Learning Clinical Skills Using Haptic vs. Phantom Head Dental Chair Simulators in Removal of Artificial Caries: Cluster-Randomized Trials with Two Cohorts' Cavity Preparation.

Dental task trainer simulators using haptics (virtual touch) offers a cost-effective method of teaching certain clinical skills. The purpose of this study is to evaluate students' performance in removing artificial caries after training with either a haptic dental chair simulator with virtual reality or a traditional dental chair simulator with a mannequin head. Cluster Randomized Controlled Trials in two cohorts, both Year 1 dental students.

A Scoring System for Assessing Learning Progression of Dental Students' Clinical Skills Using Haptic Virtual Workstations.

The aim of this study was to develop and test a scoring system to assess the learning progression of novice dental students using haptic virtual workstations. For the study, 101 first-year dental students at a UK dental school conducted one practice task (task 1) and four simulated cavity removal tasks (tasks 2-5) of increasing difficulty over two laboratory sessions in 2015. Performance data on the students' attempts were recorded as haptic technology-enhanced learning (hapTEL) log-files showing the percentage of caries, healthy tissue, and pulp removed.

Decreasing the length of stay in phase I postanesthesia care unit: an evidence-based approach.

Patient length of stay (LOS) in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) Phase I and Phase II influences patient throughput, staff nurse satisfaction, and financial expenditure. The purpose of this project was to determine if re-education of nursing staff would decrease the LOS in Phase I PACU. The goals of the leadership team were to implement a plan that would result in a decreased LOS, decreased financial expenditure, increased patient throughput, and a change in culture of the work environment.

Framework for e-learning assessment in dental education: a global model for the future.

The framework presented in this article demonstrates strategies for a global approach to e-curricula in dental education by considering a collection of outcome assessment tools. By combining the outcomes for overall assessment, a global model for a pilot project that applies e-assessment tools to virtual learning environments (VLE), including haptics, is presented. Assessment strategies from two projects, HapTEL (Haptics in Technology Enhanced Learning) and UDENTE (Universal Dental E-learning), act as case-user studies that have helped develop the proposed global framework.

Comparative analysis of the effects of heat on the PCR-amplification of various sized DNA fragments extracted from Sus Scrofa molars.

This study examined the effects of heat on the amplification of DNA from the dental pulp of Sus scrofa molars and investigated the protection afforded to the pulp tissue by the dental enamel, alveolar process, and soft tissue of the head. Segments of defleshed maxilla and mandible encasing the first molar (n = 60) were subject to a range of temperatures for 15 min. Dental pulps were retrieved.

Pig-mentation: postmortem iris color change in the eyes of Sus scrofa.

Experienced forensic pathologists and examiners may be familiar with the phenomenon of postmortem iris color change; however, only Knight, Simpson's forensic medicine, Arnold, London, 1997; Ref. 1 and Saukko and Knight, Knight's forensic pathology, 3rd ed., Arnold, London, 2004; Ref.

Patient perspectives on the management of atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is increasingly common, with a point prevalence of more than 30% in some countries, and is characterized by visible skin lesions and intense itching.

Objective: The International Study of Life with Atopic Eczema (ISOLATE) is the first large-scale study to assess the effect of AD on the lives of patients and society, how patients and caregivers manage the condition, and how well patients and caregivers currently believe that AD is controlled.

Methods: Two thousand two patients (>13 years) and caregivers of children (2-13 years) with moderate-to-severe AD randomly selected from 8 countries underwent standardized telephone interviews using questions developed in collaboration with national eczema patient groups and physicians.

Nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) in Picea (Pinaceae): sequence divergence and structure.

The nrDNA ITS1 of Picea is 2747-3271 bp, the longest known of all plants. We obtained 24 cloned ITS1 sequences from six individuals of Picea glehnii, Picea mariana, Picea orientalis, and Picea rubens. Mean sequence divergence within these individuals (0.