; computer literacy; documentation; infection control and risk management; medical terminology; anatomy, physiology, and…

Teaching Workplace Skills through Integrative Exercises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisner, Susan P.

2004-01-01

This paper presents a set of three integrative exercises created to help college students develop workplace skills through simulation. Interviewing, listening, providing feedback, setting goals, empowering, coaching, managing change, handling conflict, and making decisions are clustered and modeled at intervals that synthesize course learning.

An Interesting Review on Soft Skills and Dental Practice

PubMed Central

Ishaquddin, Syed; Ghadage, Mahesh; Hatte, Geeta

2015-01-01

In today’s world of education, we concentrate on teaching activities and academic knowledge. We are taught to improve our clinical skills. Soft skills refer to the cluster of personality traits, social graces, and personal habits, facility with language, friendliness and personal habits that mark people to varying degrees. Soft Skills are interpersonal, psychological, self-promoted and non-technical qualities for every practitioner and academician, whereas hard skills are new tools or equipment and professional knowledge. Hence, more and more clinicians now days consider soft skills as important job criteria. An increase in service industry and competitive practices emphasizes the need for soft skills. Soft Skills are very important and useful in personal and professional life. PMID:25954720

An interesting review on soft skills and dental practice.

PubMed

Dalaya, Maya; Ishaquddin, Syed; Ghadage, Mahesh; Hatte, Geeta

2015-03-01

In today's world of education, we concentrate on teaching activities and academic knowledge. We are taught to improve our clinical skills. Soft skills refer to the cluster of personality traits, social graces, and personal habits, facility with language, friendliness and personal habits that mark people to varying degrees. Soft Skills are interpersonal, psychological, self-promoted and non-technical qualities for every practitioner and academician, whereas hard skills are new tools or equipment and professional knowledge. Hence, more and more clinicians now days consider soft skills as important job criteria. An increase in service industry and competitive practices emphasizes the need for soft skills. Soft Skills are very important and useful in personal and professional life.

Is patient-grouping on basis of condition on admission indicative for discharge destination in geriatric stroke patients after rehabilitation in skilled nursing facilities? The results of a cluster analysis.

PubMed

Buijck, Bianca I; Zuidema, Sytse U; Spruit-van Eijk, Monica; Bor, Hans; Gerritsen, Debby L; Koopmans, Raymond T C M

2012-12-04

Geriatric stroke patients are generally frail, have an advanced age and co-morbidity. It is yet unclear whether specific groups of patients might benefit differently from structured multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs. Therefore, the aims of our study are 1) to determine relevant patient characteristics to distinguish groups of patients based on their admission scores in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and (2) to study the course of these particular patient-groups in relation to their discharge destination. This is a longitudinal, multicenter, observational study. We collected data on patient characteristics, balance, walking ability, arm function, co-morbidity, activities of daily living (ADL), neuropsychiatric symptoms, and depressive complaints of 127 geriatric stroke patients admitted to skilled nursing facilities with specific units for geriatric rehabilitation after stroke. Cluster analyses revealed two groups: cluster 1 included patients in poor condition upon admission (n = 52), and cluster 2 included patients in fair/good condition upon admission (n = 75). Patients in both groups improved in balance, walking abilities, and arm function. Patients in cluster 1 also improved in ADL. Depressive complaints decreased significantly in patients in cluster 1 who were discharged to an independent- or assisted-living situation. Compared to 80% of the patients in cluster 2, a lower proportion (46%) of the patients in cluster 1 were discharged to an independent- or assisted-living situation. Stroke patients referred for rehabilitation to SNFs could be clustered on the basis of their condition upon admission. Although patients in poor condition on admission were more likely to be referred to a facility for long-term care, this was certainly not the case in all patients. Almost half of them could be discharged to an independent or assisted living situation, which implied that also in patients in poor condition on admission, discharge to an independent or assisted living situation was an attainable goal. It is important to put substantial effort into the rehabilitation of patients in poor condition at admission.

Use of multivariate statistics to identify unreliable data obtained using CASA.

PubMed

Martínez, Luis Becerril; Crispín, Rubén Huerta; Mendoza, Maximino Méndez; Gallegos, Oswaldo Hernández; Martínez, Andrés Aragón

2013-06-01

In order to identify unreliable data in a dataset of motility parameters obtained from a pilot study acquired by a veterinarian with experience in boar semen handling, but without experience in the operation of a computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system, a multivariate graphical and statistical analysis was performed. Sixteen boar semen samples were aliquoted then incubated with varying concentrations of progesterone from 0 to 3.33 µg/ml and analyzed in a CASA system. After standardization of the data, Chernoff faces were pictured for each measurement, and a principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensionality and pre-process the data before hierarchical clustering. The first twelve individual measurements showed abnormal features when Chernoff faces were drawn. PCA revealed that principal components 1 and 2 explained 63.08% of the variance in the dataset. Values of principal components for each individual measurement of semen samples were mapped to identify differences among treatment or among boars. Twelve individual measurements presented low values of principal component 1. Confidence ellipses on the map of principal components showed no statistically significant effects for treatment or boar. Hierarchical clustering realized on two first principal components produced three clusters. Cluster 1 contained evaluations of the two first samples in each treatment, each one of a different boar. With the exception of one individual measurement, all other measurements in cluster 1 were the same as observed in abnormal Chernoff faces. Unreliable data in cluster 1 are probably related to the operator inexperience with a CASA system. These findings could be used to objectively evaluate the skill level of an operator of a CASA system. This may be particularly useful in the quality control of semen analysis using CASA systems.

Speed invariance of independent control of finger movements in pianists

PubMed Central

Soechting, John F.

2012-01-01

Independent control of finger movements characterizes skilled motor behaviors such as tool use and musical performance. The purpose of the present study was to identify the effect of movement frequency (tempo) on individuated finger movements in piano playing. Joint motion at the digits was recorded while 5 expert pianists were playing 30 excerpts from musical pieces with different fingering and key locations either at a predetermined normal tempo or as fast as possible. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis using an expectation-maximization algorithm determined three distinct patterns of finger movement coordination for a keypress with each of the index, middle, ring, and little fingers at each of the two tempi. The finger kinematics of each coordination pattern was overall similar across the tempi. Tone sequences assigned into each cluster were also similar for both tempi. A linear regression analysis determined no apparent difference in the amount of movement covariation between the striking and nonstriking fingers at both metacarpo-phalangeal and proximal-interphalangeal joints across the two tempi, which indicated no effect of tempo on independent finger movements in piano playing. In addition, the standard deviation of interkeystroke interval across strokes did not differ between the two tempi, indicating maintenance of rhythmic accuracy of keystrokes. Strong temporal constraints on finger movements during piano playing may underlie the maintained independent control of fingers over a wider range of tempi, a feature being likely to be specific to skilled pianists. PMID:22815403

The Effects of Skill Training on Social Workers' Professional Competences in Norway: Results of a Cluster-Randomised Study

PubMed Central

Malmberg-Heimonen, Ira; Natland, Sidsel; Tøge, Anne Grete; Hansen, Helle Cathrine

2016-01-01

Using a cluster-randomised design, this study analyses the effects of a government-administered skill training programme for social workers in Norway. The training programme aims to improve social workers' professional competences by enhancing and systematising follow-up work directed towards longer-term unemployed clients in the following areas: encountering the user, system-oriented efforts and administrative work. The main tools and techniques of the programme are based on motivational interviewing and appreciative inquiry. The data comprise responses to baseline and eighteen-month follow-up questionnaires administered to all social workers (n = 99) in eighteen participating Labour and Welfare offices randomised into experimental and control groups. The findings indicate that the skill training programme positively affected the social workers' evaluations of their professional competences and quality of work supervision received. The acquisition and mastering of combinations of specific tools and techniques, a comprehensive supervision structure and the opportunity to adapt the learned skills to local conditions were important in explaining the results. PMID:27559232

Improvement of pain-related self-management for cancer patients through a modular transitional nursing intervention: a cluster-randomized multicenter trial.

PubMed

Jahn, Patrick; Kuss, Oliver; Schmidt, Heike; Bauer, Alexander; Kitzmantel, Maria; Jordan, Karin; Krasemann, Susann; Landenberger, Margarete

2014-04-01

Patients' self-management skills are affected by their knowledge, activities, and attitudes toward pain management. This trial aimed to test the Self Care Improvement through Oncology Nursing (SCION)-PAIN program, a multimodular structured intervention to reduce patients' barriers to self-management of cancer pain. Two hundred sixty-three patients with diagnosed malignancy, pain>3 days, and average pain > or = 3/10 participated in a cluster-randomized trial on 18 wards in 2 German university hospitals. Patients on the intervention wards received, in addition to standard pain treatment, the SCION-PAIN program consisting of 3 modules: pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic pain management, and discharge management. The intervention was conducted by specially trained cancer nurses and included components of patient education, skills training, and counseling. Starting with admission, patients received booster sessions every third day and one follow-up telephone counseling session within 2 to 3 days after discharge. Patients in the control group received standard care. Primary end point was the group difference in patient-related barriers to self-management of cancer pain (Barriers Questionnaire-BQ II) 7 days after discharge. The SCION-PAIN program resulted in a significant reduction of patient-related barriers to pain management 1 week after discharge from the hospital: mean difference on BQ II was -0.49 points (95% confidence interval -0.87 points to -0.12 points; P=0.02). Furthermore, patients showed improved adherence to pain medication; odds ratio 8.58 (95% confidence interval 1.66-44.40; P=0.02). A post hoc analysis indicated reduced average and worst pain intensity as well as improved quality of life. This trial reveals the positive impact of a nursing intervention to improve patients' self-management of cancer pain. Copyright © 2014 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 1: Executive Summary, of a 15-Volume Set of Skills Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

The Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) consortium was formed to address the shortage of skilled workers for the machine tools and metals-related industries. Featuring six of the nation's leading advanced technology centers, the MAST consortium developed, tested, and disseminated industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for…

A motor speech assessment for children with severe speech disorders: reliability and validity evidence.

PubMed

Strand, Edythe A; McCauley, Rebecca J; Weigand, Stephen D; Stoeckel, Ruth E; Baas, Becky S

2013-04-01

In this article, the authors report reliability and validity evidence for the Dynamic Evaluation of Motor Speech Skill (DEMSS), a new test that uses dynamic assessment to aid in the differential diagnosis of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Participants were 81 children between 36 and 79 months of age who were referred to the Mayo Clinic for diagnosis of speech sound disorders. Children were given the DEMSS and a standard speech and language test battery as part of routine evaluations. Subsequently, intrajudge, interjudge, and test-retest reliability were evaluated for a subset of participants. Construct validity was explored for all 81 participants through the use of agglomerative cluster analysis, sensitivity measures, and likelihood ratios. The mean percentage of agreement for 171 judgments was 89% for test-retest reliability, 89% for intrajudge reliability, and 91% for interjudge reliability. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis showed that total DEMSS scores largely differentiated clusters of children with CAS vs. mild CAS vs. other speech disorders. Positive and negative likelihood ratios and measures of sensitivity and specificity suggested that the DEMSS does not overdiagnose CAS but sometimes fails to identify children with CAS. The value of the DEMSS in differential diagnosis of severe speech impairments was supported on the basis of evidence of reliability and validity.

AN INVESTIGATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLUSTER CONCEPT AS A PROGRAM IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL--FINAL REPORT, PHASE 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MALEY, DONALD

THE INVESTIGATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLUSTER CONCEPT AS A PROGRAM IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL WERE REPORTED. THE "CLUSTER CONCEPT" PROGRAM IS AIMED AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDINGS RELATED TO A NUMBER OF ALLIED FIELDS, AND WOULD PREPARE THE PERSON TO ENTER INTO A FAMILY OF OCCUPATIONS RATHER…

Skill and Working Memory.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-30

clusters of rooms or areas. The fairly localized property of architectural patterns at the lowest level in the hierarchy is reminiscent of the localized...three digits. We have termed these clusters of groups "supergroups". Finally, when these supergroups became too large (more than 4 or 5 groups), SF...Supergroups -.> Clusters of Supergroups. Insert Figure 4 about here .... .... o.... In another study, run separately on SF and DD, after an hour’s

Factors affecting utilization of skilled maternal care in Northwest Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Worku, Abebaw Gebeyehu; Yalew, Alemayehu Worku; Afework, Mesganaw Fantahun

2013-04-15

The evaluation of all potential sources of low skilled maternal care utilization is crucial for Ethiopia. Previous studies have largely disregarded the contribution of different levels. This study was planned to assess the effect of individual, communal, and health facility characteristics in the utilization of antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care by a skilled provider. A linked facility and population-based survey was conducted over three months (January - March 2012) in twelve "kebeles" of North Gondar Zone, Amhara Region. A total of 1668 women who had births in the year preceding the survey were selected for analysis. Using a multilevel modelling, we examined the effect of cluster variation and a number of individual, communal (kebele), and facility-related variables for skilled maternal care utilization. About 32.3%, 13.8% and 6.3% of the women had the chance to get skilled providers for their antenatal, delivery and postnatal care, respectively. A significant heterogeneity was observed among clusters for each indicator of skilled maternal care utilization. At the individual level, variables related to awareness and perceptions were found to be much more relevant for skilled maternal service utilization. Preference for skilled providers and previous experience of antenatal care were consistently strong predictors of all indicators of skilled maternal health care utilizations. Birth order, maternal education, and awareness about health facilities to get skilled professionals were consistently strong predictors of skilled antenatal and delivery care use. Communal factors were relevant for both delivery and postnatal care, whereas the characteristics of a health facility were more relevant for use of skilled delivery care than other maternity services. Factors operating at individual and "kebele" levels play a significant role in determining utilization of skilled maternal health services. Interventions to create better community awareness and perception about skilled providers and their care, and ensuring the seamless performance of health care facilities have been considered crucial to improve skilled maternal services in the study area. Such interventions should target underprivileged women.

Mediating effects of resistance training skill competency on health-related fitness and physical activity: the ATLAS cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Smith, Jordan J; Morgan, Philip J; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Stodden, David F; Lubans, David R

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of resistance training skill competency on percentage of body fat, muscular fitness and physical activity among a sample of adolescent boys participating in a school-based obesity prevention intervention. Participants were 361 adolescent boys taking part in the Active Teen Leaders Avoiding Screen-time (ATLAS) cluster randomised controlled trial: a school-based program targeting the health behaviours of economically disadvantaged adolescent males considered "at-risk" of obesity. Body fat percentage (bioelectrical impedance), muscular fitness (hand grip dynamometry and push-ups), physical activity (accelerometry) and resistance training skill competency were assessed at baseline and post-intervention (i.e., 8 months). Three separate multi-level mediation models were analysed to investigate the potential mediating effects of resistance training skill competency on each of the study outcomes using a product-of-coefficients test. Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The intervention had a significant impact on the resistance training skill competency of the boys, and improvements in skill competency significantly mediated the effect of the intervention on percentage of body fat and the combined muscular fitness score. No significant mediated effects were found for physical activity. Improving resistance training skill competency may be an effective strategy for achieving improvements in body composition and muscular fitness in adolescent boys.

Profiles of verbal working memory growth predict speech and language development in children with cochlear implants.

PubMed

Kronenberger, William G; Pisoni, David B; Harris, Michael S; Hoen, Helena M; Xu, Huiping; Miyamoto, Richard T

2013-06-01

Verbal short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) skills predict speech and language outcomes in children with cochlear implants (CIs) even after conventional demographic, device, and medical factors are taken into account. However, prior research has focused on single end point outcomes as opposed to the longitudinal process of development of verbal STM/WM and speech-language skills. In this study, the authors investigated relations between profiles of verbal STM/WM development and speech-language development over time. Profiles of verbal STM/WM development were identified through the use of group-based trajectory analysis of repeated digit span measures over at least a 2-year time period in a sample of 66 children (ages 6-16 years) with CIs. Subjects also completed repeated assessments of speech and language skills during the same time period. Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal STM (digit span forward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and language comprehension skills over time. Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal WM (digit span backward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and spoken word recognition skills over time. Different patterns of development of verbal STM/WM capacity predict the dynamic process of development of speech and language skills in this clinical population.

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Chemical Process Technical Operators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended for workforce preparation program providers, details the Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for programs preparing students for employment as chemical process technical operators. The document begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards and credentialing, the process…

A cluster design controlled trial of arts-based observational skills training in primary care.

PubMed

Kirklin, Deborah; Duncan, Jane; McBride, Sandy; Hunt, Sam; Griffin, Mark

2007-04-01

To investigate whether the observational skills of doctors and nurses can be improved by arts-based observational skills training. We carried out a cluster design, controlled trial involving 42 general practitioners and 26 primary care nurses in 12 primary care practices in London. Six practices were allocated to the intervention arm and 6 to the control arm. The intervention group received 90 minutes of arts-based observational skills training. The control group received practical training in the management of psoriasis. Before and after this, control and intervention participants were asked to describe 3 dermatological photographs. Descriptions were scored blindly against a predetermined marking key. Participants completed a questionnaire about the intervention, and about their own confidence in diagnosing and referring suspicious pigmented skin lesions. Post-intervention scores were significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The majority of participants judged the intervention relevant, enjoyable and valuable. A majority lacked confidence in their dermatological knowledge and skills. This study provides statistically significant evidence that arts-based observational skills training can improve the observational skills of doctors and nurses. It is important not to overstate the clinical significance of these findings, and to recognise that observational skills are just one of many complex and subtle factors affecting the quality of the clinical process. Further research is needed to assess the existence, nature and clinical significance of longer-term benefits, and to identify differences between professional groups.

Photometric Calibrations of Gemini Images of NGC 6253

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearce, Sean; Jeffery, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

We present preliminary results of our analysis of the metal-rich open cluster NGC 6253 using imaging data from GMOS on the Gemini-South Observatory. These data are part of a larger project to observe the effects of high metallicity on white dwarf cooling processes, especially the white dwarf cooling age, which have important implications on the processes of stellar evolution. To standardize the Gemini photometry, we have also secured imaging data of both the cluster and standard star fields using the 0.6-m SARA Observatory at CTIO. By analyzing and comparing the standard star fields of both the SARA data and the published Gemini zero-points of the standard star fields, we will calibrate the data obtained for the cluster. These calibrations are an important part of the project to obtain a standardized deep color-magnitude diagram to analyze the cluster. We present the process of verifying our standardization process. With a standardized CMD, we also present an analysis of the cluster's main sequence turn off age.

Business Education: The Creative Approaches of Three Small High Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawers, Lois J.

1983-01-01

To encourage the schools to train students in broad and flexible occupational competencies rather than specific job skills, the Oregon Department of Education has promoted the cluster concept of vocational education. Of the 14 occupational clusters identified as being economically significant in Oregon, business competencies in the accounting,…

An Analysis of Peer Feedback Exchanged in Group Supervision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahesh, Edward; Kemer, Gulsah; Willis, Ben T.; Schmidt, Christopher D.

2017-01-01

The authors examined the peer feedback exchanged in 2 supervision groups of counselors-in-training (CITs). CITs generated 169 statements grouped into 10 clusters representing 5 regions of peer feedback: counselor focus and engagement, insight-oriented skills, exploratory skills, therapeutic alliance, and intervention activities. Both positive and…

Educational and Skills-Based Interventions to Prevent Relationship Violence in Young People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fellmeth, Gracia; Heffernan, Catherine; Nurse, Joanna; Habibula, Shakiba; Sethi, Dinesh

2015-01-01

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of educational and skills-based interventions to prevent relationship and dating violence in adolescents and young adults. Methods: We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and other databases for randomized, cluster-randomized, and quasi-randomized…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Dental Assistant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

These Illinois skill standards for dental assistant are intended to serve as a guide to workforce preparation program providers as they define content for their programs and to employers as the establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition. They could also serve as a mechanism for communication among education, business,…

National Health Care Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Consortium on Health Science and Technology Education, Okemos, MI.

This document presents the National Health Care Skill Standards, which were developed by the National Consortium on Health Science and Technology and West Ed Regional Research Laboratory, in partnership with educators and health care employers. The document begins with an overview of the purpose and benefits of skill standards. Presented next are…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Dental Hygienist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

These Illinois skill standards for dental hygienists are intended to serve as a guide to workforce preparation program providers as they define content for their programs and to employers as they establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition. They could also serve as a mechanism for communication among education, business,…

Skill Standards for Open Cut Pipe Laying.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund, Pomfret Center, CT.

This document identifies skill standards for utility construction in a format that uses scenarios to provide a picture of the construction process under consideration. The scenarios provide a general description of the pipe laying and utility construction process. An introduction describes use and benefits of skill standards. Section 2 presents…

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Entry-Level Truck Driver.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for workforce preparation program providers, details the Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for programs preparing students for employment as entry-level truck drivers. The document begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards and credentialing, the…

The effectiveness of using standardized patients to improve community physician skills in mammography counseling and clinical breast exam.

PubMed

Costanza, M E; Luckmann, R; Quirk, M E; Clemow, L; White, M J; Stoddard, A M

1999-10-01

Traditional didactic continuing education is relatively ineffective in improving physicians' clinical skills. We hypothesized that a centralized course including small group workshops utilizing standardized patients could improve clinical skills for a reasonable cost. We designed a 5-h course aimed at improving physicians' counseling skills (re: screening mammography) and clinical breast exam (CBE) skills. The course included lectures, demonstrations, and small group skills sessions utilizing standardized patients and was offered to 156 typical community-based primary care physicians. Pre- and postcourse evaluation included in-office assessments of physician CBE and counseling performance by standardized patients and a written test of knowledge and attitudes. A total of 54.5% of eligible physicians participated. They improved modestly in only one of three areas of counseling skills measured (providing counseling appropriate to the patient's readiness to accept mammography, P = 0.01). The overall CBE score increased substantially from 24.8 to 34.7 (P < 0.0001). Knowledge in all areas measured and confidence in counseling patients also increased. The basic course cost $202 per physician trained. Most community-based primary care physicians may find small group training and in-office evaluation involving standardized patients acceptable. Such training may be more effective in improving physical exam skills than complex communication skills.

Improving the social and emotional climate of classrooms: a clustered randomized controlled trial testing the RULER Approach.

PubMed

Rivers, Susan E; Brackett, Marc A; Reyes, Maria R; Elbertson, Nicole A; Salovey, Peter

2013-02-01

The RULER Approach ("RULER") is a setting-level, social and emotional learning program that is grounded in theory and evidence. RULER is designed to modify the quality of classroom social interactions so that the climate becomes more supportive, empowering, and engaging. This is accomplished by integrating skill-building lessons and tools so that teachers and students develop their emotional literacy. In a clustered randomized control trial, we tested the hypothesis that RULER improves the social and emotional climate of classrooms. Depending upon condition assignment, 62 schools either integrated RULER into fifth- and sixth-grade English language arts (ELA) classrooms or served as comparison schools, using their standard ELA curriculum only. Multi-level modeling analyses showed that compared to classrooms in comparison schools, classrooms in RULER schools were rated as having higher degrees of warmth and connectedness between teachers and students, more autonomy and leadership among students, and teachers who focused more on students' interests and motivations. These findings suggest that RULER enhances classrooms in ways that can promote positive youth development.

ASK Standards: Assessment, Skills, and Knowledge Content Standards for Student Affairs Practitioners and Scholars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ACPA College Student Educators International, 2011

2011-01-01

The Assessment Skills and Knowledge (ASK) standards seek to articulate the areas of content knowledge, skill and dispositions that student affairs professionals need in order to perform as practitioner-scholars to assess the degree to which students are mastering the learning and development outcomes the professionals intend. Consistent with…

34 CFR 106.43 - Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical education classes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 106.43 Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical... 34 Education 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical...

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Agricultural Machinery Service Technician.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

These Illinois skill standards for agriculture machinery service technician are intended to serve as a guide to workforce preparation program providers as they define content for their programs and to employers as they establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition. They could also serve as a mechanism for communication among…

The Role of National Industry-Based Skill Standards in the Development, Implementation, and Assessment of Community College Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aragon, Steven R.; Woo, Hui-Jeong; Marvel, Matthew R.

2005-01-01

Using a descriptive survey design, a nationally representative sample of community college career and technical deans were asked to complete a questionnaire that assessed awareness and implementation of industry-based skill standards. For those institutions implementing industry-based skill standards, the questionnaire sought additional…

Communication Skills in Standardized-Patient Assessment of Final-Year Medical Students: A Psychometric Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guiton, Gretchen; Hodgson, Carol S.; Delandshere, Ginett; Wilkerson, Luann

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the content-specificity of communication skills. It investigates the reliability and dimensionality of standardized patient (SP) ratings of communication skills in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination(OSCE) for final year medical students. An OSCE consisting of seven standardized patient(SP)…

Gateway to the Future. Skill Standards for the Bioscience Industry for Technical Workers in Pharmaceutical Companies, Biotechnology Companies, and Clinical Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Development Center, Inc., Newton, MA.

The Bioscience Industry Skills Standards Project (BISSP) is developing national, voluntary skill standards for technical jobs in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories in hospitals, universities, government, and independent settings. Research with employees and educators has pinpointed three issues underscoring the…

National Health Care Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Far West Lab. for Educational Research and Development, San Francisco, CA.

This booklet contains draft national health care skill standards that were proposed during the National Health Care Skill Standards Project on the basis of input from more than 1,000 representatives of key constituencies of the health care field. The project objectives and structure are summarized in the introduction. Part 1 examines the need for…

National Skill Standards for Advanced High Performance Manufacturing. Version 2.1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing, Washington, DC.

This document presents and discusses the national skill standards for advanced high-performance manufacturing that were developed during a project that was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education. The introduction explains the need for national skill standards. Discussed in the next three sections are the following: benefits of national…

34 CFR 106.43 - Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical education classes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 106.43 Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical... 34 Education 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical...

34 CFR 106.43 - Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical education classes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 106.43 Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical... 34 Education 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical...

34 CFR 106.43 - Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical education classes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 106.43 Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical... 34 Education 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Standards for measuring skill or progress in physical...

State Initiatives on Industry-Based Skill Standards and Credentials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganzglass, Evelyn; Simon, Martin

A study examined state initiatives for industry-based skill standards and credentials. Officials in 19 states were interviewed, case studies of programs in 3 states (Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas) were conducted, and focus group discussions were held with 25 individuals. State skill standards were generally found to be tied to broader efforts…

Construction Cluster Volume I [Wood Structural Framing].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Justice, Harrisburg. Bureau of Correction.

The document is the first of a series, to be integrated with a G.E.D. program, containing instructional materials at the basic skills level for the construction cluster. It focuses on wood structural framing and contains 20 units: (1) occupational information; (2) blueprint reading; (3) using leveling instruments and laying out building lines; (4)…

Construction Cluster Volume II [Masonry Work].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Justice, Harrisburg. Bureau of Correction.

The document is the second of a series, to be integrated with a G.E.D. program, containing instructional materials at the basic skills level for the construction cluster. The volume focuses on masonry and consists of 20 instructional units which require a month of study. The units include: (1) historical aspects of masonry work and occupational…

Construction Cluster Volume III [Plumbing].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Justice, Harrisburg. Bureau of Correction.

The document is the third of a series, to be integrated with a G.E.D. program, containing instructional materials at the basic skills level for the construction cluster. The volume focuses on plumbing and consists of 20 instructional units which require a month of study. The units include: (1) importance of plumbing; (2) pipe and tubing…

Communication via Chalkboard and on Paper. TLA-100.00 (F.U.F.).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardison, Margaret J.

The purpose of this cluster of learning modules is to increase the teacher intern's understanding and skills with regard to his role as a communicator. The cluster contains three modules: (a) objectives for teaching handwriting, (b) methodology of manuscript writing, and (c) practice teaching of manuscript handwriting. Each module contains a…

Maritime Continent seasonal climate biases in AMIP experiments of the CMIP5 multimodel ensemble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toh, Ying Ying; Turner, Andrew G.; Johnson, Stephanie J.; Holloway, Christopher E.

2018-02-01

The fidelity of 28 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) models in simulating mean climate over the Maritime Continent in the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) experiment is evaluated in this study. The performance of AMIP models varies greatly in reproducing seasonal mean climate and the seasonal cycle. The multi-model mean has better skill at reproducing the observed mean climate than the individual models. The spatial pattern of 850 hPa wind is better simulated than the precipitation in all four seasons. We found that model horizontal resolution is not a good indicator of model performance. Instead, a model's local Maritime Continent biases are somewhat related to its biases in the local Hadley circulation and global monsoon. The comparison with coupled models in CMIP5 shows that AMIP models generally performed better than coupled models in the simulation of the global monsoon and local Hadley circulation but less well at simulating the Maritime Continent annual cycle of precipitation. To characterize model systematic biases in the AMIP runs, we performed cluster analysis on Maritime Continent annual cycle precipitation. Our analysis resulted in two distinct clusters. Cluster I models are able to capture both the winter monsoon and summer monsoon shift, but they overestimate the precipitation; especially during the JJA and SON seasons. Cluster II models simulate weaker seasonal migration than observed, and the maximum rainfall position stays closer to the equator throughout the year. The tropics-wide properties of these clusters suggest a connection between the skill of simulating global properties of the monsoon circulation and the skill of simulating the regional scale of Maritime Continent precipitation.

Photometry of Standard Stars and Open Star Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jefferies, Amanda; Frinchaboy, Peter

2010-10-01

Photometric CCD observations of open star clusters and standard stars were carried out at the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas. This data was analyzed using aperture photometry algorithms (DAOPHOT II and ALLSTAR) and the IRAF software package. Color-magnitude diagrams of these clusters were produced, showing the evolution of each cluster along the main sequence.

Awareness, Use, and Perceived Impact of Selected Stakeholders toward the Implementation of Skills Standards in the State of Illinois

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bragg, Debra D.; Marvel, Matthew R.

2008-01-01

This study examined differences in the awareness, use, and perceived impact of educators, employers, and workforce training providers toward skills standards implementation in the State of Illinois. Group differences were revealed on the use of skills standards, with educators displaying significantly higher levels of use than employers or…

Summative and Formative Evaluations, National Skill Standards Project. Prepared for the National Grocers Association.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamm, Michael S.

In 1993-1996, the Grocers Research and Educational Foundation of the National Grocers Association developed entry-level skill standards for the food marketing industry. A coalition formed early in the project directed the skill standard development process and solicited input from major organizations involved in the industry. The validity of the…

Reading skill-fractional anisotropy relationships in visuospatial tracts diverge depending on socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Gullick, Margaret M; Demir-Lira, Özlem Ece; Booth, James R

2016-07-01

Low socioeconomic status (SES) has been repeatedly linked with decreased academic achievement, including lower reading outcomes. Some lower SES children do show skills and scores commensurate with those of their higher SES peers, but whether their abilities stem from the same systems as high SES children or are based on divergent strategies is unknown. We here investigated a potential interactive relationship between SES and real-word reading skill in the white matter in 42 typically developing children. SES was determined based on parental education; reading skill and age were not significantly related to SES. There was a significant neural interaction: Clusters in the bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), left superior longitudinal fasciculus, and left corticospinal tract demonstrated interactive skill-SES relationships in fractional anisotropy. Follow-up analyses demonstrated that higher SES children showed a positive relationship between fractional anisotropy, reflecting tract coherence, and reading skill in left hemisphere tract clusters, whereas lower SES children showed a positive relationship in the right hemisphere homologues. Broadly, the ILF has been demonstrated to support orthographic skill on the left and more general visuospatial processing on the right, so high reading achievement in lower SES children may rely on supplementary visuospatial processing more than for higher SES readers. This pattern is consistent with previous work reporting low SES children's environments to include less rich verbal experience, which may lead them to disproportionately draw on visuospatial skills for success. Further, these results indicate that group SES differences may be best described by an adaptive, not a deficit, model. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characteristics of Competency. Measurement Criteria for Entry-Level Electronics Technician Skills..

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Electronic Industries Foundation, Washington, DC.

This supplement to "Raising the Standard" details the knowledge and skills required to successfully achieve competence in each of the tasks identified in the standards manual. It is divided into five sections that correspond to the five skill categories for entry-level electronics technician: additional skills, desirable behavior and work habits,…

Algorithms of maximum likelihood data clustering with applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giada, Lorenzo; Marsili, Matteo

2002-12-01

We address the problem of data clustering by introducing an unsupervised, parameter-free approach based on maximum likelihood principle. Starting from the observation that data sets belonging to the same cluster share a common information, we construct an expression for the likelihood of any possible cluster structure. The likelihood in turn depends only on the Pearson's coefficient of the data. We discuss clustering algorithms that provide a fast and reliable approximation to maximum likelihood configurations. Compared to standard clustering methods, our approach has the advantages that (i) it is parameter free, (ii) the number of clusters need not be fixed in advance and (iii) the interpretation of the results is transparent. In order to test our approach and compare it with standard clustering algorithms, we analyze two very different data sets: time series of financial market returns and gene expression data. We find that different maximization algorithms produce similar cluster structures whereas the outcome of standard algorithms has a much wider variability.

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 13: Laser Machining, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 6: Welding, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 12: Instrumentation, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 5: Mold Making, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational speciality areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 3: Machining, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Bootstrap-based methods for estimating standard errors in Cox's regression analyses of clustered event times.

