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Sample records for asce specialty conference

  1. Abstracts of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering annual conference including the general conference, the 1. international structural specialty conference, the 1. international construction specialty conference, and the 1. specialty conference on disaster mitigation : towards a sustainable future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Badry, M.; Loov, R.E.; Ruwanpura, J.; El-Hacha, R.; Kroman, J.; Rankin, J.

    2006-01-01

    This conference provided a forum for national and international practicing engineers, researchers and technical experts to discuss sustainable solutions to infrastructure development. Discussions focused on recent developments in new technologies for building more economic and sustainable infrastructure, while improving the safety of buildings, bridges, roads, water supply and sewage treatment systems. The conference was held in conjunction with associated specialty conferences, including a first international structures specialty conference, a first international construction specialty conference, and a first specialty conference on disaster mitigation. This book of abstracts highlights all the specialty conferences and accompanies a CD-ROM that has the full text of all the papers. Manuscripts of the full papers submitted to the specialty conferences were peer-reviewed by international scientific committees. The general conference provided a forum to learn about new technologies and future directions in various areas of civil engineering. It included a special theme session on sustainable development and a special session on innovation and information technology. Other technical sessions focused on topics such as civil engineering history and education; infrastructure management and renewal; asset management; risk assessment and management; engineering materials and mechanics; environmental engineering and science; hydrotechnical engineering; cold region engineering; and, transportation engineering. The general conference featured 88 presentations, of which 15 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database

  2. Structure of AscE and Induced Burial Regions in AscE and AscG upon Formation of the Chaperone Needle-subunit Complex of Type III Secretion System in Aeromonas Hydrophila

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, Y.; Yu, H; Leung, K; Sivaraman, J; Mok, Y

    2008-01-01

    In the type III secretion system (T3SS) of Aeromonas hydrophila, the putative needle complex subunit AscF requires both putative chaperones AscE and AscG for formation of a ternary complex to avoid premature assembly. Here we report the crystal structure of AscE at 2.7 A resolution and the mapping of buried regions of AscE, AscG, and AscF in the AscEG and AscEFG complexes using limited protease digestion. The dimeric AscE is comprised of two helix-turn-helix monomers packed in an antiparallel fashion. The N-terminal 13 residues of AscE are buried only upon binding with AscG, but this region is found to be nonessential for the interaction. AscE functions as a monomer and can be coexpressed with AscG or with both AscG and AscF to form soluble complexes. The AscE binding region of AscG in the AscEG complex is identified to be within the N-terminal 61 residues of AscG. The exposed C-terminal substrate-binding region of AscG in the AscEG complex is induced to be buried only upon binding to AscF. However, the N-terminal 52 residues of AscF remain exposed even in the ternary AscEFG complex. On the other hand, the 35-residue C-terminal region of AscF in the complex is resistant to protease digestion in the AscEFG complex. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that two C-terminal hydrophobic residues, Ile83 and Leu84, of AscF are essential for chaperone binding.

  3. Pathfinding the Flight Advanced Stirling Convertor Design with the ASC-E3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Wayne A.; Wilson, Kyle; Smith, Eddie; Collins, Josh

    2012-01-01

    The Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) was initially developed by Sunpower, Inc. under contract to NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) as a technology development project. The ASC technology fulfills NASA's need for high efficiency power convertors for future Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). Early successful technology demonstrations between 2003 to 2005 eventually led to the expansion of the project including the decision in 2006 to use the ASC technology on the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG). Sunpower has delivered 22 ASC convertors of progressively mature designs to date to GRC. Currently, Sunpower with support from GRC, Lockheed Martin Space System Company (LMSSC), and the Department of Energy (DOE) is developing the flight ASC-F in parallel with the ASC-E3 pathfinders. Sunpower will deliver four pairs of ASC-E3 convertors to GRC which will be used for extended operation reliability assessment, independent validation and verification testing, system interaction tests, and to support LMSSC controller verification. The ASC-E3 and -F convertors are being built to the same design and processing documentation and the same product specification. The initial two pairs of ASC-E3 are built before the flight units and will validate design and processing changes prior to implementation on the ASC-F flight convertors. This paper provides a summary on development of the ASC technology and the status of the ASC-E3 build and how they serve the vital pathfinder role ahead of the flight build for ASRG. The ASRG is part of two of the three candidate missions being considered for selection for the Discovery 12 mission.

  4. 77 FR 25168 - Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC); ASC Rules of Operation; Amended

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-27

    ... heads of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The ASC Rules of Operation serve as corporate bylaws outlining the ASC's purpose, functions, authority... Title XI. The ASC Rules of Operation serve as corporate bylaws outlining the ASC's purpose, functions...

  5. Performance Measurement of Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASC-E3)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oriti, Salvatore M.

    2013-01-01

    NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been supporting development of the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) since 2006. A key element of the ASRG project is providing life, reliability, and performance testing data of the Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC). The latest version of the ASC (ASC-E3, to represent the third cycle of engineering model test hardware) is of a design identical to the forthcoming flight convertors. For this generation of hardware, a joint Sunpower and GRC effort was initiated to improve and standardize the test support hardware. After this effort was completed, the first pair of ASC-E3 units was produced by Sunpower and then delivered to GRC in December 2012. GRC has begun operation of these units. This process included performance verification, which examined the data from various tests to validate the convertor performance to the product specification. Other tests included detailed performance mapping that encompassed the wide range of operating conditions that will exist during a mission. These convertors were then transferred to Lockheed Martin for controller checkout testing. The results of this latest convertor performance verification activity are summarized here.

  6. 75 FR 80813 - Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC); ASC Rules of Operation; Amended

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-23

    ... name and must rely on the General Services Administration (GSA) for the procurement of office space by... administration, procurement, and other services, consistent with directives of the ASC. In executing this... Conduct Section 11.01. Ethics Provision. The ASC members of the ASC and its officers and employees shall...

  7. ASC-1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakimoski, Goce; Khajuria, Samant

    2011-01-01

    uses leak extraction from diÆerent AES rounds to compute the key material that is XOR-ed with the message to compute the ciphertext. Unlike LEX, the ASC-1 operates in a CFB fashion to compute an authentication tag over the encrypted message. We argue that ASC-1 is secure by reducingits (IND-CCA , INT......The goal of the modes of operation for authenticated encryption is to achieve faster encryption and message authentication by performing both the encryption and the message authentication in a single pass as opposed to the traditional encrypt-then-mac approach, which requires two passes....... Unfortunately, the use of a block cipher as a building block limits the performance of the authenticated encryption schemes to at most one message block per block cipher evaluation. In this paper, we propose the authenticated encryption scheme ASC-1 (Authenticating Stream Cipher One). Similarly to LEX, ASC-1...

  8. Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) Technology Maturation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Wayne A.; Wilson, Scott; Collins, Josh; Wilson, Kyle

    2016-01-01

    The Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) development effort was initiated by NASA Glenn Research Center with contractor Sunpower, Inc., to develop high-efficiency thermal-to-electric power conversion technology for NASA Radioisotope Power Systems (RPSs). Early successful performance demonstrations led to the expansion of the project as well as adoption of the technology by the Department of Energy (DOE) and system integration contractor Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company as part of the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) flight project. The ASRG integrates a pair of ASCs to convert the heat from a pair of General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) modules into electrical power. The expanded NASA ASC effort included development of several generations of ASC prototypes or engineering units to help prepare the ASC technology and Sunpower for flight implementation. Sunpower later had two parallel contracts allowing the last of the NASA engineering units called ASC-E3 to serve as pathfinders for the ASC-F flight convertors being built for DOE. The ASC-E3 convertors utilized the ASC-F flight specifications and were built using the ASC-F design and process documentation. Shortly after the first ASC-F pair achieved initial operation, due to budget constraints, the DOE ASRG flight development contract was terminated. NASA continues to invest in the development of Stirling RPS technology including continued production of the ASC-E3 convertors, seven of which have been delivered with one additional unit in production. Starting in fiscal year 2015, Stirling Convertor Technology Maturation has been reorganized as an element of the RPS Stirling Cycle Technology Development (SCTD) Project and long-term plans for continued Stirling technology advancement are in reformulation. This paper provides a status on the ASC project, an overview of advancements made in the design and production of the ASC at Sunpower, and a summary of acceptance tests, reliability tests, and tactical

  9. Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) Development for NASA RPS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Wayne A.; Wilson, Scott; Collins, Josh

    2014-01-01

    Sunpower's Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) initiated development under contract to the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and after a series of successful demonstrations, the ASC began transitioning from a technology development project to flight development project. The ASC has very high power conversion efficiency making it attractive for future Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) in order to make best use of the low plutonium-238 fuel inventory in the U.S. In recent years, the ASC became part of the NASA-Department of Energy Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) Integrated Project. Sunpower held two parallel contracts to produce ASC convertors, one with the Department of Energy/Lockheed Martin to produce the ASC-F flight convertors, and one with NASA GRC for the production of ASC-E3 engineering units, the initial units of which served as production pathfinders. The integrated ASC technical team successfully overcame various technical challenges that led to the completion and delivery of the first two pairs of flight-like ASC-E3 by 2013. However, in late Fall 2013, the DOE initiated termination of the Lockheed Martin ASRG flight development contract driven primarily by budget constraints. NASA continues to recognize the importance of high efficiency ASC power conversion for RPS and continues investment in the technology including the continuation of ASC-E3 production at Sunpower and the assembly of the ASRG Engineering Unit #2. This paper provides a summary of ASC technical accomplishments, overview of tests at GRC, plans for continued ASC production at Sunpower, and status of Stirling technology development.

