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The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of Collaborative Techniques in improving the reading skills of Grade 3 learners in Bitoon Elementary School for the Academic year 2022-2023 as basis for development of reading design program. This study utilized single group quasi-experimental pretest-posttest using the EGRA scores were taken both before and after the Collaborative techniques. The design also employed t-test of dependence to determine if there a significant difference between reading skills and type of readers in Grade 3 pupils before and after the Collaborative reading techniques had been employed. The findings of the study revealed that there are improvements in the reading skills of the pupils across all categories of reading skills whereby Oral Reading Comprehension 1 and 2 have an average improvement while Listening Comprehension, Invented Word Recording, Oral Reading Fluency Passage 1 and 2 and Dictation have excellent improvement. There was a significant improvement in the Levels of Learners' Reading Skills across all skills categories between the Pretest and Post-test scores. This shows that there was sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This highlights that the intervention which is the Collaborative Technique extend efficacy on the learner's level of reading skills. The results coincide wherein reading skills in the pretest and posttest have been significant. The mean gain in the posttest from the pretest scores of the Learners' Reading Skills across the categories of reading skills are significant. Therefore, there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis based on the results of the study. This shows Collaborative reading technique was an effective strategy to develop the reading skills of the learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This thesis explores the effectiveness of the phonic approach in teaching reading to students. The study focuses on helping nonreaders in their reading proficiency. Ten seventh graders from Union National High School-Mt. Diwata Annex were the subjects in the study. Pretest was administered before implementing the reading intervention and administered posttest after the experiment. Pretest and Posttest were implemented through oral reading test using the passage from the Phil-IR Manual. After, results were compared to determine the achievements and improvement of the students. Students' competency level improved dramatically following the experiment, according to the data. There was a significant difference between the pretest and the posttest scores. These results imply that the phonic approach is an effective method for raising students' reading skills. Therefore, the study offers recommendations to language teachers on how to create teaching strategies that will improve their students' reading abilities. And this suggests that when teaching reading, teachers should think about including the phonic approach into their lessons. Additionally, this study adds to the expanding corpus of data on the efficacy of the phonic approach in reading instruction. All things considered, this study offers insightful information on how well the phonic approach works to help students improve their reading abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation of unknown quantities from multiple independent yet non-homogeneous samples has garnered increasing attention in various fields over the past decade. This interest is evidenced by the wide range of applications discussed in recent literature. In this study, we propose a preliminary test estimator for the common mean (μ) with unknown and unequal variances. When there exists prior information regarding the population mean with consideration that μ might be equal to the reference value for the population mean, a hypothesis test can be conducted: H 0 : μ = μ 0 versus H 1 : μ ≠ μ 0 . The initial sample is used to test H 0 , and if H 0 is not rejected, we become more confident in using our prior information (after the test) to estimate μ. However, if H 0 is rejected, the prior information is discarded. Our simulations indicate that the proposed preliminary test estimator significantly decreases the mean squared error (MSE) values compared to unbiased estimators such as the Garybill-Deal (GD) estimator, particularly when μ closely aligns with the hypothesized mean ( μ 0 ). Furthermore, our analysis indicates that the proposed test estimator outperforms the existing method, particularly in cases with minimal sample sizes. We advocate for its adoption to improve the accuracy of common mean estimation. Our findings suggest that through careful application to real meta-analyses, the proposed test estimator shows promising potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background History taking and clinical reasoning are important skills that require knowledge, cognition and meta-cognition. It is important that a trainee must experience multiple encounters with different patients to practice these skills. However, patient safety is also important, and trainees are not allowed to handle critically ill patients. To address this issue, a randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using Virtual Patients (VP) versus Standardized Patients (SP) in acquiring clinical reasoning skills in ophthalmology postgraduate residents. Methods Postgraduate residents from two hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, were randomized to either the VP group or the SP group and were exposed to clinical reasoning exercise via the VP or SP for 30 min after the pretest. This was followed by a posttest. One month after this activity, a follow-up posttest was conducted. The data were collected and analysed using IBM-SPSS version 25. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to track the effect of learning skills over time. Results The mean age of the residents was 28.5 ± 3 years. The male to female ratio was 1:1.1. For the SP group, the mean scores were 12.6 ± 3.08, 16.39 ± 3.01 and 15.39 ± 2.95, and for the VP group, the mean scores were 12.7 ± 3.84, 16.30 ± 3.19 and 15.65 ± 3.18 for the pretest, posttest and follow-up posttest, respectively (p value