PubMed

Xiao, Yongling; Abrahamowicz, Michal

2010-03-30

We propose two bootstrap-based methods to correct the standard errors (SEs) from Cox's model for within-cluster correlation of right-censored event times. The cluster-bootstrap method resamples, with replacement, only the clusters, whereas the two-step bootstrap method resamples (i) the clusters, and (ii) individuals within each selected cluster, with replacement. In simulations, we evaluate both methods and compare them with the existing robust variance estimator and the shared gamma frailty model, which are available in statistical software packages. We simulate clustered event time data, with latent cluster-level random effects, which are ignored in the conventional Cox's model. For cluster-level covariates, both proposed bootstrap methods yield accurate SEs, and type I error rates, and acceptable coverage rates, regardless of the true random effects distribution, and avoid serious variance under-estimation by conventional Cox-based standard errors. However, the two-step bootstrap method over-estimates the variance for individual-level covariates. We also apply the proposed bootstrap methods to obtain confidence bands around flexible estimates of time-dependent effects in a real-life analysis of cluster event times.

Factors affecting utilization of skilled maternal care in Northwest Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The evaluation of all potential sources of low skilled maternal care utilization is crucial for Ethiopia. Previous studies have largely disregarded the contribution of different levels. This study was planned to assess the effect of individual, communal, and health facility characteristics in the utilization of antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care by a skilled provider. Methods A linked facility and population-based survey was conducted over three months (January - March 2012) in twelve “kebeles” of North Gondar Zone, Amhara Region. A total of 1668 women who had births in the year preceding the survey were selected for analysis. Using a multilevel modelling, we examined the effect of cluster variation and a number of individual, communal (kebele), and facility-related variables for skilled maternal care utilization. Result About 32.3%, 13.8% and 6.3% of the women had the chance to get skilled providers for their antenatal, delivery and postnatal care, respectively. A significant heterogeneity was observed among clusters for each indicator of skilled maternal care utilization. At the individual level, variables related to awareness and perceptions were found to be much more relevant for skilled maternal service utilization. Preference for skilled providers and previous experience of antenatal care were consistently strong predictors of all indicators of skilled maternal health care utilizations. Birth order, maternal education, and awareness about health facilities to get skilled professionals were consistently strong predictors of skilled antenatal and delivery care use. Communal factors were relevant for both delivery and postnatal care, whereas the characteristics of a health facility were more relevant for use of skilled delivery care than other maternity services. Conclusion Factors operating at individual and “kebele” levels play a significant role in determining utilization of skilled maternal health services. Interventions to create better community awareness and perception about skilled providers and their care, and ensuring the seamless performance of health care facilities have been considered crucial to improve skilled maternal services in the study area. Such interventions should target underprivileged women. PMID:23587369

Building a World-Class Front-Line Workforce: The Need for Occupational Skill Standards in State Workforce Preparation Programs. EQW Working Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheets, Robert G.

Establishment of a national-state system of world-class occupational skill standards is a first step in restructuring adult vocational-technical education and job training programs. Occupational skills standards provide the necessary foundation for addressing three major state policy issues: the state's proper role in private work-based training,…

Getting Started on Assessment: Developing a Voluntary System of Assessment and Certification Based on Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Skill Standards Board (DOL/ETA), Washington, DC.

This manual provides practical advice for voluntary partnerships that, since 1994, are part of the effort to build a voluntary national system of skill standards, assessment, and certification. Intended to be used with guidance from the National Skill Standards Board, it is designed for the voluntary partnerships that have completed the standards…

Assessing BSW Student Direct Practice Skill Using Standardized Clients and Self-Efficacy Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawlings, Mary A.

2012-01-01

Entering and exiting BSW students were compared on self-efficacy and on direct practice skill performance with a standardized client. Self-efficacy was tested as a predictor and as a mediator of skill performance. Ordinary least squares hierarchical regression found BSW education to be predictive of higher skill and higher self-efficacy. After…

Exploratory subsetting of autism families based on savant skills improves evidence of genetic linkage to 15q11-q13.

PubMed

Nurmi, Erika L; Dowd, Michael; Tadevosyan-Leyfer, Ovsanna; Haines, Jonathan L; Folstein, Susan E; Sutcliffe, James S

2003-07-01

Autism displays a remarkably high heritability but a complex genetic etiology. One approach to identifying susceptibility loci under these conditions is to define more homogeneous subsets of families on the basis of genetically relevant phenotypic or biological characteristics that vary from case to case. The authors performed a principal components analysis, using items from the Autism Diagnostic Interview, which resulted in six clusters of variables, five of which showed significant sib-sib correlation. The utility of these phenotypic subsets was tested in an exploratory genetic analysis of the autism candidate region on chromosome 15q11-q13. When the Collaborative Linkage Study of Autism sample was divided, on the basis of mean proband score for the "savant skills" cluster, the heterogeneity logarithm of the odds under a recessive model at D15S511, within the GABRB3 gene, increased from 0.6 to 2.6 in the subset of families in which probands had greater savant skills. These data are consistent with the genetic contribution of a 15q locus to autism susceptibility in a subset of affected individuals exhibiting savant skills. Similar types of skills have been noted in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, which results from deletions of this chromosomal region.

Criterion Referenced Inventory. Grade 7 Skill Clusters, Objectives, and Illustrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD.

Part of a series of competency-based test materials for grades six through ten, this test booklet for seventh graders contains multiple-choice questions designed to aid in the evaluation of the pupils' library skills. Accompanied by a separate booklet of illustrations which are to be used in conjunction with the questions, the test covers the…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 9: Tool and Die, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 8: Sheet Metal & Composites, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 4: Manufacturing Engineering Technology, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 14: Automated Equipment Technician (CIM), of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 10: Computer-Aided Drafting & Design, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 11: Computer-Aided Manufacturing & Advanced CNC, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 2: Career Development, General Education and Remediation, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 7: Industrial Maintenance Technology, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

An Overview of Skill Standards Systems in Education & Industry. Systems in the U.S. and Abroad. Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Institute for Educational Leadership, Washington, DC.

This first volume in a four-volume study of industry- and education-driven skill standards in the United States and other countries describes current practice. Chapter I is the executive summary. Chapter II is an overview of historical and current issues that will affect a voluntary network of industry-based skill standards, competencies, and…

Utilization of standardized patients to evaluate clinical and interpersonal skills of surgical residents.

PubMed

Hassett, James M; Zinnerstrom, Karen; Nawotniak, Ruth H; Schimpfhauser, Frank; Dayton, Merril T

2006-10-01

This project was designed to determine the growth of interpersonal skills during the first year of a surgical residency. All categorical surgical residents were given a clinical skills examination of abdominal pain using standardized patients during their orientation (T1). The categorical residents were retested after 11 months (T2). The assessment tool was based on a 12-item modified version of the 5-point Likert Interpersonal Scale (IP) used on the National Board of Medical Examiners prototype Clinical Skills Examination and a 24-item, done-or-not-done, history-taking checklist. Residents' self-evaluation scores were compared to standardized patients' assessment scores. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Student t test, and Cronbach alpha. Thirty-eight categorical residents were evaluated at T1 and T2. At T1, in the history-taking exercise, the scores of the standardized patients and residents correlated (Pearson = .541, P = .000). In the interpersonal skills exercise, the scores of the standardized patients and residents did not correlate (Pearson = -0.238, P = .150). At T2, there was a significant improvement in the residents' self-evaluation scores in both the history-taking exercise (t = -3.280, P = .002) and the interpersonal skills exercise (t = 2.506, P = 0.017). In the history-taking exercise, the standardized patients' assessment scores correlated with the residents' self-evaluation scores (Pearson = 0.561, P = .000). In the interpersonal skills exercise, the standardized patients' assessment scores did not correlate with the residents' self-evaluation scores (Pearson = 0.078, P = .646). Surgical residents demonstrate a consistently low level of self-awareness regarding their interpersonal skills. Observed improvement in resident self-evaluation may be a function of growth in self-confidence.

Southern Clusters for Standardizing CCD Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, T. T.

2017-06-01

Standardizing photometric measurements typically involves undertaking all-sky photometry. This can be laborious and time-consuming and, for CCD photometry, particularly challenging. Transforming photometry to a standard system is, however, a crucial step when routinely measuring variable stars, as it allows photoelectric measurements from different observers to be combined. For observers in the northern hemisphere, standardized UBVRI values of stars in open clusters such as M67 and NGC 7790 have been established, greatly facilitating quick and accurate transformation of CCD measurements. Recently the AAVSO added the cluster NGC 3532 for southern hemisphere observers to similarly standardize their photometry. The availability of NGC 3532 standards was announced on the AAVSO Variable Star Observing, Photometry forum on 27 October 2016. Published photometry, along with some new measurements by the author, provide a means of checking these NGC 3532 standards which were determined through the AAVSO's Bright Star Monitor (BSM) program (see: https://www.aavso.org/aavsonet-epoch-photometry-database). New measurements of selected stars in the open clusters M25 and NGC 6067 are also included.

The effect of peer-group size on the delivery of feedback in basic life support refresher training: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Cho, Youngsuk; Je, Sangmo; Yoon, Yoo Sang; Roh, Hye Rin; Chang, Chulho; Kang, Hyunggoo; Lim, Taeho

2016-07-04

Students are largely providing feedback to one another when instructor facilitates peer feedback rather than teaching in group training. The number of students in a group affect the learning of students in the group training. We aimed to investigate whether a larger group size increases students' test scores on a post-training test with peer feedback facilitated by instructor after video-guided basic life support (BLS) refresher training. Students' one-rescuer adult BLS skills were assessed by a 2-min checklist-based test 1 year after the initial training. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of student number in a group on BLS refresher training. Participants included 115 final-year medical students undergoing their emergency medicine clerkship. The median number of students was 8 in the large groups and 4 in the standard group. The primary outcome was to examine group differences in post-training test scores after video-guided BLS training. Secondary outcomes included the feedback time, number of feedback topics, and results of end-of-training evaluation questionnaires. Scores on the post-training test increased over three consecutive tests with instructor-led peer feedback, but not differ between large and standard groups. The feedback time was longer and number of feedback topics generated by students were higher in standard groups compared to large groups on the first and second tests. The end-of-training questionnaire revealed that the students in large groups preferred the smaller group size compared to their actual group size. In this BLS refresher training, the instructor-led group feedback increased the test score after tutorial video-guided BLS learning, irrespective of the group size. A smaller group size allowed more participations in peer feedback.

Agricultural Biotechnology Technician. National Voluntary Occupational Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Future Farmers of America Foundation, Madison, WI.

The skill standards in this document were developed as a result of meetings between representatives of the agricultural industry and educational institutions to determine the skills and educational preparation required of an agricultural biotechnology technician, verified by technicians working in laboratories, greenhouses, animal facilities, and…

Effect of a 6-Week Active Play Intervention on Fundamental Movement Skill Competence of Preschool Children.

PubMed

Foulkes, J D; Knowles, Z; Fairclough, S J; Stratton, G; O'Dwyer, M; Ridgers, N D; Foweather, L

2017-04-01

This study examined the effectiveness of an active play intervention on fundamental movement skills of 3- to 5-year-old children from deprived communities. In a cluster randomized controlled trial design, six preschools received a resource pack and a 6-week local authority program involving staff training with help implementing 60-minute weekly sessions and postprogram support. Six comparison preschools received a resource pack only. Twelve skills were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and at a 6-month follow-up using the Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol. One hundred and sixty-two children (Mean age = 4.64 ± 0.58 years; 53.1% boys) were included in the final analyses. There were no significant differences between groups for total fundamental movement skill, object-control skill or locomotor skill scores, indicating a need for program modification to facilitate greater skill improvements.

Mathematics Skill of Fifteen Years Old Students in Yogyakarta in Solving Problems Like PISA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wulandari, Nidya Ferry; Jailani

2018-01-01

The aims of this research were to describe mathematics skill of 8th fifteen-year old students in Yogyakarta in solving problem of PISA. The sampling was combination of stratified and cluster random sampling. The sample consisting of 400 students was selected from fifteen schools. The data collection was by tests. The research finding revealed that…

The Kuder Skills Assessment-College and Adult Version: Development and Initial Validation in a College Business Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rottinghaus, Patrick J.

2009-01-01

This article introduces the Kuder Skills Assessment-College and Adult version (KSA-CA; Rottinghaus, 2006), a new measure incorporating advances in the measurement of self-efficacy across 16 basic occupational domains (e.g., finance, information technology) and the six Kuder Clusters. Similar to the original development sample, all scales of the…

Criterion Referenced Assessment Bank. Grade 6 Skill Clusters, Objectives, and Illustrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD.

Part of a series of competency-based test materials for grades six through ten, this set of nine test booklets for sixth graders contains multiple-choice questions designed to aid in the evaluation of the pupils' library skills. Accompanied by a separate, tenth booklet of illustrations which are to be used in conjunction with the questions, the…

Enhancing the early home learning environment through a brief group parenting intervention: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Nicholson, Jan M; Cann, Warren; Matthews, Jan; Berthelsen, Donna; Ukoumunne, Obioha C; Trajanovska, Misel; Bennetts, Shannon K; Hillgrove, Tessa; Hamilton, Victoria; Westrupp, Elizabeth; Hackworth, Naomi J

2016-06-02

The quality of the home learning environment has a significant influence on children's language and communication skills during the early years with children from disadvantaged families disproportionately affected. This paper describes the protocol and participant baseline characteristics of a community-based effectiveness study. It evaluates the effects of 'smalltalk', a brief group parenting intervention (with or without home coaching) on the quality of the early childhood home learning environment. The study comprises two cluster randomised controlled superiority trials (one for infants and one for toddlers) designed and conducted in parallel. In 20 local government areas (LGAs) in Victoria, Australia, six locations (clusters) were randomised to one of three conditions: standard care (control); smalltalk group-only program; or smalltalk plus (group program plus home coaching). Programs were delivered to parents experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage through two existing age-based services, the maternal and child health service (infant program, ages 6-12 months), and facilitated playgroups (toddler program, ages 12-36 months). Outcomes were assessed by parent report and direct observation at baseline (0 weeks), post-intervention (12 weeks) and follow-up (32 weeks). Primary outcomes were parent verbal responsivity and home activities with child at 32 weeks. Secondary outcomes included parenting confidence, parent wellbeing and children's communication, socio-emotional and general development skills. Analyses will use intention-to-treat random effects ("multilevel") models to account for clustering. Across the 20 LGAs, 986 parents of infants and 1200 parents of toddlers enrolled and completed baseline measures. Eighty four percent of families demonstrated one or more of the targeted risk factors for poor child development (low income; receives government benefits; single, socially isolated or young parent; culturally or linguistically diverse background). This study will provide unique data on the effectiveness of a brief group parenting intervention for enhancing the early home learning environment of young children from disadvantaged families. It will also provide evidence of the extent to which additional one-on-one support is required to achieve change and whether there are greater benefits when delivered in the 1st year of life or later. The program has been designed for scale-up across existing early childhood services if proven effective. 8 September 2011; ACTRN12611000965909 .

Are employment-interview skills a correlate of subtypes of schizophrenia?

PubMed

Charisiou, J; Jackson, H J; Boyle, G J; Burgess, P; Minas, I H; Joshua, S D

1989-12-01

46 inpatients with a DSM-III diagnosis of schizophrenia were assessed in the week prior to discharge from hospital on measures of positive and negative symptoms and on 12 measures of employment interview skills (i.e., eye contact, facial gestures, body posture, verbal content, voice volume, length of speech, motivation, self-confidence, ability to communicate, manifest adjustment, manifest intelligence, over-all interview skill), and a global measure of employability. A cluster analysis based on the total positive and negative symptom scores produced two groups. The group with the lower mean negative symptom score exhibited better employment-interview skills and higher ratings on employability.

Achieving involvement: process outcomes from a cluster randomized trial of shared decision making skill development and use of risk communication aids in general practice.

PubMed

Elwyn, G; Edwards, A; Hood, K; Robling, M; Atwell, C; Russell, I; Wensing, M; Grol, R

2004-08-01

A consulting method known as 'shared decision making' (SDM) has been described and operationalized in terms of several 'competences'. One of these competences concerns the discussion of the risks and benefits of treatment or care options-'risk communication'. Few data exist on clinicians' ability to acquire skills and implement the competences of SDM or risk communication in consultations with patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of skill development workshops for SDM and the use of risk communication aids on the process of consultations. A cluster randomized trial with crossover was carried out with the participation of 20 recently qualified GPs in urban and rural general practices in Gwent, South Wales. A total of 747 patients with known atrial fibrillation, prostatism, menorrhagia or menopausal symptoms were invited to a consultation to review their condition or treatments. Half the consultations were randomly selected for audio-taping, of which 352 patients attended and were audio-taped successfully. After baseline, participating doctors were randomized to receive training in (i) SDM skills or (ii) the use of simple risk communication aids, using simulated patients. The alternative training was then provided for the final study phase. Patients were allocated randomly to a consultation during baseline or intervention 1 (SDM or risk communication aids) or intervention 2 phases. A randomly selected half of the consultations were audio-taped from each phase. Raters (independent, trained and blinded to study phase) assessed the audio-tapes using a validated scale to assess levels of patient involvement (OPTION: observing patient involvement), and to analyse the nature of risk information discussed. Clinicians completed questionnaires after each consultation, assessing perceived clinician-patient agreement and level of patient involvement in decisions. Multilevel modelling was carried out with the OPTION score as the dependent variable, and rater, consultation and clinician levels of data, standardized by rater within clinician. Following each of the interventions, the clinicians significantly increased their involvement of patients in decision making (OPTION score increased by 10.6 following risk communication training [95% confidence interval (CI) 7.9 -13.3; P < 0.001] and by 12.9 after SDM skill development (95% CI 10 -15.8, P < 0.001), a moderate effect size. The level of involvement achieved by the risk communication aids was significantly increased by the subsequent introduction of the skill development workshops (7.7 increase in OPTION score, 95% CI 3.4-12; P < 0.001). The alternative sequence (skills followed by risk communication aids) did not achieve this effect. The use of most risk information formats increased after the provision of specific risk communication aids (P < 0.001). Clinicians using the risk communication tools perceived significantly higher patient and clinician agreement on treatment (P < 0.001), patient satisfaction with information (P < 0.01), clinician satisfaction with decision (P < 0.01) and general overall satisfaction with the consultation (P < 0.001) than those who were exposed to SDM skill development workshops. These clinicians were able to acquire the skills to implement SDM competences and to use risk communication aids. Each intervention provided independent effects. Further progress towards greater patient involvement in health care decision making is possible, and skill development in this area should be incorporated into postgraduate professional development programmes.

Feasibility and effect of life skills building education and multiple micronutrient supplements versus the standard of care on anemia among non-pregnant adolescent and young Pakistani women (15-24 years): a prospective, population-based cluster-randomized trial.

PubMed

Baxter, Jo-Anna B; Wasan, Yaqub; Soofi, Sajid B; Suhag, Zamir; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2018-05-30

Adolescence is a critical period for physical and psychological growth and development, and vitamin and mineral requirements are correspondingly increased. Health and health behaviours correspond strongly from adolescence to adulthood. Developing a preconception care package for adolescent and young women in resource-limited settings could serve to empower them to make informed decisions about their nutrition, health, and well-being, as well as function as a platform for the delivery of basic nutrition-related interventions to address undernutrition. In this population-based two-arm, cluster-randomized, controlled trial of life skills building education (provided bi-monthly) and multiple micronutrient supplementation (provided twice-weekly; UNIMMAP composition), we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on the prevention of anemia (hemoglobin concentration < 12 g/dL) among adolescent and young women (15-24 years) in Matiari district, Pakistan compared to the standard of care. Several secondary objectives related to nutrition (anthropometry [height, weight, middle upper arm circumference (MUAC)], nutritional status [iron, vitamin A, vitamin D]); general health (morbidity, mortality); and empowerment (age at marriage, completion of the 10th grade, use of personal hygienic materials during menstruation) will also be assessed. Participants will be enrolled in the study for a maximum of 2 years. Empowering adolescent and young women with the appropriate knowledge to make informed and healthy decisions will be key to sustained behavioural change throughout the life-course. Although multiple micronutrient deficiencies are known to exist among adolescent and young women in low-resource settings, recommendations on preconception multiple micronutrient supplementation do not exist at this time. This study is expected to offer insight into providing an intervention that includes both education and supplements to non-pregnant adolescent and young women for a prolonged duration of time within the existing public health programmatic context. This study is part of the Matiari emPowerment and Preconception Supplementation (MaPPS) Trial. The MaPPS Trial was registered retrospectively on clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03287882 ) on September 19, 2017.

Rethinking the mental health treatment skills of primary care staff: a framework for training and research.

PubMed

Brown, Jonathan D; Wissow, Lawrence S

2012-11-01

Health care reforms may offer several opportunities to build the mental health treatment capacity of primary care. Capitalizing on these opportunities requires identifying the types of clinical skills that the primary care team requires to deliver mental health care. This paper proposes a framework that describes mental health skills for primary care receptionists, medical assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians. These skills are organized on three levels: cross-cutting skills to build therapeutic alliance; broad-based, brief interventions for major clusters of mental health symptoms; and evidence-based interventions for diagnosis specific disorders. This framework is intended to help inform future mental health training in primary care and catalyze research that examines the impact of such training.

Reducing child conduct problems and promoting social skills in a middle-income country: cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Baker-Henningham, Helen; Scott, Stephen; Jones, Kelvyn; Walker, Susan

2012-08-01

There is an urgent need for effective, affordable interventions to prevent child mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries. To determine the effects of a universal pre-school-based intervention on child conduct problems and social skills at school and at home. In a cluster randomised design, 24 community pre-schools in inner-city areas of Kingston, Jamaica, were randomly assigned to receive the Incredible Years Teacher Training intervention (n = 12) or to a control group (n = 12). Three children from each class with the highest levels of teacher-reported conduct problems were selected for evaluation, giving 225 children aged 3-6 years. The primary outcome was observed child behaviour at school. Secondary outcomes were child behaviour by parent and teacher report, child attendance and parents' attitude to school. The study is registered as ISRCTN35476268. Children in intervention schools showed significantly reduced conduct problems (effect size (ES) = 0.42) and increased friendship skills (ES = 0.74) through observation, significant reductions to teacher-reported (ES = 0.47) and parent-reported (ES = 0.22) behaviour difficulties and increases in teacher-reported social skills (ES = 0.59) and child attendance (ES = 0.30). Benefits to parents' attitude to school were not significant. A low-cost, school-based intervention in a middle-income country substantially reduces child conduct problems and increases child social skills at home and at school.

Defining the biological bases of individual differences in musicality

PubMed Central

Gingras, Bruno; Honing, Henkjan; Peretz, Isabelle; Trainor, Laurel J.; Fisher, Simon E.

2015-01-01

Advances in molecular technologies make it possible to pinpoint genomic factors associated with complex human traits. For cognition and behaviour, identification of underlying genes provides new entry points for deciphering the key neurobiological pathways. In the past decade, the search for genetic correlates of musicality has gained traction. Reports have documented familial clustering for different extremes of ability, including amusia and absolute pitch (AP), with twin studies demonstrating high heritability for some music-related skills, such as pitch perception. Certain chromosomal regions have been linked to AP and musical aptitude, while individual candidate genes have been investigated in relation to aptitude and creativity. Most recently, researchers in this field started performing genome-wide association scans. Thus far, studies have been hampered by relatively small sample sizes and limitations in defining components of musicality, including an emphasis on skills that can only be assessed in trained musicians. With opportunities to administer standardized aptitude tests online, systematic large-scale assessment of musical abilities is now feasible, an important step towards high-powered genome-wide screens. Here, we offer a synthesis of existing literatures and outline concrete suggestions for the development of comprehensive operational tools for the analysis of musical phenotypes. PMID:25646515

Intensive Reading Remediation in Grade 2 or 3: Are There Effects a Decade Later?

PubMed Central

Blachman, Benita A.; Schatschneider, Christopher; Fletcher, Jack M.; Murray, Maria S.; Munger, Kristen A.; Vaughn, Michael G.

2014-01-01

Despite data supporting the benefits of early reading interventions, there has been little evaluation of the long-term educational impact of these interventions, with most follow-up studies lasting less than two years (Suggate, 2010). This study evaluated reading outcomes more than a decade after the completion of an 8-month reading intervention using a randomized design with second and third graders selected on the basis of poor word-level skills (Blachman et al., 2004). Fifty-eight (84%) of the original 69 participants took part in the study. The treatment group demonstrated a moderate to small effect size advantage on reading and spelling measures over the comparison group. There were statistically significant differences with moderate effect sizes between treatment and comparison groups on standardized measures of word recognition (i.e., Woodcock Basic Skills Cluster, d = 0.53; Woodcock Word Identification, d = 0.62), the primary, but not exclusive, focus of the intervention. Statistical tests on other reading and spelling measures did not reach thresholds for statistical significance. Patterns in the data related to other educational outcomes, such as high school completion, favored the treatment participants, although differences were not significant. PMID:24578581

Updated teaching techniques improve CPR performance measures: a cluster randomized, controlled trial.

PubMed

Ettl, Florian; Testori, Christoph; Weiser, Christoph; Fleischhackl, Sabine; Mayer-Stickler, Monika; Herkner, Harald; Schreiber, Wolfgang; Fleischhackl, Roman

2011-06-01

The first-aid training necessary for obtaining a drivers license in Austria has a regulated and predefined curriculum but has been targeted for the implementation of a new course structure with less theoretical input, repetitive training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and structured presentations using innovative media. The standard and a new course design were compared with a prospective, participant- and observer-blinded, cluster-randomized controlled study. Six months after the initial training, we evaluated the confidence of the 66 participants in their skills, CPR effectiveness parameters and correctness of their actions. The median self-confidence was significantly higher in the interventional group [IG, visual analogue scale (VAS:"0" not-confident at all,"100" highly confident):57] than in the control group (CG, VAS:41). The mean chest compression rate in the IG (98/min) was closer to the recommended 100 bpm than in the CG (110/min). The time to the first chest compression (IG:25s, CG:36s) and time to first defibrillator shock (IG:86s, CG:92s) were significantly shorter in the IG. Furthermore, the IG participants were safer in their handling of the defibrillator and started with countermeasures against developing shock more often. The management of an unconscious person and of heavy bleeding did not show a difference between the two groups even after shortening the lecture time. Motivation and self-confidence as well as skill retention after six months were shown to be dependent on the teaching methods and the time for practical training. Courses may be reorganized and content rescheduled, even within predefined curricula, to improve course outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tropical cyclone prediction skills - MJO and ENSO dependence in S2S data sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, C. Y.; Camargo, S.; Vitart, F.; Sobel, A. H.; Tippett, M.

2017-12-01

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) are two important climate controls on tropical cyclone (TC) activity. The seasonal prediction skill of dynamical models is determined in large part by their accurate representations of the ENSO-TC relationship. Regarding intraseasonal TC variability, observations suggest MJO to be the primary control. Given the ongoing effort to develop dynamical seasonal-to-subseasonal (S2S) TC predictions, it is important to examine whether the global models, running on S2S timescales, are able to reproduce these known ENSO-TC and MJO-TC relationships, and how this ability affects forecasting skill. Results from the S2S project (from F. Vitart) suggest that global models have skill in predicting MJO phase with up to two weeks of lead time (four weeks for ECMWF). Meanwhile, our results show that, qualitatively speaking, the MJO-TC relationship in storm genesis is reasonably captured, with some models (e.g., ECMWF, BoM, NCEP, MetFr) performing better than the others. However, we also find that model skill in predicting basin-wide genesis and accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) are mainly due to the models' ability to capture the climatological seasonality. Removing the seasonality significantly reduces the models' skill; even the best model (ECMWF) in the most reliable basin (western north Pacific and Atlantic) has very little skill (close to 0.1 in Brier skill score for genesis and close to 0 in rank probability skill score for ACE). This brings up the question: do any factors contribute to intraseasonal TC prediction skill other than seasonality? Is the low skill, after removing the seasonality, due to poor MJO and ENSO simulations, or to poor representation of other ENSO-TC or MJO-TC relationships, such as ENSO's impact on the storm tracks? We will quantitatively discuss the dependence of the TC prediction skill on ENSO and MJO, focusing on Western North Pacific and Atlantic, where we have sufficient sample sizes, and the S2S TC predictions are relatively more skillful. Various skill scores will be applied to genesis and ACE, with subsets of data binned based on ENSO and MJO status. We will also look at MJO and ENSO's impact on TC tracks through cluster analysis, and analyze model skill in each cluster.

Promoting the Development of Preschool Children's Emergent Literacy Skills: A Randomized Evaluation of a Literacy-Focused Curriculum and Two Professional Development Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lonigan, Christopher J.; Farver, JoAnn M.; Phillips, Beth M.; Clancy-Menchetti, Jeanine

2011-01-01

To date, there have been few causally interpretable evaluations of the impacts of preschool curricula on the skills of children at-risk for academic difficulties, and even fewer studies have demonstrated statistically significant or educationally meaningful effects. In this cluster-randomized study, we evaluated the impacts of a literacy-focused…

Impacts after One Year of "Healing Classroom" on Children's Reading and Math Skills in DRC: Results from a Cluster Randomized Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aber, J. Lawrence; Torrente, Catalina; Starkey, Leighann; Johnston, Brian; Seidman, Edward; Halpin, Peter; Shivshanker, Anjuli; Weisenhorn, Nina; Annan, Jeannie; Wolf, Sharon

2017-01-01

This article examines the effects of one year of exposure to "Learning to Read in a Healing Classroom" (LRHC) on the reading and math skills of second- to fourth-grade children in the low-income and conflict-affected Democratic Republic of the Congo. LRHC consists of two primary components: teacher resource materials that infuse…

Tech Prep Information Technology Skill Standards-Based Curriculum. Building a Foundation for Tomorrow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellevue Community Coll., WA. Northeast Tech Prep Consortium.

This guidebook provides the elements of curriculum that will help educators prepare students for careers in the field of information technology (IT). The introduction addresses national context, skill standards development, and educational response to the skills gap. The high school core IT curriculum is then presented, including: (1) project…

The Promotion of Critical Thinking Skills in School-Based Assessment (SBA)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamarulzaman, Wirawani; Kamarulzaman, Wirawahida

2016-01-01

The new curriculum introduced in the Malaysian primary students; the Primary School Standard Curriculum (Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah-KSSR) together with the school-based assessment (SBA) is a step taken by the Malaysian government to encourage thinking skills to students, specifically critical thinking skills. The study explores teachers'…

The Standardized Letter of Recommendation: Implications for Selection. Research Report. ETS RR-07-38

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ou Lydia; Minsky, Jennifer; Ling, Guangming; Kyllonen, Patrick

2007-01-01

In an effort to standardize academic application procedures, the Standardized Letter of Recommendation (SLR) was developed to capture important cognitive and noncognitive qualities of graduate school candidates. The SLR consists of seven scales ("knowledge," "analytical skills," "communication skills,"…

How large are the consequences of covariate imbalance in cluster randomized trials: a simulation study with a continuous outcome and a binary covariate at the cluster level.

PubMed

Moerbeek, Mirjam; van Schie, Sander

2016-07-11

The number of clusters in a cluster randomized trial is often low. It is therefore likely random assignment of clusters to treatment conditions results in covariate imbalance. There are no studies that quantify the consequences of covariate imbalance in cluster randomized trials on parameter and standard error bias and on power to detect treatment effects. The consequences of covariance imbalance in unadjusted and adjusted linear mixed models are investigated by means of a simulation study. The factors in this study are the degree of imbalance, the covariate effect size, the cluster size and the intraclass correlation coefficient. The covariate is binary and measured at the cluster level; the outcome is continuous and measured at the individual level. The results show covariate imbalance results in negligible parameter bias and small standard error bias in adjusted linear mixed models. Ignoring the possibility of covariate imbalance while calculating the sample size at the cluster level may result in a loss in power of at most 25 % in the adjusted linear mixed model. The results are more severe for the unadjusted linear mixed model: parameter biases up to 100 % and standard error biases up to 200 % may be observed. Power levels based on the unadjusted linear mixed model are often too low. The consequences are most severe for large clusters and/or small intraclass correlation coefficients since then the required number of clusters to achieve a desired power level is smallest. The possibility of covariate imbalance should be taken into account while calculating the sample size of a cluster randomized trial. Otherwise more sophisticated methods to randomize clusters to treatments should be used, such as stratification or balance algorithms. All relevant covariates should be carefully identified, be actually measured and included in the statistical model to avoid severe levels of parameter and standard error bias and insufficient power levels.

Effective teaching of manual skills to physiotherapy students: a randomised clinical trial.