  10. ASC deficiency suppresses proliferation and prevents medulloblastoma incidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, E R W; Patel, E Y; Flowers, C A; Crowther, A J; Ting, J P; Miller, C R; Gershon, T R; Deshmukh, M

    2015-01-15

    Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) is silenced by promoter methylation in many types of tumors, yet ASC's role in most cancers remains unknown. Here, we show that ASC is highly expressed in a model of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant pediatric brain cancer; ASC is also expressed in human medulloblastomas. Importantly, while ASC deficiency did not affect normal cerebellar development, ASC knockout mice on the Smoothened (ND2:SmoA1) transgenic model of medulloblastoma exhibited a profound reduction in medulloblastoma incidence and a delayed tumor onset. A similar decrease in tumorigenesis with ASC deficiency was also seen in the hGFAP-Cre:SmoM2 mouse model of medulloblastoma. Interestingly, hyperproliferation of the external granule layer (EGL) was comparable at P20 in both wild-type and ASC-deficient SmoA1 mice. However, while the apoptosis and differentiation markers remained unchanged at this age, proliferation makers were decreased, and the EGL was reduced in thickness and area by P60. This reduction in proliferation with ASC deficiency was also seen in isolated SmoA1 cerebellar granule precursor cells in vitro, indicating that the effect of ASC deletion on proliferation was cell autonomous. Interestingly, ASC-deficient SmoA1 cerebella exhibited disrupted expression of genes in the transforming growth factor-β pathway and increased level of nuclear Smad3. Taken together, these results demonstrate an unexpected role for ASC in Sonic hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma tumorigenesis, thus identifying ASC as a promising novel target for antitumor therapy.

  11. PM10 standards and nontraditional particulate source controls: A summary of the A ampersand WMA/EPA international specialty conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chow, J.C.; Watson, J.G.; Ono, D.M.; Mathai, C.V.

    1993-01-01

    An international specialty conference, jointly sponsored by the Air ampersand Waste Management Association (A ampersand WMA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), entitled open-quotes PM 10 Standards and Nontraditional Particulate Source Controls,close quotes was held in Scottsdale, Arizona, January 12-15, 1992. The conference included 92 presentations in 17 technical sessions. Eight-one peer-reviewed technical papers, two keynote addresses and one panel session summary describing novel applications, measurement processes, modeling techniques and control measures for nontraditional pollution sources are assembled in the Transactions. The technical issues addressed during the conference included: (1) measurement methods and data bases; (2) emissions source characterization; (3) source apportionment of nontraditional sources; (4) fugitive dust characterization and control technologies; (5) vegetative burning characterization and control technologies; (6) sources and controls of secondary aerosol and motor vehicle precursors; and (7) regulatory policies and State Implementation Plan (SIP) development. This paper gives an overview of the technical program. 105 refs., 1 tab

  12. Authenticated Secure Container System (ASCS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    Sandia National Laboratories developed an Authenticated Secure Container System (ASCS) for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Agency standard weights and safeguards samples can be stored in the ASCS to provide continuity of knowledge. The ASCS consists of an optically clear cover, a base containing the Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) transmitter, and the AIMS receiver unit for data collection. The ASCS will provide the Inspector with information concerning the status of the system, during a surveillance period, such as state of health, tampering attempts, and movement of the container system. The secure container is located inside a Glove Box with the receiver located remotely from the Glove Box. AIMS technology uses rf transmission from the secure container to the receiver to provide a record of state of health and tampering. The data is stored in the receiver for analysis by the Inspector during a future inspection visit. 2 refs

  13. Sandia National Laboratories Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) software quality plan : ASC software quality engineering practices Version 3.0.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turgeon, Jennifer L.; Minana, Molly A.; Hackney, Patricia; Pilch, Martin M.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Software Quality Plan is to clearly identify the practices that are the basis for continually improving the quality of ASC software products. Quality is defined in the US Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Agency (DOE/NNSA) Quality Criteria, Revision 10 (QC-1) as 'conformance to customer requirements and expectations'. This quality plan defines the SNL ASC Program software quality engineering (SQE) practices and provides a mapping of these practices to the SNL Corporate Process Requirement (CPR) 001.3.6; 'Corporate Software Engineering Excellence'. This plan also identifies ASC management's and the software project teams responsibilities in implementing the software quality practices and in assessing progress towards achieving their software quality goals. This SNL ASC Software Quality Plan establishes the signatories commitments to improving software products by applying cost-effective SQE practices. This plan enumerates the SQE practices that comprise the development of SNL ASC's software products and explains the project teams opportunities for tailoring and implementing the practices.

  14. Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This file contains a summary of service utilization by ASC supplier and is derived from 2011 ASC line item level data, updated through June 2012, that is, line items...

  15. The development of the brake system of the BMW 850i including ABS and ASC. Entwicklung des Bremssystems des BMW 850i einschliesslich ABS und ASC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kraft, H.J.; Leffler, H.

    1990-02-01

    The brake system of the new BMW 850i is described in the following. The brake actuation takes place via an hydraulic brake booster. The disc brakes at front and rear axle are arranged in diagnonal brake split. The 4-channel ABS is fitted as standard equipment. The ABS control unit also incorporates the algorithm for the Automatic Stability Control System ASC or ASC+T. The ASC+T shows improved traction compared with the pure stability system ASC and is standard in the BMW 850i with manual gear box. The automatic gear box equipped BMW 850i are supplied with ASC, the ASC+T is available as an option. Both systems, the ASC and the ASC+T are described with special view on the electronical and hydraulical network in the car. A performance comparison of the ASC-systems completes the description. (orig.).

  16. Sandia National Laboratories Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) software quality plan. Part 1: ASC software quality engineering practices, Version 2.0.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sturtevant, Judith E.; Heaphy, Robert; Hodges, Ann Louise; Boucheron, Edward A.; Drake, Richard Roy; Minana, Molly A.; Hackney, Patricia; Forsythe, Christi A.; Schofield, Joseph Richard, Jr. (,; .); Pavlakos, Constantine James; Williamson, Charles Michael; Edwards, Harold Carter

    2006-09-01

    The purpose of the Sandia National Laboratories Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Software Quality Plan is to clearly identify the practices that are the basis for continually improving the quality of ASC software products. The plan defines the ASC program software quality practices and provides mappings of these practices to Sandia Corporate Requirements CPR 1.3.2 and 1.3.6 and to a Department of Energy document, ASCI Software Quality Engineering: Goals, Principles, and Guidelines. This document also identifies ASC management and software project teams responsibilities in implementing the software quality practices and in assessing progress towards achieving their software quality goals.

  17. Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) Technology Maturation in Preparation for Flight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Wayne A.; Cornell, Peggy A.

    2012-01-01

    The Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) is being developed by an integrated team of Sunpower and National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA s) Glenn Research Center (GRC). The ASC development, funded by NASA s Science Mission Directorate, started as a technology development effort in 2003 and has since evolved through progressive convertor builds and successful testing to demonstrate high conversion efficiency, low mass, and capability to meet long-life Radioisotope Power System (RPS) requirements. The technology has been adopted by the Department of Energy and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company s Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG), which has been selected for potential flight demonstration on Discovery 12. This paper provides an overview of the status of ASC development including the most recent ASC-E2 convertors that have been delivered to GRC and an introduction to the ASC-E3 and ASC flight convertors that Sunpower will build next. The paper also describes the technology maturation and support tasks being conducted at GRC to support ASC and ASRG development in the areas of convertor and generator extended operation, high-temperature materials, heater head life assessment, organics, nondestructive inspection, spring fatigue testing, and other reliability verification tasks.

  18. Sandia National Laboratories Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) software quality plan. Part 1 : ASC software quality engineering practices version 1.0.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Minana, Molly A.; Sturtevant, Judith E.; Heaphy, Robert; Hodges, Ann Louise; Boucheron, Edward A.; Drake, Richard Roy; Forsythe, Christi A.; Schofield, Joseph Richard, Jr.; Pavlakos, Constantine James; Williamson, Charles Michael; Edwards, Harold Carter

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Software Quality Plan is to clearly identify the practices that are the basis for continually improving the quality of ASC software products. Quality is defined in DOE/AL Quality Criteria (QC-1) as conformance to customer requirements and expectations. This quality plan defines the ASC program software quality practices and provides mappings of these practices to the SNL Corporate Process Requirements (CPR 1.3.2 and CPR 1.3.6) and the Department of Energy (DOE) document, ASCI Software Quality Engineering: Goals, Principles, and Guidelines (GP&G). This quality plan identifies ASC management and software project teams' responsibilities for cost-effective software engineering quality practices. The SNL ASC Software Quality Plan establishes the signatories commitment to improving software products by applying cost-effective software engineering quality practices. This document explains the project teams opportunities for tailoring and implementing the practices; enumerates the practices that compose the development of SNL ASC's software products; and includes a sample assessment checklist that was developed based upon the practices in this document.

  19. Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC-E2) Characterization Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Zachary D.; Oriti, Salvatore M.

    2012-01-01

    Testing has been conducted on Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASCs)-E2 at NASA Glenn Research Center in support of the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) project. This testing has been conducted to understand sensitivities of convertor parameters due to environmental and operational changes during operation of the ASRG in missions to space. This paper summarizes test results and explains the operation of the ASRG during space missions

  20. ASC-PROBA Interface Control Document

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Betto, Maurizio; Jørgensen, John Leif; Jørgensen, Finn E

    1999-01-01

    of Automation of the Technical University of Denmark. The document is structured as follows. First we present the ASC - heritage, system description, performance - then we address more specifically the environmental properties, like the EMC compatibility and thermal characteristics, and the design...... and reliability issues. Section 6 deals with the testing and the calibration procedures and in section 7 the mechanical and electrical interfaces are given. In section 8 and 9 we address issues like manufacturing, transportation and storage and to conclude we review the ASC specifications against the PROBA...

