Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among dentists from Mumbai, India

The world health organization defines musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) as “a disorder of muscles, tendons, peripheral vascular system not directly resulting from an acute or instantaneous event.1 Work related MSDs are one of the most important occupational hazards.1 Among many other occupations, dentistry is a highly demanding profession that requires good visual acuity, hearing, depth perception, psychomotor skills, manual dexterity, and ability to maintain occupational postures over long periods.

The Impact of a Simulated Clinical Experience on CEGEP Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Self-Efficacy and Achievement

Abstract : Providing high-quality clinical experiences to prepare students for the complexities of the current health-care system has become a challenge for nurse educators. Additionally, there are concerns that the current model of clinical practice is suboptimal. Consequently, nursing programs have explored the partial replacement of traditional in-hospital clinical experiences with a simulated clinical experience. Despite research demonstrating numerous benefits to students following participation in simulation activities, insufficient research conducted within Québec exists to convince the governing bodies (Ordre des infirmières et des infirmiers du Québec, OIIQ; Ministère de L’Éducation supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie) to fully embrace simulation as part of nurse training. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of a simulated clinical experience (SCE) as a viable, partial pedagogical substitute for traditional clinical experience by examining the effects of a SCE on CEGEP nursing students’ perceptions of self-efficacy (confidence), and their ability to achieve course objectives. The findings will contribute new information to the current body of research in simulation. The specific case of obstetrical practice was examined. Based on two sections of the Nursing III-Health and Illness (180-30K-AB) course, the sample was comprised of 65 students (thirty-one students from section 0001 and thirty-four students from section 0002) whose mean age was 24.8 years. With two sections of the course available, the opportunity for comparison was possible. A triangulation mixed method design was used. An adapted version of Ravert’s (2004) Nursing Skills for Evaluation tool was utilized to collect data regarding students’ perceptions of confidence related to the nursing skills required for care of mothers and their newborns. Students’ performance and achievement of course objectives was measured through an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) consisting of three marked stations designed to test the theoretical and clinical aspects of course content. The OSCE was administered at the end of the semester following completion of the traditional clinical experience. Students’ qualitative comments on the post -test survey, along with journal entries served to support the quantitative scale evaluation. Two of the twelve days (15 hours) allocated for obstetrical clinical experience were replaced by a SCE (17%) over the course of the semester. Students participated in various simulation activities developed to address a range of cognitive, psychomotor and critical thinking skills. Scenarios incorporating the use of human patient simulators, and designed using the Jeffries Framework (2005), exposed students to the care of families and infants during the perinatal period to both reflect and build upon class and course content in achievement of course objectives and program competencies. Active participation in all simulation activities exposed students to Bandura’s four main sources of experience (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and physiologic/emotional responses) to enhance the development of students’ self-efficacy. Results of the pre-test and post-test summative scores revealed a statistically significant increase in student confidence in performing skills related to maternal and newborn care (p < .0001) following participation in the SCE. Confidence pre-test and post-test scores were not affected by the students’ section. Skills related to the care of the post-partum mother following vaginal or Caesarean section delivery showed the greatest change in confidence ratings. OSCE results showed a mean total class score (both sections) of 57.4 (70.0 %) with normal distribution. Mean scores were 56.5 (68.9%) for section 0001 and 58.3 (71.1%) for section 0002. Total scores were similar between sections (p =0.342) based on pairwise comparison. Analysis of OSCE scores as compared to students’ final course grade revealed similar distributions. Finally, qualitative analysis identified how students’ perceived the SCE. Students cited gains in knowledge, development of psychomotor skills and improved clinical judgement following participation in simulation activities. These were attributed to the « hands on » practice obtained from working in small groups, a safe and authentic learning environment and one in which students could make mistakes and correct errors as having the greatest impact on learning through simulation.

A intervenção psicomotora para pessoas idosas no Centro Social da Trafaria da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Almada

O presente relatório pretende descrever a intervenção psicomotora com população idosa em contexto de estágio profissionalizante no centro de dia do Centro Social da Trafaria da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Almada, no ano de 2014-2015 no âmbito do Ramo de Aprofundamento de Competências Profissionais do Mestrado de Reabilitação Psicomotora da Faculdade de Motricidade Humana da Universidade de Lisboa. Encontra-se estruturado em duas partes relativas ao enquadramento e realização da prática profissional. Deste modo, são referidos os aspetos teóricos de envelhecimento, intervenção psicomotora, gerontopsicomotricidade, e é ainda realizada uma caracterização da instituição de forma a fundamentar e enquadrar a prática profissional. Referente à realização da prática profissional são abordadas as duas etapas da intervenção realizadas, especificando a intervenção psicomotora, na segunda etapa, realizada com um grupo de oito pessoas idosas e um estudo caso, verificando-se no geral uma manutenção e melhoria das competências psicomotoras. No final do relatório são referidas as conclusões finais, sendo uma análise crítica e reflexiva acerca da intervenção psicomotora neste contexto, limitações e propostas.