PubMed

Rossettini, Giacomo; Rondoni, Angie; Palese, Alvisa; Cecchetto, Simone; Vicentini, Marco; Bettale, Fernanda; Furri, Laura; Testa, Marco

2017-08-01

To date, despite the relevance of manual skills laboratories in physiotherapy education, evidence on the effectiveness of different teaching methods is limited. Peyton's four-step and the 'See one, do one' approaches were compared for their effectiveness in teaching manual skills. A cluster randomised controlled trial was performed among final-year, right-handed physiotherapy students, without prior experience in manual therapy or skills laboratories. The manual technique of C1-C2 passive right rotation was taught by different experienced physiotherapist using Peyton's four-step approach (intervention group) and the 'See one, do one' approach (control group). Participants, teachers and assessors were blinded to the aims of the study. Primary outcomes were quality of performance at the end of the skills laboratories, and after 1 week and 1 month. Secondary outcomes were time required to teach, time required to perform the procedure and student satisfaction. A total of 39 students were included in the study (21 in the intervention group and 18 in the control group). Their main characteristics were homogeneous at baseline. The intervention group showed better quality of performance in the short, medium and long terms (F 1,111  = 35.91, p < 0.001). Both groups demonstrated decreased quality of performance over time (F 2,111  = 12.91, p < 0.001). The intervention group reported significantly greater mean ± standard deviation satisfaction (4.31 ± 1.23) than the control group (4.03 ± 1.31) (p < 0.001). Although there was no significant difference between the two methods in the time required for teaching, the time required by the intervention group to perform the procedure was significantly lower immediately after the skills laboratories and over time (p < 0.001). Peyton's four-step approach is more effective than the 'See one, do one' approach in skills laboratories aimed at developing physiotherapy student competence in C1-C2 passive mobilisation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Prevention of fall-related injuries in 7-year-old to 12-year-old children: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Nauta, Joske; Knol, Dirk L; Adriaensens, Lize; Klein Wolt, Karin; van Mechelen, Willem; Verhagen, Evert A L M

2013-09-01

To counteract the recently observed increase in forearm fractures in children worldwide, an educational programme to improve fall skills was developed. In this 8-week programme children learned basic martial arts falling techniques in their physical education classes. In this study, the effectiveness of this educational programme to improve fall skills was evaluated. A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in 33 primary schools. The intervention group received the educational programme to improve falling skills during their physical education (PE) classes whereas the control group received their regular PE curriculum. At baseline (October 2009) and follow-up (May 2010), a questionnaire was completed by the children about their physical activity behaviours. Furthermore, fall-related injuries were registered continuously during an entire school-year. A total of 36 incident injuries was reported in the intervention group, equalling an injury incidence density (IID) of 0.14 fall-related injuries per 1000 h of physical activity (95% CI 0.09 to 0.18). In contrast, 96 injuries were reported by the control group corresponding to an IID of 0.26 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.32). However, because intracluster correlation was high (ICC=0.46), differences in injury incidence were not statistically significant. When activity level was taken into account, a trend was shown suggesting that the 'falling is a sport' programme was effective in decreasing falling-related injury risk, but only in the least active children. Although results did not reach significance because of strong clustering effects, a trend was found suggesting that a school-based educational programme to improve falling skills may be more beneficial for the prevention of falling-related injuries in children with low levels of habitual physical activity.

Life skills programmes for chronic mental illnesses

PubMed Central

Tungpunkom, Patraporn; Maayan, Nicola; Soares-Weiser, Karla

2014-01-01

Background Most people with schizophrenia have a cyclical pattern of illness characterised by remission and relapses. The illness can reduce the ability of self-care and functioning and can lead to the illness becoming disabling. Life skills programmes, emphasising the needs associated with independent functioning, are often a part of the rehabilitation process. These programmes have been developed to enhance independent living and quality of life for people with schizophrenia. Objectives To review the effects of life skills programmes compared with standard care or other comparable therapies for people with chronic mental health problems. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (June 2010). We supplemented this process with handsearching and scrutiny of references. We inspected references of all included studies for further trials. Selection criteria We included all relevant randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials for life skills programmes versus other comparable therapies or standard care involving people with serious mental illnesses. Data collection and analysis We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data we calculated relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis, based on a random-effects model. For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD), again based on a random-effects model. Main results We included seven randomised controlled trials with a total of 483 participants. These evaluated life skills programmes versus standard care, or support group. We found no significant difference in life skills performance between people given life skills training and standard care (1 RCT, n = 32, MD −1.10; 95% CI −7.82 to 5.62). Life skills training did not improve or worsen study retention (5 RCTs, n = 345, RR 1.16; 95% CI 0.40 to 3.36). We found no significant difference in PANSS positive, negative or total scores between life skills intervention and standard care. We found quality of life scores to be equivocal between participants given life skills training (1 RCT, n = 32, MD −0.02; 95% CI −0.07 to 0.03) and standard care. Life skills compared with support groups also did not reveal any significant differences in PANSS scores, quality of life, or social performance skills (1 RCT, n = 158, MD −0.90; 95% CI −3.39 to 1.59). Authors’ conclusions Currently there is no good evidence to suggest life skills programmes are effective for people with chronic mental illnesses. More robust data are needed from studies that are adequately powered to determine whether life skills training is beneficial for people with chronic mental health problems. PMID:22258941

Cognitive skills, student achievement tests, and schools.

PubMed

Finn, Amy S; Kraft, Matthew A; West, Martin R; Leonard, Julia A; Bish, Crystal E; Martin, Rebecca E; Sheridan, Margaret A; Gabrieli, Christopher F O; Gabrieli, John D E

2014-03-01

Cognitive skills predict academic performance, so schools that improve academic performance might also improve cognitive skills. To investigate the impact schools have on both academic performance and cognitive skills, we related standardized achievement-test scores to measures of cognitive skills in a large sample (N = 1,367) of eighth-grade students attending traditional, exam, and charter public schools. Test scores and gains in test scores over time correlated with measures of cognitive skills. Despite wide variation in test scores across schools, differences in cognitive skills across schools were negligible after we controlled for fourth-grade test scores. Random offers of enrollment to oversubscribed charter schools resulted in positive impacts of such school attendance on math achievement but had no impact on cognitive skills. These findings suggest that schools that improve standardized achievement-test scores do so primarily through channels other than improving cognitive skills.

Promoting Access to Common Core Mathematics for Students with Severe Disabilities through Mathematical Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spooner, Fred; Saunders, Alicia; Root, Jenny; Brosh, Chelsi

2017-01-01

There is a need to teach the pivotal skill of mathematical problem solving to students with severe disabilities, moving beyond basic skills like computation to higher level thinking skills. Problem solving is emphasized as a Standard for Mathematical Practice in the Common Core State Standards across grade levels. This article describes a…

The Effect of Cluster Sampling Design in Survey Research on the Standard Error Statistic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Lin; Fan, Xitao

Standard statistical methods are used to analyze data that is assumed to be collected using a simple random sampling scheme. These methods, however, tend to underestimate variance when the data is collected with a cluster design, which is often found in educational survey research. The purposes of this paper are to demonstrate how a cluster design…

The Effect of an Integrated Course Cluster Learning Community on the Oral and Written Communication Skills and Technical Content Knowledge of Upper-Level College of Agriculture Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Cynthia; Miller, Greg; Polito, Thomas A.; Gibson, Lance

2009-01-01

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine if upper-level college students who participated in AgPAQ, an integrated course cluster learning community, would demonstrate enhanced learning in the areas of oral communication, written communication, and agronomic/economic technical content knowledge. The population (N = 182)…

Articulation in schoolchildren and adults with neurofibromatosis type 1.

PubMed

Cosyns, Marjan; Mortier, Geert; Janssens, Sandra; Bogaert, Famke; D'Hondt, Stephanie; Van Borsel, John

2012-01-01

Several authors mentioned the occurrence of articulation problems in the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) population. However, few studies have undertaken a detailed analysis of the articulation skills of NF1 patients, especially in schoolchildren and adults. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine in depth the articulation skills of NF1 schoolchildren and adults, both phonetically and phonologically. Speech samples were collected from 43 Flemish NF1 patients (14 children and 29 adults), ranging in age between 7 and 53 years, using a standardized speech test in which all Flemish single speech sounds and most clusters occur in all their permissible syllable positions. Analyses concentrated on consonants only and included a phonetic inventory, a phonetic, and a phonological analysis. It was shown that phonetic inventories were incomplete in 16.28% (7/43) of participants, in which totally correct realizations of the sibilants /ʃ/ and/or /ʒ/ were missing. Phonetic analysis revealed that distortions were the predominant phonetic error type. Sigmatismus stridens, multiple ad- or interdentality, and, in children, rhotacismus non vibrans were frequently observed. From a phonological perspective, the most common error types were substitution and syllable structure errors. Particularly, devoicing, cluster simplification, and, in children, deletion of the final consonant of words were perceived. Further, it was demonstrated that significantly more men than women presented with an incomplete phonetic inventory, and that girls tended to display more articulation errors than boys. Additionally, children exhibited significantly more articulation errors than adults, suggesting that although the articulation skills of NF1 patients evolve positively with age, articulation problems do not resolve completely from childhood to adulthood. As such, the articulation errors made by NF1 adults may be regarded as residual articulation disorders. It can be concluded that the speech of NF1 patients is characterized by mild articulation disorders at an age where this is no longer expected. Readers will be able to describe neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and explain the articulation errors displayed by schoolchildren and adults with this genetic syndrome. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Raising the Standard. Electronics Technician Skills for Today and Tomorrow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Electronic Industries Foundation, Washington, DC.

This manual identifies the standard skills required of a work-ready, entry-level electronics technician. It provides a valuable resource for these groups: students considering careers as electronics technicians; for counselors, educators, and administrators; and for employers. An introduction discusses use of the standards and includes two lists…

State Skill Standards: Metalworking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pointer, Mike; Naylor, Randy; Warden, John; Senek, Gene; Shirley, Charles; Lefcourt, Lew; Munson, Justin; Johnson, Art

2005-01-01

The Department of Education has undertaken an ambitious effort to develop statewide occupational skill standards. The standards in this document are for metalworking programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high-school program. The writing team determined that any…

State Skill Standards: Welding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pointer, Mike; Naylor, Randy; Warden, John; Senek, Gene; Shirley, Charles; Lefcourt, Lew; Munson, Justin; Johnson, Art

2005-01-01

The Department of Education has undertaken an ambitious effort to develop statewide occupational skill standards. The standards in this document are for welding programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high-school program. The writing team determined that any statewide…

Lead Abatement Worker Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund, Pomfret Center, CT.

This document identifies skill standards for lead abatement in a manner that is easy to understand, useful, and meaningful to workers, educators, trainers, labor leaders, contractors, and project owners. To meet the needs of the various users of this document who will have a different application of the standards and seek different information,…

Efficacy of the Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP) primary version.

PubMed

DiPerna, James Clyde; Lei, Puiwa; Bellinger, Jillian; Cheng, Weiyi

2015-03-01

A multisite cluster randomized trial was conducted to examine the effects of the Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP; Elliott & Gresham, 2007) on students' classroom social behavior. The final sample included 432 students across 38 second grade classrooms. Social skills and problem behaviors were measured via the SSIS rating scale for all participants, and direct observations were completed for a subsample of participants within each classroom. Results indicated that the SSIS-CIP demonstrated positive effects on teacher ratings of participants' social skills and internalizing behaviors, with the greatest changes occurring in classrooms with students who exhibited lower skill proficiency prior to implementation. Statistically significant differences were not observed between treatment and control participants on teacher ratings of externalizing problem behaviors or direct observation.

Skill Assessment for Coupled Biological/Physical Models of Marine Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

cluster analysis e.g., Clark and Corley, 2006) and shown that the dimensions of the problem can be reduced and multivariate and univariate goodness...information; a follow-up analysis (Arhonditsis et al., 2006) reported no relationship between the level of skill assessment presented or the accuracy of the...uncertainty analysis (Beck, 1987), model selection (Kass and Raftery, 1995), model averaging (Hoeting et al., 1999), and scores for probabilistic

Improving Congolese Children's Early Math and Reading Ability: Preliminary Results from a Cluster Randomized Trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkey, Leighann; Aber, J. Lawrence; Johnston, Brian M.

2014-01-01

Mastering basic numeracy and literacy skills is one of the most fundamental goals of education. However, it is estimated that 250 million primary-school-age children lack basic reading, writing and math skills (UN, 2013). Children living in war and poverty stricken countries are among the least likely to attain those basic goals. The United States…

An Empirical Comparison of Variable Standardization Methods in Cluster Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffer, Catherine M.; Green, Paul E.

1996-01-01

The common marketing research practice of standardizing the columns of a persons-by-variables data matrix prior to clustering the entities corresponding to the rows was evaluated with 10 large-scale data sets. Results indicate that the column standardization practice may be problematic for some kinds of data that marketing researchers used for…

Subitizing and Early Mathematics Standards: A Winning Combination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conderman, Greg; Jung, Myoungwhon; Hartman, Paula

2014-01-01

In early childhood and primary (PreK-2) grades, subitizing is a critical skill that helps children meet early mathematics standards. Discover ways teachers can infuse this critical skill into their math curriculum.

Study on force mechanism for therapeutic effect of pushing manipulation with one-finger meditation base on similarity analysis of force and waveform.

PubMed

Fang, Lei; Fang, Min; Guo, Min-Min

2016-12-27

To reveal the force mechanism for therapeutic effect of pushing manipulation with one-finger meditation. A total of 15 participants were recruited in this study and assigned to an expert group, a skilled group and a novice group, with 5 participants in each group. Mechanical signals were collected from a biomechanical testing platform, and these data were further observed via similarity analysis and cluster analysis. Comparing the force waveforms of manipulation revealed that the manipulation forces were similar between the expert group and the skilled group (P>0.05). The mean value of vertical force was 9.8 N, and 95% CI rang from 6.37 to 14.70 N, but there were significant differences compared with the novice group (P<0.05). The result of overall similarity coefficient cluster analysis showed that two kinds of manipulation forces curves were existed between the expert group and the skilled group. Pushing manipulation with one-finger meditation is a kind of light stimulation manipulation on the acupoint, and force characteristics of double waveforms continuously alternated during manual operation.

Cognitive Skills, Student Achievement Tests, and Schools

PubMed Central

Finn, Amy S.; Kraft, Matthew A.; West, Martin R.; Leonard, Julia A.; Bish, Crystal E.; Martin, Rebecca E.; Sheridan, Margaret A.; Gabrieli, Christopher F. O.; Gabrieli, John D. E.

2014-01-01

Cognitive skills predict academic performance, so schools that improve academic performance might also improve cognitive skills. To investigate the impact schools have on both academic performance and cognitive skills, we related standardized achievement test scores to measures of cognitive skills in a large sample (N=1,367) of 8th-grade students attending traditional, exam, and charter public schools. Test scores and gains in test scores over time correlated with measures of cognitive skills. Despite wide variation in test scores across schools, differences in cognitive skills across schools were negligible after controlling for 4th-grade test scores. Random offers of enrollment to over-subscribed charter schools resulted in positive impacts of such school attendance on math achievement, but had no impact on cognitive skills. These findings suggest that schools that improve standardized achievement tests do so primarily through channels other than cognitive skills. PMID:24434238

Literacy Leader Fellowship Program Reports. Part I in a Series. Framework for Developing Skill Standards for Workplace Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askov, Eunice N.

This document describes two activities of the Literacy Leader Fellowship research project, which addressed the needs of adult educators for knowledge of job skills and of business and unions for information about adult literacy efforts. The first section describes the following efforts related to skill standards and other policy initiatives: (1)…

Educational Assessment Knowledge and Skills for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brookhart, Susan M.

2011-01-01

The 1990 Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students (AFT, NCME, & NEA, 1990) made a documentable contribution to the field. However, the Standards have become a bit dated, most notably in two ways: (1) the Standards do not consider current conceptions of formative assessment knowledge and skills, and (2) the Standards…

Acting as Standardized Patients Enhances Family Medicine Residents' Self-Reported Skills in Palliative Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sittikariyakul, Pat; Jaturapatporn, Darin; Kirshen, A. J.

2015-01-01

Recent publications have confirmed the use of standardized patients (SPs) in improving clinical skills and enhancing competency. Little research has studied the benefits residents may themselves gain in palliative care playing the role of SPs. Nineteen Family Medicine residents were recruited as standardized patients (FMR-SPs) for a mandatory…

State Skill Standards: Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, Larry; Soukup, Dennis

2006-01-01

The Department of Education has undertaken an ambitious effort to develop statewide career and technical education skill standards. The standards in this document are for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of…

State Skill Standards: Photography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howell, Frederick; Reed, Loretta; Jensen, Capra; Robison, Gary; Taylor, Susan; Pavesich, Christine

2007-01-01

The Department of Education has undertaken an ambitious effort to develop statewide skill standards for all content areas in career and technical education. The standards in this document are for photography programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high-school program.…

Understanding the Skills in the Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blosveren, Kate

2012-01-01

As defined on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) website, "the Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn... reflecting the "knowledge" and "skills" that our young people need for success in college and careers." While the "knowledge" defined within the CCSS is apparent--the…

State Skill Standards: Furniture and Cabinetmaking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Ronald; Varischetti, Barry; Alvey, Raymond; Volberding, Le; McCabe, Dave; Sanchez, Fernando; Wright, Russell

2006-01-01

The Department of Education is continuing the development of statewide skill standards for all career and technical education programs. The standards in this document are for Furniture and Cabinetmaking programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high-school program. The…

Learning clinical communication skills: outcomes of a program for professional practitioners.

PubMed

Carvalho, Irene P; Pais, Vanessa G; Almeida, Susana S; Ribeiro-Silva, Raquel; Figueiredo-Braga, Margarida; Teles, Ana; Castro-Vale, Ivone; Mota-Cardoso, Rui

2011-07-01

To assess the effects of a communication skills program on professional practitioners' performance and self-confidence in clinical interviewing. Twenty-five health professionals took 3 months of basic communication skills followed by 3 months of advanced communication skills. An additional quarter dealt with self-awareness and communication in special situations. Participants' performances were evaluated in clinical interviews with standardized patients before, during and after the program by external observers and standardized patients, using standardized instruments. Participants assessed their own confidence in their communication skills before and after the program. Data were analysed using GLM repeated-measures procedures in SPSS. Basic communication skills and self-confidence improved throughout the 6 months; competencies declined but self-confidence continued to increase 4 months later. Compared with taking no course, differences were statistically significant after the 6 months (external observers only) and 4 months later (external observers and participants). The program effectively improved communication skills, although significantly only when assessed by external observers. Four months later, effects were significant in communication skills (external observers), despite the decline and in self-confidence. While periodical enrollment in programs for the practice of communication skills may help maintain performance, more knowledge on communication and self-awareness may enhance self-confidence. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

CLUSFAVOR 5.0: hierarchical cluster and principal-component analysis of microarray-based transcriptional profiles

PubMed Central

Peterson, Leif E

2002-01-01

CLUSFAVOR (CLUSter and Factor Analysis with Varimax Orthogonal Rotation) 5.0 is a Windows-based computer program for hierarchical cluster and principal-component analysis of microarray-based transcriptional profiles. CLUSFAVOR 5.0 standardizes input data; sorts data according to gene-specific coefficient of variation, standard deviation, average and total expression, and Shannon entropy; performs hierarchical cluster analysis using nearest-neighbor, unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA), or furthest-neighbor joining methods, and Euclidean, correlation, or jack-knife distances; and performs principal-component analysis. PMID:12184816

Ohio's Career Continuum: Family Life, Motivation, Orientation, Exploration, Vocational Training or Pre-Professional Training, Adult, Technical and Collegiate Training. Career Orientation Program, Grades 7-8. Development Component. Individual Discipline Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus.

Skills to be developed by junior high school students (grades 7-8) along with activities and procedures for achieving desired performance objectives for each of the 15 U.S. Office of Education (USOE) occupational clusters are outlined in this career orientation guide, designed to implement the second phase (career orientation) of Ohio's…

Focused maternity care in Ghana: results of a cluster analysis.

PubMed

Ayanore, Martin Amogre; Pavlova, Milena; Groot, Wim

2016-08-17

Ghana missed out in attaining Millennium Development Goal 5 in 2015. The provision of adequate prenatal and postnatal care remains problematic, with poor evidence on women's views on met and unmet maternity care needs across all regions in Ghana. This paper examines maternal care utilization in Ghana by applying WHO indicators for focused maternal care utilization. Two-step cluster analysis segregated women into groups based on the components of the maternity care used. Using cluster membership variables as dependent variables, we applied multinomial and binary regression to examine associations of care use with individual, household and regional characteristics. We identified three patterns of care use: adequate, less and least adquate care. The presence of a female and skilled provider is an indicator of adequate care. Women in Volta, Upper West, Northern and Western regions received less adequate care compared with other regions. Supply-related factors (drugs availability, distance/transport, health insurance ownership, rural residence) were associated with adequacy of care. The lack of female autonomy, widowed/divorced women, age and parity were associated with less adequate care. Care patterns were distinctively associated with the quality of health care support (skilled and female attendant) instead of with the number of visits made to the facility. Across regions and within rural settings, disparities exist, often compounded by supply-related factors. Efforts to address skilled workforce shortages, greater accountability for quality and equity, improving women motivation for care seeking and active participation are important for maternity care in Ghana.

Social skills programmes for schizophrenia.

PubMed

Almerie, Muhammad Qutayba; Okba Al Marhi, Muhammad; Jawoosh, Muhammad; Alsabbagh, Mohamad; Matar, Hosam E; Maayan, Nicola; Bergman, Hanna

2015-06-09

Social skills programmes (SSP) are treatment strategies aimed at enhancing the social performance and reducing the distress and difficulty experienced by people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and can be incorporated as part of the rehabilitation package for people with schizophrenia. The primary objective is to investigate the effects of social skills training programmes, compared to standard care, for people with schizophrenia. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Trials Register (November 2006 and December 2011) which is based on regular searches of CINAHL, BIOSIS, AMED, EMBASE, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and registries of clinical trials. We inspected references of all identified studies for further trials.A further search for studies has been conducted by the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group in 2015, 37 citations have been found and are currently being assessed by review authors. We included all relevant randomised controlled trials for social skills programmes versus standard care involving people with serious mental illnesses. We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data we calculated risk ratios (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis. For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD) and 95% CIs. We included 13 randomised trials (975 participants). These evaluated social skills programmes versus standard care, or discussion group. We found evidence in favour of social skills programmes compared to standard care on all measures of social functioning. We also found that rates of relapse and rehospitalisation were lower for social skills compared to standard care (relapse: 2 RCTs, n = 263, RR 0.52 CI 0.34 to 0.79, very low quality evidence), (rehospitalisation: 1 RCT, n = 143, RR 0.53 CI 0.30 to 0.93, very low quality evidence) and participants' mental state results (1 RCT, n = 91, MD -4.01 CI -7.52 to -0.50, very low quality evidence) were better in the group receiving social skill programmes. Global state was measured in one trial by numbers not experiencing a clinical improvement, results favoured social skills (1 RCT, n = 67, RR 0.29 CI 0.12 to 0.68, very low quality evidence). Quality of life was also improved in the social skills programme compared to standard care (1 RCT, n = 112, MD -7.60 CI -12.18 to -3.02, very low quality evidence). However, when social skills programmes were compared to a discussion group control, we found no significant differences in the participants social functioning, relapse rates, mental state or quality of life, again the quality of evidence for these outcomes was very low. Compared to standard care, social skills training may improve the social skills of people with schizophrenia and reduce relapse rates, but at present, the evidence is very limited with data rated as very low quality. When social skills training was compared to discussion there was no difference on patients outcomes. Cultural differences might limit the applicability of the current results, as most reported studies were conducted in China. Whether social skills training can improve social functioning of people with schizophrenia in different settings remains unclear and should be investigated in a large multi-centre randomised controlled trial.

Minimal improvement of nurses' motivational interviewing skills in routine diabetes care one year after training: a cluster randomized trial.

PubMed

Jansink, Renate; Braspenning, Jozé; Laurant, Miranda; Keizer, Ellen; Elwyn, Glyn; Weijden, Trudy van der; Grol, Richard

2013-03-28

The effectiveness of nurse-led motivational interviewing (MI) in routine diabetes care in general practice is inconclusive. Knowledge about the extent to which nurses apply MI skills and the factors that affect the usage can help to understand the black box of this intervention. The current study compared MI skills of trained versus non-trained general practice nurses in diabetes consultations. The nurses participated in a cluster randomized trial in which a comprehensive program (including MI training) was tested on improving clinical parameters, lifestyle, patients' readiness to change lifestyle, and quality of life. Fifty-eight general practices were randomly assigned to usual care (35 nurses) or the intervention (30 nurses). The ratings of applying 24 MI skills (primary outcome) were based on five consultation recordings per nurse at baseline and 14 months later. Two judges evaluated independently the MI skills and the consultation characteristics time, amount of nurse communication, amount of lifestyle discussion and patients' readiness to change. The effect of the training on the MI skills was analysed with a multilevel linear regression by comparing baseline and the one-year follow-up between the interventions with usual care group. The overall effect of the consultation characteristics on the MI skills was studied in a multilevel regression analyses. At one year follow up, it was demonstrated that the nurses improved on 2 of the 24 MI skills, namely, "inviting the patient to talk about behaviour change" (mean difference=0.39, p=0.009), and "assessing patient's confidence in changing their lifestyle" (mean difference=0.28, p=0.037). Consultation time and the amount of lifestyle discussion as well as the patients' readiness to change health behaviour was associated positively with applying MI skills. The maintenance of the MI skills one year after the training program was minimal. The question is whether the success of MI to change unhealthy behaviour must be doubted, whether the technique is less suitable for patients with a complex chronic disease, such as diabetes mellitus, or that nurses have problems with the acquisition and maintenance of MI skills in daily practice. Overall, performing MI skills during consultation increases, if there is more time, more lifestyle discussion, and the patients show more readiness to change. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN68707773.

Minimal improvement of nurses’ motivational interviewing skills in routine diabetes care one year after training: a cluster randomized trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The effectiveness of nurse-led motivational interviewing (MI) in routine diabetes care in general practice is inconclusive. Knowledge about the extent to which nurses apply MI skills and the factors that affect the usage can help to understand the black box of this intervention. The current study compared MI skills of trained versus non-trained general practice nurses in diabetes consultations. The nurses participated in a cluster randomized trial in which a comprehensive program (including MI training) was tested on improving clinical parameters, lifestyle, patients’ readiness to change lifestyle, and quality of life. Methods Fifty-eight general practices were randomly assigned to usual care (35 nurses) or the intervention (30 nurses). The ratings of applying 24 MI skills (primary outcome) were based on five consultation recordings per nurse at baseline and 14 months later. Two judges evaluated independently the MI skills and the consultation characteristics time, amount of nurse communication, amount of lifestyle discussion and patients’ readiness to change. The effect of the training on the MI skills was analysed with a multilevel linear regression by comparing baseline and the one-year follow-up between the interventions with usual care group. The overall effect of the consultation characteristics on the MI skills was studied in a multilevel regression analyses. Results At one year follow up, it was demonstrated that the nurses improved on 2 of the 24 MI skills, namely, “inviting the patient to talk about behaviour change” (mean difference=0.39, p=0.009), and “assessing patient’s confidence in changing their lifestyle” (mean difference=0.28, p=0.037). Consultation time and the amount of lifestyle discussion as well as the patients’ readiness to change health behaviour was associated positively with applying MI skills. Conclusions The maintenance of the MI skills one year after the training program was minimal. The question is whether the success of MI to change unhealthy behaviour must be doubted, whether the technique is less suitable for patients with a complex chronic disease, such as diabetes mellitus, or that nurses have problems with the acquisition and maintenance of MI skills in daily practice. Overall, performing MI skills during consultation increases, if there is more time, more lifestyle discussion, and the patients show more readiness to change. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN68707773 PMID:23537327

Innovative approach to teaching communication skills to nursing students.

PubMed

Zavertnik, Jean Ellen; Huff, Tanya A; Munro, Cindy L

2010-02-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of a learner-centered simulation intervention designed to improve the communication skills of preprofessional sophomore nursing students. An innovative teaching strategy in which communication skills are taught to nursing students by using trained actors who served as standardized family members in a clinical learning laboratory setting was evaluated using a two-group posttest design. In addition to current standard education, the intervention group received a formal training session presenting a framework for communication and a 60-minute practice session with the standardized family members. Four domains of communication-introduction, gathering of information, imparting information, and clarifying goals and expectations-were evaluated in the control and intervention groups in individual testing sessions with a standardized family member. The intervention group performed better than the control group in all four tested domains related to communication skills, and the difference was statistically significant in the domain of gathering information (p = 0.0257). Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

Exploring syndrome differentiation using non-negative matrix factorization and cluster analysis in patients with atopic dermatitis.

PubMed

Yun, Younghee; Jung, Wonmo; Kim, Hyunho; Jang, Bo-Hyoung; Kim, Min-Hee; Noh, Jiseong; Ko, Seong-Gyu; Choi, Inhwa

2017-08-01

Syndrome differentiation (SD) results in a diagnostic conclusion based on a cluster of concurrent symptoms and signs, including pulse form and tongue color. In Korea, there is a strong interest in the standardization of Traditional Medicine (TM). In order to standardize TM treatment, standardization of SD should be given priority. The aim of this study was to explore the SD, or symptom clusters, of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) using non-negative factorization methods and k-means clustering analysis. We screened 80 patients and enrolled 73 eligible patients. One TM dermatologist evaluated the symptoms/signs using an existing clinical dataset from patients with AD. This dataset was designed to collect 15 dermatologic and 18 systemic symptoms/signs associated with AD. Non-negative matrix factorization was used to decompose the original data into a matrix with three features and a weight matrix. The point of intersection of the three coordinates from each patient was placed in three-dimensional space. With five clusters, the silhouette score reached 0.484, and this was the best silhouette score obtained from two to nine clusters. Patients were clustered according to the varying severity of concurrent symptoms/signs. Through the distribution of the null hypothesis generated by 10,000 permutation tests, we found significant cluster-specific symptoms/signs from the confidence intervals in the upper and lower 2.5% of the distribution. Patients in each cluster showed differences in symptoms/signs and severity. In a clinical situation, SD and treatment are based on the practitioners' observations and clinical experience. SD, identified through informatics, can contribute to development of standardized, objective, and consistent SD for each disease. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

7 CFR 51.913 - Clusters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Clusters. 51.913 Section 51.913 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 51.913 - Clusters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Clusters. 51.913 Section 51.913 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 51.913 - Clusters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Clusters. 51.913 Section 51.913 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 51.913 - Clusters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Clusters. 51.913 Section 51.913 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 51.913 - Clusters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Clusters. 51.913 Section 51.913 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

Bayesian hierarchical models for cost-effectiveness analyses that use data from cluster randomized trials.

PubMed

Grieve, Richard; Nixon, Richard; Thompson, Simon G

2010-01-01

Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) may be undertaken alongside cluster randomized trials (CRTs) where randomization is at the level of the cluster (for example, the hospital or primary care provider) rather than the individual. Costs (and outcomes) within clusters may be correlated so that the assumption made by standard bivariate regression models, that observations are independent, is incorrect. This study develops a flexible modeling framework to acknowledge the clustering in CEA that use CRTs. The authors extend previous Bayesian bivariate models for CEA of multicenter trials to recognize the specific form of clustering in CRTs. They develop new Bayesian hierarchical models (BHMs) that allow mean costs and outcomes, and also variances, to differ across clusters. They illustrate how each model can be applied using data from a large (1732 cases, 70 primary care providers) CRT evaluating alternative interventions for reducing postnatal depression. The analyses compare cost-effectiveness estimates from BHMs with standard bivariate regression models that ignore the data hierarchy. The BHMs show high levels of cost heterogeneity across clusters (intracluster correlation coefficient, 0.17). Compared with standard regression models, the BHMs yield substantially increased uncertainty surrounding the cost-effectiveness estimates, and altered point estimates. The authors conclude that ignoring clustering can lead to incorrect inferences. The BHMs that they present offer a flexible modeling framework that can be applied more generally to CEA that use CRTs.

Improving Early Adolescent Girls' Motor Skill: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Lander, Natalie; Morgan, Philip J; Salmon, J O; Barnett, Lisa M

2017-12-01

Physical activity (PA) levels decline substantially during adolescence and are consistently lower in girls. Competency in a range of fundamental movement skills (FMSs) may serve as a protective factor for the decline in PA typically observed in adolescent girls; yet, girls' mastery in FMS is low. Although interventions can improve FMS, there is a lack of interventions targeting girls, and very few are conducted in high schools. In addition, interventions are usually conducted by researchers, not teachers, and thus have little chance of being embedded into curricula. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based intervention, delivered by teachers, in improving adolescent girls' FMS. Four all-girls Australian secondary schools were recruited and randomized into intervention or control groups. In total, 190 year 7 girls (103 control/87 intervention; mean age, 12.4 ± 0.3 yr) completed baseline and posttest measures at 12 wk. Six FMS (i.e., catch, throw, kick, jump, leap, and dodge) were measured using the Victorian FMS Assessment instrument. Mixed models with posttest skill (i.e., locomotor, object control, and total skill) as the outcome, adjusting for baseline skill, intervention and control status, and relevant covariates, as well as accounting for clustering at school and class level, were used to assess the intervention impact. There were significant intervention effects, and large effect sizes (Cohen d) noted in locomotor (P = 0.04, t = 5.15, d = 1.6), object control (P < 0.001, t = 11.06, d = 0.83), and total skill (P = 0.02, t = 7.22, d = 1.36). Teachers adequately trained in authentic assessment and student-centered instruction can significantly improve the FMS competency of early adolescent girls. Therefore, comprehensive teacher training should be viewed as an integral component of future school-based interventions.

Multiple vulnerabilities and maternal healthcare in Vietnam: findings from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, 2000, 2006, and 2011

PubMed Central

Van Minh, Hoang; Oh, Juhwan; Giang, Kim Bao; Kien, Vu Duy; Nam, You-Seon; Lee, Chul Ou; Huong, Tran Thi Giang; Hoat, Luu Ngoc

2016-01-01

Background Knowledge of the aggregate effects of multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities is important for shedding light on the determinants of growing health inequalities and inequities in maternal healthcare. Objective This paper describes patterns of inequity in maternal healthcare utilization and analyzes associations between inequity and multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities among women in Vietnam. Design This is a repeated cross-sectional study using data from the Vietnam Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys 2000, 2006, and 2011. Two maternal healthcare indicators were selected: (1) skilled antenatal care and (2) skilled delivery care. Four types of socioeconomic vulnerabilities – low education, ethnic minority, poverty, and rural location – were assessed both as separate explanatory variables and as composite indicators (combinations of three and four vulnerabilities). Pairwise comparisons and adjusted odds ratios were used to assess socioeconomic inequities in maternal healthcare. Results In all three surveys, there were increases across the survey years in both the proportions of women who received antenatal care by skilled staff (68.6% in 2000, 90.8% in 2006, and 93.7% in 2011) and the proportions of women who gave birth with assistance from skilled staff (69.9% in 2000, 87.7% in 2006, and 92.9% in 2011). The receipt of antenatal care by skilled staff and birth assistance from skilled health personnel were less common among vulnerable women, especially those with multiple vulnerabilities. Conclusions Even though Vietnam has improved its coverage of maternal healthcare on average, policies should target maternal healthcare utilization among women with multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Both multisectoral social policies and health policies are needed to tackle multiple vulnerabilities more effectively by identifying those who are poor, less educated, live in rural areas, and belong to ethnic minority groups. PMID:26950561

Multiple vulnerabilities and maternal healthcare in Vietnam: findings from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, 2000, 2006, and 2011.