Introduction: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are non-invasive nuclear medicine techniques that can identify areas of abnormal myocardial perfusion. We assessed the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing SPECT or PET stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Based on significant risk factors associated with an abnormal MPI, we developed a nomogram for each cohort as a pretest that would be helpful in decision-making for clinicians. Methods: A total of 6,854 patients with suspected CAD who underwent stress myocardial perfusion imaging by SPECT or PET/CT was studied. As part of the baseline examination, clinical teams collected information on traditional cardiovascular risk factors: age, gender, body mass index, angina, dyspnea, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, family history of CAD, and smoking. Results: The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was different in the two cohorts of patients undergoing SPECT (n = 4,397) or PET (n = 2,457) myocardial perfusion imaging. A statistical significance was observed in both cohorts for age, gender, and diabetes. At multivariable analysis, only age and male gender were significant covariates in both cohorts. The risk of abnormal myocardial perfusion imaging related to age was greater in patients undergoing PET (odds ratio 4% vs. 1% per year). In contrast, male gender odds ratio was slightly higher for SPECT compared to PET (2.52 vs. 2.06). In the SPECT cohort, smoking increased the risk of abnormal perfusion of 24%. Among patients undergoing PET, diabetes and hypertension increased the risk of abnormal perfusion by 63% and 37%, respectively. For each cohort, we obtained a nomogram by significant risk factors at multivariable logistic regression. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve associated with the nomogram was 0.67 for SPECT and 0.73 for the PET model. Conclusions: Patients with suspected CAD belonging to two different cohorts undergoing SPECT or PET stress myocardial perfusion imaging can have different cardiovascular risk factors associated with a higher risk of an abnormal MPI study. As crude variables, age, gender, and diabetes were significant for both cohorts. Net of the effect of other covariates, age and gender were the only risk factors in common between the two cohorts. Furthermore, smoking and type of stress test were significant for the SPECT cohort, where as diabetes and hypertension were significant for the PET cohort. Nomograms obtained by significant risk factors for the two cohorts can be used by clinicians to evaluate the risk of an abnormal study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal deaths in Padang City in 2018 were 17 people, an increase compared to the previous year. The prevalence of pregnant women aged 15-19 years in Padang City in 2018 was 0.01%, this is due to the low screening rate of young pregnant women in the JanuaryDecember 2019 period of 1.44%. This study aims to increase the screening rate, one of which is by intervening in adolescents in Koto Luar which is the working area of the Pauh Health Center, Padang, as many as 36 students of Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) and 29 students of Madrasah Aliyah (MA) known as junior and senior high schools in Indonesia, Koto Luar in 2020. This study used Wilcoxon's Marginal Homogeneity test to determine differences in the level of reproductive health knowledge after counseling. The results of this study resulted in an 80% increase in post-test scores from statistically meaningful pretest scores. At the end of the session, a selection of planning generation ambassadors as peer educators was carried out at MTs and MA Koto Luar, Padang as one of the intervention steps to overcome the lack of reproductive health knowledge in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: History taking and clinical reasoning are important skills that require knowledge, cognition and meta-cognition. It is important that a trainee must experience multiple encounters with different patients to practice these skills. However, patient safety is also important, and trainees are not allowed to handle critically ill patients. To address this issue, a randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using Virtual Patients (VP) versus Standardized Patients (SP) in acquiring clinical reasoning skills in ophthalmology postgraduate residents. Methods: Postgraduate residents from two hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, were randomized to either the VP group or the SP group and were exposed to clinical reasoning exercise via the VP or SP for 30 min after the pretest. This was followed by a posttest. One month after this activity, a follow-up posttest was conducted. The data were collected and analysed using IBM-SPSS version 25. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to track the effect of learning skills over time. Results: The mean age of the residents was 28.5 ± 3 years. The male to female ratio was 1:1.1. For the SP group, the mean scores were 12.6 ± 3.08, 16.39 ± 3.01 and 15.39 ± 2.95, and for the VP group, the mean scores were 12.7 ± 3.84, 16.30 ± 3.19 and 15.65 ± 3.18 for the pretest, posttest and follow-up posttest, respectively (p value < 0.00). However, the difference between the VP and SP groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.896). Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between the VP and SP groups regarding the retention of clinical reasoning ability. In terms of learning gain, compared with the VP group, the SP group had a score of 51.46% immediately after clinical reasoning exercise as compared to VP group, in which it was 49.1%. After one month, it was 38.01 in SP and 40.12% in VP group. Conclusion: VPs can be used for learning clinical reasoning skills in postgraduate ophthalmology residents in a safe environment. These devices can be used repeatedly without any risk to the real patient. Although similarly useful, SP is limited by its nonavailability for repeated exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Traditional didactic lecture methods were previously dominant in medical education in India, where students tend to lose their concentration after 15–20 min of lectures. In the context of competency-based medical education, a teaching–learning method that includes pre- and posttests were hypothesized to have the potential to enhance the learning process and make difficult topics easier for students to understand. This method was implemented for phase 2 MBBS students at Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital in India. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the department of microbiology in October 2021, with 65 male and 33 female students who provided informed consent. All the students were allotted immunology topics and were asked to present seminars. The students were required to complete a pretest and posttest questionnaire covering key areas of immunology. The mean and standard deviation of the scores were calculated. Paired Student's t-test was used to compare pre- and posttest scores, and P values were calculated using SPSS 20. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The total number of correct responses on the posttest was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the number of responses on the pretest. Gender-specific posttest responses were also significant (for males, P < 0.001; for females, P < 0.001). Overall marks were improved on the posttest, and the mean scores among all the students showed significant improvement in their posttest scores compared to their pretest scores. Conclusions: Evaluating students using a pretest and posttest was found to be a practical and feasible tool for learning. The majority of students reported that this method of learning helped them engage in critical thinking and understand topics more systematically, which they believed would contribute to their success as competent Indian Medical Graduates.

