Peer-assisted feedback: a successful approach for providing feedback on United States Medical Licensing Exam-style clinical skills exam notes in the United States

Kira Nagoshi,Zareen Zaidi,Ashleigh Wright,Carolyn Stalvey 한국보건의료인국가시험원 2019 보건의료교육평가 Vol.16 No.-

PurposePeer-assisted learning (PAL) promotes the development of communication, facilitates improvements in clinical skills, and is a way to provide feedback to learners. We utilized PAL as a conceptual framework to explore the feasibility of peer-assisted feedback (PAF) to improve note-writing skills without requiring faculty time. The aim was to assess whether PAL was a successful method to provide feedback on the United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE)-style clinical skills exam notes by using student feedback on a survey in the United States. MethodsThe University of Florida College of Medicine administers clinical skills examination (CSEs) that include USMLE-like note-writing. PAL, in which students support the learning of their peers, was utilized as an alternative to faculty feedback. Second-year (MS2) and third-year (MS3) medical students taking CSEs participated in faculty-run note-grading sessions immediately after testing, which included explanations of grading rubrics and the feedback process. Students graded an anonymized peer’s notes. The graded material was then forwarded anonymously to its student author to review. Students were surveyed on their perceived ability to provide feedback and the benefits derived from PAF using a Likert scale (1-6) and open-ended comments during the 2017-2018 academic year. ResultsStudents felt generally positively about the activity, with mean scores for items related to educational value of 4.49 for MS2s and 5.11 for MS3s (out of 6). MS3s perceived peer feedback as constructive, felt that evaluating each other’s notes was beneficial, and felt that the exercise would improve their future notes. While still positive, MS2 students gave lower scores than the MS3 students. ConclusionPAF was a successful method of providing feedback on student CSE notes, especially for MS3s. MS2s commented that although they learned during the process, they might be more invested in improving their note-writing as they approach their own USMLE exam.

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Cementitious Specimens Exposed to an Electrochemically Derived Accelerated Leaching of Calcium

Arezou Babaahmadi,Luping Tang,Zareen Abbas,Per Martensson 한국콘크리트학회 2015 International Journal of Concrete Structures and M Vol.9 No.3

Simulating natural leaching process for cementitious materials is essential to perform long term safety assessments of repositories for nuclear waste. However, the current test methods in literature are time consuming, limited to crushed material and often produce small size samples which are not suitable for further testing. This paper presents the results from the study of the physical (gas permeability as well as chloride diffusion coefficient) and mechanical properties (tensile and compressive strength and elastic modulus) of solid cementitious specimens which have been depleted in calcium by the use of a newly developed method for accelerated calcium leaching of solid specimens of flexible size. The results show that up to 4 times increase in capillary water absorption, 10 times higher gas permeability and at least 3 times higher chloride diffusion rate, is expected due to complete leaching of the Portlandite. This coincides with a 70 % decrease in mechanical strength and more than 40 % decrease in elastic modulus.

포플러와 버드나무에서 분리한 내생균의 잠재적 역할에 관한 연구

강준원 ( Jun Won Kang ),( Zareen Khan ),( Jenny Knoth ),( David Roman ),( Sharon Doty ) 한국임학회 2014 산림과학 공동학술대회 논문집 Vol.2014 No.-

식물체의 뿌리 주변이나 내부 조직에는 다양한 미생물들이 식물체와 상호작용을 하며 살고 있다. 내생균 (Endophyte)은 숙주식물의 내부 조직에 서식하며 병원성을 나타내지 않는 세균, 곰팡이를 의미한다. 이러한 내생균은 오염된 토양과 지하수를 정화할 수 있는 식물체의 정화능을 향상 시켜줄 뿐만 아니라, 질소고정, 식물 성장호르몬 분비, 환경 스트레스에 대한 식물의 저항성을 증가시키면서, 숙주식물을 보호하는 역할을 한다. 본 연구에서는 포플러와 버드나무 조직 내에 공생하는 다양한 내생균의 잠재적 기능에 대하여 알아보았으며. 이러한 내생균의 활용은 형질전환체 개발의 대안이 될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. Most plants associate with various microbes that live around the plant`s root or intercellular space of the plant. The term endophyte refers to microorganisms, bacteria, or fungi, which live within plant tissues without causing any disease. Natural endophytes have a capacity for assisting the phytoremediation of contaminated soil and groundwater in addition to providing other benefits to the plants. We isolated a variety of microbial endosymbionts from poplar and willow trees with properties including plant growth promotion, pollutant degradation, and nitrogen fixation. With the range of beneficial traits provided, these natural endophytes provide an alternative to plant or microbial genetic engineering.