PubMed

Van Minh, Hoang; Oh, Juhwan; Giang, Kim Bao; Kien, Vu Duy; Nam, You-Seon; Lee, Chul Ou; Huong, Tran Thi Giang; Hoat, Luu Ngoc

2016-01-01

Knowledge of the aggregate effects of multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities is important for shedding light on the determinants of growing health inequalities and inequities in maternal healthcare. This paper describes patterns of inequity in maternal healthcare utilization and analyzes associations between inequity and multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities among women in Vietnam. This is a repeated cross-sectional study using data from the Vietnam Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys 2000, 2006, and 2011. Two maternal healthcare indicators were selected: (1) skilled antenatal care and (2) skilled delivery care. Four types of socioeconomic vulnerabilities - low education, ethnic minority, poverty, and rural location - were assessed both as separate explanatory variables and as composite indicators (combinations of three and four vulnerabilities). Pairwise comparisons and adjusted odds ratios were used to assess socioeconomic inequities in maternal healthcare. In all three surveys, there were increases across the survey years in both the proportions of women who received antenatal care by skilled staff (68.6% in 2000, 90.8% in 2006, and 93.7% in 2011) and the proportions of women who gave birth with assistance from skilled staff (69.9% in 2000, 87.7% in 2006, and 92.9% in 2011). The receipt of antenatal care by skilled staff and birth assistance from skilled health personnel were less common among vulnerable women, especially those with multiple vulnerabilities. Even though Vietnam has improved its coverage of maternal healthcare on average, policies should target maternal healthcare utilization among women with multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Both multisectoral social policies and health policies are needed to tackle multiple vulnerabilities more effectively by identifying those who are poor, less educated, live in rural areas, and belong to ethnic minority groups.

The Short-Run Behavior of Skilled Wage Differentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, William D.

1977-01-01

Develops a theory to integrate the effects of three factors--the relative supply elasticities of skilled and unskilled labor, adjustments in skilled labor hiring standards, and the presence of fixed employment costs for skilled labor--on the response of skill differentials to demand variation. (Editor/LAS)

Analysis of the Integration of Skill Standards into Community College Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aragon, Steven R.; Woo, Hui-Jeong; Marvel, Matthew R.

2004-01-01

The utilization of skill standards in the curriculum development process has become an increasingly prominent aspect of the reform movement in career and technical education over the past 10 years. Standards are seen as a way to achieve better accountability within Career and Technical Education (CTE) systems, and improve their quality as well as…

Teaching Physics at Preschool Level for Mexican Students in Order to Achieve the National Scientific Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramírez Díaz, Mario H.; Nieto Betance, Gabriela; García Trujillo, Luís Antonio; Chávez-Campos, David A.

2015-01-01

In its program of studies for preschool level, the Secretary of Public Education of Mexico promoted development of four standards of science: Scientific knowledge, applications of scientific knowledge and technology, skills associated to science, and attitudes associated to science. However, to develop this skills and reach out the standards there…

Challenges in microarray class discovery: a comprehensive examination of normalization, gene selection and clustering

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Cluster analysis, and in particular hierarchical clustering, is widely used to extract information from gene expression data. The aim is to discover new classes, or sub-classes, of either individuals or genes. Performing a cluster analysis commonly involve decisions on how to; handle missing values, standardize the data and select genes. In addition, pre-processing, involving various types of filtration and normalization procedures, can have an effect on the ability to discover biologically relevant classes. Here we consider cluster analysis in a broad sense and perform a comprehensive evaluation that covers several aspects of cluster analyses, including normalization. Result We evaluated 2780 cluster analysis methods on seven publicly available 2-channel microarray data sets with common reference designs. Each cluster analysis method differed in data normalization (5 normalizations were considered), missing value imputation (2), standardization of data (2), gene selection (19) or clustering method (11). The cluster analyses are evaluated using known classes, such as cancer types, and the adjusted Rand index. The performances of the different analyses vary between the data sets and it is difficult to give general recommendations. However, normalization, gene selection and clustering method are all variables that have a significant impact on the performance. In particular, gene selection is important and it is generally necessary to include a relatively large number of genes in order to get good performance. Selecting genes with high standard deviation or using principal component analysis are shown to be the preferred gene selection methods. Hierarchical clustering using Ward's method, k-means clustering and Mclust are the clustering methods considered in this paper that achieves the highest adjusted Rand. Normalization can have a significant positive impact on the ability to cluster individuals, and there are indications that background correction is preferable, in particular if the gene selection is successful. However, this is an area that needs to be studied further in order to draw any general conclusions. Conclusions The choice of cluster analysis, and in particular gene selection, has a large impact on the ability to cluster individuals correctly based on expression profiles. Normalization has a positive effect, but the relative performance of different normalizations is an area that needs more research. In summary, although clustering, gene selection and normalization are considered standard methods in bioinformatics, our comprehensive analysis shows that selecting the right methods, and the right combinations of methods, is far from trivial and that much is still unexplored in what is considered to be the most basic analysis of genomic data. PMID:20937082

Anthropometric characteristics and motor skills in talent selection and development in indoor soccer.

PubMed

Ré, Alessandro H Nicolai; Corrêa, Umberto César; Böhme, Maria Tereza S

2010-06-01

Kick performance, anthropometric characteristics, slalom, and linear running were assessed in 49 (24 elite, 25 nonelite) postpubertal indoor soccer players in order to (a) verify whether anthropometric characteristics and physical and technical capacities can distinguish players of different competitive levels, (b) compare the kicking kinematics of these groups, with and without a defined target, and (c) compare results on the assessments and coaches' subjective rankings of the players. Thigh circumference and specific technical capacities differentiated the players by level of play; cluster analysis correctly classified 77.5% of the players. The correlation between players' standardized measures and the coaches' rankings was 0.29. Anthropometric characteristics and physical capacities do not necessarily differentiate players at post-pubertal stages and should not be overvalued during early development. Considering the coaches' rankings, performance measures outside the specific game conditions may not be useful in identification of talented players.

Developing Air Defense Artillery Warrant Officers Cognitive Skills: An Analysis of Training Needs

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-02-01

statement of actions, conditions, and standards. The lesson descriptions were compared to the action verbs used in the lesson action text and standards...performance and compared these findings to the training WOs receive in formal courses during their career progression. Findings indicated differing...are all required cognitive skills for ADA WOs, decision- making and planning skills are the most prevalent. A comparative analysis identified three

Efficacy of communication skills training for giving bad news and discussing transitions to palliative care.

PubMed

Back, Anthony L; Arnold, Robert M; Baile, Walter F; Fryer-Edwards, Kelly A; Alexander, Stewart C; Barley, Gwyn E; Gooley, Ted A; Tulsky, James A

2007-03-12

Few studies have assessed the efficacy of communication skills training for postgraduate physician trainees at the level of behaviors. We designed a residential communication skills workshop (Oncotalk) for medical oncology fellows. The intervention design built on existing successful models by teaching specific communication tasks linked to the patient's trajectory of illness. This study evaluated the efficacy of Oncotalk in changing observable communication behaviors. Oncotalk was a 4-day residential workshop emphasizing skills practice in small groups. This preintervention and postintervention cohort study involved 115 medical oncology fellows from 62 different institutions during a 3-year study. The primary outcomes were observable participant communication skills measured during standardized patient encounters before and after the workshop in giving bad news and discussing transitions to palliative care. The standardized patient encounters were audiorecorded and assessed by blinded coders using a validated coding system. Before-after comparisons were made using each participant as his or her own control. Compared with preworkshop standardized patient encounters, postworkshop encounters showed that participants acquired a mean of 5.4 bad news skills (P<.001) and a mean of 4.4 transitions skills (P<.001). Most changes in individual skills were substantial; for example, in the bad news encounter, 16% of participants used the word "cancer" when giving bad news before the workshop, and 54% used it after the workshop (P<.001). Also in the bad news encounter, blinded coders were able to identify whether a standardized patient encounter occurred before or after the workshop in 91% of the audiorecordings. Oncotalk represents a successful teaching model for improving communication skills for postgraduate medical trainees.

Analysis of statistical misconception in terms of statistical reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryati, I.; Priatna, N.

2018-05-01

Reasoning skill is needed for everyone to face globalization era, because every person have to be able to manage and use information from all over the world which can be obtained easily. Statistical reasoning skill is the ability to collect, group, process, interpret, and draw conclusion of information. Developing this skill can be done through various levels of education. However, the skill is low because many people assume that statistics is just the ability to count and using formulas and so do students. Students still have negative attitude toward course which is related to research. The purpose of this research is analyzing students’ misconception in descriptive statistic course toward the statistical reasoning skill. The observation was done by analyzing the misconception test result and statistical reasoning skill test; observing the students’ misconception effect toward statistical reasoning skill. The sample of this research was 32 students of math education department who had taken descriptive statistic course. The mean value of misconception test was 49,7 and standard deviation was 10,6 whereas the mean value of statistical reasoning skill test was 51,8 and standard deviation was 8,5. If the minimal value is 65 to state the standard achievement of a course competence, students’ mean value is lower than the standard competence. The result of students’ misconception study emphasized on which sub discussion that should be considered. Based on the assessment result, it was found that students’ misconception happen on this: 1) writing mathematical sentence and symbol well, 2) understanding basic definitions, 3) determining concept that will be used in solving problem. In statistical reasoning skill, the assessment was done to measure reasoning from: 1) data, 2) representation, 3) statistic format, 4) probability, 5) sample, and 6) association.

[Development of a multimedia learning DM diet education program using standardized patients and analysis of its effects on clinical competency and learning satisfaction for nursing students].

PubMed

Hyun, Kyung Sun; Kang, Hyun Sook; Kim, Won Ock; Park, Sunhee; Lee, Jia; Sok, Sohyune

2009-04-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a multimedia learning program for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) diet education using standardized patients and to examine the effects of the program on educational skills, communication skills, DM diet knowledge and learning satisfaction. The study employed a randomized control posttest non-synchronized design. The participants were 108 third year nursing students (52 experimental group, 56 control group) at K university in Seoul, Korea. The experimental group had regular lectures and the multimedia learning program for DM diet education using standardized patients while the control group had regular lectures only. The DM educational skills were measured by trained research assistants. The students who received the multimedia learning program scored higher for DM diet educational skills, communication skills and DM diet knowledge compared to the control group. Learning satisfaction of the experimental group was higher than the control group, but statistically insignificant. Clinical competency was improved for students receiving the multimedia learning program for DM diet education using standardized patients, but there was no statistically significant effect on learning satisfaction. In the nursing education system there is a need to develop and apply more multimedia materials for education and to use standardized patients effectively.

Incorporating Standardized Colleague Simulations in a Clinical Assessment Course and Evaluating the Impact on Interprofessional Communication.

PubMed

Shrader, Sarah; Dunn, Brianne; Blake, Elizabeth; Phillips, Cynthia

2015-05-25

To determine the impact of incorporating standardized colleague simulations on pharmacy students' confidence and interprofessional communication skills. Four simulations using standardized colleagues portraying attending physicians in inpatient and outpatient settings were integrated into a required course. Pharmacy students interacted with the standardized colleagues using the Situation, Background, Assessment, Request/Recommendation (SBAR) communication technique and were evaluated on providing recommendations while on simulated inpatient rounds and in an outpatient clinic. Additionally, changes in student attitudes and confidence toward interprofessional communication were assessed with a survey before and after the standardized colleague simulations. One hundred seventy-one pharmacy students participated in the simulations. Student interprofessional communication skills improved after each simulation. Student confidence with interprofessional communication in both inpatient and outpatient settings significantly improved. Incorporation of simulations using standardized colleagues improves interprofessional communication skills and self-confidence of pharmacy students.

Development and Relationships Between Phonological Awareness, Morphological Awareness and Word Reading in Spoken and Standard Arabic.

PubMed

Schiff, Rachel; Saiegh-Haddad, Elinor

2018-01-01

This study addressed the development of and the relationship between foundational metalinguistic skills and word reading skills in Arabic. It compared Arabic-speaking children's phonological awareness (PA), morphological awareness, and voweled and unvoweled word reading skills in spoken and standard language varieties separately in children across five grade levels from childhood to adolescence. Second, it investigated whether skills developed in the spoken variety of Arabic predict reading in the standard variety. Results indicate that although individual differences between students in PA are eliminated toward the end of elementary school in both spoken and standard language varieties, gaps in morphological awareness and in reading skills persisted through junior and high school years. The results also show that the gap in reading accuracy and fluency between Spoken Arabic (SpA) and Standard Arabic (StA) was evident in both voweled and unvoweled words. Finally, regression analyses showed that morphological awareness in SpA contributed to reading fluency in StA, i.e., children's early morphological awareness in SpA explained variance in children's gains in reading fluency in StA. These findings have important theoretical and practical contributions for Arabic reading theory in general and they extend the previous work regarding the cross-linguistic relevance of foundational metalinguistic skills in the first acquired language to reading in a second language, as in societal bilingualism contexts, or a second language variety, as in diglossic contexts.

Development and Relationships Between Phonological Awareness, Morphological Awareness and Word Reading in Spoken and Standard Arabic

PubMed Central

Schiff, Rachel; Saiegh-Haddad, Elinor

2018-01-01

This study addressed the development of and the relationship between foundational metalinguistic skills and word reading skills in Arabic. It compared Arabic-speaking children’s phonological awareness (PA), morphological awareness, and voweled and unvoweled word reading skills in spoken and standard language varieties separately in children across five grade levels from childhood to adolescence. Second, it investigated whether skills developed in the spoken variety of Arabic predict reading in the standard variety. Results indicate that although individual differences between students in PA are eliminated toward the end of elementary school in both spoken and standard language varieties, gaps in morphological awareness and in reading skills persisted through junior and high school years. The results also show that the gap in reading accuracy and fluency between Spoken Arabic (SpA) and Standard Arabic (StA) was evident in both voweled and unvoweled words. Finally, regression analyses showed that morphological awareness in SpA contributed to reading fluency in StA, i.e., children’s early morphological awareness in SpA explained variance in children’s gains in reading fluency in StA. These findings have important theoretical and practical contributions for Arabic reading theory in general and they extend the previous work regarding the cross-linguistic relevance of foundational metalinguistic skills in the first acquired language to reading in a second language, as in societal bilingualism contexts, or a second language variety, as in diglossic contexts. PMID:29686633

Applying an innovative educational program for the education of today's engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kans, M.

2012-05-01

Engineers require a broad spectrum of knowledge and skills: basic skills in mathematics and physics, skills and competencies within the major subject area as well as more general knowledge about business and enterprise contexts, society regulations and understanding of the future professions' characteristics. In addition, social, intercultural, analytical and managing competencies are desired. The CDIO educational program was initiated as a means to come closer to practice and to assure the training of engineering skills that are required of today's engineers. CDIO is short for Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate and describes the full life cycle understanding of a system or asset that engineering students should reach during education. The CDIO initiative is formulated in a program consisting of two important documents: the CDIO standards and the CDIO syllabus. The standards describe a holistic approach on education, from knowledge and skills to be trained, how to train and assess them, to how to develop the teaching staff and the work places for enabling the goals. The specific knowledge and skills to be achieved are accounted for in the syllabus. In this paper we share our more than 15 years of experiences in problem and project based learning from the perspective of the CDIO standards. For each standard, examples of how to set up the education and overcome challenges connected to the standard are given. The paper concludes with recommendations to others wishing to work toward problem and real-life based education without compromising the requirements of a scientific approach.

Communication skills training for mental health professionals working with people with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Papageorgiou, Alexia; Loke, Yoon K; Fromage, Michelle

2017-06-13

Research evidence suggests that both mental health professionals and people with severe mental health illness such as schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder find it difficult to communicate with each other effectively about symptoms, treatments and their side effects so that they reach a shared understanding about diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Effective use of communication skills in mental health interactions could be associated with increased patient satisfaction and adherence to treatment. To review the effectiveness of communication skills training for mental health professionals who work with people with severe mental illness. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Trials Register (latest search 17 February, 2016) which is compiled by systematic searches of major resources (including AMED, BIOSIS, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and registries of clinical trials) and their monthly updates, handsearches, grey literature, and conference proceedings. There are no language, date, document type, or publication status limitations for inclusion of records into the register. All relevant randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that focused on communication skills training (CST) for mental health professionals who work with people with severe mental illness compared with those who received standard or no training. We sought a number of primary (patient adherence to treatment and attendance at scheduled appointments as well as mental health professionals' satisfaction with the training programme) and secondary outcomes (patients' global state, service use, mental state, patient satisfaction, social functioning, quality of life). RCTs where the unit of randomisation was by cluster (e.g. healthcare facility) were also eligible for inclusion. We included one trial that met our inclusion criteria and reported useable data. We independently selected studies, quality assessed them and extracted data. For binary outcomes, we planned to calculate standard estimates of the risk ratio (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a fixed-effect model. For continuous outcomes, we planned to estimate the mean difference (MD) between groups, or obtain the adjusted mean difference (aMD) where available for cluster-randomised trials. If heterogeneity had been identified, we would have explored this using a random-effects model. We used GRADE to create a 'Summary of findings' table and we assessed risk of bias for the one included study. We included one pilot cluster-RCT that recruited a total of 21 psychiatrists and 97 patients. The psychiatrists were randomised to a training programme in communication skills, compared to a no specific training (NST) programme. The trial provided useable data for only one of our prestated outcomes of interest, patient satisfaction. The trial did not report global state but did report mental state and, as global state data were not available, we included these mental state data in the 'Summary of findings' table. There was high risk of bias from attrition because of substantial losses to follow-up and incomplete outcome data.Patient satisfaction was measured as satisfaction with treatment and 'experience of therapeutic relationship' at medium term (five months). Satisfaction with treatment was similar between the CST and NST group using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) (1 RCT, n = 66/97*, aMD 1.77 95% CI - 0.13 to 3.68, low-quality evidence). When comparing patient experience of the therapeutic relationship using the STAR-P scale, participants in the CST group rated the therapeutic relationship more positively than participants in the NST group (1 RCT, n = 63/97, aMD 0.21 95% CI 0.01 to 0.41, low-quality evidence).Mental state scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were similar between treatment groups for general symptoms (1 RCT, n = 59/97, aMD 4.48 95% CI -2.10 to 11.06, low-quality evidence), positive symptoms (1 RCT, n = 59/97, aMD -0.23, 95% CI -2.91 to 2.45, low-quality evidence) and negative symptoms (1 RCT, n = 59/97, aMD 3.42, 95%C CI -0.24 to 7.09, low-quality evidence).No data were available for adherence to treatment, service use or quality of life.* Of the total of 97 randomised participants, 66 provided data. The evidence available is from one pilot cluster-randomised controlled trial, it is not adequate enough to draw any robust conclusions. There were relatively few good quality data and the trial is too small to highlight differences in most outcome measures. Adding a CST programme appears to have a modest positive effect on patients' experiences of the therapeutic relationship. More high-quality research is needed in this area.

Defining the biological bases of individual differences in musicality.

PubMed

Gingras, Bruno; Honing, Henkjan; Peretz, Isabelle; Trainor, Laurel J; Fisher, Simon E

2015-03-19

Advances in molecular technologies make it possible to pinpoint genomic factors associated with complex human traits. For cognition and behaviour, identification of underlying genes provides new entry points for deciphering the key neurobiological pathways. In the past decade, the search for genetic correlates of musicality has gained traction. Reports have documented familial clustering for different extremes of ability, including amusia and absolute pitch (AP), with twin studies demonstrating high heritability for some music-related skills, such as pitch perception. Certain chromosomal regions have been linked to AP and musical aptitude, while individual candidate genes have been investigated in relation to aptitude and creativity. Most recently, researchers in this field started performing genome-wide association scans. Thus far, studies have been hampered by relatively small sample sizes and limitations in defining components of musicality, including an emphasis on skills that can only be assessed in trained musicians. With opportunities to administer standardized aptitude tests online, systematic large-scale assessment of musical abilities is now feasible, an important step towards high-powered genome-wide screens. Here, we offer a synthesis of existing literatures and outline concrete suggestions for the development of comprehensive operational tools for the analysis of musical phenotypes. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Ten new and emerging trends in residential group living environments.

PubMed

Regnier, Victor; Denton, Alexis

2009-01-01

Residential styled environments for physically challenged people with neuro disabilities are rapidly replacing the standard institutional skilled nursing home. Ten trends are described that utilize residential design approaches to the physical environment while relying on home-care style methods for service delivery. Combined these two forces create powerful differentiators which make group residential settings more friendly and humane. Northern European, as well as, US best practices and prototypes are described that combine housing with services in a range of contexts. The success of northern Europeans in promulgating models of aging-in-place that keep those at risk more independent in the community or within family settings are remarkable. Topics like the impact of small group living clusters, interior design treatments, access to landscape gardens, life skill management methods, movement systems for circulation and exercise, shared space priorities, unit design trends and innovative care giving techniques are introduced. The focus of the article is on specific practices gleaned from cultures and exemplars that appear to increase autonomy, independence and privacy for those who are threatened because of their disabilities with the loss of these lifestyle attributes. Promising concepts of service organization and community outreach are combined with detailed recommendations that address the need for lift technology and safety features in bathrooms and kitchens.

The Impact of Statistical Adjustment on Conditional Standard Errors of Measurement in the Assessment of Physician Communication Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raymond, Mark R.; Clauser, Brian E.; Furman, Gail E.

2010-01-01

The use of standardized patients to assess communication skills is now an essential part of assessing a physician's readiness for practice. To improve the reliability of communication scores, it has become increasingly common in recent years to use statistical models to adjust ratings provided by standardized patients. This study employed ordinary…

Sexual History Inquiry and HIV Counseling: Improving Clinical Skills and Medical Knowledge through an Interactive Workshop Utilizing Standardized Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haist, Steven A.; Lineberry, Michelle J.; Griffith, Charles H.; Hoellein, Andrew R.; Talente, Gregg M.; Wilson, John F.

2008-01-01

Background: Sexual history and HIV counseling (SHHIVC) are essential clinical skills. Our project's purpose was to evaluate a standardized patient educational intervention teaching third-year medical students SHHIVC. Methods: A four-hour standardized patient workshop was delivered to one-half of the class each of three consecutive years at one…

A Standards-Based Inventory for Assessing Perceived Importance of and Confidence in Using ASGW's Core Group Work Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, F. Robert; Newmeyer, Mark D.

2008-01-01

Since the early 1980s, ASGW (Association for Specialists in Group Work) has promulgated standards for training group workers. Now, in their third revision, these standards establish core group work knowledge and skills to be included in all counselor training programs. To advance research on the relationship between mastery of ASGW's core…

Skill Standards. Experience in Certification Systems Shows Industry Involvement To Be Key. Report to the Chairman, Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.

In an attempt to determine their role in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of skill training programs, existing standards and certification systems in 20 selected occupations were reviewed to identify the following: their common characteristics, barriers to their development and use, benefits of standards and certification to employers…

Outcomes of Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) mastery training standards applied to an ergonomically different, lower cost platform.

PubMed

Placek, Sarah B; Franklin, Brenton R; Haviland, Sarah M; Wagner, Mercy D; O'Donnell, Mary T; Cryer, Chad T; Trinca, Kristen D; Silverman, Elliott; Matthew Ritter, E

2017-06-01

Using previously established mastery learning standards, this study compares outcomes of training on standard FLS (FLS) equipment with training on an ergonomically different (ED-FLS), but more portable, lower cost platform. Subjects completed a pre-training FLS skills test on the standard platform and were then randomized to train on the FLS training platform (n = 20) or the ED-FLS platform (n = 19). A post-training FLS skills test was administered to both groups on the standard FLS platform. Group performance on the pretest was similar. Fifty percent of FLS and 32 % of ED-FLS subjects completed the entire curriculum. 100 % of subjects completing the curriculum achieved passing scores on the post-training test. There was no statistically discernible difference in scores on the final FLS exam (FLS 93.4, ED-FLS 93.3, p = 0.98) or training sessions required to complete the curriculum (FLS 7.4, ED-FLS 9.8, p = 0.13). These results show that when applying mastery learning theory to an ergonomically different platform, skill transfer occurs at a high level and prepares subjects to pass the standard FLS skills test.

Using standardized patients to assess the communication skills of graduating physicians for the comprehensive osteopathic medical licensing examination (COMLEX) level 2-performance evaluation (level 2-PE).

PubMed

Weidner, Angela C; Gimpel, John R; Boulet, John R; Solomon, Mia

2010-01-01

Standardized patients can be trained to assess the communication and interpersonal skills of medical students and graduates. The purpose of this study is to present data to support the psychometric adequacy of the communication ratings provided by standardized patients. Using the data from testing of 3, 450 examinees over a 1-year period, a number of psychometric analyses were undertaken. These included a variance component analysis, the calculation of various validity coefficients, the comparison of communication ratings for select examinee cohorts and case characteristics, and the investigation of some potential sources of score invalidity. Communication skills scores are moderately correlated to other competencies (knowledge, skills) and may be influenced by candidate characteristics such as gender and English language proficiency. They are not dependant on the age of the examinees, the clinical case content, or the gender of the standardized patients. For a multistation assessment, a reasonably precise and valid estimate of a candidate's communication ability can be obtained from trained standardized patients.

Migration and validation of non-formal and informal learning in Europe: Inclusion, exclusion or polarisation in the recognition of skills?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souto-Otero, Manuel; Villalba-Garcia, Ernesto

2015-10-01

This article explores (1) the degree to which immigrants can be considered dominant groups in the area of validation of non-formal and informal learning and are subject to specific validation measures in 33 European countries; (2) whether country clusters can be identified within Europe with regard to the dominance of immigrants in the area of validation; and (3) whether validation systems are likely to lead to the inclusion of immigrants or foster a process of "devaluation" of their skills and competences in their host countries. Based on the European Inventory on validation of non- formal and informal learning project (chiefly its 2014 update) as well as a review of 124 EU-funded (Lifelong Learning Programme and European Social Fund) validation projects, the authors present the following findings: (1) in the majority of European countries, immigrants are not a dominant group in the area of validation. (2) In terms of country clusters, Central European and Nordic countries tend to consider immigrants a dominant target group for validation to a greater extent than Southern and Eastern European countries. (3) Finally, few initiatives aim to ensure that immigrants' skills and competences are not devalued in their host country, and those initiatives which are in place benefit particularly those defined as "highly skilled" individuals, on the basis of their productive potential. There is, thus, a "low road" and a "high road" to validation, leading to a process of polarisation in the recognition of the skills and competences of immigrants.

Patternmaker. Apprenticeship Training Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ontario Ministry of Skills Development, Toronto.

This training document outlines the apprenticeship training standards for the trade of patternmaker that have been approved by the Ontario Ministry of Skills Development. The document consists of the following: (1) skills (competencies) identified by a trade analysis development group of practicing patternmakers; (2) general performance objectives…

Skill Acquisition and Utilization During Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Childhood Disruptive Behavior Problems: A Review and Meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Higa, Janelle; Trentacosta, Christopher J.; Herschell, Amy D.; Kolko, David J.

2013-01-01

We review 85 empirical articles published since 2000 that measured the acquisition and/or utilization of parent management skills and/or child cognitive-behavioral skills in the context of an evidence-based treatment (EBT) for childhood behavior problems. Results showed that: (1) there are no standardized measures of skill acquisition or skill utilization that are used across treatments, (2) little is known about predictors, correlates, or outcomes associated with skill acquisition and utilization, and (3) few studies systematically examined techniques to enhance the acquisition and utilization of specific skills. Meta-analytic results from a subset of 68 articles (59 studies) showed an overall treatment–control ES =.31, p < .01 for skill acquisition and ES =.20, p = ns for skill utilization. We recommend that future research focus on the following three areas: (1) development of standardized measures of skill acquisition and utilization from a “common elements” perspective that can used across EBTs; (2) assessment of the predictors, correlates, and outcomes associated with skill acquisition and utilization; and (3) development of innovative interventions to enhance the acquisition and utilization of cognitive-behavioral and parent management skills. PMID:23649324

Randomised social-skills training and parental training plus standard treatment versus standard treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - The SOSTRA trial protocol

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are hyperactive and impulsive, cannot maintain attention, and have difficulties with social interactions. Medical treatment may alleviate symptoms of ADHD, but seldom solves difficulties with social interactions. Social-skills training may benefit ADHD children in their social interactions. We want to examine the effects of social-skills training on difficulties related to the children's ADHD symptoms and social interactions. Methods/Design The design is randomised two-armed, parallel group, assessor-blinded trial. Children aged 8-12 years with a diagnosis of ADHD are randomised to social-skills training and parental training plus standard treatment versus standard treatment alone. A sample size calculation estimated that at least 52 children must be included to show a 4-point difference in the primary outcome on the Conners 3rd Edition subscale for 'hyperactivity-impulsivity' between the intervention group and the control group. The outcomes will be assessed 3 and 6 months after randomisation. The primary outcome measure is ADHD symptoms. The secondary outcome is social skills. Tertiary outcomes include the relationship between social skills and symptoms of ADHD, the ability to form attachment, and parents' ADHD symptoms. Discussion We hope that the results from this trial will show that the social-skills training together with medication may have a greater general effect on ADHD symptoms and social and emotional competencies than medication alone. Trial registration ClinicalTrials (NCT): NCT00937469 PMID:21255399

Using Thinking Skills as a Bridge between ELA and Science Teaching Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Robin Lee

2008-01-01

This article presents five activities that demonstrate developing thinking skills in students, uses comparable ELA and science skills. The thinking skills of Blooms Taxonomy are the organizer. Skills and processes gleaned from NYS ELA and Science Standards included in the article are: categorizing, comparing, following procedures, sequencing,…

Effects of a Web-based course on nursing skills and knowledge learning.

PubMed

Lu, Der-Fa; Lin, Zu-Chun; Li, Yun-Ju

2009-02-01

The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of supplementing traditional classroom teaching with Web-based learning design when teaching intramuscular injection nursing skills. Four clusters of nursing students at a junior college in eastern Taiwan were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. A total of 147 students (80 in the experimental group, 67 in the control group) completed the study. All participants received the same classroom lectures and skill demonstration. The experimental group interacted using a Web-based course and were able to view the content on demand. The students and instructor interacted via a chatroom, the bulletin board, and e-mail. Participants in the experimental group had significantly higher scores on both intramuscular injection knowledge and skill learning. A Web-based design can be an effective supplementing learning tool for teaching nursing knowledge and skills.

Implementation of the force decomposition machine for molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Borštnik, Urban; Miller, Benjamin T; Brooks, Bernard R; Janežič, Dušanka

2012-09-01

We present the design and implementation of the force decomposition machine (FDM), a cluster of personal computers (PCs) that is tailored to running molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the distributed diagonal force decomposition (DDFD) parallelization method. The cluster interconnect architecture is optimized for the communication pattern of the DDFD method. Our implementation of the FDM relies on standard commodity components even for networking. Although the cluster is meant for DDFD MD simulations, it remains general enough for other parallel computations. An analysis of several MD simulation runs on both the FDM and a standard PC cluster demonstrates that the FDM's interconnect architecture provides a greater performance compared to a more general cluster interconnect. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A ground truth based comparative study on clustering of gene expression data.

PubMed

Zhu, Yitan; Wang, Zuyi; Miller, David J; Clarke, Robert; Xuan, Jianhua; Hoffman, Eric P; Wang, Yue

2008-05-01

Given the variety of available clustering methods for gene expression data analysis, it is important to develop an appropriate and rigorous validation scheme to assess the performance and limitations of the most widely used clustering algorithms. In this paper, we present a ground truth based comparative study on the functionality, accuracy, and stability of five data clustering methods, namely hierarchical clustering, K-means clustering, self-organizing maps, standard finite normal mixture fitting, and a caBIG toolkit (VIsual Statistical Data Analyzer--VISDA), tested on sample clustering of seven published microarray gene expression datasets and one synthetic dataset. We examined the performance of these algorithms in both data-sufficient and data-insufficient cases using quantitative performance measures, including cluster number detection accuracy and mean and standard deviation of partition accuracy. The experimental results showed that VISDA, an interactive coarse-to-fine maximum likelihood fitting algorithm, is a solid performer on most of the datasets, while K-means clustering and self-organizing maps optimized by the mean squared compactness criterion generally produce more stable solutions than the other methods.