  1. Sandia National Laboratories Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) software quality plan part 2 mappings for the ASC software quality engineering practices, version 2.0.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heaphy, Robert; Sturtevant, Judith E.; Hodges, Ann Louise; Boucheron, Edward A.; Drake, Richard Roy; Minana, Molly A.; Hackney, Patricia; Forsythe, Christi A.; Schofield, Joseph Richard, Jr. (,; .); Pavlakos, Constantine James; Williamson, Charles Michael; Edwards, Harold Carter

    2006-09-01

    The purpose of the Sandia National Laboratories Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Software Quality Plan is to clearly identify the practices that are the basis for continually improving the quality of ASC software products. The plan defines the ASC program software quality practices and provides mappings of these practices to Sandia Corporate Requirements CPR001.3.2 and CPR001.3.6 and to a Department of Energy document, ''ASCI Software Quality Engineering: Goals, Principles, and Guidelines''. This document also identifies ASC management and software project teams' responsibilities in implementing the software quality practices and in assessing progress towards achieving their software quality goals.

  2. Test Hardware Design for Flightlike Operation of Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASC-E3)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oriti, Salvatore M.

    2012-01-01

    NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been supporting development of the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) since 2006. A key element of the ASRG project is providing life, reliability, and performance testing of the Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC). For this purpose, the Thermal Energy Conversion branch at GRC has been conducting extended operation of a multitude of free-piston Stirling convertors. The goal of this effort is to generate long-term performance data (tens of thousands of hours) simultaneously on multiple units to build a life and reliability database. The test hardware for operation of these convertors was designed to permit in-air investigative testing, such as performance mapping over a range of environmental conditions. With this, there was no requirement to accurately emulate the flight hardware. For the upcoming ASC-E3 units, the decision has been made to assemble the convertors into a flight-like configuration. This means the convertors will be arranged in the dual-opposed configuration in a housing that represents the fit, form, and thermal function of the ASRG. The goal of this effort is to enable system level tests that could not be performed with the traditional test hardware at GRC. This offers the opportunity to perform these system-level tests much earlier in the ASRG flight development, as they would normally not be performed until fabrication of the qualification unit. This paper discusses the requirements, process, and results of this flight-like hardware design activity.

  3. Immunocytoexpression profile of ProExC in smears interpreted as ASC-US, ASC-H, and cervical intraepithelial lesion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeynep Tosuner

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims: We aimed to investigate the immunocytoexpression profiles of a novel assay ProEx C for topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A and minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (MCM2 in abnormal interpreted smears. Settings and Design: Screening programs with Papanicolaou smear and high risk group human papilloma virus testing have yielded a dramatic reduction of cervical cancer incidence. However, both of these tests have limited specificity for the detection of clinically significant cervical high grade lesions. ProEx C for topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A and minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (MCM2 has been considered to have tight association with high grade intraepithelial lesions. Materials and Methods: A total number of 54 SurePath cervical cytology specimens of patients previously interpreted as atypical squamous cells-undetermined significance (ASC-US, atypical squamous cells-cannot exclude high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H, low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL, and high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL were included in our study. Results and Conclusions: ProEx C was positive in 14 of HSILs (100%, 3 of 19 LSILs (16%, 2 of 4 ASC-Hs, and none of ASC-USs (0%. The ProEx C test showed very intense nuclear staining in all cytologically abnormal cells. Further studies are indicated to evaluate the diagnostic role of ProEx C.

  4. Revision of ASCE 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, T.A.; Murray, R.C.; Short, S.A.

    1995-01-01

    The original version of ASCE Standard 4, ''Seismic Analysis of Safety-Related Nuclear Structures'' was published in September 1986. It is ASCE policy to update its standards on a five year interval and the Working Group on Seismic Analysis of Safety Related Nuclear Structures was reconvened to formulate the revisions. The goal in updating the standard is to make sure that it is still relevant and that it incorporates the state of the practice in seismic engineering or, in some cases, where it has been demonstrated that state-of-the-art improvements need to be made to standard practice; new improvements are included. The contents of the new standard cover the same areas as the original version, with some additions. The contents are as follows: Input - response spectra and time histories; modeling of structures; analysis of structures; soil-structure interaction; input for subsystem analysis; special structures - buried pipes and conduits, earth-retaining walls, above-ground vertical tanks, raceways, and base-isolated structures; and an appendix providing seismic probabilistic risk assessment and margin assessment

  5. Differential splicing of the apoptosis-associated speck like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC regulates inflammasomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rojanasakul Yon

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The apoptotic speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC is the essential adaptor protein for caspase 1 mediated interleukin (IL-1β and IL-18 processing in inflammasomes. It bridges activated Nod like receptors (NLRs, which are a family of cytosolic pattern recognition receptors of the innate immune system, with caspase 1, resulting in caspase 1 activation and subsequent processing of caspase 1 substrates. Hence, macrophages from ASC deficient mice are impaired in their ability to produce bioactive IL-1β. Furthermore, we recently showed that ASC translocates from the nucleus to the cytosol in response to inflammatory stimulation in order to promote an inflammasome response, which triggers IL-1β processing and secretion. However, the precise regulation of inflammasomes at the level of ASC is still not completely understood. In this study we identified and characterized three novel ASC isoforms for their ability to function as an inflammasome adaptor. Methods To establish the ability of ASC and ASC isoforms as functional inflammasome adaptors, IL-1β processing and secretion was investigated by ELISA in inflammasome reconstitution assays, stable expression in THP-1 and J774A1 cells, and by restoring the lack of endogenous ASC in mouse RAW264.7 macrophages. In addition, the localization of ASC and ASC isoforms was determined by immunofluorescence staining. Results The three novel ASC isoforms, ASC-b, ASC-c and ASC-d display unique and distinct capabilities to each other and to full length ASC in respect to their function as an inflammasome adaptor, with one of the isoforms even showing an inhibitory effect. Consistently, only the activating isoforms of ASC, ASC and ASC-b, co-localized with NLRP3 and caspase 1, while the inhibitory isoform ASC-c, co-localized only with caspase 1, but not with NLRP3. ASC-d did not co-localize with NLRP3 or with caspase 1 and consistently lacked the ability to function as an

  6. Dimorfismo de ascósporos em Glomerella cingulata f.sp. phaseoli

    OpenAIRE

    Castro, Renata A.; Mendes-Costa, Maria C.; Souza, Elaine A.

    2006-01-01

    O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar linhagens de Glomerella cingulata f. sp. phaseoli quanto ao crescimento micelial, formação de peritécio e dimorfismo de ascósporos. Foram avaliadas quatro linhagens nos meios de cultura de folhas de feijoeiro e meio M3 e em condições com e sem fotoperíodo. O comprimento dos ascósporos da linhagem normal e da mutante foi determinado. Houve diferença significativa quanto ao crescimento micelial e tamanho dos ascósporos. Constatou-se, pela primeira vez,...

  7. USDA-ASCS 1936-1939 Air Photos

    Data.gov (United States)

    Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This data set is a digital version of aerial photographs taken during the 1936-1939 time frame for the USDA-ASCS. These photos were originally recorded at a scale of...

  8. The AscSimulationMode command

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, John Leif

    1998-01-01

    Complex instruments like the ASC may be quite difficult to test in closed loops. This problem is augmented by the fact, that no direct stimulation of the CHU is possible that will render the full performance, noise-spectrum and real-timeliness with high fidelity. In order to circumvent this impasse...

  9. Absence of the inflammasome adaptor ASC reduces hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cero, Fadila Telarevic; Hillestad, Vigdis; Sjaastad, Ivar; Yndestad, Arne; Aukrust, Pål; Ranheim, Trine; Lunde, Ida Gjervold; Olsen, Maria Belland; Lien, Egil; Zhang, Lili; Haugstad, Solveig Bjærum; Løberg, Else Marit; Christensen, Geir; Larsen, Karl-Otto; Skjønsberg, Ole Henning

    2015-08-15

    Pulmonary hypertension is a serious condition that can lead to premature death. The mechanisms involved are incompletely understood although a role for the immune system has been suggested. Inflammasomes are part of the innate immune system and consist of the effector caspase-1 and a receptor, where nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) is the best characterized and interacts with the adaptor protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-recruitment domain (ASC). To investigate whether ASC and NLRP3 inflammasome components are involved in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension, we utilized mice deficient in ASC and NLRP3. Active caspase-1, IL-18, and IL-1β, which are regulated by inflammasomes, were measured in lung homogenates in wild-type (WT), ASC(-/-), and NLRP3(-/-) mice, and phenotypical changes related to pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular remodeling were characterized after hypoxic exposure. Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) of ASC(-/-) mice was significantly lower than in WT exposed to hypoxia (40.8 ± 1.5 mmHg vs. 55.8 ± 2.4 mmHg, P right ventricular remodeling. RVSP of NLRP3(-/-) mice exposed to hypoxia was not significantly altered compared with WT hypoxia. Whereas hypoxia increased protein levels of caspase-1, IL-18, and IL-1β in WT and NLRP3(-/-) mice, this response was absent in ASC(-/-) mice. Moreover, ASC(-/-) mice displayed reduced muscularization and collagen deposition around arteries. In conclusion, hypoxia-induced elevated right ventricular pressure and remodeling were attenuated in mice lacking the inflammasome adaptor protein ASC, suggesting that inflammasomes play an important role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  10. Single-Molecule Fluorescence Reveals the Oligomerization and Folding Steps Driving the Prion-like Behavior of ASC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambin, Yann; Giles, Nichole; O'Carroll, Ailís; Polinkovsky, Mark; Hunter, Dominic; Sierecki, Emma