Intervenção psicomotora no envelhecimento patológico : Centro Psicogeriátrico Nossa Senhora de Fátima

O presente relatório descreve as atividades de estágio desenvolvidas no âmbito do Mestrado em Reabilitação Psicomotora, Ramo de Aprofundamento de Competências Profissionais, da Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, realizado no Centro Psicogeriátrico de Nossa Senhora de Fátima. O estágio conta com sessões de observação, avaliação e intervenção psicomotora, na área da “saúde mental” e envelhecimento. O relatório está divido em duas partes, uma de revisão de literatura acerca do contexto de estágio e posteriormente a parte prática do estágio, com dois estudos de caso, um individual e um de grupo. Para cada estudo de caso encontra-se descrito todo o processo de avaliação, estabelecimento de objetivos, intervenção psicomotora, resultados e respetiva análise crítica do processo. Foi utilizado o Exame GerontoPsicomotor e a Grelha de Observação Psicomotora para avaliar as 40 utentes. Na intervenção individual, com 3 utentes, foi possível constatar melhorias a nível psicomotor demonstrando a importância desta intervenção na população. Nos grupos, com 23 utentes, foi possível verificar a manutenção de capacidades das utentes, verificando-se a importância de estimulação sensorial nestas pessoas.

Estágio de psicomotricidade em contexto de lar de infância e juventude e centro de atividades de tempos livres

O presente relatório refere-se ao estágio profissionalizante de Reabilitação Psicomotora, realizado no ano letivo 2014/ 2015, na Fundação O Século, em Lar de Infância e Juventude e Centro de Atividades de Tempos Livres. As crianças institucionalizadas pelas suas histórias de vida, apresentam fenótipos particulares, nomeadamente ao nível emocional, psicológico, do comportamento e da linguagem. A Dificuldade Intelectual e Desenvolvimental (DID) é uma perturbação do desenvolvimento que altera o funcionamento a nível cognitivo, motor, psicomotor, de linguagem e de funcionamento executivo. Foram dinamizadas sessões individuais com uma criança e um jovem com DID e um grupo. O estudo de caso reporta-se à criança com DID, com quem se desenvolveram sessões de psicomotricidade. Os instrumentos utilizados foram a Bateria Psicomotora e o Inventário Comportamental de Avaliação de Funções Executivas. Observou-se que a criança melhorou as competências psicomotoras, mas que houve uma manutenção nas Funções Executivas.

Impact of cannabis inhalation on driving skills in occasional smokers

Objectives: Our aim was to study the brain regions involved in a divided attention tracking task related to driving in occasional cannabis smokers. In addition we assessed the relationship between THC levels in whole blood and changes in brain activity, behavioural and psychomotor performances. Methods: Twenty-one smokers participated to two independent cross-over fMRI experiments before and after smoking cannabis and a placebo. The paradigm was based on a visuo-motor tracking task, alternating active tracking blocks with passive tracking viewing and rest condition. Half of the active tracking conditions included randomly presented traffic lights as distractors. Blood samples were taken at regular intervals to determine the time-profiles of the major cannabinoids. Their levels during the fMRI experiments were interpolated from concentrations measured by GCMS/ MS just before and after brain imaging. Results: Behavioural data, such as the discard between target and cursor, the time of correct tracking and the reaction time during traffic lights appearance showed a statistical significant impairment of subject s skills due to THC intoxication. Highest THC blood concentrations were measured soon after smoking and ranged between 28.8 and 167.9 ng/ml. These concentrations reached values of a few ng/ml during the fMRI. fMRI results pointed out that under the effect of THC, high order visual areas (V3d) and Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) showed an higher activation compared to the control condition. The opposite comparison showed a decrease of activation during the THC condition in the anterior cingulate gyrus and orbitofrontal areas. In these locations, the BOLD showed a negative correlation with the THC level. Conclusion: Acute cannabis smoking significantly impairs performances and brain activity during active tracking tasks, partly reorganizing the recruitment of brain areas of the attention network. Neural activity in the anterior cingulate might be responsible of the changes in the cognitive controls required in our divided attention task.