Spatial regression models are widely available across several disciplines, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis, econometrics, and house price analysis. In nature, sparsity occurs when a limited number of factors strongly impact overall variation. Sparse covariance structures are common in spatial regression models. The spatial error model is a significant spatial regression model that focuses on the geographical dependence present in the error terms rather than the response variable. This study proposes an effective approach using the pretest and shrinkage ridge estimators for estimating the vector of regression coefficients in the spatial error mode, considering insignificant coefficients and multicollinearity among regressors. The study compares the performance of the proposed estimators with the maximum likelihood estimator and assesses their efficacy using real-world data and bootstrapping techniques for comparison purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to demonstrate the results of the pretest and posttest applied to the beneficiaries of the Linkage project called: "Management in the Teaching Learning and Educational Innovation process", from component two of the logical framework, which specifies: "Academic reinforcement of the four areas of knowledge of Basic General Education", for an analysis of the learning level of the children, belonging to four cantons of the province of Cotopaxi. The methodological strategies used were service learning, in addition the quantitative approach, analytical method and test technique were used. The results reflect that of a population of 2,529 beneficiaries, investigated in the four areas of knowledge of basic general education: Language and Literature, Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Social Studies within the items on the domain of knowledge, in the initial reading (pretest ) a high percentage (70%) of the population predominates among the "Good" "Fair" evaluation scale, from the final reading (posttest) at the end of the linkage project there is a positive trend in terms of 83% that is transferred to the evaluation scale of "Excellent" and "Very good", regarding the analysis by areas of knowledge, 160 children from the four cantons were taken as a sample, it was evident that the areas with the greatest impact on their indicators were: Mathematics and Language and Literature, which infers an important contribution to these last areas that constituted the ones with the greatest deficit in the level of knowledge of the boys and girls, the results denote the relevance of academic reinforcement to strengthen the training of boys and girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zentralblatt fuer Arbeitsmedizin, Arbeitsschutz und Ergonomie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The estimation of unknown quantities from multiple independent yet non-homogeneous samples has garnered increasing attention in various fields over the past decade. This interest is evidenced by the wide range of applications discussed in recent literature. In this study, we propose a preliminary test estimator for the common mean (μ) with unknown and unequal variances. When there exists prior information regarding the population mean with consideration that μ might be equal to the reference value for the population mean, a hypothesis test can be conducted: H0:μ=μ0 versus H1:μ≠μ0. The initial sample is used to test H0, and if H0 is not rejected, we become more confident in using our prior information (after the test) to estimate μ. However, if H0 is rejected, the prior information is discarded. Our simulations indicate that the proposed preliminary test estimator significantly decreases the mean squared error (MSE) values compared to unbiased estimators such as the Garybill-Deal (GD) estimator, particularly when μ closely aligns with the hypothesized mean (μ0). Furthermore, our analysis indicates that the proposed test estimator outperforms the existing method, particularly in cases with minimal sample sizes. We advocate for its adoption to improve the accuracy of common mean estimation. Our findings suggest that through careful application to real meta-analyses, the proposed test estimator shows promising potential.

Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) approach has become a popular method that is applied for correlated categorical multinomial responses data in clinical trials and other biomedical experiments. GEEs estimates of the marginal regression parameter vector are consistent. In this article, we propose the pretest, shrinkage, and positive shrinkage estimators for the regression vector of the marginal model with multinomial responses. The array of estimators are compared analytically via their asymptotic quadratic risks, and numerically via their simulated relative efficiencies. We apply the proposed estimation technique to two real data examples and employed a bootstrapping approach to computing the bootstrapping mean squared error of the estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings of a study aimed at addressing learning enablers in the Malaysian Armed Forces. To accomplish this objective, an instrument has been developed. The constructs used to assess learning enablers were derived from the literature review. A total of nine construct were used, namely continuous learning, dialogue and inquiry, team learning, employee empowerment, leadership for learning, system connections and embedded system. A perceptual measures adapted from the literature were developed and pre-tested with eight experts. Their comments and feedback were used to refine the measures. Accordingly, a pilot testing was conducted involving 40 respondents who were military officers. The results of the analysis showed that the measures were acceptably reliable. The findings of this study will be used for a follow-up study that will examine the interrelationship between those constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the forecast performance of model averaging forecasts in a nonstationary vector autoregression with mixed roots in the vicinity of unity. The deviation from unit root allows for local to unity, moderate deviation from unity and strong unit root, and the direction of such deviation could be from either the stationary or the explosive side. We provide a theoretical foundation for comparison among various forecasts, including the least squares estimator, the constrained estimator imposing the unit root constraint, and the selection or average over these two basic estimators. Furthermore, three new types of estimators are constructed, i.e., the bagging versions of the pretest estimator, the Mallows-pretest estimator that marries the Mallows averaging criterion and the Wald test, and the Mallows-bagging estimator that combines the Mallows averaging criterion and bagging technique. The asymptotic risks are shown to depend on the local parameters, which are not consistently estimable. Via Monte Carlo simulations, graphic comparisons indicate that the Mallows averaging estimator has both robust and outstanding forecasting performance. Model averaging over the vector autoregressive lag order is further considered to address the issue of model uncertainty in the lag specification. Finite sample simulations show that the Mallows averaging estimator performs superior to other frequently used selection and averaging methods. The application to forecasting the financial indices popularly used in the predictive regression further illustrates the practical merit of the proposed estimator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Associate degree nurses must understand and apply knowledge regarding the care of patients with eating disorders. • Flipped classroom method is an effective and student-approved teaching method for increasing knowledge and clinical reasoning skills related to the management of patients with eating disorders. • Associate degree nurse educators should be prepared and encouraged to implement flipped classroom method. Evidence demonstrating that new nurses lack clinical judgment skills prompted a teaching-learning project in an associate degree of nursing (ADN) program. A needs assessment revealed the necessity of increased knowledge related to caring for patients with eating disorders. Constructivism guided the project, which aimed to provide students with an understanding of the three most common eating disorders, including patient care considerations. Teaching-learning occurred through flipped classroom method (FCM) involving textbook readings, a prerecorded lecture, and an unfolding case study. The author utilized standardized test results, pre- post-test results, and anonymous student evaluations to appraise learner understanding and approval. The project demonstrated that FCM increases student knowledge and satisfaction and is an effective teaching strategy for ADN programs. Recommendations include routine FCM training for nurse educators, regular use of FCM in undergraduate nurse education courses, and further research to determine the best strategies to break down barriers to FCM utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the problems that occur in mathematical subjects was the ability for students to solve problems that need the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) still low. This problem also occurs in high school students (SMA) in Jember. The cause of the problem was that the mathematics teacher has not been skilled in making HOTS problems and has not guided students to solve HOTS problems. To overcome this problem, training activities followed by 118 high School Mathematics teachers held on 02 February 2019 at the center of MGMP (Teachers' discussion group) in Jember. The methods used were sharing information, discussions, and assignments to made HOTS mathematical problems, observation, test, and giving questioner. The results gained were the teacher's knowledge of the HOTS problem increasing from the average score of pretest 62 to the average score of posttest 85. The teacher's ability to make HOTS problems was already in good category, and all participants (100%) actively participate in training activities and give positive responses to the activity. The community services activity need to be continued in the future, because it is very important for improving teachers’ professionalism.