    2018-02-16

    Single-molecule fluorescence has the unique ability to quantify small oligomers and track conformational changes at a single-protein level. Here we tackled one of the most extreme protein behaviors, found recently in an inflammation pathway. Upon danger recognition in the cytosol, NLRP3 recruits its signaling adaptor, ASC. ASC start polymerizing in a prion-like manner and the system goes in "overdrive" by producing a single micron-sized "speck." By precisely controlling protein expression levels in an in vitro translation system, we could trigger the polymerization of ASC and mimic formation of specks in the absence of inflammasome nucleators. We utilized single-molecule spectroscopy to fully characterize prion-like behaviors and self-propagation of ASC fibrils. We next used our controlled system to monitor the conformational changes of ASC upon fibrillation. Indeed, ASC consists of a PYD and CARD domains, separated by a flexible linker. Individually, both domains have been found to form fibrils, but the structure of the polymers formed by the full-length ASC proteins remains elusive. For the first time, using single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer, we studied the relative positions of the CARD and PYD domains of full-length ASC. An unexpectedly large conformational change occurred upon ASC fibrillation, suggesting that the CARD domain folds back onto the PYD domain. However, contradicting current models, the "prion-like" conformer was not initiated by binding of ASC to the NLRP3 platform. Rather, using a new method, hybrid between Photon Counting Histogram and Number and Brightness analysis, we showed that NLRP3 forms hexamers with self-binding affinities around 300nM. Overall our data suggest a new mechanism, where NLRP3 can initiate ASC polymerization simply by increasing the local concentration of ASC above a supercritical level. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. The case Conference Assessment Tool (cCAT): a new workplace-based assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Rory J; Playford, E Diane

    2014-08-01

    Rehabilitation medicine is an educational, problem-solving specialty that relies on excellent team communication, honest discussion with patients and their families, and collaborative goal setting. The case conference has been described as the technology of rehabilitation medicine because it encompasses all of these functions. Trainees should have the opportunity to develop skills in chairing case conferences through receipt of constructive feedback on their performance from their trainers. The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate the case Conference Assessment Tool (cCAT), a workplace-based assessment designed to score a trainee's performance on the key elements of chairing a case conference. Experienced rehabilitation medicine educational supervisors participated in a training workshop and then rated a series of simulated case conferences using the cCAT. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α =: 0.945) and interrater reliability was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient range 0.673-0.777). Following feedback from the workshops, a final version of the cCAT was developed. The cCAT has now been adopted as a workplace-based assessment for specialty trainees in rehabilitation medicine by the Training Board of the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians. Further work will explore its utility for trainees in other specialties and in communication and leadership skill training for undergraduate students. © 2014 Royal College of Physicians.

  12. Required number of records for ASCE/SEI 7 ground-motion scaling procedure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, Juan C.; Kalkan, Erol

    2011-01-01

    The procedures and criteria in 2006 IBC (International Council of Building Officials, 2006) and 2007 CBC (International Council of Building Officials, 2007) for the selection and scaling ground-motions for use in nonlinear response history analysis (RHA) of structures are based on ASCE/SEI 7 provisions (ASCE, 2005, 2010). According to ASCE/SEI 7, earthquake records should be selected from events of magnitudes, fault distance, and source mechanisms that comply with the maximum considered earthquake, and then scaled so that the average value of the 5-percent-damped response spectra for the set of scaled records is not less than the design response spectrum over the period range from 0.2Tn to 1.5Tn sec (where Tn is the fundamental vibration period of the structure). If at least seven ground-motions are analyzed, the design values of engineering demand parameters (EDPs) are taken as the average of the EDPs determined from the analyses. If fewer than seven ground-motions are analyzed, the design values of EDPs are taken as the maximum values of the EDPs. ASCE/SEI 7 requires a minimum of three ground-motions. These limits on the number of records in the ASCE/SEI 7 procedure are based on engineering experience, rather than on a comprehensive evaluation. This study statistically examines the required number of records for the ASCE/SEI 7 procedure, such that the scaled records provide accurate, efficient, and consistent estimates of" true" structural responses. Based on elastic-perfectly-plastic and bilinear single-degree-of-freedom systems, the ASCE/SEI 7 scaling procedure is applied to 480 sets of ground-motions. The number of records in these sets varies from three to ten. The records in each set were selected either (i) randomly, (ii) considering their spectral shapes, or (iii) considering their spectral shapes and design spectral-acceleration value, A(Tn). As compared to benchmark (that is, "true") responses from unscaled records using a larger catalog of ground

  13. Structure and assembly of the mouse ASC inflammasome by combined NMR spectroscopy and cryo-electron microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sborgi, Lorenzo; Ravotti, Francesco; Dandey, Venkata P.; Dick, Mathias S.; Mazur, Adam; Reckel, Sina; Chami, Mohamed; Scherer, Sebastian; Huber, Matthias; Böckmann, Anja; Egelman, Edward H.; Stahlberg, Henning; Broz, Petr; Meier, Beat H.; Hiller, Sebastian

    2015-01-01

    Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that control the innate immune response by activating caspase-1, thus promoting the secretion of cytokines in response to invading pathogens and endogenous triggers. Assembly of inflammasomes is induced by activation of a receptor protein. Many inflammasome receptors require the adapter protein ASC [apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD)], which consists of two domains, the N-terminal pyrin domain (PYD) and the C-terminal CARD. Upon activation, ASC forms large oligomeric filaments, which facilitate procaspase-1 recruitment. Here, we characterize the structure and filament formation of mouse ASC in vitro at atomic resolution. Information from cryo-electron microscopy and solid-state NMR spectroscopy is combined in a single structure calculation to obtain the atomic-resolution structure of the ASC filament. Perturbations of NMR resonances upon filament formation monitor the specific binding interfaces of ASC-PYD association. Importantly, NMR experiments show the rigidity of the PYD forming the core of the filament as well as the high mobility of the CARD relative to this core. The findings are validated by structure-based mutagenesis experiments in cultured macrophages. The 3D structure of the mouse ASC-PYD filament is highly similar to the recently determined human ASC-PYD filament, suggesting evolutionary conservation of ASC-dependent inflammasome mechanisms. PMID:26464513

  14. Comparison of Simulated Microgravity and Hydrostatic Pressure for Chondrogenesis of hASC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mellor, Liliana F; Steward, Andrew J; Nordberg, Rachel C; Taylor, Michael A; Loboa, Elizabeth G

    2017-04-01

    Cartilage tissue engineering is a growing field due to the lack of regenerative capacity of native tissue. The use of bioreactors for cartilage tissue engineering is common, but the results are controversial. Some studies suggest that microgravity bioreactors are ideal for chondrogenesis, while others show that mimicking hydrostatic pressure is crucial for cartilage formation. A parallel study comparing the effects of loading and unloading on chondrogenesis has not been performed. The goal of this study was to evaluate chondrogenesis of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASC) under two different mechanical stimuli relative to static culture: microgravity and cyclic hydrostatic pressure (CHP). Pellets of hASC were cultured for 14 d under simulated microgravity using a rotating wall vessel bioreactor or under CHP (7.5 MPa, 1 Hz, 4 h · d-1) using a hydrostatic pressure vessel. We found that CHP increased mRNA expression of Aggrecan, Sox9, and Collagen II, caused a threefold increase in sulfated glycosaminoglycan production, and resulted in stronger vimentin staining intensity and organization relative to microgravity. In addition, Wnt-signaling patterns were altered in a manner that suggests that simulated microgravity decreases chondrogenic differentiation when compared to CHP. Our goal was to compare chondrogenic differentiation of hASC using a microgravity bioreactor and a hydrostatic pressure vessel, two commonly used bioreactors in cartilage tissue engineering. Our results indicate that CHP promotes hASC chondrogenesis and that microgravity may inhibit hASC chondrogenesis. Our findings further suggest that cartilage formation and regeneration might be compromised in space due to the lack of mechanical loading.Mellor LF, Steward AJ, Nordberg RC, Taylor MA, Loboa EG. Comparison of simulated microgravity and hydrostatic pressure for chondrogenesis of hASC. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(4):377-384.

  15. Dental students' perceptions of dental specialties and factors influencing specialty and career choices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhima, Matilda; Petropoulos, Vicki C; Han, Rita K; Kinnunen, Taru; Wright, Robert F

    2012-05-01

    The goals of this study were to 1) evaluate dental students' perceptions of dental specialties, 2) identify factors that play an important role in students' decision to pursue specialty training or career choices, and 3) establish a baseline of students' perceptions of the dental fields with the best future in terms of salary, personal and patient quality of life, and overall impact on the dental profession. Surveys were distributed to 494 students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Data were collected from 380 traditional four-year students and thirty advanced standing students. Chi-square tests, multivariate analysis, and logistic regressions were used to determine associations and independent contributions of student demographics to their perceptions of dental specialties and factors influencing specialty training or career choices. Debt was a statistically significant factor (p<0.001) in choosing specialty training or career independent of gender, age, or class year. Enjoyment of providing care in a specialty or field was identified as the single most important factor in choosing a specialty career. Half of the respondents had decided not to specialize. Pursuing postdoctoral general dentistry training and private practice in general dentistry were the most commonly reported plans after completion of dental school. Suggestions are made for ways to inform students about specialty training.