A Randomized Trial of Heart Failure Disease Management in Skilled Nursing Facilities: Design and Rationale

PubMed Central

Boxer, Rebecca S.; Dolansky, Mary A.; Bodnar, Christine A.; Singer, Mendel E.; Albert, Jeffery M.; Gravenstein, Stefan

2013-01-01

Background Heart failure disease management can improve health outcomes for older community dwelling patients with heart failure. Heart failure disease management has not been studied in skilled nursing facilities, a major site of transitional care for older adults. Methods and Anticipated Results The objective of this trial is to investigate if a heart failure disease management program (HF-DMP) in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) will decrease all-cause rehospitalizations for the first 60 days post SNF admission. The trial is a randomized cluster trial to be conducted in 12 for-profit SNF in the greater Cleveland area. The study population is inclusive of patients with heart failure regardless of ejection fraction but excludes those patients on dialysis and with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. The HF-DMP includes 7 elements considered standard of care for patients with heart failure: documentation of left ventricular function, tracking of weight and symptoms, medication titration, discharge instructions, 7 day follow up appointment post SNF discharge, patient education. The HF-DMP is conducted by a research nurse tasked with adhering to each element of the program and regularly audited to maintain fidelity of the program. Additional outcomes include health status, self-care management, and discharge destination. Conclusion The SNF-Connect Trial is the first trial of its kind to assess if a HF-DMP will improve outcomes for patients in SNFs. This trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of HF-DMP to improve outcomes for older frail heart failure patients undergoing post-acute rehabilitation. PMID:23871475

A randomized trial of heart failure disease management in skilled nursing facilities: design and rationale.

PubMed

Boxer, Rebecca S; Dolansky, Mary A; Bodnar, Christine A; Singer, Mendel E; Albert, Jeffery M; Gravenstein, Stefan

2013-09-01

Heart failure (HF) disease management can improve health outcomes for older community dwelling patients with heart failure. HF disease management has not been studied in skilled nursing facilities, a major site of transitional care for older adults. The objective of this trial is to investigate if a HF- disease management program (HF-DMP) in skilled nursing facilities (SNF)s will decrease all-cause rehospitalizations for the first 60 days post-SNF admission. The trial is a randomized cluster trial to be conducted in 12 for-profit SNF in the greater Cleveland area. The study population is inclusive of patients with HF regardless of ejection fraction but excludes those patients on dialysis and with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. The HF-DMP includes 7 elements considered standard of care for patients with HF documentation of left ventricular function, tracking of weight and symptoms, medication titration, discharge instructions, 7-day follow-up appointment post-SNF discharge, and patient education. The HF-DMP is conducted by a research nurse tasked with adhering to each element of the program and regularly audited to maintain fidelity of the program. Additional outcomes include health status, self-care management, and discharge destination. The SNF-Connect Trial is the first trial of its kind to assess if a HF-DMP will improve outcomes for patients in SNFs. This trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of HF-DMP to improve outcomes for older frail HF patients undergoing postacute rehabilitation. Copyright © 2013 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

'MATRI-SUMAN' a capacity building and text messaging intervention to enhance maternal and child health service utilization among pregnant women from rural Nepal: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Singh, Jitendra Kumar; Kadel, Rajendra; Acharya, Dilaram; Lombard, Daniel; Khanal, Saval; Singh, Shri Prakash

2018-06-14

Capacity development of health volunteers and text messaging to pregnant women through mobile phones have shown improved maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes and is associated with increased utilisation of MCH services. However, such interventions are uncommon in Nepal. We aim to carry out an intervention with the hypothesis that capacity building and text messaging intervention will increase the MCH service utilisation. MATRI-SUMAN is a 12-month cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT). The trial involves pregnant women from 52 clusters of six village development committees (VDCs) covering 66,000 populations of Dhanusha district of Nepal. In the intervention clusters, Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) will receive capacity development skills through reinforcement training, supervision and monitoring skills for the promotion of health seeking behaviour among pregnant women and study participants will receive periodic promotional text messaging service about MCH components through mobile phones. A sample of 354with equal numbers in each study arm is estimated using power calculation formula. The primary outcomes of this study are the rate of utilization of skilled birth attendants and consumption of a specified diversified meal. The secondary outcomes are: four antenatal (ANC) visits, weight gain of women during pregnancy, delivery of a baby at the health facility, postnatal care (PNC) visits, positive changes in child feeding practices among mothers, performance of FCHVs in MCH service utilization. The intervention is designed to enhance the capacity of health volunteers for the promotion of health seeking behaviour among pregnant women and text messaging through a mobile phone to expecting mothers to increase MCH service utilization. The trial if proven effective will have policy implications in poor resource settings. ISRCTN60684155, ( https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN60684155 ). The trial was registered retrospectively.

High-Quality Science Instruction: Building Conceptual Understanding and Language Skills for English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiRanna, Kathy; Gomez-Zwiep, Susan

2013-01-01

The confluence of "Common Core State Standards" ("CCSS"), "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"), and 21st century skills provides an unparalleled opportunity to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for all students, particularly English learners. "CCSS,"…

49 CFR 383.131 - Test manuals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...; (ix) Causes for automatic failure of skills tests; (x) Standardized scoring sheets for the skills tests; and (xi) Standardized driving instructions for the applicants. (2) A State may include any... 49 Transportation 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Test manuals. 383.131 Section 383.131...

National Skill Standards Implementation Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Vocational Technical Education Foundation, Washington, DC.

This guide was developed to encourage state policy makers and local school boards to implement the national skill standards formulated by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and the National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) in high schools, technical schools, and technical and community colleges.…

Evidence for Multiple Rhythmic Skills

PubMed Central

Tierney, Adam; Kraus, Nina

2015-01-01

Rhythms, or patterns in time, play a vital role in both speech and music. Proficiency in a number of rhythm skills has been linked to language ability, suggesting that certain rhythmic processes in music and language rely on overlapping resources. However, a lack of understanding about how rhythm skills relate to each other has impeded progress in understanding how language relies on rhythm processing. In particular, it is unknown whether all rhythm skills are linked together, forming a single broad rhythmic competence, or whether there are multiple dissociable rhythm skills. We hypothesized that beat tapping and rhythm memory/sequencing form two separate clusters of rhythm skills. This hypothesis was tested with a battery of two beat tapping and two rhythm memory tests. Here we show that tapping to a metronome and the ability to adjust to a changing tempo while tapping to a metronome are related skills. The ability to remember rhythms and to drum along to repeating rhythmic sequences are also related. However, we found no relationship between beat tapping skills and rhythm memory skills. Thus, beat tapping and rhythm memory are dissociable rhythmic aptitudes. This discovery may inform future research disambiguating how distinct rhythm competencies track with specific language functions. PMID:26376489

Enhancing students’ mathematical problem posing skill through writing in performance tasks strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadir; Adelina, R.; Fatma, M.

2018-01-01

Many researchers have studied the Writing in Performance Task (WiPT) strategy in learning, but only a few paid attention on its relation to the problem-posing skill in mathematics. The problem-posing skill in mathematics covers problem reformulation, reconstruction, and imitation. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of WiPT strategy on students’ mathematical problem-posing skill. The research was conducted at a Public Junior Secondary School in Tangerang Selatan. It used a quasi-experimental method with randomized control group post-test. The samples were 64 students consists of 32 students of the experiment group and 32 students of the control. A cluster random sampling technique was used for sampling. The research data were obtained by testing. The research shows that the problem-posing skill of students taught by WiPT strategy is higher than students taught by a conventional strategy. The research concludes that the WiPT strategy is more effective in enhancing the students’ mathematical problem-posing skill compared to the conventional strategy.

A biographical study of food choice capacity: standards, circumstances, and food management skills.

PubMed

Bisogni, Carole A; Jastran, Margaret; Shen, Luana; Devine, Carol M

2005-01-01

Conceptual understanding of how management of food and eating is linked to life course events and experiences. Individual qualitative interviews with adults in upstate New York. Fourteen men and 11 women with moderate to low incomes. PHENOMENON: Food choice capacity. Constant comparative method. A conceptual model of food choice capacity emerged. Food choice capacity represented participants' confidence in meeting their standards for food and eating given their food management skills and circumstances. Standards (expectations for how participants felt they should eat) were based on life course events and experiences. Food management skills (mental and physical talents to keep food costs down and prepare meals) were sources of self-esteem for many participants. Most participants had faced challenging and changing circumstances (income, employment, social support, roles, health conditions). Participants linked strong food management skills with high levels of food choice capacity, except in the case of extreme financial circumstances or the absence of strong standards. Recognizing people's experiences and perspectives in food choice is important. Characterizing food management skills as durable, adaptive resources positions them conceptually for researchers and in a way that practitioners can apply in developing programs for adults.

National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12. A Special Publication of the Journal of School Health. Special Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American School Health Association (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

The goal of this paper, "National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12," is to provide clear, consistent and straightforward guidance on the "essential minimum, core content" for sexuality education that is developmentally and age-appropriate for students in grades K-12. The development of these standards is a result of an…

Using standardized patients in enhancing undergraduate students' learning experience in mental health nursing.

PubMed

Goh, Yong-Shian; Selvarajan, Sunil; Chng, Mui-Lee; Tan, Chee-Shiong; Yobas, Piyanee

2016-10-01

Conducting mental status examination and suicide risk assessment is an important skill required of nurses when they are in the clinical setting. With nursing students often expressing the anxiety and lack of confidence in doing so, the use of standardized patients provide an excellent opportunity to practice and become proficient with this skill in a simulated environment. To explore the learning experience of undergraduate nursing students using standardized patients while practising their mental status examination and suicide risk assessment skills in mental health nursing module. A pre- and post-test, single group quasi experimental design was used in this study. A standard didactic tutorial session and a standardized patient session was conducted to evaluate the learning experience of undergraduate nursing students learning mental status examination and suicide risk assessment. Outcome measures for this study include Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in learning scale. Qualitative comments in the form of open-ended questions were also collected in this study. A University offering nursing program from undergraduate to postgraduate level. A convenience sample of Year 2 undergraduate nursing students undertaking the mental health nursing module was included in this study. The use of standardized patient session had significantly increased students' satisfaction and confidence level before they are posted to a mental health setting for their clinical attachment. There was a significant difference on students' self-confidence level for those who have taken care of a patient with mental illness after adjusting for pre-test on score in learning. Qualitative feedback obtained from students showed a positive outlook towards the use of standardized patient as an effective tool in augmenting didactic learning into practical skills. Using standardized patient in mental health nursing education enhanced the integration of didactic content into clinical setting allowing students to practice their assessment skills learned in classroom and transfer it to the clinical area. The benefits of using standardized patient include allowing students to practice their communication skills and improving their confidence level in conducting mental status examination and suicide risk assessment by reducing anxiety as compared with traditional classroom and textbook-based pedagogy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing entrepreneurial competencies in the healthcare management undergraduate classroom.

PubMed

Rubino, Louis; Freshman, Brenda

2005-01-01

Recently, entrepreneurial behavior is becoming more accepted in the healthcare field. This article describes an attempt to foster development of positive entrepreneurial competencies in the undergraduate health administration classroom. Through a literature review on entrepreneurs, eight competency clusters are identified; decision making, strategic thinking, risk taking, confidence building, communicating ideas, motivating team members, tolerance of ambiguity, and internal locus of control. These clusters are used to promote entrepreneurial skills for students though identified learning-centered activities and supplement an instructional style that facilitates thoughtful reflection.

Millisecond radio pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verbunt, Frank; Lewin, Walter H. G.; Vanparadijs, Jan

1989-01-01

It is shown that the number of millisecond radio pulsars, in globular clusters, should be larger than 100, applying the standard scenario that all the pulsars descend from low-mass X-ray binaries. Moreover, most of the pulsars are located in a small number of clusters. The prediction that Teran 5 and Liller 1 contain at least about a dozen millisecond radio pulsars each is made. The observations of millisecond radio pulsars in globular clusters to date, in particular the discovery of two millisecond radio pulsars in 47 Tuc, are in agreement with the standard scenario, in which the neutron star is spun up during the mass transfer phase.

B, V Photometry for ~19,000 Stars in and around the Magellanic Cloud Globular Clusters NGC 1466, NGC 1841, NGC 2210, NGC 2257, and Reticulum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Young-Beom; Nemec, James M.; Walker, Alistair R.; Kunder, Andrea M.

2014-06-01

Homogeneous B, V photometry is presented for 19,324 stars in and around 5 Magellanic Cloud globular clusters: NGC 1466, NGC 1841, NGC 2210, NGC 2257, and Reticulum. The photometry is derived from eight nights of CCD imaging with the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 0.9 m SMARTS telescope. Instrumental magnitudes were transformed to the Johnson B, V system using accurate calibration relations based on a large sample of Landolt-Stetson equatorial standard stars, which were observed on the same nights as the cluster stars. Residual analysis of the equatorial standards used for the calibration, and validation of the new photometry using Stetson's sample of secondary standards in the vicinities of the five Large Magellanic Cloud clusters, shows excellent agreement with our values in both magnitudes and colors. Color-magnitude diagrams reaching to the main-sequence turnoffs at V ~ 22 mag, sigma-magnitude diagrams, and various other summaries are presented for each cluster to illustrate the range and quality of the new photometry. The photometry should prove useful for future studies of the Magellanic Cloud globular clusters, particularly studies of their variable stars.

Savant skills in autism: psychometric approaches and parental reports

PubMed Central

Howlin, Patricia; Goode, Susan; Hutton, Jane; Rutter, Michael

2009-01-01

Most investigations of savant skills in autism are based on individual case reports. The present study investigated rates and types of savant skills in 137 individuals with autism (mean age 24 years). Intellectual ability ranged from severe intellectual impairment to superior functioning. Savant skills were judged from parental reports and specified as ‘an outstanding skill/knowledge clearly above participant's general level of ability and above the population norm’. A comparable definition of exceptional cognitive skills was applied to Wechsler test scores—requiring a subtest score at least 1 standard deviation above general population norms and 2 standard deviations above the participant's own mean subtest score. Thirty-nine participants (28.5%) met criteria for either a savant skill or an exceptional cognitive skill: 15 for an outstanding cognitive skill (most commonly block design); 16 for a savant skill based on parental report (mostly mathematical/calculating abilities); 8 met criteria for both a cognitive and parental rated savant skill. One-third of males showed some form of outstanding ability compared with 19 per cent of females. No individual with a non-verbal IQ below 50 met criteria for a savant skill and, contrary to some earlier hypotheses, there was no indication that individuals with higher rates of stereotyped behaviours/interests were more likely to demonstrate savant skills. PMID:19528018

Educating Students in Preventive Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conyne, Robert K.

1997-01-01

Provides a comprehensive set of competencies for counselors doing primary prevention. Describes 10 expanded clusters of skills (primary prevention perspective, personal attributes and behaviors, ethics, marketing, multiculturalism, group facilitation, organization and setting dynamics, trends and political dynamics, and research and evaluation)…

The Vise/Vice of Standardized Testing: National Depreciation by Quantification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Edmund J.

Current uses of standardized English tests are adversely affecting students, misleading lay people, and having a pernicious effect on the English profession. These tests are severely limited, incapable of assessing speaking skill and effectiveness, reading interests, appreciation of literature, listening skill, understanding and appreciation of…

Standardized Patient Encounters Improved Athletic Training Students' Confidence in Clinical Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Kirk J.; Jarriel, Amanda J.

2015-01-01

Context: Researchers have reported that interacting with standardized patients (SPs) is a worthwhile and realistic experience for athletic training (AT) students. These encounters enhance students' interviewing skills, confidence as a clinician, clinical skill development, and interpersonal communication. Objective: To determine how SP encounters…

Cognitive training for technical and non-technical skills in robotic surgery: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Raison, Nicholas; Ahmed, Kamran; Abe, Takashige; Brunckhorst, Oliver; Novara, Giacomo; Buffi, Nicolò; McIlhenny, Craig; van der Poel, Henk; van Hemelrijck, Mieke; Gavazzi, Andrea; Dasgupta, Prokar

2018-05-07

To investigate the effectiveness of motor imagery (MI) for technical skill and non-technical skill (NTS) training in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). A single-blind, parallel-group randomised controlled trial was conducted at the Vattikuti Institute of Robotic Surgery, King's College London. Novice surgeons were recruited by open invitation in 2015. After basic robotic skills training, participants underwent simple randomisation to either MI training or standard training. All participants completed a robotic urethrovesical anastomosis task within a simulated operating room. In addition to the technical task, participants were required to manage three scripted NTS scenarios. Assessment was performed by five blinded expert surgeons and a NTS expert using validated tools for evaluating technical skills [Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS)] and NTS [Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS)]. Quality of MI was assessed using a revised Movement Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ). In all, 33 participants underwent MI training and 29 underwent standard training. Interrater reliability was high, Krippendorff's α = 0.85. After MI training, the mean (sd) GEARS score was significantly higher than after standard training, at 13.1 (3.25) vs 11.4 (2.97) (P = 0.03). There was no difference in mean NOTSS scores, at 25.8 vs 26.4 (P = 0.77). MI training was successful with significantly higher imagery scores than standard training (mean MIQ score 5.1 vs 4.5, P = 0.04). Motor imagery is an effective training tool for improving technical skill in MIS even in novice participants. No beneficial effect for NTS was found. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An imbalance in cluster sizes does not lead to notable loss of power in cross-sectional, stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials with a continuous outcome.

PubMed

Kristunas, Caroline A; Smith, Karen L; Gray, Laura J

2017-03-07

The current methodology for sample size calculations for stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials (SW-CRTs) is based on the assumption of equal cluster sizes. However, as is often the case in cluster randomised trials (CRTs), the clusters in SW-CRTs are likely to vary in size, which in other designs of CRT leads to a reduction in power. The effect of an imbalance in cluster size on the power of SW-CRTs has not previously been reported, nor what an appropriate adjustment to the sample size calculation should be to allow for any imbalance. We aimed to assess the impact of an imbalance in cluster size on the power of a cross-sectional SW-CRT and recommend a method for calculating the sample size of a SW-CRT when there is an imbalance in cluster size. The effect of varying degrees of imbalance in cluster size on the power of SW-CRTs was investigated using simulations. The sample size was calculated using both the standard method and two proposed adjusted design effects (DEs), based on those suggested for CRTs with unequal cluster sizes. The data were analysed using generalised estimating equations with an exchangeable correlation matrix and robust standard errors. An imbalance in cluster size was not found to have a notable effect on the power of SW-CRTs. The two proposed adjusted DEs resulted in trials that were generally considerably over-powered. We recommend that the standard method of sample size calculation for SW-CRTs be used, provided that the assumptions of the method hold. However, it would be beneficial to investigate, through simulation, what effect the maximum likely amount of inequality in cluster sizes would be on the power of the trial and whether any inflation of the sample size would be required.

The effect of science learning integrated with local potential to improve science process skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahardini, Riris Riezqia Budy; Suryadarma, I. Gusti Putu; Wilujeng, Insih

2017-08-01

This research was aimed to know the effectiveness of science learning that integrated with local potential to improve student`s science process skill. The research was quasi experiment using non-equivalent control group design. The research involved all student of Muhammadiyah Imogiri Junior High School on grade VII as a population. The sample in this research was selected through cluster random sampling, namely VII B (experiment group) and VII C (control group). Instrument that used in this research is a nontest instrument (science process skill observation's form) adapted Desak Megawati's research (2016). The aspect of science process skills were making observation and communication. The data were using univariat (ANOVA) analyzed at 0,05 significance level and normalized gain score for science process skill increase's category. The result is science learning that integrated with local potential was effective to improve science process skills of student (Sig. 0,00). This learning can increase science process skill, shown by a normalized gain score value at 0,63 (medium category) in experiment group and 0,29 (low category) in control group.

PROMOTING GROSS MOTOR SKILLS IN TODDLERS: THE ACTIVE BEGINNINGS PILOT CLUSTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL.

PubMed

Veldman, Sanne L C; Okely, Anthony D; Jones, Rachel A

2015-12-01

This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of a gross motor skill program for toddlers. An 8-wk. skills program in which children practiced three skills was implemented for 10 min. daily in two randomly designated childcare centers. Two other centers served as the control group. Recruitment and retention rates were collected for feasibility. Data on professional development, children's participation, program duration, and appropriateness of the lessons were collected for acceptability, and the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and Get Skilled, Get Active (total of 28 points) were used to look at the potential efficacy. The participants were 60 toddlers (M age=2.5 yr., SD=0.4; n=29 boys), and the retention rate was 95%. Overall participation was 76%, and educators rated 98% of the lessons as appropriate. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in motor skills (p<.05, Cohen's d=1.13). This study shows that a brief intervention, which is easy to integrate on a daily basis in childcare settings, can improve motor skills among toddlers.

A systematic review of wheelchair skills tests for manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury: towards a standardized outcome measure.

PubMed

Fliess-Douer, Osnat; Vanlandewijck, Yves C; Lubel Manor, Galia; Van Der Woude, Lucas H V

2010-10-01

To review, analyse, evaluate and critically appraise available wheelchair skill tests in the international literature and to determine the need for a standardized measurement tool of manual wheeled mobility in those with spinal cord injury. A systematic review of literature (databases PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library (1970-December 2009). Hand rim wheelchair users, mainly those with spinal cord injury. Studies' content and methodology were analysed qualitatively. Study quality was assessed using the scale of Gardner and Altman. Thirteen studies fell within the inclusion criteria and were critically reviewed. The 13 studies covered 11 tests, which involved 14 different skills. These 14 skills were categorized into: wheelchair manoeuvring and basic daily living skills; obstacle-negotiating skills; wheelie tasks; and transfers. The Wheelchair Skills Test version 2.4 (WST-2.4) and Wheelchair Circuit tests scored best on the Gardner and Altman scale, the Obstacle Course Assessment of Wheelchair User Performances (OCAWUP) test was found to be the most relevant for daily needs in a wheelchair. The different tests used different measurement scales, varying from binary to ordinal and continuous. Comparison of outcomes between tests was not possible because of differences in skills assessed, measurement scales, environment and equipment selected for each test. A lack of information regarding protocols as well as differences in terminology was also detected. This systematic review revealed large inconsistencies among the current available wheelchair skill tests. This makes it difficult to compare study results and to create norms and standards for wheelchair skill performance.

Migration in the shearing sheet and estimates for young open cluster migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quillen, Alice C.; Nolting, Eric; Minchev, Ivan; De Silva, Gayandhi; Chiappini, Cristina

2018-04-01

Using tracer particles embedded in self-gravitating shearing sheet N-body simulations, we investigate the distance in guiding centre radius that stars or star clusters can migrate in a few orbital periods. The standard deviations of guiding centre distributions and maximum migration distances depend on the Toomre or critical wavelength and the contrast in mass surface density caused by spiral structure. Comparison between our simulations and estimated guiding radii for a few young supersolar metallicity open clusters, including NGC 6583, suggests that the contrast in mass surface density in the solar neighbourhood has standard deviation (in the surface density distribution) divided by mean of about 1/4 and larger than measured using COBE data by Drimmel and Spergel. Our estimate is consistent with a standard deviation of ˜0.07 dex in the metallicities measured from high-quality spectroscopic data for 38 young open clusters (<1 Gyr) with mean galactocentric radius 7-9 kpc.

National Skills Standards Development Program: Organization and Operation of Technical Committees To Develop National Skill Standards for Competency in the Electronics Industry. The Third Party Summative Evaluation of the Electronic Industries Foundation Project. Phase I & II. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Losh, Charles

The Electronics Industries Foundation was awarded a project to develop national entry-level standards and a certification system. Ten specialties were included: automotive electronics, avionics, biomedical electronics, business machines, consumer products electronics, general electronics, industrial electronics, instrumentation, microcomputer, and…

Finding the Common Ground: A Comparison of Writing Expectations and Outcomes between the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacoby, Pat; Vasinda, Sheri

2014-01-01

In the Winter 2013 edition of the "Texas Journal of Literacy Education," we announced that a special task force from the TALE board would be sharing the common ground among the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS). In that first edition, we…

Cluster Stability Estimation Based on a Minimal Spanning Trees Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkovich, Zeev (Vladimir); Barzily, Zeev; Weber, Gerhard-Wilhelm; Toledano-Kitai, Dvora

2009-08-01

Among the areas of data and text mining which are employed today in science, economy and technology, clustering theory serves as a preprocessing step in the data analyzing. However, there are many open questions still waiting for a theoretical and practical treatment, e.g., the problem of determining the true number of clusters has not been satisfactorily solved. In the current paper, this problem is addressed by the cluster stability approach. For several possible numbers of clusters we estimate the stability of partitions obtained from clustering of samples. Partitions are considered consistent if their clusters are stable. Clusters validity is measured as the total number of edges, in the clusters' minimal spanning trees, connecting points from different samples. Actually, we use the Friedman and Rafsky two sample test statistic. The homogeneity hypothesis, of well mingled samples within the clusters, leads to asymptotic normal distribution of the considered statistic. Resting upon this fact, the standard score of the mentioned edges quantity is set, and the partition quality is represented by the worst cluster corresponding to the minimal standard score value. It is natural to expect that the true number of clusters can be characterized by the empirical distribution having the shortest left tail. The proposed methodology sequentially creates the described value distribution and estimates its left-asymmetry. Numerical experiments, presented in the paper, demonstrate the ability of the approach to detect the true number of clusters.

Small-Group Standardized Patient Encounter Improves Athletic Training Students' Psychosocial Intervention and Referral Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Stacy E.; Weidner, Thomas G.; Thrasher, Ashley B.

2016-01-01

Context: Athletic trainers provide psychological support, counseling, intervention, and referral to patients during clinical practice. However, students are rarely exposed to real-life opportunities to develop these skills. Objective: To determine if a small-group standardized patient (SP) encounter improved athletic training students'…

Computer Technology Standards of Learning for Virginia's Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia Department of Education, 2005

2005-01-01

The Computer/Technology Standards of Learning identify and define the progressive development of essential knowledge and skills necessary for students to access, evaluate, use, and create information using technology. They provide a framework for technology literacy and demonstrate a progression from physical manipulation skills for the use of…

Key Skills Portfolio Assessment: Good Practice Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rolfe, Martin; Wilson, Lorraine

2007-01-01

This guide offers advice and guidance to key skills managers, coordinators and other practitioners who are responsible for ensuring that the standards of portfolio assessment in their center are consistent across the center and with national standards. It describes and offers advice and guidance on the stages of assessment and internal moderation…

Guidelines for Implementing State Skill Standards Certificate Program in Construction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Workforce Development, Madison.

This packet contains guidelines, a student competency checklist, and student evaluation sheet for use in a Wisconsin school-to-work state skill standards certificate program in construction. The guidelines provide a planning resource for implementing the program, which was created in partnership with unions, employers, the state Department of…

Adolescent Depression: Evaluating Pediatric Residents' Knowledge, Confidence, and Interpersonal Skills Using Standardized Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewy, Colleen; Sells, C. Wayne; Gilhooly, Jennifer; McKelvey, Robert

2009-01-01

Objective: The authors aim to determine whether pediatric residents used DSM-IV criteria to diagnose major depressive disorder and how this related to residents' confidence in diagnosis and treatment skills before and after clinical training with depressed adolescents. Methods: Pediatric residents evaluated two different standardized patients…

Simulation improves procedural protocol adherence during central venous catheter placement: a randomized-controlled trial

PubMed Central

Peltan, Ithan D.; Shiga, Takashi; Gordon, James A.; Currier, Paul F.

2015-01-01

Background Simulation training may improve proficiency at and reduces complications from central venous catheter (CVC) placement, but the scope of simulation’s effect remains unclear. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of a pragmatic CVC simulation program on procedural protocol adherence, technical skill, and patient outcomes. Methods Internal medicine interns were randomized to standard training for CVC insertion or standard training plus simulation-based mastery training. Standard training involved a lecture, a video-based online module, and instruction by the supervising physician during actual CVC insertions. Intervention-group subjects additionally underwent supervised training on a venous access simulator until they demonstrated procedural competence. Raters evaluated interns’ performance during internal jugular CVC placement on actual patients in the medical intensive care unit. Generalized estimating equations were used to account for outcome clustering within trainees. Results We observed 52 interns place 87 CVCs. Simulation-trained interns exhibited better adherence to prescribed procedural technique than interns who received only standard training (p=0.024). There were no significant differences detected in first-attempt or overall cannulation success rates, mean needle passes, global assessment scores or complication rates. Conclusions Simulation training added to standard training improved protocol adherence during CVC insertion by novice practitioners. This study may have been too small to detect meaningful differences in venous cannulation proficiency and other clinical outcomes, highlighting the difficulty of patient-centered simulation research in settings where poor outcomes are rare. For high-performing systems, where protocol deviations may provide an important proxy for rare procedural complications, simulation may improve CVC insertion quality and safety. PMID:26154250

Direct Standard-Free Quantitation of Tamiflu® and Other Pharmaceutical Tablets using Clustering Agents with Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Flick, Tawnya G.; Leib, Ryan D.; Williams, Evan R.

2010-01-01

Accurate and rapid quantitation is advantageous to identify counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical drugs. A standard-free electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method is used to directly determine the dosage in the prescription and over-the-counter drugs, Tamiflu®, Sudafed®, and Dramamine®. A tablet of each drug was dissolved in aqueous solution, filtered, and introduced into solutions containing a known concentration of either L-tryptophan, L-phenylalanine or prednisone as clustering agents. The active ingredient(s) incorporates statistically into large clusters of the clustering agent where effects of differential ionization/detection are substantially reduced. From the abundances of large clusters, the dosages of the active ingredients in each of the tablets were determined to typically better than 20% accuracy even when the ionization/detection efficiency of the individual components differed by over 100×. Although this unorthodox method for quantitation is not as accurate as using conventional standards, it has the advantages that it is fast, it can be applied to mixtures where the identities of the analytes are unknown, and it can be used when suitable standards may not be readily available, such as schedule I or II controlled substances or new designer drugs that have not previously been identified. PMID:20092258

Vocational trainees' views and experiences regarding the learning and teaching of communication skills in general practice.

PubMed

Van Nuland, Marc; Thijs, Gabie; Van Royen, Paul; Van den Noortgate, Wim; Goedhuys, Jo

2010-01-01

To explore the views and experiences of general practice (GP) vocational trainees regarding communication skills (CS) and the teaching and learning of these skills. A purposive sample of second and third (final) year GP trainees took part in six focus group (FG) discussions. Transcripts were coded and analysed in accordance with a grounded theory approach by two investigators using Alas-ti software. Finally results were triangulated by means of semi-structured telephone interviews. The analysis led to three thematic clusters: (1) trainees acknowledge the essential importance of communication skills and identified contextual factors influencing the learning and application of these skills; (2) trainees identified preferences for learning and receiving feedback on their communication skills; and (3) trainees perceived that the assessment of communication skills is subjective. These themes are organised into a framework for a better understanding of trainees' communication skills as part of their vocational training. The framework helps in leading to a better understanding of the way in which trainees learn and apply communication skills. The unique context of vocational training should be taken into account when trainees' communication skills are assessed. The teaching and learning should be guided by a learner-centred approach. The framework is valuable for informing curricular reform and future research.

Design Studies. Guide to Standards and Implementation. Career & Technology Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Standards Branch.

With this Career and Technology Studies (CTS) curriculum guide, secondary students in Alberta can do the following: develop skills that can be applied in their daily lives; refine career-planning skills; develop technology-related skills in design; enhance employability skills, especially in design occupations; and apply and reinforce learning…

A Guide to Employability Skills Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kromhout, Ora M.; And Others

This guide identifies existing employability skills materials and provides annotations to assist the reader in selecting materials. To assist Florida educators in relating employability skills to educational goals, Florida goals and standards are presented. A Topic Index to Titles first provides a topic outline of skills areas based on The Florida…

Electro-Technologies. Guide to Standards and Implementation. Career & Technology Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Standards Branch.

With this Career and Technologies Studies (CTS) curriculum guide, secondary students in Alberta can do the following: develop skills that can be applied in their daily lives; refine career-planning skills; develop technology-related skills in electro-technologies; enhance employability skills, especially in electro-technologies industries; and…

Enterprise & Innovation. Guide to Standards and Implementation. Career & Technology Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Standards Branch.

With this Career and Technology Studies (CTS) curriculum guide, secondary students in Alberta can do the following: develop skills that can be applied in their daily lives; refine career-planning skills; develop technology-related skills in enterprise and innovation; enhance employability skills, especially in entrepreneurial pursuits; and apply…

Critical Thinking Skills of United States Dental Hygiene Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Notgarnie, Howard M.

2011-01-01

The complexity of decision-making in dental hygienists' practice requires critical thinking skills. Interest in raising educational standards for entry into the dental hygiene profession is a response to the demand for enhanced professional skills, including critical thinking skills. No studies found in the course of literature review compared…

Important Competencies for Future Health and Wellness Professionals: An Investigation of Employer Desired Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Craig; Loy, Marty

2004-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the validity of the professional competencies developed by the Association of Worksite Health Promotion (AWHP) Professional Standards Task Force. The Task Force identified a competency framework that included business skills, program coordination skills, and human resource skills with corresponding…

Construction Technologies. Guide to Standards and Implementation. Career & Technology Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Standards Branch.

With this Career and Technology Studies (CTS) curriculum guide, secondary students in Alberta can do the following; develop skills that can be applied in their daily lives; refine career-planning skills; develop technology-related skills in construction; enhance employability skills, especially in construction industries; and apply and reinforce…

Agriculture. Guide to Standards and Implementation. Career & Technology Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Standards Branch.