Introduction:Basic life support (BLS) is a non-medicated intervention to ensure that oxygen is delivered to the lungs and blood is pumped from the heart to save life in emergency situations where the heartbeat stops, respiratory functions become dysfunctional or both. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of non-healthcare staff on BLS and to investigate the contribution of BLS training to the development of their knowledge levels.Methods:The current study was a retrospective, non-invasive descriptive study. It covers the BLS training given to hospital employees who are not health personnel and have not received BLS training before. Between June 1, 2021 and December 1, 2021, we performed pre-education knowledge measurement test and post-education evaluation test at Mardin State Hospital. The data were recorded on the spreadsheet program and their percentage changes were calculated using the tabulation program statistical formulas.Results:A total of 594 subjects were included in the study plan, of which 290 did not complete the study. Of the 304 people who completed the study, 238 successfully passed the test at the end of the training process. Sixty-six people failed the test. The occupations of 304 people were examined and it was seen that these people consisted of 29 different occupational groups who had not received BLS training and were not health personnel.Conclusion:As a result of the research, it has been seen that the BLS information of the personnel other than the healthcare workers is insufficient, but this problem can be overcome to a large extent with the regular training given and to be given. It was found that the knowledge levels of the employees who participated in the study and received BLS training were significantly higher than before they received BLS training.

BACKGROUND: In this era of evidence-based medicine, only systematic research can help in providing judicious and precise healthcare to individual patients based on updated knowledge and skills. However, many medical professionals do not feel competent and confident enough to conduct research. One of the reasons could be the lack of a research-based curriculum in undergraduate courses. The National Medical Council has also stressed the need for formal training in research methodology for healthcare professionals. The research methodology workshops help to familiarize the participants with basic, clinical, and translational research required to impart optimum patient care. The objective of our study was to evaluate a research methodology workshop conducted for postgraduate students by assessing the participant’s knowledge, feedback, and expected impact using Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental, single-group study was conducted among 132 first-year postgraduate students. The four levels of Kirkpatrick’s model were applied for evaluation. Feedback forms, scores of the pretest and posttest, quality of the research proposal drafted by the postgraduates for their thesis, and finally successful submission of the research proposal were the components used to evaluate the four levels of outcome of Kirkpatrick’s model. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data collected were compiled and tabulated into MS Excel. Proportions were calculated for categorical variables and mean and standard deviation (SD) for scores. A comparison of means between pre- and postworkshop scores was made with paired t-test. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20.0 software. RESULTS: Out of 132 participants, 29% (38) were males and 71% (94) were females. The mean ± SD pretest and posttest scores at a 95% confidence interval were 10.55 ± 2.537 and 12.43 ± 2.484, respectively. The difference was found to be statistically significant by paired sample t-test (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Participant feedback is vital for improving research methodology workshops. The workshop met the overall requirements of the participants. There was a significant improvement in the knowledge of participants after the workshop completion.

Spatial regression models are widely available across several disciplines, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis, econometrics, and house price analysis. In nature, sparsity occurs when a limited number of factors strongly impact overall variation. Sparse covariance structures are common in spatial regression models. The spatial error model is a significant spatial regression model that focuses on the geographical dependence present in the error terms rather than the response variable. This study proposes an effective approach using the pretest and shrinkage ridge estimators for estimating the vector of regression coefficients in the spatial error mode, considering insignificant coefficients and multicollinearity among regressors. The study compares the performance of the proposed estimators with the maximum likelihood estimator and assesses their efficacy using real-world data and bootstrapping techniques for comparison purposes.

