15-Point versus pass/fail grading in orthodontic education: A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: There is a lack of evidence on whether a grading system or a pass/fail system influences manual skills in dental education. This parallel-group randomized controlled trial aimed to assess the influence of a 15-point grading system compared with a pass/fail evaluation on the quality of orthodontic appliances in dental education.

Methods: Predoctoral dental students of three orthodontic courses (n = 139) were randomly assigned to either the test group (15-point grading system) or the control group (pass/fail) using sealed envelopes.

Traumatic Tension Pneumothorax: A Tale of Two Pathologies.

Pneumothorax resulting from injury is a common phenomenon in both civilian and military trauma. A pneumothorax or simple pneumothorax is defined as air in the pleural space. A tension pneumothorax can evolve from a simple pneumothorax if there is a continued air leak from the lung without mechanism for egress.

Early Reduction of FeNO on Anti-IL5 Biologics Is Associated With Clinical Remission of Severe Asthma.

Background: In patients with severe asthma, treatment with anti-interleukin-5 (IL-5) biologics can lead to a reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in some patients. The clinical implications of varying FeNO responses to anti-IL-5 biologics remain unclear. This study aims to categorise patients based on their FeNO response to anti-IL-5 biologics and evaluate the association of these categories with clinical outcomes.

Glacier retreat triggers changes in biodiversity and plant-pollinator interaction diversity.

Unlabelled: Due to global warming, the worldwide retreat of glaciers is causing changes in species diversity, community composition, and species interactions. However, the impact of glacier retreat on interaction diversity and ecological networks remains poorly understood. An integrative understanding of network dynamics may inform conservation actions that support biodiversity and ecosystem functioning after glacier extinction.

Ultra-efficient surface grating couplers for chip-to-fiber and chip-to-free-space coupling based on single-beam radiation.

Surface grating couplers, such as fiber-chip grating couplers and optical antennas, are fundamental devices in photonic integrated circuits, as they enable the coupling of light between the chip and an external medium. An important metric of surface grating couplers is the coupling efficiency, and high values, greater than -1 dB, are required for applications in quantum technology, light detection and ranging, and optical interconnects. Surface grating couplers typically suffer from radiation loss to the substrate, which significantly limits their coupling efficiency.