With this Career and Technology Studies (CTS) curriculum guide, secondary students in Alberta can do the following: develop skills that can be applied in their daily lives; refine career-planning skills; develop technology-related skills in agriculture; enhance employability skills, especially in foods; and apply and reinforce learning developed…

Teaching communication skills in clinical settings: comparing two applications of a comprehensive program with standardized and real patients

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Communication is important for the quality of clinical practice, and programs have been implemented to improve healthcare providers’ communication skills. However, the consistency of programs teaching communication skills has received little attention, and debate exists about the application of acquired skills to real patients. This study inspects whether (1) results from a communication program are replicated with different samples, and (2) results with standardized patients apply to interviews with real patients. Methods A structured, nine-month communication program was applied in two consecutive years to two different samples of healthcare professionals (25 in the first year, 20 in the second year). Results were assessed at four different points in time, each year, regarding participants’ confidence levels (self-rated), basic communication skills in interviews with standardized patients, and basic communication skills in interviews with real patients. Data were analyzed using GLM Repeated-Measures procedures. Results Improvements were statistically significant in both years in all measures except in simulated patients’ assessment of the 2008 group. Differences between the two samples were non-significant. Differences between interviews with standardized and with real patients were also non-significant. Conclusions The program’s positive outcomes were replicated in different samples, and acquired skills were successfully applied to real-patient interviews. This reinforces this type of program structure as a valuable training tool, with results translating into real situations. It also adds to the reliability of the assessment instruments employed, though these may need adaptation in the case of real patients. PMID:24886341

Quantification and statistical significance analysis of group separation in NMR-based metabonomics studies

PubMed Central

Goodpaster, Aaron M.; Kennedy, Michael A.

2015-01-01

Currently, no standard metrics are used to quantify cluster separation in PCA or PLS-DA scores plots for metabonomics studies or to determine if cluster separation is statistically significant. Lack of such measures makes it virtually impossible to compare independent or inter-laboratory studies and can lead to confusion in the metabonomics literature when authors putatively identify metabolites distinguishing classes of samples based on visual and qualitative inspection of scores plots that exhibit marginal separation. While previous papers have addressed quantification of cluster separation in PCA scores plots, none have advocated routine use of a quantitative measure of separation that is supported by a standard and rigorous assessment of whether or not the cluster separation is statistically significant. Here quantification and statistical significance of separation of group centroids in PCA and PLS-DA scores plots are considered. The Mahalanobis distance is used to quantify the distance between group centroids, and the two-sample Hotelling's T2 test is computed for the data, related to an F-statistic, and then an F-test is applied to determine if the cluster separation is statistically significant. We demonstrate the value of this approach using four datasets containing various degrees of separation, ranging from groups that had no apparent visual cluster separation to groups that had no visual cluster overlap. Widespread adoption of such concrete metrics to quantify and evaluate the statistical significance of PCA and PLS-DA cluster separation would help standardize reporting of metabonomics data. PMID:26246647

7 CFR 52.1851 - Sizes of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Sizes of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster. 52.1851 Section 52.1851 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 52.1842 - Product description of Layer or (Cluster) raisins with seeds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Product description of Layer or (Cluster) raisins with seeds. 52.1842 Section 52.1842 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL...

7 CFR 52.1853 - Grades of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Grades of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster. 52.1853 Section 52.1853 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 52.1853 - Grades of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Grades of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster. 52.1853 Section 52.1853 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 52.1842 - Product description of Layer or (Cluster) raisins with seeds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Product description of Layer or (Cluster) raisins with seeds. 52.1842 Section 52.1842 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL...

7 CFR 52.1852 - Grades of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Grades of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster. 52.1852 Section 52.1852 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT O...

7 CFR 52.1851 - Sizes of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Sizes of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster. 52.1851 Section 52.1851 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 52.1853 - Grades of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Grades of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster. 52.1853 Section 52.1853 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 52.1850 - Sizes of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Sizes of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster. 52.1850 Section 52.1850 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF...

7 CFR 52.1852 - Grades of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Grades of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster. 52.1852 Section 52.1852 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT O...

7 CFR 52.1850 - Sizes of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Sizes of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster. 52.1850 Section 52.1850 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF...

7 CFR 52.1851 - Sizes of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sizes of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster. 52.1851 Section 52.1851 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 52.1842 - Product description of Layer or (Cluster) raisins with seeds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Product description of Layer or (Cluster) raisins with seeds. 52.1842 Section 52.1842 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL...

7 CFR 52.1842 - Product description of Layer or (Cluster) raisins with seeds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Product description of Layer or (Cluster) raisins with seeds. 52.1842 Section 52.1842 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL...

7 CFR 52.1852 - Grades of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Grades of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster. 52.1852 Section 52.1852 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT O...

7 CFR 52.1850 - Sizes of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sizes of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster. 52.1850 Section 52.1850 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF...

7 CFR 52.1852 - Grades of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Grades of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster. 52.1852 Section 52.1852 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT O...

7 CFR 52.1851 - Sizes of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Sizes of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster. 52.1851 Section 52.1851 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 52.1853 - Grades of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Grades of raisins with seeds-layer or cluster. 52.1853 Section 52.1853 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946...

7 CFR 52.1850 - Sizes of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Sizes of raisins with seeds-except layer or cluster. 52.1850 Section 52.1850 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF...

Standardized Effect Size Measures for Mediation Analysis in Cluster-Randomized Trials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stapleton, Laura M.; Pituch, Keenan A.; Dion, Eric

2015-01-01

This article presents 3 standardized effect size measures to use when sharing results of an analysis of mediation of treatment effects for cluster-randomized trials. The authors discuss 3 examples of mediation analysis (upper-level mediation, cross-level mediation, and cross-level mediation with a contextual effect) with demonstration of the…

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 15: Administrative Information, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This volume developed by the Machine Tool Advanced Skill Technology (MAST) program contains key administrative documents and provides additional sources for machine tool and precision manufacturing information and important points of contact in the industry. The document contains the following sections: a foreword; grant award letter; timeline for…

Associations Among Health Care Workplace Safety, Resident Satisfaction, and Quality of Care in Long-Term Care Facilities.

PubMed

Boakye-Dankwa, Ernest; Teeple, Erin; Gore, Rebecca; Punnett, Laura

2017-11-01

We performed an integrated cross-sectional analysis of relationships between long-term care work environments, employee and resident satisfaction, and quality of patient care. Facility-level data came from a network of 203 skilled nursing facilities in 13 states in the eastern United States owned or managed by one company. K-means cluster analysis was applied to investigate clustered associations between safe resident handling program (SRHP) performance, resident care outcomes, employee satisfaction, rates of workers' compensation claims, and resident satisfaction. Facilities in the better-performing cluster were found to have better patient care outcomes and resident satisfaction; lower rates of workers compensation claims; better SRHP performance; higher employee retention; and greater worker job satisfaction and engagement. The observed clustered relationships support the utility of integrated performance assessment in long-term care facilities.

The effectiveness of an e-learning course on medication calculation in nursing students: a clustered quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Van Lancker, Aurélie; Baldewijns, Katleen; Verhaeghe, Rik; Robays, Hugo; Buyle, Franky; Colman, Roos; Van Hecke, Ann

2016-09-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of an e-learning course compared with a face-to-face lecture on medication calculation. The current knowledge on medication calculation of nursing students and nurses is insufficient to provide safe care. A stratified-clustered quasi-experimental study. A random selection of nursing schools were allocated to the e-learning course (intervention group) (seven schools; 189 students) or face-to-face lecture (control group) (six schools, 222 students). Students in both groups completed a validated medication calculation test (maximum score: 16) prior to the course (T0), immediately after the course (T1) and 3 months later (T2). A linear mixed model was used for data analysis. Medication calculation skills improved significantly more by the face-to-face lecture than e-learning course. Students in both groups significantly improved in medication calculation skills immediately after the course (T1) and 3 months later. The results flattened at T2 with a significant decline in the intervention group between T1 and T2 and a non-significant decline in the control group. Based on a subgroup analysis, improvement in medication calculation skills at T2 could only be observed in vocational-level (sub degree) nursing students receiving a face-to-face course. Both medication calculation courses had a positive effect on medication calculation skills. Students receiving traditional face-to-face lecture improved significantly more than the students receiving the e-learning course. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effectiveness of Chinese Martial Arts and Philosophy to Reduce Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Schoolchildren.

PubMed

Fung, Annis Lai Chu; Lee, Toney Ka Hung

2018-06-01

This study examined the effectiveness of Chinese martial arts in reducing reactive and proactive aggressive behavior among schoolchildren with a cluster-randomized trial. A screening questionnaire was completed by 3511 schoolchildren of Grades 2 to 5 from 13 sites in Hong Kong. We shortlisted 298 children who scored z ≥ 1 on the total score of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in their respective sites to participate in the experiment. They were divided into 31 clusters that were blinded and randomly assigned to one of the 4 conditions: skills only, philosophy only, skills and philosophy, and physical fitness (placebo). Subjects were assessed at baseline, posttraining, and 6 months after training using aggression scales. Results from the linear mixed model indicated that the time × training interaction effects were significant for aggressive behavior (reactive and proactive), delinquent behavior, anxiety/depression, and attention problems. Although all measures declined in all conditions over time, only the skills-and-philosophy condition showed a significant reduction at posttraining and/or 6-month follow-up compared with the placebo. The results provided a theoretical proof for the relationship between aggression and sport involvement combined with children's moral reasoning. This study gives practical implications to intervention that solely playing sports or teaching moral lessons is not effective enough for high-risk schoolchildren with aggressive behavior. However, combined traditional Chinese martial arts skills and moral philosophy training could be considered in the school curriculum to reduce school violence and facilitate creation of harmonious schools.

Information use skills in the engineering programme accreditation criteria of four countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, Cara

2014-01-01

The need for twenty-first century information skills in engineering practice, combined with the importance for engineering programmes to meet accreditation requirements, suggests that it may be worthwhile to explore the potential for closer alignment between librarians and their work with information literacy competencies to assist in meeting accreditation standards and graduating students with high-level information skills. This article explores whether and how information use skills are reflected in engineering programme accreditation standards of four countries: Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia. Results indicate that there is significant overlap between the information use skills required of students by engineering accreditation processes and librarians' efforts to develop information literacy competencies in students, despite differences in terms used to describe these skills. Increased collaboration between engineering faculty and librarians has the potential to raise student information literacy levels and fulfil the information use-related requirements of accreditation processes.

Who should be undertaking population-based surveys in humanitarian emergencies?

PubMed Central

Spiegel, Paul B

2007-01-01

Background Timely and accurate data are necessary to prioritise and effectively respond to humanitarian emergencies. 30-by-30 cluster surveys are commonly used in humanitarian emergencies because of their purported simplicity and reasonable validity and precision. Agencies have increasingly used 30-by-30 cluster surveys to undertake measurements beyond immunisation coverage and nutritional status. Methodological errors in cluster surveys have likely occurred for decades in humanitarian emergencies, often with unknown or unevaluated consequences. Discussion Most surveys in humanitarian emergencies are done by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Some undertake good quality surveys while others have an already overburdened staff with limited epidemiological skills. Manuals explaining cluster survey methodology are available and in use. However, it is debatable as to whether using standardised, 'cookbook' survey methodologies are appropriate. Coordination of surveys is often lacking. If a coordinating body is established, as recommended, it is questionable whether it should have sole authority to release surveys due to insufficient independence. Donors should provide sufficient funding for personnel, training, and survey implementation, and not solely for direct programme implementation. Summary A dedicated corps of trained epidemiologists needs to be identified and made available to undertake surveys in humanitarian emergencies. NGOs in the field may need to form an alliance with certain specialised agencies or pool technically capable personnel. If NGOs continue to do surveys by themselves, a simple training manual with sample survey questionnaires, methodology, standardised files for data entry and analysis, and manual for interpretation should be developed and modified locally for each situation. At the beginning of an emergency, a central coordinating body should be established that has sufficient authority to set survey standards, coordinate when and where surveys should be undertaken and act as a survey repository. Technical expertise is expensive and donors must pay for it. As donors increasingly demand evidence-based programming, they have an obligation to ensure that sufficient funds are provided so organisations have adequate technical staff. PMID:17543107

Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

Students at all grade levels in Wisconsin are required to learn about the principles and ideals upon which the United States is founded, and understand the world in which they live. Students at all levels should develop skills and understandings in all five strands found in the Wisconsin standards for social studies. These skills and…

Standardized Patients Provide a Reliable Assessment of Athletic Training Students' Clinical Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Kirk J.; Jarriel, Amanda J.

2016-01-01

Context: Providing students reliable objective feedback regarding their clinical performance is of great value for ongoing clinical skill assessment. Since a standardized patient (SP) is trained to consistently portray the case, students can be assessed and receive immediate feedback within the same clinical encounter; however, no research, to our…

State Skill Standards: Housing and Interior Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Department of Education, 2008

2008-01-01

Meeting the Housing and Interior Design Standards will provide students with skills for personal family life and towards becoming a professional in the interior design field. The mission of Housing and Interior Design education is to prepare students for family life, work life, and careers in the fashion industry by creating opportunities to…

Cloud-Based Collaborative Writing and the Common Core Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yim, Soobin; Warschauer, Mark; Zheng, Binbin; Lawrence, Joshua F.

2014-01-01

The Common Core State Standards emphasize the integration of technology skills into English Language Arts (ELA) instruction, recognizing the demand for technology-based literacy skills to be college- and career- ready. This study aims to examine how collaborative cloud-based writing is used in in a Colorado school district, where one-to-one…

Job Grading Standard for Blocker and Bracer WG-4602.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Policies and Standards.

The standard is used to grade nonsupervisor's work involved in blocking, bracing, staying, and securing cargo for shipment by land, sea, or air. It requires skill in constructing, placing, and installing wooden blocks, wedges, bracing structures and other staying devices, as well as skill in securing items using wires, ropes, chains, cables,…

Profiles of the National Industry Skills Standards Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahn, Mikala L., Comp.

In an effort to develop a more uniform and comprehensive system of national skill standards, the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor have awarded grants to 22 technical committees, composed of representatives from business, labor, and education, in a variety of industries and occupations. These projects will begin proposing national standards…

Assessing Teamwork Skills for Assurance of Learning Using CATME Team Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loughry, Misty L.; Ohland, Matthew W.; Woehr, David J.

2014-01-01

Colleges of business must meet assurance of learning requirements to gain or maintain AACSB accreditation under the new standards adopted April 8, 2013. Team skills are among the most important skills desired by recruiters, yet employers and scholars perceive that team skills are frequently deficient in college graduates. This article describes…

Testing a Model of Undergraduate Competence in Employability Skills and Its Implications for Stakeholders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Denise

2014-01-01

Despite the development of employability skills being firmly entrenched in higher education's strategic agenda worldwide; recent graduates' standards in certain skills are not meeting industry expectations. This paper presents and tests a model of undergraduate competence in employability skills. It highlights those factors which impact on…

A Conceptual Model for the Design and Delivery of Explicit Thinking Skills Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kassem, Cherrie L.

2005-01-01

Developing student thinking skills is an important goal for most educators. However, due to time constraints and weighty content standards, thinking skills instruction is often embedded in subject matter, implicit and incidental. For best results, thinking skills instruction requires a systematic design and explicit teaching strategies. The…

The Generic Skills Subcommittee Final Report to the Academic Plan Steering Committee. General Education Task Force.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George Brown Coll., Toronto (Ontario).

Ontario's College Standards and Accreditation Council (CSAC) devised a plan to enhance three dimensions of college education: general education, generic skills; and vocational or professional education. The CSAC designates generic skills as practical life skills essential for both personal and career success, defining these practical, portable…

Ohio Information Technology Competency Profile.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus.

This profile includes a comprehensive set of information technology competencies that are grounded in core academic subject areas and built around four occupational clusters (information services and support, network systems, programming and software development, and interactive media) that reflect the job opportunities and skills required for…

Computerized Training in Critical Thinking (CT)2: A Skill-Based Program for Army Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

15-minute break, and then completed the Skill 8 posttest . After completing the Skill 8 pretest , the experimental group completed the Skill training...including pretests , training modules, and posttests for each of eight CT skills. The pretests and training modules are highly interactive, include...usability evaluations .....................................26 Table 6: Pretest and posttest means and standard deviations by group, investigation 1

The validity of parental reports on motor skills performance level in preschool children: a comparison with a standardized motor test.

PubMed

Zysset, Annina E; Kakebeeke, Tanja H; Messerli-Bürgy, Nadine; Meyer, Andrea H; Stülb, Kerstin; Leeger-Aschmann, Claudia S; Schmutz, Einat A; Arhab, Amar; Ferrazzini, Valentina; Kriemler, Susi; Munsch, Simone; Puder, Jardena J; Jenni, Oskar G

2018-05-01

Motor skills are interrelated with essential domains of childhood such as cognitive and social development. Thus, the evaluation of motor skills and the identification of atypical or delayed motor development is crucial in pediatric practice (e.g., during well-child visits). Parental reports on motor skills may serve as possible indicators to decide whether further assessment of a child is necessary or not. We compared parental reports on fundamental motor skills performance level (e.g., hopping, throwing), based on questions frequently asked in pediatric practice, with a standardized motor test in 389 children (46.5% girls/53.5% boys, M age = 3.8 years, SD = 0.5, range 3.0-5.0 years) from the Swiss Preschoolers' Health Study (SPLASHY). Motor skills were examined using the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment 3-5 (ZNA3-5), and parents filled in an online questionnaire on fundamental motor skills performance level. The results showed that the answers from the parental report correlated only weakly with the objectively assessed motor skills (r = .225, p < .001). Although a parental screening instrument for motor skills would be desirable, the parent's report used in this study was not a valid indicator for children's fundamental motor skills. Thus, we may recommend to objectively examine motor skills in clinical practice and not to exclusively rely on parental report. What is Known: • Early assessment of motor skills in preschool children is important because motor skills are essential for the engagement in social activities and the development of cognitive abilities. Atypical or delayed motor development can be an indicator for different developmental needs or disorders. • Pediatricians frequently ask parents about the motor competences of their child during well-child visits. What is New: • The parental report on fundamental motor skills performance level used in this study was not a reliable indicator for describing motor development in the preschool age. • Standardized examinations of motor skills are required to validly assess motor development in preschoolers.

Design guide for low cost standardized payloads, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Sixteen engineering approaches to low cost standardized payloads in spacecraft are presented. Standard earth observatory satellite, standard U.S. domestic communication satellite, planetary spacecraft subsystems, standard spacecraft, and cluster spacecraft are reviewed.

Kappa statistic for the clustered dichotomous responses from physicians and patients

PubMed Central

Kang, Chaeryon; Qaqish, Bahjat; Monaco, Jane; Sheridan, Stacey L.; Cai, Jianwen

2013-01-01

The bootstrap method for estimating the standard error of the kappa statistic in the presence of clustered data is evaluated. Such data arise, for example, in assessing agreement between physicians and their patients regarding their understanding of the physician-patient interaction and discussions. We propose a computationally efficient procedure for generating correlated dichotomous responses for physicians and assigned patients for simulation studies. The simulation result demonstrates that the proposed bootstrap method produces better estimate of the standard error and better coverage performance compared to the asymptotic standard error estimate that ignores dependence among patients within physicians with at least a moderately large number of clusters. An example of an application to a coronary heart disease prevention study is presented. PMID:23533082

Some Applications of Graph Theory to Clustering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubert, Lawrence J.

1974-01-01

The connection between graph theory and clustering is reviewed and extended. Major emphasis is on restating, in a graph-theoretic context, selected past work in clustering, and conversely, developing alternative strategies from several standard concepts used in graph theory per se. (Author/RC)

Evaluation of Sensory and Motor Skills in Neurosurgery Applicants Using a Virtual Reality Neurosurgical Simulator: The Sensory-Motor Quotient.

PubMed

Roitberg, Ben Z; Kania, Patrick; Luciano, Cristian; Dharmavaram, Naga; Banerjee, Pat

2015-01-01

Manual skill is an important attribute for any surgeon. Current methods to evaluate sensory-motor skills in neurosurgical residency applicants are limited. We aim to develop an objective multifaceted measure of sensory-motor skills using a virtual reality surgical simulator. A set of 3 tests of sensory-motor function was performed using a 3-dimensional surgical simulator with head and arm tracking, collocalization, and haptic feedback. (1) Trajectory planning: virtual reality drilling of a pedicle. Entry point, target point, and trajectory were scored-evaluating spatial memory and orientation. (2) Motor planning: sequence, timing, and precision: hemostasis in a postresection cavity in the brain. (3) Haptic perception: touching virtual spheres to determine which is softest of the group, with progressive difficulty. Results were analyzed individually and for a combined score of all the tasks. The University of Chicago Hospital's tertiary care academic center. A total of 95 consecutive applicants interviewed at a neurosurgery residency program over 2 years were offered anonymous participation in the study; in 2 cohorts, 36 participants in year 1 and 27 participants in year 2 (validation cohort) agreed and completed all the tasks. We also tested 10 first-year medical students and 4 first- and second-year neurosurgery residents. A cumulative score was generated from the 3 tests. The mean score was 14.47 (standard deviation = 4.37), median score was 13.42, best score was 8.41, and worst score was 30.26. Separate analysis of applicants from each of 2 years yielded nearly identical results. Residents tended to cluster on the better performance side, and first-year students were not different from applicants. (1) Our cumulative score measures sensory-motor skills in an objective and reproducible way. (2) Better performance by residents hints at validity for neurosurgery. (3) We were able to demonstrate good psychometric qualities and generate a proposed sensory-motor quotient distribution in our tested population. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gauging Skills of Hospital Security Personnel: a Statistically-driven, Questionnaire-based Approach.

PubMed

Rinkoo, Arvind Vashishta; Mishra, Shubhra; Rahesuddin; Nabi, Tauqeer; Chandra, Vidha; Chandra, Hem

2013-01-01

This study aims to gauge the technical and soft skills of the hospital security personnel so as to enable prioritization of their training needs. A cross sectional questionnaire based study was conducted in December 2011. Two separate predesigned and pretested questionnaires were used for gauging soft skills and technical skills of the security personnel. Extensive statistical analysis, including Multivariate Analysis (Pillai-Bartlett trace along with Multi-factorial ANOVA) and Post-hoc Tests (Bonferroni Test) was applied. The 143 participants performed better on the soft skills front with an average score of 6.43 and standard deviation of 1.40. The average technical skills score was 5.09 with a standard deviation of 1.44. The study avowed a need for formal hands on training with greater emphasis on technical skills. Multivariate analysis of the available data further helped in identifying 20 security personnel who should be prioritized for soft skills training and a group of 36 security personnel who should receive maximum attention during technical skills training. This statistically driven approach can be used as a prototype by healthcare delivery institutions worldwide, after situation specific customizations, to identify the training needs of any category of healthcare staff.

Gauging Skills of Hospital Security Personnel: a Statistically-driven, Questionnaire-based Approach

PubMed Central

Rinkoo, Arvind Vashishta; Mishra, Shubhra; Rahesuddin; Nabi, Tauqeer; Chandra, Vidha; Chandra, Hem

2013-01-01

Objectives This study aims to gauge the technical and soft skills of the hospital security personnel so as to enable prioritization of their training needs. Methodology A cross sectional questionnaire based study was conducted in December 2011. Two separate predesigned and pretested questionnaires were used for gauging soft skills and technical skills of the security personnel. Extensive statistical analysis, including Multivariate Analysis (Pillai-Bartlett trace along with Multi-factorial ANOVA) and Post-hoc Tests (Bonferroni Test) was applied. Results The 143 participants performed better on the soft skills front with an average score of 6.43 and standard deviation of 1.40. The average technical skills score was 5.09 with a standard deviation of 1.44. The study avowed a need for formal hands on training with greater emphasis on technical skills. Multivariate analysis of the available data further helped in identifying 20 security personnel who should be prioritized for soft skills training and a group of 36 security personnel who should receive maximum attention during technical skills training. Conclusion This statistically driven approach can be used as a prototype by healthcare delivery institutions worldwide, after situation specific customizations, to identify the training needs of any category of healthcare staff. PMID:23559904

Efficacy of communication skills training on colorectal cancer screening by GPs: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Aubin-Auger, I; Laouénan, C; Le Bel, J; Mercier, A; Baruch, D; Lebeau, J P; Youssefian, A; Le Trung, T; Peremans, L; Van Royen, P

2016-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) mass screening has been implemented in France since 2008. Participation rates remain too low. The objective of this study was to test if the implementation of a training course focused on communication skills among general practitioners (GP) would increase the delivery of gaiac faecal occult blood test and CRC screening participation among the target population of each participating GP. A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted with GP's practice as a cluster unit. GPs from practices in the control group were asked to continue their usual care. GPs of the intervention group received a 4-h educational training, built with previous qualitative data on CRC screening focusing on doctor-patient communication with a follow-up of 7 months for both groups. The primary outcome measure was the patients' participation rate in the target population for each GP. Seventeen GPs (16 practices) in intervention group and 28 GPs (19 practices) in control group participated. The patients' participation rate in the intervention group were 36.7% vs. 24.5% in the control group (P = 0.03). Doctor-patient communication should be developed and appear to be one of the possible targets of improvement patients adherence and participation rate in the target population for CRC mass screening. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dynamical Mass Measurements of Contaminated Galaxy Clusters Using Support Distribution Machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ntampaka, Michelle; Trac, Hy; Sutherland, Dougal; Fromenteau, Sebastien; Poczos, Barnabas; Schneider, Jeff

2018-01-01

We study dynamical mass measurements of galaxy clusters contaminated by interlopers and show that a modern machine learning (ML) algorithm can predict masses by better than a factor of two compared to a standard scaling relation approach. We create two mock catalogs from Multidark’s publicly available N-body MDPL1 simulation, one with perfect galaxy cluster membership infor- mation and the other where a simple cylindrical cut around the cluster center allows interlopers to contaminate the clusters. In the standard approach, we use a power-law scaling relation to infer cluster mass from galaxy line-of-sight (LOS) velocity dispersion. Assuming perfect membership knowledge, this unrealistic case produces a wide fractional mass error distribution, with a width E=0.87. Interlopers introduce additional scatter, significantly widening the error distribution further (E=2.13). We employ the support distribution machine (SDM) class of algorithms to learn from distributions of data to predict single values. Applied to distributions of galaxy observables such as LOS velocity and projected distance from the cluster center, SDM yields better than a factor-of-two improvement (E=0.67) for the contaminated case. Remarkably, SDM applied to contaminated clusters is better able to recover masses than even the scaling relation approach applied to uncon- taminated clusters. We show that the SDM method more accurately reproduces the cluster mass function, making it a valuable tool for employing cluster observations to evaluate cosmological models.

Business Management Occupations: Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vocational Technical Education Consortium of States, Decatur, GA.

This report organizes the information provided by 77 individuals in business management occupations in 12 states into skills inventories for persons in these jobs. The skills inventories contain the following sections: (1) occupation-specific knowledge (communication, mathematics, science); (2) workplace behaviors (work ethics, interpersonal…

Business Financial Occupations: Skill Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vocational Technical Education Consortium of States, Decatur, GA.

This report organizes the information provided by 71 individuals in finance-related occupations in 11 states into skills inventories for persons in these jobs. The skills inventories contain the following sections: (1) occupation-specific knowledge (communication, mathematics, science); (2) workplace behaviors (work ethics, interpersonal…

Emergent literacy profiles of preschool-age children with specific language impairment.

PubMed

Cabell, Sonia Q; Lomax, Richard G; Justice, Laura M; Breit-Smith, Allison; Skibbe, Lori E; McGinty, Anita S

2010-12-01

The primary aim of the present study was to explore the heterogeneity of emergent literacy skills among preschool-age children with specific language impairment (SLI) through examination of profiles of performance. Fifty-nine children with SLI were assessed on a battery of emergent literacy skills (i.e., alphabet knowledge, print concepts, emergent writing, rhyme awareness) and oral language skills (i.e., receptive/expressive vocabulary and grammar). Cluster analysis techniques identified three emergent literacy profiles: (1) Highest Emergent Literacy, Strength in Alphabet Knowledge; (2) Average Emergent Literacy, Strength in Print Concepts; and (3) Lowest Emergent Literacy across Skills. After taking into account the contribution of child age, receptive and expressive language skills made a small contribution to the prediction of profile membership. The present findings, which may be characterized as exploratory given the relatively modest sample size, suggest that preschool-age children with SLI display substantial individual differences with regard to their emergent literacy skills and that these differences cannot be fully determined by children's age or oral language performance. Replication of the present findings with a larger sample of children is needed.

Level of Skill Argued Students on Physics Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viyanti, V.; Cari, C.; Sunarno, W.; Prasetyo, Z. K.

2017-09-01

This study aims to analyze the prior knowledge of students to map the level of skills to argue floating and sinking material. Prior knowledge is the process of concept formation in cognitive processes spontaneously or based on student experience. The study population is high school students of class XI. The sample selection using cluster random sampling, obtained the number of sampel as many as 50 student. The research used descriptive survey method. The data were obtained through a multiple choice test both grounded and interviewed. The data analyzed refers to: alignment the concept and the activity of developing the skill of the argument. The result obtained by the average level of skill argue in terms of the prior knowladge of on “Level 2”. The data show that students have difficulty expressing simple arguments consisting of only one statement. This indicates a lack of student experience in cultivating argumentative skills in their learning. The skill level mapping argued in this study to be a reference for researchers to provide feedback measures to obtain positive change in cognitive conflict argued.

Effect Sizes in Cluster-Randomized Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedges, Larry V.

2007-01-01

Multisite research designs involving cluster randomization are becoming increasingly important in educational and behavioral research. Researchers would like to compute effect size indexes based on the standardized mean difference to compare the results of cluster-randomized studies (and corresponding quasi-experiments) with other studies and to…

The Impact of Sub-Skills and Item Content on Students' Skills with Regard to the Control-of-Variables Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwichow, Martin; Christoph, Simon; Boone, William J.; Härtig, Hendrik

2016-01-01

The so-called control-of-variables strategy (CVS) incorporates the important scientific reasoning skills of designing controlled experiments and interpreting experimental outcomes. As CVS is a prominent component of science standards appropriate assessment instruments are required to measure these scientific reasoning skills and to evaluate the…

29 CFR 1620.15 - Jobs requiring equal skill in performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 4 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. 1620.15 Section... EQUAL PAY ACT § 1620.15 Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. (a) In general. The jobs to which the equal pay standard is applicable are jobs requiring equal skill in their performance. Where the amount...

29 CFR 1620.15 - Jobs requiring equal skill in performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. 1620.15 Section... EQUAL PAY ACT § 1620.15 Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. (a) In general. The jobs to which the equal pay standard is applicable are jobs requiring equal skill in their performance. Where the amount...

29 CFR 1620.15 - Jobs requiring equal skill in performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 4 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. 1620.15 Section... EQUAL PAY ACT § 1620.15 Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. (a) In general. The jobs to which the equal pay standard is applicable are jobs requiring equal skill in their performance. Where the amount...

29 CFR 1620.15 - Jobs requiring equal skill in performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. 1620.15 Section... EQUAL PAY ACT § 1620.15 Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. (a) In general. The jobs to which the equal pay standard is applicable are jobs requiring equal skill in their performance. Where the amount...

Comparing Novice and Experienced Students within Virtual Performance Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Yang; Paquette, Luc; Baker, Ryan S.; Clarke-Midura, Jody

2015-01-01

Inquiry skills are an important part of science education standards. There has been particular interest in verifying that these skills can transfer across domains and instructional contexts [4,15,16]. In this paper, we study transfer of inquiry skills, and the effects of prior practice of inquiry skills, using data from over 2000 middle school…

Applying Systems Design and Item Response Theory to the Problem of Measuring Information Literacy Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Lisa G.; Radcliff, Carolyn J.; Gedeon, Julie A.

2002-01-01

Reports on the development of the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) at Kent State University (Ohio) for programmatic-level assessment of information literacy skills. Once validated, the instrument will be used to assess entry skills upon admission and longitudinally to ascertain whether there is significant change in…

The effects of embodied rhythm and robotic interventions on the spontaneous and responsive verbal communication skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A further outcome of a pilot randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Srinivasan, Sudha M.; Eigsti, Inge-Marie; Gifford, Timothy; Bhat, Anjana N.

2016-01-01

The current manuscript is the second in a mini-series of manuscripts reporting the effects of alternative, movement-based, rhythm and robotic interventions on the social communication skills of 36 school-age children with ASD. This pilot randomized controlled trial compared the effects of 8-weeks of rhythm and robotic interventions to those of a standard-of-care, comparison intervention. The first manuscript reported intervention effects on the spontaneous and responsive social attention skills of children. In this manuscript, we report intervention effects on the spontaneous and responsive verbal communication skills of children. Communication skills were assessed within a standardized test of responsive communication during the pretest and posttest as well as using training-specific measures of social verbalization during early, mid, and late training sessions. The rhythm and comparison groups improved on the standardized test in the posttest compared to the pretest. The rhythm and robot groups increased levels of social verbalization across training sessions. Movement-based and stationary contexts afforded different types and amounts of communication in children with ASD. Overall, movement-based interventions are a promising tool to enhance verbal and non-verbal communication skills in children with ASD. PMID:27668011

The effects of embodied rhythm and robotic interventions on the spontaneous and responsive verbal communication skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A further outcome of a pilot randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Srinivasan, Sudha M; Eigsti, Inge-Marie; Gifford, Timothy; Bhat, Anjana N

2016-07-01

The current manuscript is the second in a mini-series of manuscripts reporting the effects of alternative, movement-based, rhythm and robotic interventions on the social communication skills of 36 school-age children with ASD. This pilot randomized controlled trial compared the effects of 8-weeks of rhythm and robotic interventions to those of a standard-of-care, comparison intervention. The first manuscript reported intervention effects on the spontaneous and responsive social attention skills of children. In this manuscript, we report intervention effects on the spontaneous and responsive verbal communication skills of children. Communication skills were assessed within a standardized test of responsive communication during the pretest and posttest as well as using training-specific measures of social verbalization during early, mid, and late training sessions. The rhythm and comparison groups improved on the standardized test in the posttest compared to the pretest. The rhythm and robot groups increased levels of social verbalization across training sessions. Movement-based and stationary contexts afforded different types and amounts of communication in children with ASD. Overall, movement-based interventions are a promising tool to enhance verbal and non-verbal communication skills in children with ASD.