Cyclic Voltammetric Investigation of Interactions between Bisnitroaromatic Compounds and ds.DNA

Janjua, Naveed Kausar,Akhter, Zareen,Jabeen, Fariya,Iftikhar, Bushra Korean Chemical Society 2014 대한화학회지 Vol.58 No.2

Herein, the cyclic voltammetric (CV) investigations of structurally similar bisnitrocompounds (N3, N4, N5, N6, having different-$CH_2$-spacer length) is presented. CV study offered interesting interactional possibilities of bisnitrocompounds with chicken blood ds.DNA at physiological pH 4.7 and human body temperature, 310 K. The results indicated strong interaction by these symmetric molecules with ds.DNA and strength of binding is found to depend on length of $CH_2$ spacer group in their molecular structure. Thermodynamics derived from electrochemical binding parameters also favored the irreversible interactions. Moreover, threading intercalation mode of binding is suggested based on thermodynamic and kinetic binding parameters extracted from CV studies.

Self-care perspective taking and empathy in a student-faculty book club in the United States

Rebecca Henderson,Melanie Gross Hagen,Zareen Zaidi,Valentina Dunder,Edlira Maska,Ying Nagoshi 한국보건의료인국가시험원 2020 보건의료교육평가 Vol.17 No.-

Purpose: We aimed to study the impact of a combined faculty-student book club on education and medical practice as a part of the informal curriculum at the University of Florida College of Medicine in the United States. Methods: Sixteen medical students and 7 faculties who participated in the book club were interviewed through phone and recorded. The interview was then transcribed and entered into the qualitative data analysis program QSR NVivo (QSR International, Burlington,MA, USA). The transcripts were reviewed, and thematic codes were developed inductively through collaborative iteration. Based onthese preliminary codes, a coding dictionary was developed and applied to all interviews within QSR Nvivo to identify themes. Results: Four main themes were identified from interviews: The first theme, the importance of literature to the development andmaintenance of empathy and perspective-taking, and the second theme, the importance of the book club in promoting mentorship,personal relationships and professional development, were important to both student and faculty participants. The third and fourththemes, the need for the book club as a tool for self-care and the book club serving as a reminder about the world outside of school werediscussed by student book club members. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that an informal book club has a significant positive impact on self-care, perspective-taking, empathy, and developing a “world outside of school” for medical school students and faculty in the United States. It also helps to fostermeaningful relationships between students and faculty.

Silica sol as grouting material: a physio-chemical analysis

Sögaard Christian,Funehag Johan,Abbas Zareen 나노기술연구협의회 2018 Nano Convergence Vol.5 No.6

At present there is a pressing need to find an environmentally friendly grouting material for the construction of tunnels. Silica nanoparticles hold great potential of replacing the organic molecule based grouting materials currently used for this purpose. Chemically, silica nanoparticles are similar to natural silicates which are essential components of rocks and soil. Moreover, suspensions of silica nanoparticles of different sizes and desired reactivity are commercially available. However, the use of silica nanoparticles as grouting material is at an early stage of its technological development. There are some critical parameters such as long term stability and functionality of grouted silica that need to be investigated in detail before silica nanoparticles can be considered as a reliable grouting material. In this review article we present the state of the art regarding the chemical properties of silica nanoparticles commercially available, as well as experience gained from the use of silica as grouting material. We give a detailed description of the mechanisms underlying the gelling of silica by different salt solutions such as NaCl and KCl and how factors such as particle size, pH, and temperature affect the gelling and gel strength development. Our focus in this review is on linking the chemical properties of silica nanoparticles to the mechanical properties to better understand their functionality and stability as grouting material. Along the way we point out areas which need further research.

Initiation, proliferation, and improvement of a micropropagation system for mass clonal production of banana through shoot-tip culture

Allah Jurio Khaskheli,Muharam Ali,Syad Zakir Hussain Shah,Zohra Fatima Memon,Saleem Awan,Muhammad Ibrahim Khaskheli,Mohsin Ali Khaskheli,Bilqees Magsi,Zareen Qambrani,Asad Ali Khaskheli 한국식물생명공학회 2021 JOURNAL OF PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Vol.48 No.2

The present study aimed to evaluate the initiation, proliferation potential, and mass clonal production ability of a micropropagation system for banana through tissue culture. A total of 60 explants were cultured on basal media supplemented with various concentrations of BAP and NAA. Banana plants regenerated on MS basal medium (control) without the addition of BAP + NAA showed a significantly (P < 0.05) lower survival rate with no signs of shoots up to the end of the experimental period. The results further revealed that the performance in MSS-XI medium was almost 89%, followed by MSS-IX and MSS-X media, both of which showed performance up to 88%. In contrast, the performance in the MSS-XVI medium was less than 60%, at the less duration of time and highly shoot induction detected at MSS-XIII medium. The maximum number of shoots (4.9) was observed in the medium supplemented with growth adjuster MSS-XI, followed by the MSS-XII medium (4.5). Surprisingly, the best performance was observed for the MSR-VII medium approximately 16 days after initiation, while the lowest performance was observed with MSR-XI (approximately 31 days). The maximum rooting percentage (98%) was observed in the MSR-V to MSR-VIII media (98%), while the minimum rooting percentage was observed in MSR-XI (approximately 45%)