Assessment of driving capability through the use of clinical and psychomotor tests in relation to blood cannabinoids levels following oral administration of 20 mg dronabinol or of a cannabis decoction made with 20 or 60 mg Delta9-THC.

Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is frequently found in the blood of drivers suspected of driving under the influence of cannabis or involved in traffic crashes. The present study used a double-blind crossover design to compare the effects of medium (16.5 mg THC) and high doses (45.7 mg THC) of hemp milk decoctions or of a medium dose of dronabinol (20 mg synthetic THC, Marinol on several skills required for safe driving. Forensic interpretation of cannabinoids blood concentrations were attempted using the models proposed by Daldrup (cannabis influencing factor or CIF) and Huestis and coworkers. First, the time concentration-profiles of THC, 11-hydroxy-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) (active metabolite of THC), and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) in whole blood were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-negative ion chemical ionization. Compared to smoking studies, relatively low concentrations were measured in blood. The highest mean THC concentration (8.4 ng/mL) was achieved 1 h after ingestion of the strongest decoction. Mean maximum 11-OH-THC level (12.3 ng/mL) slightly exceeded that of THC. THCCOOH reached its highest mean concentration (66.2 ng/mL) 2.5-5.5 h after intake. Individual blood levels showed considerable intersubject variability. The willingness to drive was influenced by the importance of the requested task. Under significant cannabinoids influence, the participants refused to drive when they were asked whether they would agree to accomplish several unimportant tasks, (e.g., driving a friend to a party). Most of the participants reported a significant feeling of intoxication and did not appreciate the effects, notably those felt after drinking the strongest decoction. Road sign and tracking testing revealed obvious and statistically significant differences between placebo and treatments. A marked impairment was detected after ingestion of the strongest decoction. A CIF value, which relies on the molar ratio of main active to inactive cannabinoids, greater than 10 was found to correlate with a strong feeling of intoxication. It also matched with a significant decrease in the willingness to drive, and it matched also with a significant impairment in tracking performances. The mathematic model II proposed by Huestis et al. (1992) provided at best a rough estimate of the time of oral administration with 27% of actual values being out of range of the 95% confidence interval. The sum of THC and 11-OH-THC blood concentrations provided a better estimate of impairment than THC alone. This controlled clinical study points out the negative influence on fitness to drive after medium or high dose oral THC or dronabinol.

Effects of low doses of alcohol on driving-related skills: a review of the evidence.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Categorization skills and recall in brain damaged children: a multiple case study

During development, children become capable of categorically associating stimuli and of using these relationships for memory recall. Brain damage in childhood can interfere with this development. This study investigated categorical association of stimuli and recall in four children with brain damages. The etiology, topography and timing of the lesions were diverse. Tasks included naming and immediate recall of 30 perceptually and semantically related figures, free sorting, delayed recall, and cued recall of the same material. Traditional neuropsychological tests were also employed. Two children with brain damage sustained in middle childhood relied on perceptual rather than on categorical associations in making associations between figures and showed deficits in delayed or cued recall, in contrast to those with perinatal lesions. One child exhibited normal performance in recall despite categorical association deficits. The present results suggest that brain damaged children show deficits in categorization and recall that are not usually identified in traditional neuropsychological tests.

Does Training Laparoscopic Skills in a Virtual Reality Simulator Improve Surgical Performance?

Background and Purpose: Several different methods of teaching laparoscopic skills have been advocated, with virtual reality surgical simulation (VRSS) being the most popular. Its effectiveness in improving surgical performance is not a consensus yet, however. The purpose of this study was to determine whether practicing surgical skills in a virtual reality simulator results in improved surgical performance. Materials and Methods: Fifteen medical students recruited for the study were divided into three groups. Group I (control) did not receive any VRSS training. For 10 weeks, group II trained basic laparoscopic skills (camera handling, cutting skill, peg transfer skill, and clipping skill) in a VRSS laparoscopic skills simulator. Group III practiced the same skills and, in addition, performed a simulated cholecystectomy. All students then performed a cholecystectomy in a swine model. Their performance was reviewed by two experienced surgeons. The following parameters were evaluated: Gallbladder pedicle dissection time, clipping time, time for cutting the pedicle, gallbladder removal time, total procedure time, and blood loss. Results: With practice, there was improvement in most of the evaluated parameters by each of the individuals. There were no statistical differences in any of evaluated parameters between those who did and did not undergo VRSS training, however. Conclusion: VRSS training is assumed to be an effective tool for learning and practicing laparoscopic skills. In this study, we could not demonstrate that VRSS training resulted in improved surgical performance. It may be useful, however, in familiarizing surgeons with laparoscopic surgery. More effective methods of teaching laparoscopic skills should be evaluated to help in improving surgical performance.