  16. MicroASC instrument onboard Juno spacecraft utilizing inertially controlled imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, David Arge Klevang; Jørgensen, Andreas Härstedt; Benn, Mathias

    2016-01-01

    This contribution describes the post-processing of the raw image data acquired by the microASC instrument during the Earth-fly-by of the Juno spacecraft. The images show a unique view of the Earth and Moon system as seen from afar. The procedure utilizes attitude measurements and inter......-calibration of the Camera Head Units of the microASC system to trigger the image capturing. The triggering is synchronized with the inertial attitude and rotational phase of the sensor acquiring the images. This is essentially works as inertially controlled imaging facilitating image acquisition from unexplored...

  17. Emergency medicine as a specialty in Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pek, Jen Heng; Lim, Swee Han; Ho, Hiu Fai; Ramakrishnan, T V; Jamaluddin, Sabariah Faizah; Mesa-Gaerlan, Faith Joan C; Tiru, Mohan; Hwang, Sung Oh; Choi, Wai-Mau; Kanchanasut, Somchai; Khruekarnchana, Pairoj; Avsarogullari, Levent; Shimazu, Takeshi; Hori, Shingo

    2016-04-01

    We aim to examine the similarities and differences in areas of EM development, workload, workforce, and capabilities and support in the Asia region. Emerging challenges faced by our EM community are also discussed. The National Societies for Emergency Medicine of Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey participated in the joint Japanese Association of Acute Medicine (JAAM) and Asian Conference of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Special Symposium held in October 2013 at Tokyo, Japan. The findings are reviewed in this paper. Emergency medicine (EM) has over the years evolved into a distinct and recognized medical discipline requiring a unique set of cognitive, administrative and technical skills for managing all types of patients with acute illness or injury. EM has contributed to healthcare by providing effective, safe, efficient and cost-effective patient care. Integrated systems have developed to allow continuity of emergency care from the community into emergency departments. Structured training curriculum for undergraduates, and specialty training programs for postgraduates are in place to equip trainees with the knowledge and skills required for the unique practice of EM. The practice of EM still varies among the Asian countries. However, as a region, we strive to continue in our efforts to develop the specialty and improve the delivery of EM.

  18. [Effects of chronic fluoxetine treatment on manifestation of sexual motivation and social behavior in mice of ASC line].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tikhonova, M A; Otroshchenko, E A; Kulikov, A V

    2010-02-01

    Sexual dysfunctions are the typical symptoms accompanying depressive disorders. However antidepressants which improve general state of the patients have no effect on sexual disorders. Mice of ASC (Antidepressant Sensitive Catalepsy) line with high hereditary predisposition to catalepsy were proposed as a model of genetically associated depressive-like condition. The work was aimed at comparison of behavioral indices of sexual motivation and social interest of ASC mice with those of mice of parental inbred AKR and CBA strains, and at the study of the effects of chronic fluoxetine treatment in doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg on these parameters in ASC mice. ASC males demonstrated reduced sexual motivation which was not corrected by fluoxetine. ASC mice did not differ in the expression of social interest and aggression towards juvenile intruder from mice of parental strains. Fluoxetine failed to alter social behavior of ASC mice in social interaction test but its higher dose decreased percentage of aggressors. ASC mouse line seems to be a perspective model to study genetic mechanisms of sexual dysfunctions associated with depressive conditions.

  19. Acute stress among adolescents and female rape victims measured by ASC-Kids: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilsson, Doris; Nordenstam, Carin; Green, Sara; Wetterhall, Annika; Lundin, Tom; Svedin, Carl Göran

    2015-01-01

    Rape is considered a stressful trauma and often with durable consequences. How the aftermath of rape is for young adolescents' girls considering acute stress is an overlooked field and remains to be studied. In this study, we wanted to investigate acute stress among adolescent victims of rape and the psychometric properties of the Acute Stress Checklist for Children (ASC-Kids). A clinical sample (n = 79) of raped girls, 13-17 years old who had turned to a special rape victim unit for treatment, answered the ASC-Kids. ASC-Kids was also given to a group of minor stressed, non-raped adolescents in the same age range (n = 154) together with the University of California at Los Angeles Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD RI), and the Sense of Coherence Scale 13 (SOC-13). The scores from the groups were compared and showed significant differences in mean values on all the diagnostic criteria of acute stress disorder. In the clinical group, 36.7% obtained full ASD criteria. ASC-Kids could discriminate well between groups. Cronbach's alpha was found to be excellent, and the correlation between the UCLA PTSD RI and ASC-Kids found to be good; both ASC-Kids and UCLA PTSD RI had a good and moderate negative correlation with SOC-13. Adolescent female rape victims were shown to have a very high level of acute stress, and the ASC-Kids was found to have sound psychometrics and can be a valuable screening instrument to support clinicians in their assessments of an indication of adolescents after potentially stressful events such as rape.

  20. How many records should be used in ASCE/SEI-7 ground motion scaling procedure?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, Juan C.; Kalkan, Erol

    2012-01-01

    U.S. national building codes refer to the ASCE/SEI-7 provisions for selecting and scaling ground motions for use in nonlinear response history analysis of structures. Because the limiting values for the number of records in the ASCE/SEI-7 are based on engineering experience, this study examines the required number of records statistically, such that the scaled records provide accurate, efficient, and consistent estimates of “true” structural responses. Based on elastic–perfectly plastic and bilinear single-degree-of-freedom systems, the ASCE/SEI-7 scaling procedure is applied to 480 sets of ground motions; the number of records in these sets varies from three to ten. As compared to benchmark responses, it is demonstrated that the ASCE/SEI-7 scaling procedure is conservative if fewer than seven ground motions are employed. Utilizing seven or more randomly selected records provides more accurate estimate of the responses. Selecting records based on their spectral shape and design spectral acceleration increases the accuracy and efficiency of the procedure.

  1. MRI-tracking of transplanted human ASC in a SCID mouse model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Siegmund, Birte J.; Kasten, Annika [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center (Germany); Kühn, Jens-Peter [Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Greifswald University Medical Center (Germany); Winter, Karsten [Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig (Germany); Grüttner, Cordula [Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Rostock (Germany); Frerich, Bernhard, E-mail: bernhard.frerich@med.uni-rostock.de [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center (Germany)

    2017-04-01

    Background: Regarding strategies improving the efficacy of stem cell transplantation in adipose tissue engineering, cell tracking might be useful. Here we report the in vivo tracking of adipose tissue derived stem cells (ASC) by means of nanoparticle labeling and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we report the in vivo tracking of adipose tissue derived stromal cells (ASC) by means of nanoparticle labeling and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and methods: Human ASC were amplified and labeled with two types of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP), BNF starch and nanomag®-D-spio. Adipose tissue constructs were fabricated by seeding collagen scaffolds with labeled and unlabeled ASCs. Constructs were implanted subcutaneously in the back of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice (n =69, group 1: control with cells w/o label, group 2: BNF starch labeled cells, group 3: nanomag®-D-spio labeled cells). MRI scans were performed at 24 hours, four, twelve and 28 days and four months in a 7.1 T animal device. Explanted constructs were analyzed histomorphometrically. Results: MRI scans showed high contrast of the labeled cells in t2-tse-sequence compared to unlabeled controls. Loss of volume of the implants was observed over time due to partial loss for transplanted cells without significant difference (level of significance p<0.017). Compared to histomorphometry, there was found a positiv correlations in measurement of implant size with a significant at day four (correlation coefficient =0.643; p=0.024) and day twelve (correlation coefficient =0.687; p=0.010). Additional Prussian blue stain showed iron in all implants. Significant differences between the three groups (significance level p<0.017) were found after twelve days between control group and group 3 (p=0.008) and after 28 days between control group and group 2 and 3 (p=0.011). Conclusion: Both MNPs might be suitable for tracking of ASC in vivo and show long term stability over 4 months. - Highlights:

  2. Publication rates of poster presentations at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons annual scientific conference between 1999 and 2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abicht, Bradley P; Donnenwerth, Michael P; Borkosky, Sara L; Plovanich, Elizabeth J; Roukis, Thomas S

    2012-01-01

    Publication is the desired end point of scientific research. Ultimately, it is desired that research presented in poster format at a scientific conference will be developed into a report and become published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Moreover, poster presentations of research studies are often referenced and, as a result, influence treatment care plans. No data exist for the actual publication rate of podiatric foot and ankle surgery poster presentations. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the actual publication rates of poster presentations at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) annual scientific conference (ASC) during a 10-year period. Print or electronic media for the ACFAS ASC official program from 1999 to 2008 were obtained. Each year's official program was manually searched for any poster presentation and, when identified, the authors and title were individually searched using Internet-based search engines to determine whether a poster presentation had been followed by publication. Of the 825 posters, 198 (24%) poster presentations were ultimately published in 1 of 32 medical journals within a weighted mean of 17.6 months. Of the 32 journals, 25 (78.1%) represented peer-reviewed journals. The publication rate of poster presentations at the ACFAS ASC was less than that of oral manuscripts presented at the same meeting during the same period and was also less than the orthopedic subspecialty poster presentation publication rates. Therefore, attendees of the ACFAS ASC should be aware that only a few of the posters presented at the ACFAS ASC will be valid because they will not survive the rigors of publication 76% of the time. Additionally, more stringent selection criteria should be used so that the selected poster presentations can ultimately withstand the publication process. Copyright © 2012 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Association of Surgeons in Training conference: Belfast 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beamish, A J; Gokani, V; Radford, P; Sinclair, P; Fitzgerald, J E F

