ABSTRACT
The effect of online argumentation and reflective thinking-based science teaching on sixth-grade students' epistemic cognition, metacognition, and logical thinking was explored in this study. The research was carried out in the 2020-2021 academic year when all teaching was online due to Covid-19. Students in the study sample were mostly from middle-class families. Students were divided into two groups for one semester;one received online argumentation and reflective thinking-based science teaching (experimental group) whereas the other received only online science teaching (control group). The exploratory factor analyses yielded two factors for epistemic cognition and metacognition questionnaires whereas the logical thinking test was found to be unidimensional. According to the results, experimental group students scored higher than control group students in post-test regulation of cognition and logical thinking. In addition, the experimental group developed knowledge of cognition, regulation of cognition, and logical thinking during the intervention. Although the experimental group scored higher than the control group on the set of post-test epistemic cognition factors, this significance did not appear amongst individual factors. As for the implications of this study, elements of distance learning that may have contributed to the development of students' cognitive abilities were discussed.
ABSTRACT
Aim: Biochemical monitoring of COVID-19 patients is essential for assessing disease diagnosis, severity and progression, as well as monitoring therapeutic intervention. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of the cases followed up with the diagnosis of COVID-19. Material(s) and Method(s): The study included 110 patients who admitted to Kastamonu State Hospital between 1-30 April, 2020 and diagnosed with COVID-19. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. Result(s): According to the presence of pneumonia, an increase in neutrophil, ALT and creatinine values, and a decrease in the leukocyte count were found to be statistically significant. When we took the cut-off value of 28.49 for CRP, 1.45 for NLR and 111.12 for PLR in our ROC analysis, all three values were found to be associated with pneumonia. In the logistic regression analysis, female gender, age over 50 years, and an NLR value above 1.45 increased the risk of pneumonia 2.6, 4.9, and 8.3 times, respectively. Discussion(s): High NLR, CRP and PLR values were found to be associated with the presence of pneumonia.Copyright © 2022, Derman Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The production of personalized prosthesis depends on human resources and involves a manufacturing process in which patients are involved individually in. As the world is experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, less contact with the manufacturer is needed to stay safe. 3D printed prosthesis has reduced the need for human resource in the process, while allowing the patient to be completely removed from the design and manufacturing process. In this study an approach in which the patient is kept out of the manufacturing process was investigated. Material(s) and Method(s): The prosthesis model was created by using the image data obtained from the medical imaging devices. The outer part of the prosthesis was shaped with a developed image sampling system. The model was produced using three-dimensional printer. A cytotoxic analysis of the raw material used in the manufacturing process was performed. Result(s): The total production cost of the orbital implants was approximately about 8$. The cytotoxic analysis showed that layered manufacturing strategies could be used to develop implants and prostheses applicable to patients. Conclusion(s): COVID-19 underlined the importance of social distancing which is hard to apply during manufacturing of an eye prosthesis. The manual method results in an eye prosthesis which suits well after numerous trials. On the contrary, Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) based eye prosthesis designation and manufacturing is not only rapid but also flawlessly fitting due to precise measurement during the manufacturing. Copyright © 2022, Nobelmedicus. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background Cancer patients are in the high-risk group of getting COVID-19 infection and experiencing a severe course. Anxiety of cancer patients about how they pass this pandemic process and how changes in the health system would influence their treatment has increased together with the COVID-19 pandemic. Influence of COVID-19 on psychology of cancer patients is also a subject needed to be investigated as well as its course and prognosis. Thus, it is aimed to measure fear levels of cancer patients by a validated scale. Patients accepting to fill in the validated Fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S) scale were included in our study. Higher scores obtained from the scale means high level of COVID-19 fear was experienced. Results A total of 66.8% of 486 patients expressed that they are very afraid of coronavirus, and 66.3% expressed that they fear from losing their lives due to coronavirus. The level of fear in the patient group having adjuvant therapy has been found statistically to be significantly higher compared with groups having neoadjuvant and metastatic/palliative therapy (p: 0.004). Conclusions Because the increase of level of fear may lead to vital outcomes such as weakening of immune system, disturbance of treatment compliance, and worsening of prognosis, a psychological approach to cancer patients is compulsory in order to prevent fear of COVID-19 infection.
ABSTRACT
Aim: Biochemical monitoring of COVID-19 patients is essential for assessing disease diagnosis, severity and progression, as well as monitoring therapeutic intervention. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of the cases followed up with the diagnosis of COVID-19. Material and Methods: The study included 110 patients who admitted to Kastamonu State Hospital between 1-30 April, 2020 and diagnosed with COVID-19. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. Results: According to the presence of pneumonia, an increase in neutrophil, ALT and creatinine values, and a decrease in the leukocyte count were found to be statistically significant. When we took the cut-off value of 28.49 for CRP, 1.45 for NLR and 111.12 for PLR in our ROC analysis, all three values were found to be associated with pneumonia. In the logistic regression analysis, female gender, age over 50 years, and an NLR value above 1.45 increased the risk of pneumonia 2.6, 4.9, and 8.3 times, respectively. Discussion: High NLR, CRP and PLR values were found to be associated with the presence of pneumonia.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Cancer patients are defined as a risk group in the COVID-19. It is unknown how COVID-19 phobia affects the quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients who are vulnerable to infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of COVID-19 phobia on QoL in cancer patients. Patients and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2020 and September 2020 in an Oncology Clinic within a State Hospital in Istanbul. Data were collected by using the following three tools: 1- sociodemographic characteristics, information on cancer diagnosis and treatment, the presence of COVID-19 and isolation measures for protection from COVID-19;2- participants' COVID-19 phobia;3- the last tool was on defining the QoL. Results: The results showed that women had higher COVID-19 phobia than men, and marital status and education level had an impact on the QoL. It was observed that the factor affecting the total score of the COVID-19 Phobia Scale was the QoL_Physical score (6.8%), followed by the QoL_Environmental score (3.7%), gender (2.5%), and QoL_Social score (0.8%), respectively. Conclusions: This study addressed that is effectiveness of COVID-19 Phobia on QoL in cancer patients.