Copyright of Qardhul Hasan: Media Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat is the property of Universitas Djuanda and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Basic life support (BLS) is a non-medicated intervention to ensure that oxygen is delivered to the lungs and blood is pumped from the heart to save life in emergency situations where the heartbeat stops, respiratory functions become dysfunctional or both. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of non-healthcare staff on BLS and to investigate the contribution of BLS training to the development of their knowledge levels. Methods: The current study was a retrospective, non-invasive descriptive study. It covers the BLS training given to hospital employees who are not health personnel and have not received BLS training before. Between June 1, 2021 and December 1, 2021, we performed pre-education knowledge measurement test and post-education evaluation test at Mardin State Hospital. The data were recorded on the spreadsheet program and their percentage changes were calculated using the tabulation program statistical formulas. Results: A total of 594 subjects were included in the study plan, of which 290 did not complete the study. Of the 304 people who completed the study, 238 successfully passed the test at the end of the training process. Sixty-six people failed the test. The occupations of 304 people were examined and it was seen that these people consisted of 29 different occupational groups who had not received BLS training and were not health personnel. Conclusion: As a result of the research, it has been seen that the BLS information of the personnel other than the healthcare workers is insufficient, but this problem can be overcome to a large extent with the regular training given and to be given. It was found that the knowledge levels of the employees who participated in the study and received BLS training were significantly higher than before they received BLS training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a research method, focus groups have methodological advantages for understanding the views and behavior of group members or for understanding the social system as a whole, since it covers the interaction between people, groups, and the interpersonal environment quite well that widely recognized in the social sciences. These advantages are introduced in the context of mixed-methods, including conducting a survey together with focus groups as a pretest questionnaire in a comparative perspective in cross-national and cross-culture research. Focus groups provide to reach construct equivalence and elaborate an appropriate context-oriented language for questionnaire questions. Using the focus groups in this way can be an effective approach to overcoming the initial limited ability of surveys to valid measure more complex socially constructed concepts, the meaning of which can vary significantly from one group to another, especially from a comparative perspective in cross-national and cross-culture research. Using focus groups, data is collected in a more natural way, that is, more close to the real world, while the generalization is ensured by a detailed description of specific conditions, participants, and research environment. In addition, the discussion group is a miniature thinking society, and unlike dyadic interviews or surveys, focus group discussions give participants the opportunity to express their opinions, discuss their views and opinions with other participants, listen to other peoples opinions, disagree or to develop thoughts by reasoning out loud - this is similar to what happens in real life. This increased awareness about the described advantages of the approach for cross-cultural and cross-national comparative research likely contributes to its more active employ.

This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of a training experience involving a simulation of the work environment in developing the translation skills of a group of translation trainees. It also sought to investigate the participants’ views about their training experience, as well as measure their level of satisfaction with the program. Thirty participants with qualifications in English language and translation from different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated in this study. This research is a quasi-experimental study in the form of a one-group pretest and posttest design. Initially, the participants underwent a preliminary assessment (pretest) of their translation abilities. Afterward, they undertook the experiment, an intensive course in translation and its required skills, which extended over a 2-month period. At the end of the program, the participants underwent a posttest to measure whether there were statistically significant differences in their performance in the pre- and posttests, with the results showing statistically significant differences in program performance (p < 0.05). The data from the attitudinal questionnaire administered to the participants at the end of the program showed that they held positive opinions about the program and they benefited significantly from the training experience. Based on these results, suggestions and recommendations are proposed to those interested in the field of training and translation to further improve the work.