    2014-11-01

    The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) is a professional body and registered charity working to promote excellence in surgical training for the benefit of junior doctors and patients alike. ASiT is independent of the National Health Service (NHS), Surgical Royal Colleges, and specialty associations and represents trainees in all ten surgical specialties. ASiT was delighted to welcome all four surgical Royal College Presidents and over 650 delegates to Belfast for ASiT 2014. With a theme of Marginal Gains, the conference programme explored collaboration, simulation training and human factors, complimented by debates including the Shape of Training Review (ShOT), several focussed parallel sessions and ten subsidised pre-conference training courses. Almost £4000 was awarded by the incoming President, Mr Vimal Gokani, to delegates across more than 30 prizes for delegates who presented the highest scoring academic work from over 1200 submitted abstracts. Copyright © 2014 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Specialty Choice Among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Medicine: The Role of Specialty Prestige, Perceived Inclusion, and Medical School Climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pachankis, John E.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Purpose: Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) in medicine experience unique stressors in training. However, little is known about SGM specialty choice. This study examined predictors of SGM specialty choice, associations between specialty prestige and perceived SGM inclusion, and self-reported influences on specialty choice. Methods: Medical trainees and practitioners (358 SGM, 1528 non-SGM) were surveyed online. We operationalized specialty choice at the individual level as respondents' specialty of practice; at the specialty level, as a percentage of SGM respondents in each specialty. We examined specialty prestige, perceived SGM inclusivity, and medical school climate as predictors of SGM specialty choice, and we compared additional influences on specialty choice between SGM and non-SGM. Results: The percentage of SGM in each specialty was inversely related to specialty prestige (P = 0.001) and positively related to perceived SGM inclusivity (P = 0.01). Prestigious specialties were perceived as less SGM inclusive (P gender identity strongly influenced specialty choice (P work–life balance as strong influences on specialty choice. Exposure as a medical student to SGM faculty did not predict specialty prestige among SGM. Conclusion: Specialty prestige and perceived inclusivity predict SGM specialty choice. SGM diversity initiatives in prestigious specialties may be particularly effective by addressing SGM inclusion directly. Further research is needed to inform effective mentorship for SGM medical students. Exposure to SGM in medical training reduces anti-SGM bias among medical professionals, and SGM in medicine often assume leadership roles in clinical care, education, and research regarding SGM health. Supporting and promoting SGM diversity across the spectrum of medical specialties, therefore, represents a critical avenue to improve the care delivered to SGM populations and addresses the role of providers in the health disparities

  5. Specialty Choice Among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Medicine: The Role of Specialty Prestige, Perceived Inclusion, and Medical School Climate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sitkin, Nicole A; Pachankis, John E

    2016-12-01

    Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) in medicine experience unique stressors in training. However, little is known about SGM specialty choice. This study examined predictors of SGM specialty choice, associations between specialty prestige and perceived SGM inclusion, and self-reported influences on specialty choice. Medical trainees and practitioners (358 SGM, 1528 non-SGM) were surveyed online. We operationalized specialty choice at the individual level as respondents' specialty of practice; at the specialty level, as a percentage of SGM respondents in each specialty. We examined specialty prestige, perceived SGM inclusivity, and medical school climate as predictors of SGM specialty choice, and we compared additional influences on specialty choice between SGM and non-SGM. The percentage of SGM in each specialty was inversely related to specialty prestige (P = 0.001) and positively related to perceived SGM inclusivity (P = 0.01). Prestigious specialties were perceived as less SGM inclusive (P gender identity strongly influenced specialty choice (P role models, and work-life balance as strong influences on specialty choice. Exposure as a medical student to SGM faculty did not predict specialty prestige among SGM. Specialty prestige and perceived inclusivity predict SGM specialty choice. SGM diversity initiatives in prestigious specialties may be particularly effective by addressing SGM inclusion directly. Further research is needed to inform effective mentorship for SGM medical students. Exposure to SGM in medical training reduces anti-SGM bias among medical professionals, and SGM in medicine often assume leadership roles in clinical care, education, and research regarding SGM health. Supporting and promoting SGM diversity across the spectrum of medical specialties, therefore, represents a critical avenue to improve the care delivered to SGM populations and addresses the role of providers in the health disparities experienced by SGM.

  6. Proceedings: USACERL/ASCE First Joint Conference on Expert Systems, 29-30 June 1988

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-01-01

    another paper at this conference [HARANDI&LANGE&KEARNEY88]. Second is the linkage of a Graphical Abstract Domain Model (GADM), to the production rule...representation of the domain knowledge and its associated heuristics. This report deals with this, the second method. 39 Basically, a Graphical ... Abstract Domain Model (GADM) is a graphical representation of the elements in a physical system and its interconnections. For the purposes of this project

  7. Function of microRNAs in the Osteogenic Differentiation and Therapeutic Application of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ASCs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter M. Hodges

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Traumatic wounds with segmental bone defects represent substantial reconstructive challenges. Autologous bone grafting is considered the gold standard for surgical treatment in many cases, but donor site morbidity and associated post-operative complications remain a concern. Advances in regenerative techniques utilizing mesenchymal stem cell populations from bone and adipose tissue have opened the door to improving bone repair in the limbs, spine, and craniofacial skeleton. The widespread availability, ease of extraction, and lack of immunogenicity have made adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs particularly attractive as a stem cell source for regenerative strategies. Recently it has been shown that small, non-coding miRNAs are involved in the osteogenic differentiation of ASCs. Specifically, microRNAs such as miR-17, miR-23a, and miR-31 are expressed during the osteogenic differentiation of ASCs, and appear to play a role in inhibiting various steps in bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2 mediated osteogenesis. Importantly, a number of microRNAs including miR-17 and miR-31 that act to attenuate the osteogenic differentiation of ASCs are themselves stimulated by transforming growth factor β-1 (TGFβ-1. In addition, transforming growth factor β-1 is also known to suppress the expression of microRNAs involved in myogenic differentiation. These data suggest that preconditioning strategies to reduce TGFβ-1 activity in ASCs may improve the therapeutic potential of ASCs for musculoskeletal application. Moreover, these findings support the isolation of ASCs from subcutaneous fat depots that tend to have low endogenous levels of TGFβ-1 expression.

  8. Antiproliferative effect of ASC-J9 delivered by PLGA nanoparticles against estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verderio, Paolo; Pandolfi, Laura; Mazzucchelli, Serena; Marinozzi, Maria Rosaria; Vanna, Renzo; Gramatica, Furio; Corsi, Fabio; Colombo, Miriam; Morasso, Carlo; Prosperi, Davide

    2014-08-04

    Among polymeric nanoparticles designed for cancer therapy, PLGA nanoparticles have become one of the most popular polymeric devices for chemotherapeutic-based nanoformulations against several kinds of malignant diseases. Promising properties, including long-circulation time, enhanced tumor localization, interference with "multidrug" resistance effects, and environmental biodegradability, often result in an improvement of the drug bioavailability and effectiveness. In the present work, we have synthesized 1,7-bis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-hydroxyhepta-1,4,6-trien-3-one (ASC-J9) and developed uniform ASC-J9-loaded PLGA nanoparticles of about 120 nm, which have been prepared by a single-emulsion process. Structural and morphological features of the nanoformulation were analyzed, followed by an accurate evaluation of the in vitro drug release kinetics, which exhibited Fickian law diffusion over 10 days. The intracellular degradation of ASC-J9-bearing nanoparticles within estrogen-dependent MCF-7 breast cancer cells was correlated to a time- and dose-dependent activity of the released drug. A cellular growth inhibition associated with a specific cell cycle G2/M blocking effect caused by ASC-J9 release inside the cytosol allowed us to put forward a hypothesis on the action mechanism of this nanosystem, which led to the final cell apoptosis. Our study was accomplished using Annexin V-based cell death analysis, MTT assessment of proliferation, radical scavenging activity, and intracellular ROS evaluation. Moreover, the intracellular localization of nanoformulated ASC-J9 was confirmed by a Raman optical imaging experiment designed ad hoc. PLGA nanoparticles and ASC-J9 proved also to be safe for a healthy embryo fibroblast cell line (3T3-L1), suggesting a possible clinical translation of this potential nanochemotherapeutic to expand the inherently poor bioavailability of hydrophobic ASC-J9 that could be proposed for the treatment of malignant breast cancer.

  9. Lifetime earnings for physicians across specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leigh, J Paul; Tancredi, Daniel; Jerant, Anthony; Romano, Patrick S; Kravitz, Richard L

    2012-12-01

    Earlier studies estimated annual income differences across specialties, but lifetime income may be more relevant given physicians' long-term commitments to specialties. Annual income and work hours data were collected from 6381 physicians in the nationally representative 2004-2005 Community Tracking Study. Data regarding years of residency were collected from AMA FREIDA. Present value models were constructed assuming 3% discount rates. Estimates were adjusted for demographic and market covariates. Sensitivity analyses included 4 alternative models involving work hours, retirement, exogenous variables, and 1% discount rate. Estimates were generated for 4 broad specialty categories (Primary Care, Surgery, Internal Medicine and Pediatric Subspecialties, and Other), and for 41 specific specialties. The estimates of lifetime earnings for the broad categories of Surgery, Internal Medicine and Pediatric Subspecialties, and Other specialties were $1,587,722, $1,099,655, and $761,402 more than for Primary Care. For the 41 specific specialties, the top 3 (with family medicine as reference) were neurological surgery ($2,880,601), medical oncology ($2,772,665), and radiation oncology ($2,659,657). The estimates from models with varying rates of retirement and including only exogenous variables were similar to those in the preferred model. The 1% discount model generated estimates that were roughly 150% larger than the 3% model. There was considerable variation in the lifetime earnings across physician specialties. After accounting for varying residency years and discounting future earnings, primary care specialties earned roughly $1-3 million less than other specialties. Earnings' differences across specialties may undermine health reform efforts to control costs and ensure adequate numbers of primary care physicians.