On Emotional Intelligence: A Conversation with Daniel Goleman.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neil, John

1996-01-01

Emotional intelligence involves a cluster of skills, including self-control, zeal, persistence, and self-motivation. Every child must be taught the essentials of handling anger, managing conflicts, developing empathy, and controlling impulses. Schools must help children recognize and manage their emotions. Educators should model emotional…

Mathematics Used in Occupations: An Interrelated Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minneapolis Public Schools, Minn. Dept. of Vocational Technical Education.

Intended for use by counselors and mathematics teachers, this guide brings together mathematical and occupational skills to form an interrelated curriculum. Eight occupational clusters are included as follow: (1) business and office, (2) communications, (3) construction, (4) hospitality, (5) manufacturing, (6) marketing and distribution, (7)…

34 CFR 403.202 - What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... academic skills; (2) One or more measures of the following: (i) Student competency attainment. (ii) Job or... skills in the industry the student is preparing to enter. (iii) Retention in school or completion of... appropriate, for consistency with— (1) Standards and measures developed under job opportunities and basic...

Analysis of the Integration of Skill Standards into Community College Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aragon, Steven R.; Woo, Hui-Jeong; Marvel, Matthew R.

2005-01-01

The utilization of skill standards in the curriculum development process has become an increasingly prominent aspect of the reform movement in career and technical education (CTE) over the past 10 years. Data were collected across 10 CTE program areas from a nationally representative sample of community colleges. The authors discuss the extent to…

Crosswalk Analysis of Deeper Learning Skills to Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conley, David T.

2011-01-01

The Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) conducted a crosswalk between the Deeper Learning Skills (DLS) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The purpose of the crosswalk was to understand the ways in which strategies for deeper learning relate to the CCSS. This comparison was not solely or simply an alignment study, although some…

An Exploratory Analysis of American Indian Children's Cultural Engagement, Fluid Cognitive Skills, and Standardized Verbal IQ Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsethlikai, Monica

2011-01-01

This exploratory cross-sectional study examined fluid cognitive skills and standardized verbal IQ scores in relation to cultural engagement amongst Tohono O'odham children (N = 99; ages 7 to 12 years). Guardians with higher socioeconomic status engaged their children in more cultural activities, and participation in more cultural activities…

The Use of Poster Sessions to Develop Professionalism, Domain Five of the Ecuadorian National English Teachers' Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales J., María V.; Morales J., María A.

2017-01-01

This study describes the presence of professional skills found in poster session proposals in order to consider the use of poster sessions for developing the skills required by the 2012 Ecuadorian Standards for English teachers, specifically related to the fifth domain professionalism. Thirteen poster session proposals for a national English…

Occupational Skill Standards. Experience Shows Industry Involvement To Be Key. Testimony before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morra, Linda G.

A study reviewed eight standards and certification systems for occupations that required less than a bachelor's degree for entry-level employment. Common elements among systems included industry ownership and control, recertification requirements to keep certificate holders' skills current, national portability of credentials, and integration of…

Investigation of Standardized Patient Ratings of Humanistic Competence on a Medical Licensure Examination Using Many-Facet Rasch Measurement and Generalizability Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Xiuyuan; Roberts, William L.

2013-01-01

Humanistic doctor-patient interaction has been measured for eight years using the Global Patient Assessment (GPA) tool in the national osteopathic clinical skills medical licensure examination. Standardized patients (SPs) apply the GPA tool to rate examinees' competence on doctor-patient communication, interpersonal skills, and professionalism.…

Phoneme Segmenting Alignment with the Common Core Foundational Skills Standard Two: Grades K-1. Technical Report #1227

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sáez, Leilani; Irvin, P. Shawn; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2012-01-01

In 2006, the easyCBM reading assessment system was developed to support the progress monitoring of phoneme segmenting, letter names and sounds recognition, word reading, passage reading fluency, and comprehension skill development in elementary schools. More recently, the Common Core Standards in English Language Arts have been introduced as a…

Standardizing the Pre-Licensure Supervision Process: A Commentary on Advocating for Direct Observation of Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Neal D.; Erickson, Paul

2013-01-01

The present paper advocates for standardized regulations and laws for supervision of pre-licensed counselors in the United States, particularly for direct observation of clinical skills. A review of regulations by the American Counseling Association (ACA) Office of Professional Affairs (2012) reveals that only two states (Arizona and North…

Meeting Threshold Learning Standards through Self-Management in Group Oral Presentations: Observations on Accounting Postgraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shauki, Elvia R.; Benzie, Helen

2017-01-01

This study explores the development of student self-management skills through an oral presentation task. It is motivated by the challenge to maintain consistent quality in students' oral skills and to incorporate national accounting curriculum requirements for threshold learning standards into an accounting subject. The study has been conducted in…

A Comparison of Performance on a Silent Informal Reading Inventory and Achievement on a Standardized Reading Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birger, Barbara

A study compared performance on a silent informal reading inventory and achievement on a standardized reading test, focusing on students' individual skill needs and how effective tests were in identifying specific strengths and weaknesses in these skill areas. Subjects, 25 students entering fourth grade in a primarily middle class suburban…

Blending Common Core Standards and Functional Skills in Thematic Units for Students with Significant Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper-Duffy, Karena; Hyer, Glenda

2014-01-01

Many teachers who educate students with significant intellectual disabilities struggle with the requirements for teaching academics linked to the Extended Common Core State Standards (ECCSS, 2010) while also balancing the need to teach functional skills. This article provides a practical way of creating thematic units that focuses on functional…

Testing the impact of a social skill training versus waiting list control group for the reduction of disruptive behaviors and stress among preschool children in child care: the study protocol for a cluster randomized trial.

PubMed

Côté, Sylvana M; Larose, Marie-Pier; Geoffroy, Marie Claude; Laurin, Julie; Vitaro, Frank; Tremblay, Richard E; Ouellet-Morin, Isabelle

2017-08-07

Most preschoolers growing up in western industrialized countries receive child care services (CCS) during the day, while their parents are at work. Meta-analytic data suggest that CCS represent a stressful experience for preschoolers. This may be because preschoolers have not yet developed the social skills necessary to cope with the new and rapidly fluctuating social contexts of CCS. We tested the effectiveness of a child care-based social skill training program aiming to improve children's social behaviors and reduce the stress they experience. We used a cluster randomized control trial (cRCT) to compare children's social behaviors and stress levels in pre- and post-intervention according to whether they received a social skill training intervention or not. Nineteen (n = 19) public CCS (n = 362, 3-years-old preschoolers) of underprivileged neighborhoods (Montreal, Canada) were randomized to one of two conditions: 1) social skills training (n = 10 CCS); or 2) waiting list control group (n = 9 CCS). Educators in the intervention group conducted bi-weekly social skills training sessions over a period of 8 months. The intervention covered four topics: making social contacts, problem solving, emotional self-regulation, as well as emotional expression and recognition. Main outcome measures included preschoolers' disruptive (e.g. aggression, opposition, conflicts) and prosocial behaviors (e.g. sharing toys, helping another child), and stress levels assessed by salivary cortisol sampling at pre and post intervention assessments. Educators' practices will be tested as potential mediators of the expected changes in behaviors and neuroendocrine stress. To our knowledge, this is the first cRCT to test the effectiveness of a child care based social skill training program on the reduction of disruptive behaviors and levels of stress. Significant challenges include the degree of adherence to the intervention protocol as well educators and preschoolers' turnover. Current clinical trial number is ISRCTN84339956 (Ongoing study, Retrospectively registered on March 2017) No amendment to initial protocol.

49 CFR 383.117 - Requirements for passenger endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES Required Knowledge and Skills § 383.117... following additional knowledge and skills test requirements. (a) Knowledge test. All applicants for the... procedures not otherwise specified. (b) Skills test. To obtain a passenger endorsement applicable to a...

Modulated Modularity Clustering as an Exploratory Tool for Functional Genomic Inference

PubMed Central

Stone, Eric A.; Ayroles, Julien F.

2009-01-01

In recent years, the advent of high-throughput assays, coupled with their diminishing cost, has facilitated a systems approach to biology. As a consequence, massive amounts of data are currently being generated, requiring efficient methodology aimed at the reduction of scale. Whole-genome transcriptional profiling is a standard component of systems-level analyses, and to reduce scale and improve inference clustering genes is common. Since clustering is often the first step toward generating hypotheses, cluster quality is critical. Conversely, because the validation of cluster-driven hypotheses is indirect, it is critical that quality clusters not be obtained by subjective means. In this paper, we present a new objective-based clustering method and demonstrate that it yields high-quality results. Our method, modulated modularity clustering (MMC), seeks community structure in graphical data. MMC modulates the connection strengths of edges in a weighted graph to maximize an objective function (called modularity) that quantifies community structure. The result of this maximization is a clustering through which tightly-connected groups of vertices emerge. Our application is to systems genetics, and we quantitatively compare MMC both to the hierarchical clustering method most commonly employed and to three popular spectral clustering approaches. We further validate MMC through analyses of human and Drosophila melanogaster expression data, demonstrating that the clusters we obtain are biologically meaningful. We show MMC to be effective and suitable to applications of large scale. In light of these features, we advocate MMC as a standard tool for exploration and hypothesis generation. PMID:19424432

Development of New Open-Shell Perturbation and Coupled-Cluster Theories Based on Symmetric Spin Orbitals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Timothy J.; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

A new spin orbital basis is employed in the development of efficient open-shell coupled-cluster and perturbation theories that are based on a restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) reference function. The spin orbital basis differs from the standard one in the spin functions that are associated with the singly occupied spatial orbital. The occupied orbital (in the spin orbital basis) is assigned the delta(+) = 1/square root of 2(alpha+Beta) spin function while the unoccupied orbital is assigned the delta(-) = 1/square root of 2(alpha-Beta) spin function. The doubly occupied and unoccupied orbitals (in the reference function) are assigned the standard alpha and Beta spin functions. The coupled-cluster and perturbation theory wave functions based on this set of "symmetric spin orbitals" exhibit much more symmetry than those based on the standard spin orbital basis. This, together with interacting space arguments, leads to a dramatic reduction in the computational cost for both coupled-cluster and perturbation theory. Additionally, perturbation theory based on "symmetric spin orbitals" obeys Brillouin's theorem provided that spin and spatial excitations are both considered. Other properties of the coupled-cluster and perturbation theory wave functions and models will be discussed.

Density-cluster NMA: A new protein decomposition technique for coarse-grained normal mode analysis.

PubMed

Demerdash, Omar N A; Mitchell, Julie C

2012-07-01

Normal mode analysis has emerged as a useful technique for investigating protein motions on long time scales. This is largely due to the advent of coarse-graining techniques, particularly Hooke's Law-based potentials and the rotational-translational blocking (RTB) method for reducing the size of the force-constant matrix, the Hessian. Here we present a new method for domain decomposition for use in RTB that is based on hierarchical clustering of atomic density gradients, which we call Density-Cluster RTB (DCRTB). The method reduces the number of degrees of freedom by 85-90% compared with the standard blocking approaches. We compared the normal modes from DCRTB against standard RTB using 1-4 residues in sequence in a single block, with good agreement between the two methods. We also show that Density-Cluster RTB and standard RTB perform well in capturing the experimentally determined direction of conformational change. Significantly, we report superior correlation of DCRTB with B-factors compared with 1-4 residue per block RTB. Finally, we show significant reduction in computational cost for Density-Cluster RTB that is nearly 100-fold for many examples. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluating the short-term effects of a communication skills program for preclinical medical students.

PubMed

Lee, Young-Mee; Lee, Young Hee

2014-09-01

Regardless of the growing importance of communication skills as a core clinical competence, few studies have determined the effects of communication skills courses in undergraduate medical curricula in Asian medical schools. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a communication skills program for preclinical medical students. A communication skills course was provided to 111 second-year medical students in a medical college in Korea. Students' self-assessed competency of communication skills was evaluated by a questionnaire survey. To examine the improvement in observed communication skills, the students' encounters with standardized patients (SPs) were assessed at the first session and at the final course assessment. A structured checklist, consisting of 25 communication skills items, was used for the assessment. Students' self-assessed competency of communication skills increased significantly after completion of the course (p<0.001). The observed communication skills scores also improved significantly at the end of the course; the mean scores of the first SPs encounters was 49.6 (standard deviation [SD], 11.1), and those of cases A and B at the final assessment were 61.5 (SD, 8.4) and 69.6 (SD, 7.8), respectively (F₆₁=269.54, p<0.001). Even a short period of medical communication skills course was beneficial in developing and improving communication skills competency in preclinical medical students. Further studies should be followed to examine whether the acquisition of communication skills during preclinical studies can be sustained into clerkship and actual practice.

Pilot Evaluation of a Communication Skills Training Program for Psychiatry Residents Using Standardized Patient Assessment.

PubMed

Ditton-Phare, Philippa; Sandhu, Harsimrat; Kelly, Brian; Kissane, David; Loughland, Carmel

2016-10-01

Mental health clinicians can experience difficulties communicating diagnostic information to patients and their families/carers, especially about distressing psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. There is evidence for the effectiveness of communication skills training (CST) for improving diagnostic discussions, particularly in specialties such as oncology, but only limited evidence exists about CST for psychiatry. This study evaluated a CST program specifically developed for psychiatry residents called ComPsych that focuses on conveying diagnostic and prognostic information about schizophrenia. The ComPsych program consists of an introductory lecture, module booklets for trainees, and exemplary skills videos, followed by small group role-plays with simulated patients (SPs) led by a trained facilitator. A standardized patient assessment (SPA) was digitally recorded pre- and post-training with a SP using a standardized scenario in a time-limited (15 min) period. Recorded SPAs were independently rated using a validated coding system (ComSkil) to identify frequency of skills used in five skills categories (agenda setting, checking, questioning, information organization, and empathic communication). Thirty trainees (15 males and 15 females; median age = 32) undertaking their vocational specialty training in psychiatry participated in ComPsych training and pre- and post-ComPsych SPAs. Skills increased post-training for agenda setting (d = -0.82), while questioning skills (d = 0.56) decreased. There were no significant differences in any other skills grouping, although checking, information organization, and empathic communication skills tended to increase post-training. A dose effect was observed for agenda setting, with trainees who attended more CST sessions outperforming those attending fewer. Findings support the generalization and translation of ComPsych CST to psychiatry.

Effect Sizes in Three-Level Cluster-Randomized Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedges, Larry V.

2011-01-01

Research designs involving cluster randomization are becoming increasingly important in educational and behavioral research. Many of these designs involve two levels of clustering or nesting (students within classes and classes within schools). Researchers would like to compute effect size indexes based on the standardized mean difference to…

Introducing Information Literacy Competency Standards for Nursing.

PubMed

Phelps, Sue F; Hyde, Loree; Planchon Wolf, Julie

2015-01-01

The Association for College and Research Libraries published the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Nursing (ILCSN) in January 2014, written by a task force of the Health Sciences Interest Group of the American Library Association. The ILCSN describes skills ranging from basic to advanced information research competencies for students enrolled in nursing programs at all levels and for professional nurses. This article guides administrators and faculty in use of the standards to design programs and coursework in information skills to support evidence-based practice.

Designing the Information Literacy Competency Standards for nursing.

PubMed

Phelps, Sue F

2013-01-01

This column documents the rationale for creating information literacy competency standards for nursing based on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) "Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education" and the three documents from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) on essential skills for nurses in baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral level education and practice. It chronicles the process of the task force which is designing the discipline specific skills and predicts the value of their use, once they are published.

Kappa statistic for clustered dichotomous responses from physicians and patients.

PubMed

Kang, Chaeryon; Qaqish, Bahjat; Monaco, Jane; Sheridan, Stacey L; Cai, Jianwen

2013-09-20

The bootstrap method for estimating the standard error of the kappa statistic in the presence of clustered data is evaluated. Such data arise, for example, in assessing agreement between physicians and their patients regarding their understanding of the physician-patient interaction and discussions. We propose a computationally efficient procedure for generating correlated dichotomous responses for physicians and assigned patients for simulation studies. The simulation result demonstrates that the proposed bootstrap method produces better estimate of the standard error and better coverage performance compared with the asymptotic standard error estimate that ignores dependence among patients within physicians with at least a moderately large number of clusters. We present an example of an application to a coronary heart disease prevention study. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gross and fine motor skills of children with Hurler syndrome (MPS-IH) post umbilical cord blood transplantation: a case series report.

PubMed

Dusing, Stacey C; Rosenberg, Angela; Hiemenz, Jennifer R; Piner, Shelley; Escolar, Maria

2005-01-01

Recent advancements in medical treatment of Hurler syndrome have resulted in longer life expectancies and a greater need for therapeutic services. The purpose of this case series is to provide recommendations for assessing children with Hurler syndrome after umbilical cord blood transplant (UCBT). CLINICAL DESCRIPTIONS: Two children with Hurler syndrome were seen for longitudinal assessments following an UCBT for Hurler syndrome. The raw scores and percentage of fine and gross motor items each child completed on the Motor Scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II) were reviewed. Both children gained new motor skills with each successive motor assessment. Both children were able to complete a higher percentage of fine motor skills than gross motor skills in the most advanced item set assessed. The children presented in these two case reports both had better fine motor skills than gross motor skills, which inflated their standard scores on the BSID-II. Clinicians assessing children with Hurler syndrome should use standardized assessments that allow for differentiation of fine and gross motor skills to prevent this situation.

Interactive Multimedia Package in Ameliorating Communicative Skill in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singaravelu, G.

2011-01-01

The study enlightens the effectiveness of Interactive-Multimedia Package in developing communicative skill in English at standard VI. Present methods of developing communicative skill are ineffective to the students in improving their communicative competencies in English. Challenging interactive Multimedia Package helps to enhance the…

Addressing Perceived Skill Deficiencies in Student Affairs Graduate Preparation Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Jay; Mitchell, Donald, Jr.; Eckerle, Kayle; Martin, Kyle

2016-01-01

This article explores existing literature on perceived skill deficiencies among entry-level student affairs practitioners. Through a review of recent literature, seven perceived skill deficiencies were identified, including budgeting and financial management, strategic planning, research and assessment, legal knowledge and standards, supervision,…

Schools, Skills and Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartog, Joop; Vijverberg, Wim

2007-01-01

Skill development involves important choices for individuals and school designers: should individuals and schools specialize, or should they aim for an optimal combination of skills? We analyze this question by employing mean-standard deviation analysis and show how cost structure, benefit structure and risk attitudes jointly determine the optimal…

Impact of the site specialty of a continuity practice on students' clinical skills: performance with standardized patients.

PubMed

Pfeiffer, Carol A; Palley, Jane E; Harrington, Karen L

2010-07-01

The assessment of clinical competence and the impact of training in ambulatory settings are two issues of importance in the evaluation of medical student performance. This study compares the clinical skills performance of students placed in three types of community preceptors' offices (pediatrics, medicine, family medicine) on yearly clinical skills assessments with standardized patients. Our goal was to see if the site specialty impacted on clinical performance. The students in the study were completing a 3-year continuity preceptorship at a site representing one of the disciplines. Their performance on the four clinical skills assessments was compared. There was no significant difference in history taking, physical exam, communication, or clinical reasoning in any year (ANOVA p< or = .05) There was a small but significant difference in performance on a measure of interpersonal and interviewing skills during Years 1 and 2. The site specialty of an early clinical experience does not have a significant impact on performance of most of the skills measured by the assessments.

Efficient ensemble forecasting of marine ecology with clustered 1D models and statistical lateral exchange: application to the Red Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreano, Denis; Tsiaras, Kostas; Triantafyllou, George; Hoteit, Ibrahim

2017-07-01

Forecasting the state of large marine ecosystems is important for many economic and public health applications. However, advanced three-dimensional (3D) ecosystem models, such as the European Regional Seas Ecosystem Model (ERSEM), are computationally expensive, especially when implemented within an ensemble data assimilation system requiring several parallel integrations. As an alternative to 3D ecological forecasting systems, we propose to implement a set of regional one-dimensional (1D) water-column ecological models that run at a fraction of the computational cost. The 1D model domains are determined using a Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based clustering method and satellite chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) data. Regionally averaged Chl-a data is assimilated into the 1D models using the singular evolutive interpolated Kalman (SEIK) filter. To laterally exchange information between subregions and improve the forecasting skills, we introduce a new correction step to the assimilation scheme, in which we assimilate a statistical forecast of future Chl-a observations based on information from neighbouring regions. We apply this approach to the Red Sea and show that the assimilative 1D ecological models can forecast surface Chl-a concentration with high accuracy. The statistical assimilation step further improves the forecasting skill by as much as 50%. This general approach of clustering large marine areas and running several interacting 1D ecological models is very flexible. It allows many combinations of clustering, filtering and regression technics to be used and can be applied to build efficient forecasting systems in other large marine ecosystems.

Pharmacy Technologist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This document, which is designed for use in developing a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of pharmacy technologist, lists technical competencies and competency builders for 16 units pertinent to the health technologies cluster in general as well as those specific to the occupation of pharmacy technologist. The following skill areas…

Radiographer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This document, which is designed for use in developing a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of radiographer, lists technical competencies and competency builders for 18 units pertinent to the health technologies cluster in general as well as those specific to the occupation of radiographer. The following skill areas are covered in the…

Histotechnologist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This document, which is designed for use in developing a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of histotechnologist, lists technical competencies and competency builders for 13 units pertinent to the health technologies cluster in general as well as those specific to the areas of histology and phlebotomy. The following skill areas are…

Dental Laboratory Technician.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This document, which is designed for use in developing a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of dental laboratory technician, lists technical competencies and competency builders for 13 units pertinent to the health technologies cluster in general and 8 units to the occupation of dental laboratory technician. The following skill areas…

Featuring: It Works! Competency Based Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elston, Teri

1979-01-01

Describes a competency based curriculum approach for ornamental horticulture. A horticulture cluster core consisting of 18 tasks was developed with competency sheets for each task. The competency sheet contains six columns: skills to be attained, task list, materials required, student activities, evaluation methods, and a recommended time period.…

Generalization of Skills through the Addition of Individualized Coaching: Development and Evaluation of a Social Skills Training Program in a Rural Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottlieb, Jennifer D.; Pryzgoda, Jayde; Neal, Andrea; Schuldberg, David

2005-01-01

There has been recent interest in adding interventions that aid in skill generalization to standard social skills training programs for schizophrenia. Some of these adjunctive interventions are very comprehensive and clearly promising (e.g., IVAST; Liberman, Glynn, Blair, Ross, & Marder, 2002), but their overall cost-effectiveness and feasibility…

Construction Upgrade. A Pack To Improve Communication, Numerical and IT Skills for NVQ.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rylands, Judy

This pack of materials is designed to help students working to improve their basic skills as part of their carpentry and joinery course. An introduction lists relevant core skills units and basic skills standards. The six individual sections of the pack are divided into task sheets and fact sheets. The fact sheets give information and teaching…

Assessing 21st Century Skills: A Guide to Evaluating Mastery and Authentic Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenstein, Laura

2012-01-01

The Common Core State Standards clearly define the skills students need for success in college and the 21st century workplace. The question is, how can you measure student mastery of skills like creativity, problem solving, and use of technology? Laura Greenstein demonstrates how teachers can teach and assess 21st century skills using authentic…

Choosing to Learn or Chosen to Learn: The Experience of "Skills for Life" Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Grady, Anne; Atkin, Chris

2006-01-01

It has been estimated that as many as one in five adults in England have difficulties with literacy or numeracy skills. Raising the standards of language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) skills amongst all adults of working age in England has become one of the government's highest priorities. Following the launch of the "Skills for Life"…

Assessment Data-Informed Guidance to Individualize Kindergarten Reading Instruction: Findings from a Cluster-Randomized Control Field Trial

PubMed Central

Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Connor, Carol M; Folsom, Jessica Sidler; Greulich, Luana; Meadows, Jane; Li, Zhi

2010-01-01

The purpose of this cluster-randomized control field trial was to was to examine the extent to which kindergarten teachers could learn a promising instructional strategy, wherein kindergarten reading instruction was differentiated based upon students’ ongoing assessments of language and literacy skills and documented child characteristic by instruction (CXI) interactions; and to test the efficacy of this differentiated reading instruction on the reading outcomes of students from culturally diverse backgrounds. The study involved 14 schools and included 23 treatment (n = 305 students) and 21 contrast teacher (n = 251 students). Teachers in the contrast condition received only a baseline professional development that included a researcher-delivered summer day-long workshop on individualized instruction. Data sources included parent surveys, individually administered child assessments of language, cognitive, and reading skills and videotapes of classroom instruction. Using Hierarchical Multivariate Linear Modeling (HMLM), we found students in treatment classrooms outperformed students in the contrast classrooms on a latent measure of reading skills, comprised of letter-word reading, decoding, alphabetic knowledge, and phonological awareness (ES = .52). Teachers in both conditions provided small group instruction, but teachers in the treatment condition provided significantly more individualized instruction. Our findings extend research on the efficacy of teachers using Individualized Student Instruction to individualize instruction based upon students’ language and literacy skills in first through third grade. Findings are discussed regarding the value of professional development related to differentiating core reading instruction and the challenges of using Response to Intervention approaches to address students’ needs in the areas of reading in general education contexts. PMID:21818158

"Together at school"--a school-based intervention program to promote socio-emotional skills and mental health in children: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Björklund, Katja; Liski, Antti; Samposalo, Hanna; Lindblom, Jallu; Hella, Juho; Huhtinen, Heini; Ojala, Tiina; Alasuvanto, Paula; Koskinen, Hanna-Leena; Kiviruusu, Olli; Hemminki, Elina; Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Sund, Reijo; Solantaus, Tytti; Santalahti, Päivi

2014-10-07

Schools provide a natural context to promote children's mental health. However, there is a need for more evidence-based, high quality school intervention programs combined with an accurate evaluation of their general effectiveness and effectiveness of specific intervention methods. The aim of this paper is to present a study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the "Together at School" intervention program. The intervention program is designed to promote social-emotional skills and mental health by utilizing whole-school approach and focuses on classroom curriculum, work environment of school staff, and parent-teacher collaboration methods. The evaluation study examines the effects of the intervention on children's socio-emotional skills and mental health in a cluster randomized controlled trial design with 1) an intervention group and 2) an active control group. Altogether 79 primary school participated at baseline. A multi-informant setting involves the children themselves, their parents, and teachers. The primary outcomes are measured using parent and teacher ratings of children's socio-emotional skills and psychological problems measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale. Secondary outcomes for the children include emotional understanding, altruistic behavior, and executive functions (e.g. working memory, planning, and inhibition). Secondary outcomes for the teachers include ratings of e.g. school environment, teaching style and well-being. Secondary outcomes for both teachers and parents include e.g. emotional self-efficacy, child rearing practices, and teacher-parent collaboration. The data was collected at baseline (autumn 2013), 6 months after baseline, and will be collected also 18 months after baseline from the same participants. This study protocol outlines a trial which aims to add to the current state of intervention programs by presenting and studying a contextually developed and carefully tested intervention program which is tailored to fit a national school system. Identification of effective intervention elements to promote children's mental health in early school years is crucial for optimal later development. ClinicalTrials.gov register: NCT02178332.

A Criterion-Referenced Viewpoint on Standards/Cutscores in Language Testing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Fred; Lynch, Brian K.

"Standard" is distinguished from "criterion" as it is used in criterion-referenced testing. The former is argued to refer to the real-world cutpoint at which a decision is made based on a test's result (e.g., exemption from a special training program). The latter is a skill or set of skills to which a test is referenced.…

Re-Conceptualizing Extra Help for High School Students in a High Standards Era.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balfanz, Robert; McPartland, James; Shaw, Alta

The push for higher academic standards has resulted in an increase in the numbers of high school students needing extra help. The need for extra help is most pervasive in high-poverty areas and most high school students need extra help not in traditional basic elementary skills but in reading, mathematics, and advanced reasoning skills. Most…

The Significance of Journal Writing in Improving Listening and Reading Comprehension in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saad, Inaam; Ahmed, Magdi

2015-01-01

This paper investigates the effect of daily journal writing on enhancing the listening and reading comprehension skills in a fifty-week Modern Standard Arabic course taught at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, California. In the field of foreign language (FL) teaching, writing has long been considered a supporting skill for…

Can Academic Standards Boost Literacy and Close the Achievement Gap? Policy Brief, Fall 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haskins, Ron; Murnane, Richard; Sawhill, Isabel; Snow, Catherine

2012-01-01

Good jobs in the nation's twenty-first-century economy require advanced literacy skills such as categorizing, evaluating, and drawing conclusions from written texts. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards by nearly all the states, combined with tough literacy assessments that are now in the offing, will soon reveal that literacy skills of…

[Timed up and go test for fingers in the form of the 20 cents test. Psychometric criteria of a simple performance test of fine motor skills].

PubMed

Krupp, Sonja; Kasper, Jennifer; Balck, Friedrich; Schnoor, Maike; Eisemann, Nora; Lohse, Kristina; Brunk, Juliane; Katalinic, Alexander; Willkomm, Martin

2015-02-01

Although many activities depend on intact fine motor skills no standardized assessment has been broadly established. The 20 cents test (20-C-T) was developed in 2009 and takes less than 5 mins. The quality criteria were investigated within the framework of this study. A total of 300 geriatric patients participated in the study. The classification of occupational therapists based on standardized anamnesis and clinical examination served as the gold standard. Physiotherapists blinded to the study particulars applied the 20-C-T. Every fourth patient suffered from deficits in fine motor skills relevant to everyday life. The 20-C-T correlated with the clinical severity level and was also feasible for patients with intermediate impairment of cognition or vision. Handedness, age and sex were without significant influence. Intrarater and interrater reliability were good. Standardized testing of fine motor skills should be included in geriatric screening and basic assessment. The quality criteria of the 20-C-T show that it can be used for this purpose. Further diagnostic steps are recommended whenever a geriatric patient needs more than 40 s for the task.

Dynamical Mass Measurements of Contaminated Galaxy Clusters Using Machine Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ntampaka, M.; Trac, H.; Sutherland, D. J.; Fromenteau, S.; Póczos, B.; Schneider, J.

2016-11-01

We study dynamical mass measurements of galaxy clusters contaminated by interlopers and show that a modern machine learning algorithm can predict masses by better than a factor of two compared to a standard scaling relation approach. We create two mock catalogs from Multidark’s publicly available N-body MDPL1 simulation, one with perfect galaxy cluster membership information and the other where a simple cylindrical cut around the cluster center allows interlopers to contaminate the clusters. In the standard approach, we use a power-law scaling relation to infer cluster mass from galaxy line-of-sight (LOS) velocity dispersion. Assuming perfect membership knowledge, this unrealistic case produces a wide fractional mass error distribution, with a width of {{Δ }}ε ≈ 0.87. Interlopers introduce additional scatter, significantly widening the error distribution further ({{Δ }}ε ≈ 2.13). We employ the support distribution machine (SDM) class of algorithms to learn from distributions of data to predict single values. Applied to distributions of galaxy observables such as LOS velocity and projected distance from the cluster center, SDM yields better than a factor-of-two improvement ({{Δ }}ε ≈ 0.67) for the contaminated case. Remarkably, SDM applied to contaminated clusters is better able to recover masses than even the scaling relation approach applied to uncontaminated clusters. We show that the SDM method more accurately reproduces the cluster mass function, making it a valuable tool for employing cluster observations to evaluate cosmological models.

Literacy Skills in Children With Cochlear Implants: The Importance of Early Oral Language and Joint Storybook Reading

PubMed Central

Ambrose, Sophie E.; Eisenberg, Laurie S.

2009-01-01

The goal of this study was to longitudinally examine relationships between early factors (child and mother) that may influence children's phonological awareness and reading skills 3 years later in a group of young children with cochlear implants (N = 16). Mothers and children were videotaped during two storybook interactions, and children's oral language skills were assessed using the “Reynell Developmental Language Scales, third edition.” Three years later, phonological awareness, reading skills, and language skills were assessed using the “Phonological Awareness Test,” the “Woodcock–Johnson-III Diagnostic Reading Battery,” and the “Oral Written Language Scales.” Variables included in the data analyses were child (age, age at implant, and language skills) and mother factors (facilitative language techniques) and children's phonological awareness and reading standard scores. Results indicate that children's early expressive oral language skills and mothers’ use of a higher level facilitative language technique (open-ended question) during storybook reading, although related, each contributed uniquely to children's literacy skills. Individual analyses revealed that the children with expressive standard scores below 70 at Time 1 also performed below average (<85) on phonological awareness and total reading tasks 3 years later. Guidelines for professionals are provided to support literacy skills in young children with cochlear implants. PMID:18417463

Development of Pattern Recognition Techniques for the Evaluation of Toxicant Impacts to Multispecies Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-18

the exception. In the Standardized Aquatic Microcosm and the Mixed Flask Culture (MFC) microcosms, multivariate analysis and clustering methods...rule rather than the exception. In the Standardized Aquatic Microcosm and the Mixed Flask Culture (MFC) microcosms, multivariate analysis and...experiments using two microcosm protocols. We use nonmetric clustering, a multivariate pattern recognition technique developed by Matthews and Heame (1991

Structural basis for a [4Fe-3S] cluster in the oxygen-tolerant membrane-bound [NiFe]-hydrogenase.