• Large language models can support stimuli evaluation. • Synthetic data suits early research such as pretests; avoid it for main studies. • Prompt-tuning and fine-tuning improve large language model's responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good survey research depends on asking the right questions; it is the only way to ensure that the information collected from respondents is suitable for providing good answers to our research questions. The article discusses and advocates a comprehensive consideration of qualitative-interpretive methodology in open forms of pretesting for the evaluation of draft survey questionnaires. We outline an approach we call Qualitative Pretest Interview (QPI). It transfers the idea of negotiated common understanding in everyday communication to the clarification of meaning in draft survey questions and similar stimuli. The QPI involves ascribing interview partners the role of co-experts in this process and employing methodically integrated communication strategies. This paper focusses on how QPIs are conducted. Using an example interview, we illustrate how the particular way of qualitative pretest interviewing aims at a dialogic clarification of meaning in order to reach intersubjective understanding between participant and interviewer. In the process, we gain detailed insights into how and why a certain questionnaire might not work as intended, and ideally how this might be alleviated. QPIs pursue similar goals as Cognitive Interviews but rely more systematically on qualitative-interpretive methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Autoregressive Conditionally Heteroscedastic (ARCH) model is useful for handling volatilities in economical time series phenomena that ARIMA models are unable to handle. The ARCH model has been adopted in many applications that contain time series data such as financial market prices, options, commodity prices and the oil industry. In this paper, we propose an improved post-selection estimation strategy. We investigated and developed some asymptotic properties of the suggested strategies and compared with a benchmark estimator. Furthermore, we conducted a Monte Carlo simulation study to reappraise the relative characteristics of the listed estimators. Our numerical results corroborate with the analytical work of the study. We applied the proposed methods on the S&P500 stock market daily closing prices index to illustrate the usefulness of the developed methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: AIIMS Delhi developed an online platform Mortality in India established through Verbal Autopsies, which ultimately provides data on the cause of death in the country. AIIMS Patna being one of the partner institutions in this initiative of AIIMS Delhi, thus, conducted a 2-day workshop of Registrar General of India supervisors with the objective to strengthen the knowledge of participants and improve their practices on writing a good narrative during verbal autopsy (VA) using a key symptom list. Materials and Methods: A total of 32 participants attended the 2-day workshop at the Department of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS Patna, in January 2019. A pretest questionnaire was administered before the start of the workshop and to test the improvement in knowledge of participants after attending the workshop, the same questionnaire was again administered as a posttest at the end of the workshop. Feedback of participants was also collected on a predesigned semi-structured questionnaire. The collected responses were entered in MS Excel 2010. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using SPSS version 16.0 software. Results: There was a statistically significant improvement (P < 0.001) in the mean posttest score (8.6 ± 1.2) as compared to the mean pretest score (6.1 ± 2.8). Maximum participants, i.e., 15 (46.8%), reported that filling VA forms in a narrative way was the most useful part of the workshop. All the participants, i.e., 32 (100%), strongly agreed that the workshop was appropriately organized, content of the training was relevant, they were encouraged to actively participate, and adequate material was provided. Conclusion: Further intensive workshop with more field training and refresher training at regular intervals is expected in future.

Objetivo: Determinar la eficacia de un programa sobre conocimiento de autoexamen de mama en madres de estudiantes educadores de una institución educativa pública, 2018. Materiales y métodos: Enfoque cuantitativo y de tipo preexperimental en el que participaron 124 madres de alumnos educadores del 4.° año de secundaria de una institución educativa pública en 2018. Resultados: El 54,84 % de alumnos educadores eran del sexo femenino y el 45,16 %, del sexo masculino. El 98,40 % de las madres de estudiantes educadores tenía entre 35 y 59 años, el 66,10 % era conviviente, el 47,60 % tenía estudios secundarios y el 47,60 % era de religión evangélica. En el pretest, los conocimientos sobre autoexamen de mama alcanzaron un puntaje promedio de 8,94 puntos, donde el 83,10 % obtuvo un nivel bajo y el 16,90 %, un nivel medio. En el postest el puntaje promedio fue 13,48 puntos, donde el 14,52 % alcanzó un nivel alto; el 71,77 %, un nivel medio, y el 13,71 %, un nivel bajo. Hubo una diferencia significativa (p = 0,000) entre el puntaje del pretest y el postest de conocimientos sobre autoexamen de mama, lo cual demuestra la eficacia del programa educativo. Asimismo, se evidenció una diferencia significativa entre el puntaje del pretest y el postest en las dimensiones pertenecientes a los conocimientos de cáncer de mama, factores de riesgo, métodos de diagnóstico y autoexamen de mama (p = 0,000) en las madres de los estudiantes educadores. Conclusiones: Según los resultados obtenidos, se concluye que existe una eficacia del programa sobre conocimiento de autoexamen de mama en las madres de estudiantes educadores de una institución educativa pública, 2018; los resultados de la prueba estadística de Wilcoxon demostraron una diferencia significativa (p = 0,000).