  10. Over-expression, purification and characterization of an Asc-1 homologue from Gloeobacter violaceus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Xiaole; Hald, Helle; Ernst, Heidi Asschenfeldt

    2010-01-01

    The human alanine-serine-cysteine transporter 1 (Asc-1) belongs to the slc7a family of solute carrier transporters. Asc-1 mediates the uptake of D-serine in an exchanger-type fashion, coupling the process to the release of alanine and cysteine. Among the bacterial Asc-1 homologues, one transporter...... of auto-induction was crucial for obtaining high yields and purity of the transporter. The transporter was purified with yields in the range of 0.2-0.4 mg per L culture and eluted in a single peak from a size-exclusion column. The circular dichroism spectrum revealed a folded and apparently all...

  11. Fundamentals of civil engineering an introduction to the ASCE body of knowledge

    CERN Document Server

    McCuen, Richard H; Wong, Melanie K

    2011-01-01

    While the ASCE Body of Knowledge (BOK2) is the codified source for all technical and non-technical information necessary for those seeking to attain licensure in civil engineering, recent graduates have notoriously been lacking in the non-technical aspects even as they excel in the technical. Fundamentals of Civil Engineering: An Introduction to the ASCE Body of Knowledge addresses this shortfall and helps budding engineers develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes suggested and implied by the BOK2. Written as a resource for all of the non-technical outcomes not specifically covered in the

  12. Atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high grade squamous intraepithelial (ASC-H in HIV-positive women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelow Pam

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: South Africa has very high rates of both HIV infection and cervical pathology. The management of ASC-H is colposcopy and directed biopsy, but with so many women diagnosed with HSIL and a dearth of colposcopy centres in South Africa, women with cytologic diagnosis of ASC-H may not be prioritized for colposcopy. The aim of this study was to determine if HIV-positive women with a cytologic diagnosis of ASC-H should undergo immediate colposcopy or whether colposcopy can be delayed, within the context of an underfunded health care setting with so many competing health needs. Materials and Methods: A computer database search was performed from the archives of an NGO-administered clinic that offers comprehensive HIV care. All women with a cytologic diagnosis of ASC-H on cervical smears from September 2005 until August 2009 were identified. Histologic follow up was sought in all patients. Results: A total of 2111 cervical smears were performed and 41 diagnosed as ASC-H (1.94%. No histologic follow up data was available in 15 cases. Follow up histologic results were as follows: three negative (11.5%, five koilocytosis and/ or CIN1 (19.2%, ten CIN2 (38.5% and eight CIN3 (30.8%. There were no cases of invasive carcinoma on follow up. Conclusion: The current appropriate management of HIV-positive women in low-resource settings with a diagnosis of ASC-H on cervical smear is colposcopy, despite the costs involved. In the future and if cost-effective in developing nations, use of novel markers may help select which HIV-positive women can be managed conservatively and which ones referred for more active treatment. More research in this regard is warranted.

  13. Physician career satisfaction within specialties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kravitz Richard L

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Specialty-specific data on career satisfaction may be useful for understanding physician workforce trends and for counseling medical students about career options. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from 6,590 physicians (response rate, 53% in Round 4 (2004-2005 of the Community Tracking Study Physician Survey. The dependent variable ranged from +1 to -1 and measured satisfaction and dissatisfaction with career. Forty-two specialties were analyzed with survey-adjusted linear regressions Results After adjusting for physician, practice, and community characteristics, the following specialties had significantly higher satisfaction levels than family medicine: pediatric emergency medicine (regression coefficient = 0.349; geriatric medicine (0.323; other pediatric subspecialties (0.270; neonatal/prenatal medicine (0.266; internal medicine and pediatrics (combined practice (0.250; pediatrics (0.250; dermatology (0.249;and child and adolescent psychiatry (0.203. The following specialties had significantly lower satisfaction levels than family medicine: neurological surgery (-0.707; pulmonary critical care medicine (-0.273; nephrology (-0.206; and obstetrics and gynecology (-0.188. We also found satisfaction was significantly and positively related to income and employment in a medical school but negatively associated with more than 50 work-hours per-week, being a full-owner of the practice, greater reliance on managed care revenue, and uncontrollable lifestyle. We observed no statistically significant gender differences and no differences between African-Americans and whites. Conclusion Career satisfaction varied across specialties. A number of stakeholders will likely be interested in these findings including physicians in specialties that rank high and low and students contemplating specialty. Our findings regarding "less satisfied" specialties should elicit concern from residency directors and policy makers since they

  14. ASC Addresses Unit Commanders' Concerns through LBE and Reset Programs

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Young, Mark E

    2008-01-01

    .... Army Sustainment Command (ASC), part of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) team, is available to assist, identify, and resolve equipment and maintenance problems as well as materiel readiness issues for combatant commanders...

  15. The American Satellite Company (ASC) satellite deployed from payload bay

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-01-01

    The American Satellite Company (ASC) communications satellite is deployed from the payload bay of the Shuttle Discovery. A portion of the cloudy surface of the earth can be seen to the left of the frame.

  16. History of Medical Specialty Interest Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Stephanie T.

    2016-01-01

    Medical specialties require decidedly different abilities, skills, and talents; which results in divergent experiences, lifestyles, skill sets, and income levels. To help medical students select their preferred medical specialty and alleviate shortages in medical specialty staffing, US medical schools and associations invest time and money in…

  17. FY17 ASC CSSE L2 Milestone 6018: Power Usage Characteristics of Workloads Running on Trinity.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pedretti, Kevin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-09-01

    The overall goal of this work was to utilize the Advanced Power Management (APM) capabilities of the ATS-1 Trinity platform to understand the power usage behavior of ASC workloads running on Trinity and gain insight into the potential for utilizing power management techniques on future ASC platforms.

  18. Intracellular invasion of Orientia tsutsugamushi activates inflammasome in asc-dependent manner.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jung-Eun Koo

    Full Text Available Orientia tsutsugamushi, a causative agent of scrub typhus, is an obligate intracellular bacterium, which escapes from the endo/phagosome and replicates in the host cytoplasm. O. tsutsugamushi infection induces production of pro-inflammatory mediators including interleukin-1β (IL-1β, which is secreted mainly from macrophages upon cytosolic stimuli by activating cysteine protease caspase-1 within a complex called the inflammasome, and is a key player in initiating and maintaining the inflammatory response. However, the mechanism for IL-1β maturation upon O. tsutsugamushi infection has not been identified. In this study, we show that IL-1 receptor signaling is required for efficient host protection from O. tsutsugamushi infection. Live Orientia, but not heat- or UV-inactivated Orientia, activates the inflammasome through active bacterial uptake and endo/phagosomal maturation. Furthermore, Orientia-stimulated secretion of IL-1β and activation of caspase-1 are ASC- and caspase-1- dependent since IL-1β production was impaired in Asc- and caspase-1-deficient macrophages but not in Nlrp3-, Nlrc4- and Aim2-deficient macrophages. Therefore, live O. tsutsugamushi triggers ASC inflammasome activation leading to IL-1β production, which is a critical innate immune response for effective host defense.

  19. Probability-Based Design Criteria of the ASCE 7 Tsunami Loads and Effects Provisions (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chock, G.

    2013-12-01

    Mitigation of tsunami risk requires a combination of emergency preparedness for evacuation in addition to providing structural resilience of critical facilities, infrastructure, and key resources necessary for immediate response and economic and social recovery. Critical facilities would include emergency response, medical, tsunami refuges and shelters, ports and harbors, lifelines, transportation, telecommunications, power, financial institutions, and major industrial/commercial facilities. The Tsunami Loads and Effects Subcommittee of the ASCE/SEI 7 Standards Committee is developing a proposed new Chapter 6 - Tsunami Loads and Effects for the 2016 edition of the ASCE 7 Standard. ASCE 7 provides the minimum design loads and requirements for structures subject to building codes such as the International Building Code utilized in the USA. In this paper we will provide a review emphasizing the intent of these new code provisions and explain the design methodology. The ASCE 7 provisions for Tsunami Loads and Effects enables a set of analysis and design methodologies that are consistent with performance-based engineering based on probabilistic criteria. . The ASCE 7 Tsunami Loads and Effects chapter will be initially applicable only to the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. Ground shaking effects and subsidence from a preceding local offshore Maximum Considered Earthquake will also be considered prior to tsunami arrival for Alaska and states in the Pacific Northwest regions governed by nearby offshore subduction earthquakes. For national tsunami design provisions to achieve a consistent reliability standard of structural performance for community resilience, a new generation of tsunami inundation hazard maps for design is required. The lesson of recent tsunami is that historical records alone do not provide a sufficient measure of the potential heights of future tsunamis. Engineering design must consider the occurrence of events greater than

  20. The role of colposcopy and typization of human papillomavirus in further diagnostic proceedings in patients with ASC-US cytological finding of the uterine cervix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Živadinović Radomir

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Bethesda system of classification of cytological findings was introduced in 2001 two subcategories in the category of atypical squamous cells (ASC findings: ASC of undetermined significance (ASC-US and ASC which cannot exclude high-grade intraepithelial lesions (ASC-H. The aim of our study was to assess a possible association of these two subcategories with pathologic biopsy finding and to find out the best further diagnostic proceedings. Methods. At the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Niš 130 patients with ASC findings were analyzed. Colposcopy was performed in all study participants. Patients with pathological colposcopic findings underwent cervical biopsy. In 10 patients with pathologic histologic and 15 with benign findings human papilloma virus (HPV typization was done using the Hybrid Capture method. Results. Patients with ASC-H finding had significantly more pathologic biopsies compared with patients with ASC-US finding (57.84: 20.72. Conclusion. Colposcopy was exhibited somewhat higher sensitivity compared to HPV typization (94.7 : 90, but lower sensitivity (79.27 : 86.6. The usage of HPV typization in the triage of patients with ASC cytologic smear induces statistically significant reduction of unnecessary percentage of cervical biopsies.

