Evaluation of the Helicopter Emergency Breathing Apparatus on Egress Performance.

Emergency helicopter landing at sea is dangerous. Specialized training, known as helicopter underwater escape training (HUET), prepares occupants to quickly exit the helicopter, which often inverts and sinks. In most jurisdictions, helicopter occupants are equipped with a helicopter underwater egress breathing apparatus (HUEBA) to provide sufficient air for escape.

Skin Cooling on Breath-Hold Duration and Predicted Emergency Air Supply Duration During Immersion.

This study was intended to determine the effect of skin cooling on breath-hold duration and predicted emergency air supply duration during immersion. While wearing a helicopter transport suit with a dive mask, 12 subjects (29 ± 10 yr, 78 ± 14 kg, 177 ± 7 cm, 2 women) were studied in 8 and 20°C water. Subjects performed a maximum breath-hold, then breathed for 90 s (through a mouthpiece connected to room air) in five skin-exposure conditions.

Transient cerebral blood flow responses during microgravity.

Purpose: A number of studies has well described central cardiovascular changes caused by changing gravity levels as they occur e.g. during parabolic flight.

Helicopter Hoist Performance in Novice and Experienced Hoist Operators.

Helicopter hoist operators are highly skilled and critical crewmembers in search and rescue. However, hoist operator training programs are relatively underdeveloped in comparison to helicopter pilot training. It is critical that this simulator teaches the necessary skills for high-level performance given the dangers associated with helicopter hoist operation.

Revisiting the brain activity associated with innocuous and noxious cold exposure.

Humans have a sophisticated set of neural structures for cutaneous thermoception. Sufficiently cold temperatures are thought to evoke pain and motivation to resolve disturbed homeostasis, while cool but not painful temperatures are evaluated as cold but do not cause thermoregulatory behaviour. Brain networks for innocuous and noxious cold temperature have been proposed but a quantitative meta-analysis comparing the two has never been conducted.

Neurocognitive performance is enhanced during short periods of microgravity-Part 2.

Previous studies showed a decrease in reaction time during the weightlessness phase of a parabolic flight. This effect was found to be stronger with increasing task complexity and was independent of previous experience of weightlessness as well as anti-nausea medication. Analysis of event related potentials showed a decreased amplitude of the N100-P200 complex in weightlessness but was not able to distinguish a possible effect of task complexity.

The influence of microgravity on cerebral blood flow and electrocortical activity.

Changes in gravity conditions have previously been reported to influence brain hemodynamics as well as neuronal activity. This paper attempts to identify a possible link between changes in brain blood flow and neuronal activity during microgravity. Middle cerebral artery flow velocity (MCAv) was measured using Doppler ultrasound.

Can Pediatric Endoscopists Accurately Assess Their Clinical Competency? A Comparison Across Skill Levels.

Background: Assessment is critical to support pediatric endoscopy training. Although trainee engagement in assessment is encouraged, the use of self-assessment and its accuracy among pediatric endoscopists is not well described. We aimed to determine the self-assessment accuracy of novice, intermediate, and experienced pediatric endoscopists.

Self-Control of Haptic Assistance for Motor Learning: Influences of Frequency and Opinion of Utility.

Studies of self-controlled practice have shown benefits when learners controlled feedback schedule, use of assistive devices and task difficulty, with benefits attributed to information processing and motivational advantages of self-control. Although haptic assistance serves as feedback, aids task performance and modifies task difficulty, researchers have yet to explore whether self-control over haptic assistance could be beneficial for learning. We explored whether self-control of haptic assistance would be beneficial for learning a tracing task.

The Combined Effect of Cold and Moisture on Manual Performance.

Unlabelled: Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of cold and moisture on manual performance and tactile sensitivity. Background People working in the ocean environment often perform manual work in cold and wet conditions. Although the independent effects of cold and moisture on hand function are known, their combined effect has not been investigated.

Impact of experience on self-assessment accuracy of clinical colonoscopy competence.

Background And Aims: Self-assessment is important for life-long learning and a recommended assessment method for endoscopy skills. Prior literature has not investigated self-assessment accuracy of colonoscopic competence in the clinical setting. This study aimed to determine the self-assessment accuracy of novice, intermediate, and experienced endoscopists.

A prospective comparison of live and video-based assessments of colonoscopy performance.

Background And Aims: Colonoscopy performance is typically assessed by a supervisor in the clinical setting. There are limitations of this approach, however, because it allows for rater bias and increases supervisor workload demand during the procedure. Video-based assessment of recorded procedures has been proposed as a complementary means by which to assess colonoscopy performance.

The Influence of Hand Immersion Duration on Manual Performance.

Objective: To investigate the effect of hand immersion duration on manipulative ability and tactile sensitivity.

Background: Individuals in maritime settings often work with hands that have been immersed in water. Although research has shown that hand immersion duration differentially impacts skin adhesion and tactile sensitivity, the effect of hand immersion on manipulative ability has not been directly tested.

It Pays to Go Off-Track: Practicing with Error-Augmenting Haptic Feedback Facilitates Learning of a Curve-Tracing Task.