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

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.

Fundamental Skills in Physics: Embedded Learning

Student attitudes towards a subject affect their learning. For students in physics service courses, relevance is emphasised by vocational applications. A similar strategy is being used for students who aspire to continued study of physics, in an introduction to fundamental skills in experimental physics – the concepts, computational tools and practical skills involved in appropriately obtaining and interpreting measurement data. An educational module is being developed that aims to enhance the student experience by embedding learning of these skills in the practicing physicist’s activity of doing an experiment (gravity estimation using a rolling pendulum). The group concentrates on particular skills prompted by challenges such as: • How can we get an answer to our question? • How good is our answer? • How can it be improved? This explicitly provides students the opportunity to consider and construct their own ideas. It gives them time to discuss, digest and practise without undue stress, thereby assisting them to internalise core skills. Design of the learning activity is approached in an iterative manner, via theoretical and practical considerations, with input from a range of teaching staff, and subject to trials of prototypes.

The relationship between multiple birth children's early phonological skills and later literacy

Previous studies have shown that multiple ; birth children (MBC) are prone to early phonological ;difficulties and later literacy problems. However, to date, ;there has been no systematic long-term follow-up of MBC with phonological difficulties in the preschool years to determine whether these difficulties predict later literacy problems. In this study, 20 MBC whose early speech and language skills had been previously documented were compared to normative data and 20 singleton controls on tasks assessing phonological ; processing and literacy. The major findings indicated that MBC performed significantly more poorly on some tasks :df phonological processing than singleton controls did. Further, the early phonological skills of MBC (i.e., the number of inappropriate phonological processes used) correlated with poor performance on visual rhyme recognition, word repetition, and phoneme detection tasks 5 years later. There was no significant relationship between early biological factors (birth weight and gestation period) and performance on the phonological processing and literacy-related subtests. These results cl-support the hypothesis that MBC's early speech and language difficulties are not merely a transient phase;of; development, but a real disorder, with consequences for later academic achievement.

Pinch my wig or winch my pig: Spelling, spoonerisms and other language skills

Phonological processing skills have often been assumed to play a minimal role in skilled adult spelling despite evidence showing their importance in the development of spelling skills. The present study investigated the relationship between phonological awareness and spelling in adults. It was hypothesised that subjects demonstrating higher levels of spelling proficiency would also show superior phonological processing skills. This relationship was expected to be mediated by sound-spelling mapping knowledge. Given the irregularities of sound-spelling correspondences in English, it was also predicted that knowledge of orthographic conventions would be related to spelling competency. Two measures of each component skill were used on seventy three university students. As predicted, the importance of spelling-sound mapping skills in spelling were demonstrated, as was a relationship between phonological awareness and spelling-sound correspondences. In addition a moderate correlation was found between orthographic tasks and spelling performance. It was concluded that, among university students at least, phonological ability makes an important contribution to skilled adult spelling.

An evaluation of the Keep on Talking program for maintaining communication skills into old

Communication skills change with age as a result of sensory deficits, memory loss, and increasing word finding difficulties The Keep on Talking program (L. Hickson, H. Barnett, L. Worrall, & E. Yiu, 1994) was developed to assist older people to develop their own strategies for maintaining communication skills into old age. Two hundred and fifty-two healthy older people were recruited from the community and were assessed on a battery of communication assessments on entry to the study and at 1 year after entry. The experimental group (n = 120) participated in the 5-week group Keep on Talking program run by volunteers A further 130 control subjects were assessed only. The short-term effectiveness of the program was evaluated using a short knowledge based and attitudinal questionnaire and qualitative written feedback. At the I-year follow up, subjects were also asked whether they had taken any action as a result of the project. Results concluded that there was a significant difference between the number of correct questionnaire responses on the knowledge based items and the ratings on the attitudinal items pre- and postprogram questionnaire for the experimental subjects. Qualitative written feedback was positive with many participants remarking on the amount of information that they had acquired. Forty-eight experimental and 69 control subjects (n = 117) were assessed I year later, and there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of the number of subjects who reported having taken action as a result of the program. The Keep on Talking program increased knowledge about communication, produced a positive change in attitude toward the importance of communication, and encouraged participants to take action to maintain their communication skills. Maintaining communication skills may prevent social isolation. This simple 5-hour group program has been effective in empowering participants to maintain. their communication skills as they age.