Cognitive pretesting is an essential method of piloting questionnaires and ensuring quality of survey data. Web probing has emerged as an innovative method of cognitive pretesting, especially for cross-cultural and web surveys. The order of presenting questions in cognitive pretesting can differ from the order of presentation in the later survey. Yet empirical evidence is missing whether the order of presenting survey questions influences the answers to open-ended probing questions. The present study examines the effect of question order on web probing in the United States and Germany. Results indicate that probe responses are not strongly impacted by question order. However, both content and consistency of probe responses may differ cross-culturally. Implications for cognitive pretesting are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of using math educational software in the academic achievement and attitude of the learners in a business mathematics course. The experimental research design was used particularly the pre-test post-test control group design. The experimental group was exposed to math educational software namely, the QM for Windows while the control group was taught using the traditional teaching approach. The results of the study showed that the experimental group performed better in academic achievement and showed a higher positive attitude towards the course than the control group. Hence, educational software is effective and has a positive impact on the academic achievement of the learners in business mathematics as well as their attitude toward the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this review is to draw attention to the presence and significance of murmurs other than the murmur of aortic regurgitation, in patients with aortic dissection. For that purpose, a literature search was conducted using Pubmed and Googlescholar. The search terms were "dissecting aneurysm of the aorta", "systolic murmurs", "ejection systolic murmurs", "holosystolic" murmurs, "continuous murmurs", and "Austin-Flint" murmur. Murmurs other than the murmur of aortic regurgitation, which were associated with aortic dissection, fell into the categories of systolic murmurs, some of which were holosystolic, and continuous murmurs, the latter attributable to fistulae between the dissecting aneurysm and the left atrium, right atrium, and the pulmonary artery, respectively. Mid-diastolic murmurs were also identified, and these typically occurred in association with both the systolic and the early diastolic murmurs. Among patients with systolic murmurs clinical features which enhanced the pre-test probability of aortic dissection included back pain, stroke, paraplegia, unilateral absence of pulses, interarm differences in blood pressure, hypertension, shock, bicuspid aortic valve, aortic coarctation, Turner's syndrome, and high D-dimer levels, respectively. In the absence of the murmur of aortic regurgitation timely diagnosis of aortic dissection could be expedited by increased attention to parameters which enhance pretest probability of aortic dissection. That logic would apply even if the only murmurs which were elicited were systolic murmurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For misguided reasons, social scientists have long been reluctant to use gain scores for estimating causal effects. This article develops graphical models and graph-based arguments to show that gain score methods are a viable strategy for identifying causal treatment effects in observational studies. The proposed graphical models reveal that gain score methods rely on a bias-removing mechanism that is quite different to regular matching or covariance adjustment. While gain score methods offset noncausal associations via differencing, matching or covariance adjustment blocks noncausal association via conditioning. Since gain score estimators do not rely on conditioning, they are immune to measurement error in the pretest, bias amplification, and collider bias. The graph-based arguments also demonstrate that the key identifying assumption for gain score methods, the common trend assumption, is difficult to assess and justify when the pretest causally affects treatment assignment. Finally, we discuss the distinct role of pretests in the context of Lord's paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are inconsistent findings concerning the efficacy of consensus messages to persuade individuals to hold scientifically supported positions on climate change. In this experiment, we tested the impact of consensus messages on skeptics’ climate beliefs and attitudes and investigated how the decision to pretest initial climate beliefs and attitudes prior to consensus message exposure may influence results. We found that although consensus messages led individuals to report higher scientific agreement estimates, total effects on key variables were likely an artifact of study design; consensus messages only affected climate attitudes and beliefs when they were measured both before and after message exposure. In the absence of a pretest, we did not observe significant total effects of consensus messages on climate outcomes. These results highlight the limitations of consensus messaging strategies at reducing political polarization and the importance of experimental designs that mimic real-world contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a no-cost-to-workers, slip-resistant footwear (SRF) program in preventing workers’ compensation injury claims caused by slipping on wet or greasy floors. METHODS: The study population was a dynamic cohort of food service workers from 226 school districts’ kindergarten through 12th grade food service operations. A two-arm cluster randomized controlled study design was implemented, with school districts randomized to the intervention group receiving SRF. Data were analyzed according to the intent-to-treat principle. Logistic regression was used to analyze dichotomous response data (injured based on workers’ compensation injury claims data, or not injured, for each month worked). Changes in slipping injury rates from baseline to post-intervention follow-up periods were compared between treatment groups. RESULTS: The probability of a slipping injury was reduced significantly in the intervention group, from a baseline measure of 3.54 slipping injuries per 10 000 worker-months to 1.18 slipping injuries per 10 000 worker-months in the follow-up period [adjusted odds ratio (OR_adj) 0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17–0.63]. In the control group, slipping injuries were 2.01 per 10 000 worker-months in the baseline, and 2.30 per 10 000 worker-months in the follow-up. The interaction between treatment group and time period (baseline or follow-up) indicated that the decline seen in the intervention group was significantly different than the increase seen in the control group (OR_adj 0.29, 95% CI 0.11–0.74, adjusted for age >55 years). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of a no-cost-to-workers SRF program in reducing slipping-related workers’ compensation injury claims in food service workers.

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here. Background and Objective: Despite the fact that the mission statement of Islam has been defined as achievement of happiness in this world and the afterlife, humans have come to understand the significance of spiritual well-being in recent years. In many verses, the Quran is introduced as “healing”. As a pioneer study in this area, the current research aimed to examine how the use of the Quran may enhance spiritual well-being among university students. The ultimate goal was to propose some strategies to improve spiritual well-being. Method: This study adopted a pretest-posttest design and utilized the Spiritual Well-Being Scale developed by Paloutzian and Ellison for data collection. The participants (N=63) were divided into two groups. To provide intervention to improve spiritual well-being, the members of the first group were advised to recite the Quran twice a week when they were sad, while the members of the second group were invited to listen to the Quran recitation twice a week, each time for ten minutes, when they felt down. The time interval between the pretest and posttest was three months. Levene test, chi-square, paired-samples t-test, analysis of covariance, and one-way analysis of variance were employed for data analysis. All ethical issues were observed in this study and the researchers declared no conflict of interests. Results: Based on the results of the pretest, the mean scores of spiritual well-being of participants in the recitation and listening groups were 87.88±18.12 and 90.74±14.48 respectively. The same mean scores in the posttest rose to 94.09±13.719 and 95.30±12.135 in the same order. The university students therefore enjoyed a moderate level of well-being. Furthermore, age, gender, major, marital status, illness, and employment status were significantly associated with spiritual health (p