Researchers in the domain of haptic training are now entering the long-standing debate regarding whether or not it is best to learn a skill by experiencing errors. Haptic training paradigms provide fertile ground for exploring how various theories about feedback, errors and physical guidance intersect during motor learning. Our objective was to determine how error minimizing, error augmenting and no haptic feedback while learning a self-paced curve-tracing task impact performance on delayed (1 day) retention and transfer tests, which indicate learning.

Validity of a new assessment rubric for a short-answer test of clinical reasoning.

Background: The validity of high-stakes decisions derived from assessment results is of primary concern to candidates and certifying institutions in the health professions. In the field of orthopaedic manual physical therapy (OMPT), there is a dearth of documented validity evidence to support the certification process particularly for short-answer tests. To address this need, we examined the internal structure of the Case History Assessment Tool (CHAT); this is a new assessment rubric developed to appraise written responses to a short-answer test of clinical reasoning in post-graduate OMPT certification in Canada.

Establishing assessment criteria for clinical reasoning in orthopedic manual physical therapy: a consensus-building study.

Objectives: Clinical reasoning (CR) represents one of the core components of clinical competence in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy (OMPT). While education standards have been developed to guide curricular design, assessment of CR has not yet been standardized. Without theory-informed and rigorously developed measures, the certification of OMPTs lacks credibility and is less defensible.

Use of Simulation Learning Experiences in Physical Therapy Entry-to-Practice Curricula: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: To review the literature on simulation-based learning experiences and to examine their potential to have a positive impact on physiotherapy (PT) learners' knowledge, skills, and attitudes in entry-to-practice curricula.

Method: A systematic literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase Classic+Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, using keywords such as physical therapy, simulation, education, and students.

Results: A total of 820 abstracts were screened, and 23 articles were included in the systematic review.

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Competency Assessment Tool: reliability and validity evidence.

Background: Rigorously developed and validated direct observational assessment tools are required to support competency-based colonoscopy training to facilitate skill acquisition, optimize learning, and ensure readiness for unsupervised practice.

Objective: To examine reliability and validity evidence of the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Competency Assessment Tool (GiECAT) for colonoscopy for use within the clinical setting.

Design: Prospective, observational, multicenter validation study.

The gastrointestinal endoscopy competency assessment tool for pediatric colonoscopy.

Objectives: Validated assessment tools are required to support competency-based education. We aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Competency Assessment Tool for Pediatric Colonoscopy (GiECATKIDS), an instrument developed by 41 North American experts using Delphi methodology.

Methods: GiECATKIDS consists of a 7-item global rating scale (GRS) and an 18-item checklist (CL).

Sensibility of a new instrument to assess clinical reasoning in post-graduate orthopaedic manual physical therapy education.

Sound application of clinical reasoning (CR) by the physical therapist is critical to achieving optimal patient outcomes. As such, it is important for institutions granting certification in orthopaedic manual physical therapy (OMPT) to ensure that the assessment of CR is sufficiently robust. At present, the dearth of validated instruments to assess CR in OMPT presents a serious challenge to certifying institutions.

Establishing expert consensus on the evaluation of pediatric upper extremity function.

Study Design: Consensus statement.

Introduction: There is a lack of consensus in the literature on the measures of pediatric upper extremity (UE) function for musculoskeletal conditions.

Purpose: To establish expert consensus on utility, satisfaction and importance of functional outcome measures in children with UE musculoskeletal conditions, across International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) domains.

Dental and dental hygiene students' diagnostic accuracy in oral radiology: effect of diagnostic strategy and instructional method.

There has been much debate surrounding diagnostic strategies and the most appropriate training models for novices in oral radiology. It has been argued that an analytic approach, using a step-by-step analysis of the radiographic features of an abnormality, is ideal. Alternative research suggests that novices can successfully employ non-analytic reasoning.

Surgical residents' perceptions on learning gastrointestinal endoscopy: more hours and more standardization wanted.

Objective: Gastrointestinal endoscopy is a complex task that involves an interaction of cognitive and manual skills. There is no consensus on the optimal way to teach endoscopy. We sought to evaluate our formal endoscopy curriculum for general surgery trainees to improve the effectiveness and quality of the endoscopy teaching in this program.

Motor learning perspectives on haptic training for the upper extremities.

Recent developments in neurorehabilitation have spawned numerous new robotic rehabilitation therapies. However, many of the concepts upon which these therapies are based are not fully understood and it may be necessary to explore some of the motor learning principles that apply to the use of haptics for motor learning in non-clinical scenarios/populations. We conducted a review of studies that utilized a haptic training paradigm teaching healthy participants to perform a motor skill involving the upper extremities.

[Quantitative research on operation behavior of acupuncture manipulation].

Objective: To explore a method of quantitative evaluation on operation behavior of acupuncture manipulation and further analyze behavior features of professional acupuncture manipulation.

Methods: According to acupuncture basic manipulations, Scales for Operation Behavior of Acupuncture Basic Manipulation was made and Delphi method was adopted to test its validity. Two independent estimators utilized this scale to assess operation behavior of acupuncture manipulate among 12 acupuncturists and 12 acupuncture-novices and calculate interrater reliability, also the differences of total score of operation behavior in the two groups as well as single-step score, including sterilization, needle insertion, needle manipulation and needle withdrawal, were compared.