PubMed

Shomura, Yasuhito; Yoon, Ki-Seok; Nishihara, Hirofumi; Higuchi, Yoshiki

2011-10-16

Membrane-bound respiratory [NiFe]-hydrogenase (MBH), a H(2)-uptake enzyme found in the periplasmic space of bacteria, catalyses the oxidation of dihydrogen: H(2) → 2H(+) + 2e(-) (ref. 1). In contrast to the well-studied O(2)-sensitive [NiFe]-hydrogenases (referred to as the standard enzymes), MBH has an O(2)-tolerant H(2) oxidation activity; however, the mechanism of O(2) tolerance is unclear. Here we report the crystal structures of Hydrogenovibrio marinus MBH in three different redox conditions at resolutions between 1.18 and 1.32 Å. We find that the proximal iron-sulphur (Fe-S) cluster of MBH has a [4Fe-3S] structure coordinated by six cysteine residues--in contrast to the [4Fe-4S] cubane structure coordinated by four cysteine residues found in the proximal Fe-S cluster of the standard enzymes--and that an amide nitrogen of the polypeptide backbone is deprotonated and additionally coordinates the cluster when chemically oxidized, thus stabilizing the superoxidized state of the cluster. The structure of MBH is very similar to that of the O(2)-sensitive standard enzymes except for the proximal Fe-S cluster. Our results give a reasonable explanation why the O(2) tolerance of MBH is attributable to the unique proximal Fe-S cluster; we propose that the cluster is not only a component of the electron transfer for the catalytic cycle, but that it also donates two electrons and one proton crucial for the appropriate reduction of O(2) in preventing the formation of an unready, inactive state of the enzyme.

Bias and inference from misspecified mixed-effect models in stepped wedge trial analysis.

PubMed

Thompson, Jennifer A; Fielding, Katherine L; Davey, Calum; Aiken, Alexander M; Hargreaves, James R; Hayes, Richard J

2017-10-15

Many stepped wedge trials (SWTs) are analysed by using a mixed-effect model with a random intercept and fixed effects for the intervention and time periods (referred to here as the standard model). However, it is not known whether this model is robust to misspecification. We simulated SWTs with three groups of clusters and two time periods; one group received the intervention during the first period and two groups in the second period. We simulated period and intervention effects that were either common-to-all or varied-between clusters. Data were analysed with the standard model or with additional random effects for period effect or intervention effect. In a second simulation study, we explored the weight given to within-cluster comparisons by simulating a larger intervention effect in the group of the trial that experienced both the control and intervention conditions and applying the three analysis models described previously. Across 500 simulations, we computed bias and confidence interval coverage of the estimated intervention effect. We found up to 50% bias in intervention effect estimates when period or intervention effects varied between clusters and were treated as fixed effects in the analysis. All misspecified models showed undercoverage of 95% confidence intervals, particularly the standard model. A large weight was given to within-cluster comparisons in the standard model. In the SWTs simulated here, mixed-effect models were highly sensitive to departures from the model assumptions, which can be explained by the high dependence on within-cluster comparisons. Trialists should consider including a random effect for time period in their SWT analysis model. © 2017 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2017 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bias and inference from misspecified mixed‐effect models in stepped wedge trial analysis

PubMed Central

Fielding, Katherine L.; Davey, Calum; Aiken, Alexander M.; Hargreaves, James R.; Hayes, Richard J.

2017-01-01

Many stepped wedge trials (SWTs) are analysed by using a mixed‐effect model with a random intercept and fixed effects for the intervention and time periods (referred to here as the standard model). However, it is not known whether this model is robust to misspecification. We simulated SWTs with three groups of clusters and two time periods; one group received the intervention during the first period and two groups in the second period. We simulated period and intervention effects that were either common‐to‐all or varied‐between clusters. Data were analysed with the standard model or with additional random effects for period effect or intervention effect. In a second simulation study, we explored the weight given to within‐cluster comparisons by simulating a larger intervention effect in the group of the trial that experienced both the control and intervention conditions and applying the three analysis models described previously. Across 500 simulations, we computed bias and confidence interval coverage of the estimated intervention effect. We found up to 50% bias in intervention effect estimates when period or intervention effects varied between clusters and were treated as fixed effects in the analysis. All misspecified models showed undercoverage of 95% confidence intervals, particularly the standard model. A large weight was given to within‐cluster comparisons in the standard model. In the SWTs simulated here, mixed‐effect models were highly sensitive to departures from the model assumptions, which can be explained by the high dependence on within‐cluster comparisons. Trialists should consider including a random effect for time period in their SWT analysis model. © 2017 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:28556355

Mastery versus the standard proficiency target for basic laparoscopic skill training: effect on skill transfer and retention.

PubMed

Kolozsvari, Nicoleta O; Kaneva, Pepa; Brace, Chantalle; Chartrand, Genevieve; Vaillancourt, Marilou; Cao, Jiguo; Banaszek, Daniel; Demyttenaere, Sebastian; Vassiliou, Melina C; Fried, Gerald M; Feldman, Liane S

2011-07-01

Little evidence exists to guide educators in the best way to implement simulation within surgical skills curricula. This study investigated whether practicing a basic Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) simulator task [peg transfer (PT)] facilitates learning a more complex skill [intracorporeal suturing (ICS)] and compared the effect of PT training to mastery with training to the passing level on PT retention and on learning ICS. For this study, 98 surgically naïve subjects were randomized to one of three PT training groups: control, standard training, and overtraining. All the participants then trained in ICS. The learning curves for ICS were analyzed by estimating the learning plateau and rate using nonlinear regression. Skill retention was assessed by retesting participants 1 month after training. The groups were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Effectiveness of skill transfer was calculated using the transfer effectiveness ratio (TER). Data are presented as mean±standard deviation (p<0.05). The study was completed by 77 participants (28 control, 26 standard, and 23 overtrained subjects). The ICS learning plateau rose with increasing PT training (452±10 vs. 459±10 vs. 467±10; p<0.01). Increased PT training was associated with a trend toward higher initial ICS scores (128±107 vs. 127±110 vs. 183±106; p=0.13) and faster learning rates (15±4 vs. 14±4 vs. 13±4 trials; p=0.10). At retention, there were no differences in PT scores (p=0.5). The PT training took 20±10 min for standard training and 39±20 min for overtraining (p<0.01). Overtrained participants saved 11±5 min in ICS training compared with the control subjects (p=0.04). However, TER was 0.165 for the overtraining group and 0.160 for the standard training group, suggesting that PT overtraining took longer than the time saved on ICS training. For surgically naïve subjects, part-task training with PT alone was associated with slight improvements in the learning curve for ICS. However, overtraining with PT did not improve skill retention, and peg training alone was not an efficient strategy for learning ICS.

Effects of Writing Instruction on Kindergarten Students' Writing Achievement: An Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Cindy D'On

2015-01-01

This full-year experimental study examined how methods of writing instruction contribute to kindergarten students' acquisition of foundational and compositional early writing skills. Multiple regression with cluster analysis was used to compare 3 writing instructional groups: an interactive writing group, a writing workshop group, and a…

The ideal physician: implications for contemporary hospital marketing.

PubMed

Gochman, D S; Stukenborg, G J; Feler, A

1986-06-01

A questionnaire asking individuals to identify freely the characteristics most descriptive of physicians who are closest to their ideal was mailed to a systematically derived cluster sample in a medium-size metropolitan area. Respondents clearly valued psychosocial and interpersonal characteristics such as communicating and caring much more than technical medical skills.

Occupational Component. 36-Level Courses. Teacher Resource Manual. Integrated Occupational Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Branch.

This 36-level occupational component of Integrated Occupational Program (IOP) consists of 8 occupational clusters composed of 20 occupational courses. Each course contains learning activities so that students in Alberta (Canada) may develop occupational concepts, skills, and attitudes. This teacher's manual consists of the following sections:…

Task Lists for Agricultural Occupations, 1988: Cluster Matrices for Agricultural Occupations. Education for Employment Task Lists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pepple, Jerry

This document contains four publications for agricultural occupations in Illinois. "Task Lists for Agricultural Occupations" provide lists of employability skills for the following: park aide; hand sprayer; gardener/groundskeeper; salesperson, parts, agricultural equipment; and dairy processing equipment operator. Each list contains skills…

Economic and Demographic Factors Impacting Placement of Students with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurth, Jennifer A.; Mastergeorge, Ann M.; Paschall, Katherine

2016-01-01

Educational placement of students with autism is often associated with child factors, such as IQ and communication skills. However, variability in placement patterns across states suggests that other factors are at play. This study used hierarchical cluster analysis techniques to identify demographic, economic, and educational covariates…

Task Lists for Industrial Occupations. Education for Employment Task Lists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimmlich, David

These cluster matrices provide duties and tasks that form the basis of instructional content for secondary, postsecondary, and adult occupational training programs for industrial occupations. Duties and skills are presented for the following: (1) electric home appliance and power tool repairers; (2) office machine/cash register repairer; (3)…

Utah Principals Academy, 1987-1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Board of Education, Salt Lake City.

Improving instructional leadership skills of principals is the focus of the academy. Following a foreword and mission statement by James R. Moss, the state superintendent of public instruction, the booklet describes three programs that help to achieve the academy's goals: Academy Fellows, Academy Seminars, and Cluster Grants. Titles and authors of…

Bug Distribution and Pattern Classification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatsuoka, Kikumi K.; Tatsuoka, Maurice M.

The study examines the rule space model, a probabilistic model capable of measuring cognitive skill acquisition and of diagnosing erroneous rules of operation in a procedural domain. The model involves two important components: (1) determination of a set of bug distributions (bug density functions representing clusters around the rules); and (2)…

Identification of Occupational Competencies in Services for the Electromechanical Cluster Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Robert D.

The research study was undertaken to provide data on skills and competencies to aid persons developing curricula for electromechanical technician training programs. Through a 73.8 percent return of 212 questionnaires distributed to Iowa electromechanical technicians, five occupational areas were identified as representative: residential appliance…

Dental Hygienist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This document, which is designed for use in developing a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of dental hygienist, lists technical competencies and competency builders for 13 units pertinent to the health technologies cluster in general and 9 units specific to the occupation of dental hygienist. The following skill areas are covered in…

Clusters of Monoisotopic Elements for Calibration in (TOF) Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolářová, Lenka; Prokeš, Lubomír; Kučera, Lukáš; Hampl, Aleš; Peňa-Méndez, Eladia; Vaňhara, Petr; Havel, Josef

2017-03-01

Precise calibration in TOF MS requires suitable and reliable standards, which are not always available for high masses. We evaluated inorganic clusters of the monoisotopic elements gold and phosphorus (Au n +/Au n - and P n +/P n -) as an alternative to peptides or proteins for the external and internal calibration of mass spectra in various experimental and instrumental scenarios. Monoisotopic gold or phosphorus clusters can be easily generated in situ from suitable precursors by laser desorption/ionization (LDI) or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Their use offers numerous advantages, including simplicity of preparation, biological inertness, and exact mass determination even at lower mass resolution. We used citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles to generate gold calibration clusters, and red phosphorus powder to generate phosphorus clusters. Both elements can be added to samples to perform internal calibration up to mass-to-charge ( m/z) 10-15,000 without significantly interfering with the analyte. We demonstrated the use of the gold and phosphorous clusters in the MS analysis of complex biological samples, including microbial standards and total extracts of mouse embryonic fibroblasts. We believe that clusters of monoisotopic elements could be used as generally applicable calibrants for complex biological samples.

Brief Report: Adaptive Behavior and Cognitive Skills for Toddlers on the Autism Spectrum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray-Subramanian, Corey E.; Huai, Nan; Weismer, Susan Ellis

2011-01-01

This study examined adaptive behavior and cognitive skills for 125 toddlers on the autism spectrum using the recently updated Vineland-II and Bayley-III. Delays in adaptive skills were apparent at 2 years of age. As a group, toddlers on the autism spectrum had a profile of Vineland-II standard scores in which Motor Skills greater than Daily Living…

Preparing Students for the 21st Century: Exploring the Effect of Afterschool Participation on Students' Collaboration Skills, Oral Communication Skills, and Self-Efficacy. CRESST Report 777

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Denise; Leon, Seth; Hodson, Cheri; La Torre, Deborah; Obregon, Nora; Rivera, Gwendelyn

2010-01-01

This study addressed key questions about LA's BEST afterschool students' self-efficacy, collaboration, and communication skills. We compared student perceptions of their own 21st century skills to external outcome measures including the California Standardized Test (CST), attendance, and teacher ratings. We found a substantial relationship…

Towards Accurate Modelling of Galaxy Clustering on Small Scales: Testing the Standard ΛCDM + Halo Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Manodeep; Berlind, Andreas A.; McBride, Cameron K.; Scoccimarro, Roman; Piscionere, Jennifer A.; Wibking, Benjamin D.

2018-04-01

Interpreting the small-scale clustering of galaxies with halo models can elucidate the connection between galaxies and dark matter halos. Unfortunately, the modelling is typically not sufficiently accurate for ruling out models statistically. It is thus difficult to use the information encoded in small scales to test cosmological models or probe subtle features of the galaxy-halo connection. In this paper, we attempt to push halo modelling into the "accurate" regime with a fully numerical mock-based methodology and careful treatment of statistical and systematic errors. With our forward-modelling approach, we can incorporate clustering statistics beyond the traditional two-point statistics. We use this modelling methodology to test the standard ΛCDM + halo model against the clustering of SDSS DR7 galaxies. Specifically, we use the projected correlation function, group multiplicity function and galaxy number density as constraints. We find that while the model fits each statistic separately, it struggles to fit them simultaneously. Adding group statistics leads to a more stringent test of the model and significantly tighter constraints on model parameters. We explore the impact of varying the adopted halo definition and cosmological model and find that changing the cosmology makes a significant difference. The most successful model we tried (Planck cosmology with Mvir halos) matches the clustering of low luminosity galaxies, but exhibits a 2.3σ tension with the clustering of luminous galaxies, thus providing evidence that the "standard" halo model needs to be extended. This work opens the door to adding interesting freedom to the halo model and including additional clustering statistics as constraints.

Considering the Use of Standardized Clients in Professional Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Irene; Bornais, Judy; Bilodeau, Daniel

2011-01-01

Counselling professionals seek to preserve their success by demonstrating excellent communication skills. Prior to contact with clients, students become familiar with counselling skills that reflect the needs of vulnerable populations. This involves creating a therapeutic relationship with the client using counselling skills. One way to promote…

Mapping Generic Skills Curricula: Outcomes and Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robley, Will; Whittle, Sue; Murdoch-Eaton, Deborah

2005-01-01

Generic skills development is increasingly being embedded into UK higher education curricula to improve the employability and lifelong learning skills of graduates. At the same time universities are being required to benchmark their curricular outcomes against national and employer standards. This paper presents and discusses the results of a…

Basic Emergency Medical Technician Skills Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This manual was developed to help students preparing to become emergency medical technicians (EMTs) learn standardized basic skills in the field. The manual itemizes the steps and performance criteria of each required skill and uses an accompanying videotape series (not included) to enhance the educational experience. The five units of the manual,…

State Skill Standards: Fashion, Textiles and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Rene Crepaldi; Gaudy, Glenna; Green-Jobe, Victoria; Hatch, Susan; Moen, Julianne; Sheldon, Shannon; Smith, Loree; Chessell, Karen

2008-01-01

The mission of Fashion, Textiles and Design Education is to prepare students for family and community life and careers in the fashion industry by creating opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors needed to: (1) Examine skills needed to effectively manage clothing decisions; (2) Evaluate the use, care and production…

Educating the Whole Child

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrett, Joyce Lynn

2006-01-01

While working to comply with standards for academic skills prescribed by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), educators must not lose sight of their equally important responsibility to teach social skills. A set of appropriate social skills is one of the most critical elements for well-rounded individuals capable of full participation in a…

49 CFR 383.135 - Passing knowledge and skills tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Passing knowledge and skills tests. 383.135... COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES Tests § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests. (a) Knowledge tests. (1) To achieve a passing score on each of the knowledge tests, a...

49 CFR 383.135 - Passing knowledge and skills tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Passing knowledge and skills tests. 383.135... COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES Tests § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests. (a) Knowledge tests. (1) To achieve a passing score on each of the knowledge tests, a...

49 CFR 383.135 - Passing knowledge and skills tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Passing knowledge and skills tests. 383.135... COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES Tests § 383.135 Passing knowledge and skills tests. (a) Knowledge tests. (1) To achieve a passing score on each of the knowledge tests, a...

49 CFR 383.110 - General requirement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES Required Knowledge and Skills § 383.110 General requirement. All drivers of CMVs must have the knowledge and skills necessary to operate a CMV safely as contained in this subpart. The specific types of items that a State must include in the knowledge and skills tests that it...

Influence of Writing Ability and Computation Skill on Mathematics Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Sarah R.; Hebert, Michael A.

2016-01-01

Mathematics standards expect students to communicate about mathematics using oral and written methods, and some high-stakes assessments ask students to answer mathematics questions by writing. Assumptions about mathematics communication via writing include (a) students possess writing skill, (b) students can transfer this writing skill to…

Fundamental movement skills in relation to weekday and weekend physical activity in preschool children.

PubMed

Foweather, Lawrence; Knowles, Zoe; Ridgers, Nicola D; O'Dwyer, Mareesa V; Foulkes, Jonathan D; Stratton, Gareth

2015-11-01

To examine associations between fundamental movement skills and weekday and weekend physical activity among preschool children living in deprived communities. Cross-sectional observation study. Six locomotor skills and 6 object-control skills were video-assessed using The Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol. Physical activity was measured via hip-mounted accelerometry. A total of 99 children (53% boys) aged 3-5 years (M 4.6, SD 0.5) completed all assessments. Multilevel mixed regression models were used to examine associations between fundamental movement skills and physical activity. Models were adjusted for clustering, age, sex, standardised body mass index and accelerometer wear time. Boys were more active than girls and had higher object-control skill competency. Total skill score was positively associated with weekend moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (p = 0.034) but not weekday physical activity categories (p > 0.05). When subdomains of skills were examined, object-control skills was positively associated with light physical activity on weekdays (p = 0.008) and with light (p = 0.033), moderate-to-vigorous (p = 0.028) and light- and moderate-to-vigorous (p = 0.008) physical activity at weekends. Locomotor skill competency was positively associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on weekdays (p = 0.016) and light physical activity during the weekend (p = 0.035). The findings suggest that developing competence in both locomotor and object-control skills may be an important element in promoting an active lifestyle in young children during weekdays and at weekends. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel clustering of items from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised to define phenotypes within autism spectrum disorders

PubMed Central

Hu, Valerie W.; Steinberg, Mara E.

2009-01-01

Heterogeneity in phenotypic presentation of ASD has been cited as one explanation for the difficulty in pinpointing specific genes involved in autism. Recent studies have attempted to reduce the “noise” in genetic and other biological data by reducing the phenotypic heterogeneity of the sample population. The current study employs multiple clustering algorithms on 123 item scores from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) diagnostic instrument of nearly 2000 autistic individuals to identify subgroups of autistic probands with clinically relevant behavioral phenotypes in order to isolate more homogeneous groups of subjects for gene expression analyses. Our combined cluster analyses suggest optimal division of the autistic probands into 4 phenotypic clusters based on similarity of symptom severity across the 123 selected item scores. One cluster is characterized by severe language deficits, while another exhibits milder symptoms across the domains. A third group possesses a higher frequency of savant skills while the fourth group exhibited intermediate severity across all domains. Grouping autistic individuals by multivariate cluster analysis of ADI-R scores reveals meaningful phenotypes of subgroups within the autistic spectrum which we show, in a related (accompanying) study, to be associated with distinct gene expression profiles. PMID:19455643

Health Care Leadership: Managing Knowledge Bases as Stakeholders.

PubMed

Rotarius, Timothy

Communities are composed of many organizations. These organizations naturally form clusters based on common patterns of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the individual organizations. Each of these spontaneous clusters represents a distinct knowledge base. The health care knowledge base is shown to be the natural leader of any community. Using the Central Florida region's 5 knowledge bases as an example, each knowledge base is categorized as a distinct type of stakeholder, and then a specific stakeholder management strategy is discussed to facilitate managing both the cooperative potential and the threatening potential of each "knowledge base" stakeholder.

Using Multilevel Factor Analysis with Clustered Data: Investigating the Factor Structure of the Positive Values Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Francis L.; Cornell, Dewey G.

2016-01-01

Advances in multilevel modeling techniques now make it possible to investigate the psychometric properties of instruments using clustered data. Factor models that overlook the clustering effect can lead to underestimated standard errors, incorrect parameter estimates, and model fit indices. In addition, factor structures may differ depending on…

Standardization of the Self Control and Self-Management Skills Scale (SCMS) on the Student of University of Najran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Smadi, Marwan Saleh; Bani-Abduh, Yahya Mohammed

2017-01-01

This study aimed to standardize self-control and self-management skills (SCMS), Mezo 2009 , on students in the university of Najran And to identify the psychometric properties of the scale in the Arab Environment the society of Najran University student by taking a number of Procedures (Validity and reliability of the Scale ) and to get the Arabic…

Teaching the physical examination: a longitudinal strategy for tomorrow's physicians.

PubMed

Uchida, Toshiko; Farnan, Jeanne M; Schwartz, Jennifer E; Heiman, Heather L

2014-03-01

The physical examination is an essential clinical skill. The traditional approach to teaching the physical exam has involved a comprehensive "head-to-toe" checklist, which is often used to assess students before they begin their clinical clerkships. This method has been criticized for its lack of clinical context and for promoting rote memorization without critical thinking. In response to these concerns, Gowda and colleagues surveyed a national sample of clinical skills educators in order to develop a consensus "core" physical exam, which they report in this issue. The core physical exam is intended to be performed for every patient admitted by students during their medicine clerkships and to be supplemented by symptom-driven "clusters" of additional history and physical exam maneuvers.In this commentary, the authors review the strengths and limitations of this Core + Clusters technique as well as the head-to-toe approach. They propose that the head-to-toe still has a place in medical education, particularly for beginning students with little knowledge of pathophysiology and for patients with vague or multiple symptoms. The authors suggest that the ideal curriculum would include teaching both the head-to-toe and the Core + Clusters exams in sequence. This iterative approach to physical exam teaching would allow a student to assess a patient in a comprehensive manner while incorporating more clinical reasoning as further medical knowledge is acquired.

Review of methods for handling confounding by cluster and informative cluster size in clustered data

PubMed Central

Seaman, Shaun; Pavlou, Menelaos; Copas, Andrew

2014-01-01

Clustered data are common in medical research. Typically, one is interested in a regression model for the association between an outcome and covariates. Two complications that can arise when analysing clustered data are informative cluster size (ICS) and confounding by cluster (CBC). ICS and CBC mean that the outcome of a member given its covariates is associated with, respectively, the number of members in the cluster and the covariate values of other members in the cluster. Standard generalised linear mixed models for cluster-specific inference and standard generalised estimating equations for population-average inference assume, in general, the absence of ICS and CBC. Modifications of these approaches have been proposed to account for CBC or ICS. This article is a review of these methods. We express their assumptions in a common format, thus providing greater clarity about the assumptions that methods proposed for handling CBC make about ICS and vice versa, and about when different methods can be used in practice. We report relative efficiencies of methods where available, describe how methods are related, identify a previously unreported equivalence between two key methods, and propose some simple additional methods. Unnecessarily using a method that allows for ICS/CBC has an efficiency cost when ICS and CBC are absent. We review tools for identifying ICS/CBC. A strategy for analysis when CBC and ICS are suspected is demonstrated by examining the association between socio-economic deprivation and preterm neonatal death in Scotland. PMID:25087978

Clustering of Emerging Flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruzmaikin, A.

1997-01-01

Observations show that newly emerging flux tends to appear on the Solar surface at sites where there is flux already. This results in clustering of solar activity. Standard dynamo theories do not predict this effect.

Changing cluster composition in cluster randomised controlled trials: design and analysis considerations

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background There are many methodological challenges in the conduct and analysis of cluster randomised controlled trials, but one that has received little attention is that of post-randomisation changes to cluster composition. To illustrate this, we focus on the issue of cluster merging, considering the impact on the design, analysis and interpretation of trial outcomes. Methods We explored the effects of merging clusters on study power using standard methods of power calculation. We assessed the potential impacts on study findings of both homogeneous cluster merges (involving clusters randomised to the same arm of a trial) and heterogeneous merges (involving clusters randomised to different arms of a trial) by simulation. To determine the impact on bias and precision of treatment effect estimates, we applied standard methods of analysis to different populations under analysis. Results Cluster merging produced a systematic reduction in study power. This effect depended on the number of merges and was most pronounced when variability in cluster size was at its greatest. Simulations demonstrate that the impact on analysis was minimal when cluster merges were homogeneous, with impact on study power being balanced by a change in observed intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC). We found a decrease in study power when cluster merges were heterogeneous, and the estimate of treatment effect was attenuated. Conclusions Examples of cluster merges found in previously published reports of cluster randomised trials were typically homogeneous rather than heterogeneous. Simulations demonstrated that trial findings in such cases would be unbiased. However, simulations also showed that any heterogeneous cluster merges would introduce bias that would be hard to quantify, as well as having negative impacts on the precision of estimates obtained. Further methodological development is warranted to better determine how to analyse such trials appropriately. Interim recommendations include avoidance of cluster merges where possible, discontinuation of clusters following heterogeneous merges, allowance for potential loss of clusters and additional variability in cluster size in the original sample size calculation, and use of appropriate ICC estimates that reflect cluster size. PMID:24884591

Using Simulation in a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Doctoral Program.

PubMed

Calohan, Jess; Pauli, Eric; Combs, Teresa; Creel, Andrea; Convoy, Sean; Owen, Regina

The use and effectiveness of simulation with standardized patients in undergraduate and graduate nursing education programs is well documented. Simulation has been primarily used to develop health assessment skills. Evidence supports using simulation and standardized patients in psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) programs is useful in developing psychosocial assessment skills. These interactions provide individualized and instantaneous clinical feedback to the student from faculty, peers, and standardized patients. Incorporating simulation into advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nursing curriculum allows students to develop the necessary requisite skills and principles needed to safely and effectively provide care to patients. There are no documented standardized processes for using simulation throughout a doctor of nursing practice PMHNP curriculum. The purpose of this article is to describe a framework for using simulation with standardized patients in a PMHNP curriculum. Students report high levels of satisfaction with the simulation experience and believe that they are more prepared for clinical rotations. Faculty feedback indicates that simulated clinical scenarios are a method to ensure that each student experiences demonstrate a minimum standard of competency ahead of clinical rotations with live patients. Initial preceptor feedback indicates that students are more prepared for clinical practice and function more independently than students that did not experience this standardized clinical simulation framework. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Effect of Integrated Learning Model and Critical Thinking Skill of Science Learning Outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazriyah, N.; Supriyati, Y.; Rahayu, W.

2017-02-01

This study aimed to determine the effect of integrated learning model and critical thinking skill toward science learning outcomes. The study was conducted in SDN Kemiri Muka 1 Depok in fifth grade school year 2014/2015 using cluster random sampling was done to 80 students. Retrieval of data obtained through tests and analysis by Variance (ANOVA) and two lines with the design treatment by level 2x2. The results showed that: (1) science learning outcomes students that given thematic integrated learning model is higher than in the group of students given fragmented learning model, (2) there is an interaction effect between critical thinking skills with integrated learning model, (3) for students who have high critical thinking skills, science learning outcomes students who given by thematic integrated learning model higher than fragmented learning model and (4) for students who have the ability to think critically low yield higher learning science fragmented model. The results of this study indicate that thematic learning model with critical thinking skills can improve science learning outcomes of students.

Implementation of Performance Assessment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Education to Detect Science Process Skill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Septiani, A.; Rustaman, N. Y.

2017-02-01

A descriptive study about the implementation of performance assessment in STEM based instruction was carried out to investigate the tenth grade of Vocational school students’ science process skills during the teaching learning processes. A number of tenth grade agriculture students was involved as research subjects selected through cluster random sampling technique (n=35). Performance assessment was planned on skills during the teaching learning process through observation and on product resulted from their engineering practice design. The procedure conducted in this study included thinking phase (identifying problem and sharing idea), designing phase, construction phase, and evaluation phase. Data was collected through the use of science process skills (SPS) test, observation sheet on student activity, as well as tasks and rubrics for performance assessment during the instruction. Research findings show that the implementation of performance assessment in STEM education in planting media could detect students science process skills better from the observation individually compared through SPS test. It was also found that the result of performance assessment was diverse when it was correlated to each indicator of SPS (strong and positive; weak and positive).

Meta-Analyses of the Effects of Tier 2 Type Reading Interventions in Grades K-3.

PubMed

Wanzek, Jeanne; Vaughn, Sharon; Scammacca, Nancy; Gatlin, Brandy; Walker, Melodee A; Capin, Philip

2016-09-01

This meta-analysis extends previous work on extensive Tier 3 type reading interventions (Wanzek & Vaughn, 2007; Wanzek et al., 2013) to Tier 2 type interventions by examining a non-overlapping set of studies addressing the effects of less extensive reading interventions for students with or at risk for reading difficulties in Grades K-3. We examined the overall effects of these interventions on students' foundational skills, language, and comprehension as well as the intervention features that may be associated with improved outcomes. We conducted four meta-analyses on 72 studies to examine effects on (1) standardized foundational skill measures (mean ES = 0.54), (2) not-standardized foundational skill measures (mean ES = 0.62), (3) standardized language/comprehension measures (mean ES = 0.36), and (4) not-standardized language/comprehension measures (mean ES = 1.02). There were no differences in effects related to intervention type, instructional group size, grade level, intervention implementer, or the number of intervention hours.

Prescribing Oxygen for Cluster Headache: A Guide for the Provider.

PubMed

Tepper, Stewart J; Duplin, Jessica; Nye, Barbara; Tepper, Deborah E

2017-10-01

Oxygen is the standard of care for acute treatment of cluster headache. CMS, the US Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, has made the indefensible decision to not cover oxygen for cluster headache for patients with Medicaid and Medicare insurance, despite the evidence and professional guidelines. Commercial insurance generally covers oxygen for cluster headache. This is a "how-to" guide for successfully prescribing oxygen in the US. Prescription information is provided that can be incorporated as dot phrases, smart sets, or other standard templates for prescribing oxygen for cluster patients. In many states, oxygen is affordable and can be prescribed for Medicaid and Medicare patients who wish to pay cash. Welding or nonmedical grade industrial oxygen is almost the same cost as medical oxygen. However, it is less pure, lacks the same inspection of tanks, and is delivered without regulators to provide appropriate flow rates. Patients who pay cash should be strongly encouraged to buy medical oxygen. © 2017 American Headache Society.

Finding new pathway-specific regulators by clustering method using threshold standard deviation based on DNA chip data of Streptomyces coelicolor.

PubMed

Yang, Yung-Hun; Kim, Ji-Nu; Song, Eunjung; Kim, Eunjung; Oh, Min-Kyu; Kim, Byung-Gee

2008-09-01

In order to identify the regulators involved in antibiotic production or time-specific cellular events, the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression data of the two gene clusters, actinorhodin (ACT) and undecylprodigiosin (RED) biosynthetic genes, were clustered with known mRNA expression data of regulators from S. coelicolor using a filtering method based on standard deviation and clustering analysis. The result identified five regulators including two well-known regulators namely, SCO3579 (WlbA) and SCO6722 (SsgD). Using overexpression and deletion of the regulator genes, we were able to identify two regulators, i.e., SCO0608 and SCO6808, playing roles as repressors in antibiotics production and sporulation. This approach can be easily applied to mapping out new regulators related to any interesting target gene clusters showing characteristic expression patterns. The result can also be used to provide insightful information on the selection rules among a large number of regulators.

Prospective memory in schizophrenia: relationship to medication management skills, neurocognition, and symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Raskin, Sarah A; Maye, Jacqueline; Rogers, Alexandra; Correll, David; Zamroziewicz, Marta; Kurtz, Matthew

2014-05-01

Impaired adherence to medication regimens is a serious concern for individuals with schizophrenia linked to relapse and poorer outcomes. One possible reason for poor adherence to medication is poor ability to remember future intentions, labeled prospective memory skills. It has been demonstrated in several studies that individuals with schizophrenia have impairments in prospective memory that are linked to everyday life skills. However, there have been no studies, to our knowledge, examining the relationship of a clinical measure of prospective memory to medication management skills, a key element of successful adherence. In this Study 41 individuals with schizophrenia and 25 healthy adults were administered a standardized test battery that included measures of prospective memory, medication management skills, neurocognition, and symptoms. Individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated impairments in prospective memory (both time and event-based) relative to healthy controls. Performance on the test of prospective memory was correlated with the standardized measure of medication management in individuals with schizophrenia. Moreover, the test of prospective memory predicted skills in medication adherence even after measures of neurocognition were accounted for. This suggests that prospective memory may play a key role in medication management skills and thus should be a target of cognitive remediation programs.

Clusters of Galaxies at High Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fort, Bernard

For a long time, the small number of clusters at z > 0.3 in the Abell survey catalogue and simulations of the standard CDM formation of large scale structures provided a paradigm where clusters were considered as young merging structures. At earlier times, loose concentrations of galaxy clumps were mostly anticipated. Recent observations broke the taboo. Progressively we became convinced that compact and massive clusters at z = 1 or possibly beyond exist and should be searched for.

Using Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Persuasive Writing to Increase the Writing and Self-Efficacy Skills of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Health Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ennis, Robin Parks; Jolivette, Kristine

2014-01-01

The Common Core State Standards Initiative includes an emphasis on teaching writing and related skills in all subject areas. This study sought to improve the persuasive writing skills and self-efficacy skills of students with emotional and behavioral disorders by implementing self-regulated strategy development with pairs of students in a high…