The most important tool of effective teaching learning process is teaching technigues. The use of innovation and digital eguipment in the teaching processes has made learning process very simple, easy and student friendly. Digital innovation has revolutionized the instructional strategies for a sustainable development. Student teachers of today will become gualified teachers tomorrow and the demand for present time is that they should be trained with not only traditional learning methods but also trained them with new digital instructional technigues. Explain the differences between traditional learning methods and innovative technigues and bring awareness of new technigue is the aim of our study. The purpose of this exercise is to invigilate the outcomes of Digital instructional strategies on the performance of the teacher's students. This experiment was conducted on a teaching subject Life Skill Education of fourth semester of teacher education program. A sample of 50 students was selected randomly out of 100 students of Semester IV in a teacher training college. Two groups of 25 students each were made. Pre -test was given to both the groups and the results were recorded. One group was taken as a control group which was taught the subject by the teacher who used conventional method of teaching while the other i.e. the experimental group was taught by the teacher who used innovative digital teaching technigues. After two week time of teaching, a post-test was conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article demonstrates that retrospective pretests for subjective measures can help clinician assess treatment effectiveness for either individuals or groups. Topics discussed include differences between objective measures and subjective measures, use of retrospective pretests for subjective measures, and response shift process.

Abstract Background A multitude of different rehabilitation interventions and other specific health care services are offered for individuals with disorders of consciousness in long-term care settings. To investigate the association of those services and patient-relevant outcomes, a specific instrument to document the utilization of those services is needed. The purpose of this study was to develop such a questionnaire administered to caregivers in epidemiological studies or patient registries in Germany. Methods The development process of the RECAPDOC questionnaire was carried out in three steps. Step 1 consisted of a systematic literature review and an online-based expert survey to define the general content. Step 2 was an expert interview to evaluate the preliminary content of the questionnaire. Step 3 was a pretest including cognitive interviews with caregivers. After each step, the results were combined into a new version of the questionnaire. Results The first version of the questionnaire included items on utilization of medical care, medical aids, nursing and therapeutic care. The results of the expert interview led to the integration of five new items and the modification of six other items. The pretest led to some minor modifications of the questionnaire since it was rated as feasible and acceptable. The final questionnaire consisted of 29 items covering the domains “living situation”, “social insurance status”, “utilisation of home health care”, “domestic services”, “outpatient health care”, “specific diagnostic measures”, “adaptive technologies”, “medical aids” and “utilization of therapies”. Also the experience of family support and multidisciplinary collaboration of health professionals is covered. Conclusions The developed questionnaire is a first step to make the situation of patients with disorders of consciousness in the long-term care setting accessible for evaluation in epidemiological studies and in the context of patient registries. However, further reliability and validity studies are needed.

Recent studies suggest that testing on prior material enhances subsequent learning of new material. Although such forward testing effect has received extensive empirical support, it is not yet clear how testing facilitates subsequent learning. One possible explanation suggests that interim testing informs learners about the format of an upcoming test and consequently allows them to adopt study strategies in accordance with the anticipated test format. Three experiments investigated whether the beneficial effects of testing are due to learners' expectation with the test format or due to testing experience itself in inductive learning by varying when and how learners were informed about the format of an upcoming test. The results showed that informing learners about the test format via an interim test, but not a pretest, enhanced subsequent learning (experiment 1), and it was effective only when combined with actual test-taking experience (experiment 2). Testing appeared to enhance subsequent learning of new material when learners had an opportunity to evaluate their mastery over previously studied information. Experiment 3 further showed that these beneficial effects of testing were yielded even in the absence of feedback. Taken together, the findings suggest that mere exposure to the test format, not combined with actual testing, is not sufficient to enhance subsequent learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed methods approach has gained a broad consensus among social science scholars, who often regard it as a "new paradigm" or the "third way" able to offer new and convincing answers to the never-ending debate between quantitative and qualitative approaches to social research. In the first part of the article we reconstruct the theoretical reflection on this topic, showing how the mixed methods research is a well-rooted practice, dating back to the times of Paul Lazarsfeld and Rensis Likert. Then, we present some results of a methodological study in which, in a mixed method approach three questionnaire pretesting techniques - expert evaluation, cognitive interview, and verbal interaction coding - is used to evaluate a structured questionnaire designed to study public opinions and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In quantitative studies, providing a valid and reliable instrument is necessary to ensure accurate results when measuring sustainable manufacturing practices (SMPs) and sustainability performance (SP). Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the measurements of SMPs and SP. Methodology/Approach: The population of this study is top managers who have experience in the oil and gas industry (O&GI) in Iraq. Two tests were carried out in the present study: the pre-test and the pilot test. Findings: In the pre-test, the comments made by six academician experts and three practitioners were used to rephrase the measurements items and modify them according to the requirements of the O&GI by the Iraqi context. Moreover, in the pilot test was all the items were reliable and were sufficiently correlated with their constructs. Research Limitation/implication: There are some limitations to the current study. First, due to the small size of the study population, the pilot test sample in the current study was only 12 respondents. Future researchers can increase the sample size for the pilot test when they have a large population. Second, the validity and reliability of the measurements were tested in the current study in the oil and gas industry only. Future studies can test these measurements in other industries or small and Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Originality/Value of paper: Theoretically, there are four contributions to the body of knowledge: first, introduce measures for SMPs according to the product life cycle view, it is limited in the literature. Second, these measures can be used by researchers to study the extent of SMPs and the SP of companies using descriptive statistics. Third, these measures can be used to investigate the impact of SMPs on SP by regression testing or structural equation modelling. Fourth, measures can be modified into open-ended questions for use in qualitative or mixed studies. Practically, there are two practical implications which explain in the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]