  1. Antidepressant-Like Effects of Central BDNF Administration in Mice of Antidepressant Sensitive Catalepsy (ASC) Strain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tikhonova, Maria; Kulikov, Alexander V

    2012-08-31

    Although numerous data evidence the implication of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the pathophysiology of depression, the potential for BDNF to correct genetically defined depressive-like states is poorly studied. This study was aimed to reveal antidepressant-like effects of BDNF (300 ng, 2×, i.c.v.) on behavior and mRNA expression of genes associated with depression-like state in the brain in mice of antidepressant sensitive catalepsy (ASC) strain characterized by high hereditary predisposition to catalepsy and depressive-like features. Behavioral tests were held on the 7th-16th days after the first (4th-13th after the second) BDNF injection. Results showed that BDNF normalized impaired sexual motivation in the ASC males, and this BDNF effect differed, with advantageous effects, from that of widely used antidepressants. The anticataleptic effect of two BDNF injections was enhanced compared with a single administration. A tendency to decrease the immobility duration in tail-suspension test was observed in BDNF-treated ASC mice. The effects on catalepsy and sexual motivation were specific since BDNF did not alter locomotor and exploratory activity or social interest in the ASC mice. Along with behavioral antidepressant-like effects on the ASC mice, BDNF increased hippocampal mRNA levels of Bdnf and Creb1 (cAMP response element-binding protein gene). BDNF also augmented mRNA levels of Arc gene encoding Arc (Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated) protein involved in BDNF-induced processes of neuronal and synaptic plasticity in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The data suggest that: [1] BDNF is effective in the treatment of some genetically defined behavioral disturbances; [2] BDNF influences sexually-motivated behavior; [3] Arc mRNA levels may serve as a molecular marker of BDNF physiological activity associated with its long-lasting behavioral effects; [4] ASC mouse strain can be used as a suitable model to study mechanisms of BDNF effects on

  2. ASC Trilab L2 Codesign Milestone 2015

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trott, Christian Robert [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hammond, Simon David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Dinge, Dennis [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lin, Paul T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Vaughan, Courtenay T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Cook, Jeanine [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Edwards, Harold C. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rajan, Mahesh [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hoekstra, Robert J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2015-09-01

    For the FY15 ASC L2 Trilab Codesign milestone Sandia National Laboratories performed two main studies. The first study investigated three topics (performance, cross-platform portability and programmer productivity) when using OpenMP directives and the RAJA and Kokkos programming models available from LLNL and SNL respectively. The focus of this first study was the LULESH mini-application developed and maintained by LLNL. In the coming sections of the report the reader will find performance comparisons (and a demonstration of portability) for a variety of mini-application implementations produced during this study with varying levels of optimization. Of note is that the implementations utilized including optimizations across a number of programming models to help ensure claims that Kokkos can provide native-class application performance are valid. The second study performed during FY15 is a performance assessment of the MiniAero mini-application developed by Sandia. This mini-application was developed by the SIERRA Thermal-Fluid team at Sandia for the purposes of learning the Kokkos programming model and so is available in only a single implementation. For this report we studied its performance and scaling on a number of machines with the intent of providing insight into potential performance issues that may be experienced when similar algorithms are deployed on the forthcoming Trinity ASC ATS platform.

  3. Medical costs, Cesarean delivery rates, and length of stay in specialty hospitals vs. non-specialty hospitals in South Korea.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seung Ju Kim

    Full Text Available Since 2011, specialty hospitals in South Korea have been known for providing high- quality care in specific clinical areas. Much research related to specialty hospitals and their performance in many such areas has been performed, but investigations about their performance in obstetrics and gynecology are lacking. Thus, we aimed to compare specialty vs. non-specialty hospitals with respect to mode of obstetric delivery, especially the costs and length of stay related to Cesarean section (CS procedures, and to provide evidence to policy-makers for evaluating the success of hospitals that specialize in obstetric and gynecological (OBGYN care.We obtained National Health Insurance claim data from 2012 to 2014, which included information from 418,141 OBGYN cases at 214 hospitals. We used a generalized estimating equation model to identify a potential association between the likelihood of CS at specialty hospitals compared with other hospitals. We also evaluated medical costs and length of stay in specialty hospitals according to type of delivery.We found that 150,256 (35.9% total deliveries were performed by CS. The odds ratio of CS was significantly lower in specialty hospitals (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.93-0.96compared to other hospitals Medical costs (0.74% and length of stay (1% in CS cases increased in specialty hospitals, although length of stay following vaginal delivery was lower (0.57% in specialty hospitals compared with other hospitals.We determined that specialty hospitals are significantly associated with a lower likelihood of CS delivery and shorter length of stay after vaginal delivery. Although they are also associated with higher costs for delivery, the increased cost could be due to the high level of intensive care provided, which leads to improve quality of care. Policy-makers should consider incentive programs to maintain performance of specialty hospitals and promote efficiency that could reduce medical costs accrued by patients.

  4. NLRP3 and ASC suppress lupus-like autoimmunity by driving the immunosuppressive effects of TGF-β receptor signalling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lech, Maciej; Lorenz, Georg; Kulkarni, Onkar P; Grosser, Marian O O; Stigrot, Nora; Darisipudi, Murthy N; Günthner, Roman; Wintergerst, Maximilian W M; Anz, David; Susanti, Heni Eka; Anders, Hans-Joachim

    2015-12-01

    The NLRP3/ASC inflammasome drives host defence and autoinflammatory disorders by activating caspase-1 to trigger the secretion of mature interleukin (IL)-1β/IL-18, but its potential role in autoimmunity is speculative. We generated and phenotyped Nlrp3-deficient, Asc-deficient, Il-1r-deficient and Il-18-deficient C57BL/6-lpr/lpr mice, the latter being a mild model of spontaneous lupus-like autoimmunity. While lack of IL-1R or IL-18 did not affect the C57BL/6-lpr/lpr phenotype, lack of NLRP3 or ASC triggered massive lymphoproliferation, lung T cell infiltrates and severe proliferative lupus nephritis within 6 months, which were all absent in age-matched C57BL/6-lpr/lpr controls. Lack of NLRP3 or ASC increased dendritic cell and macrophage activation, the expression of numerous proinflammatory mediators, lymphocyte necrosis and the expansion of most T cell and B cell subsets. In contrast, plasma cells and autoantibody production were hardly affected. This unexpected immunosuppressive effect of NLRP3 and ASC may relate to their known role in SMAD2/3 phosphorylation during tumour growth factor (TGF)-β receptor signalling, for example, Nlrp3-deficiency and Asc-deficiency significantly suppressed the expression of numerous TGF-β target genes in C57BL/6-lpr/lpr mice and partially recapitulated the known autoimmune phenotype of Tgf-β1-deficient mice. These data identify a novel non-canonical immunoregulatory function of NLRP3 and ASC in autoimmunity. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  5. Personality traits and career choices among physicians in Finland: employment sector, clinical patient contact, specialty and change of specialty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullola, Sari; Hakulinen, Christian; Presseau, Justin; Gimeno Ruiz de Porras, David; Jokela, Markus; Hintsa, Taina; Elovainio, Marko

    2018-03-27

    Personality influences an individual's adaptation to a specific job or organization. Little is known about personality trait differences between medical career and specialty choices after graduating from medical school when actually practicing different medical specialties. Moreover, whether personality traits contribute to important career choices such as choosing to work in the private or public sector or with clinical patient contact, as well as change of specialty, have remained largely unexplored. In a nationally representative sample of Finnish physicians (N = 2837) we examined how personality traits are associated with medical career choices after graduating from medical school, in terms of employment sector, patient contact, medical specialty and change of specialty. Personality was assessed using the shortened version of the Big Five Inventory (S-BFI). An analysis of covariance with posthoc tests for pairwise comparisons was conducted, adjusted for gender and age with confounders (employment sector, clinical patient contact and medical specialty). Higher openness was associated with working in the private sector, specializing in psychiatry, changing specialty and not practicing with patients. Lower openness was associated with a high amount of patient contact and specializing in general practice as well as ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology. Higher conscientiousness was associated with a high amount of patient contact and specializing in surgery and other internal medicine specialties. Lower conscientiousness was associated with specializing in psychiatry and hospital service specialties. Higher agreeableness was associated with working in the private sector and specializing in general practice and occupational health. Lower agreeableness and neuroticism were associated with specializing in surgery. Higher extraversion was associated with specializing in pediatrics and change of specialty. Lower extraversion was associated with not practicing with

  6. ASC Tri-lab Co-design Level 2 Milestone Report 2015

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hornung, Rich [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Jones, Holger [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Keasler, Jeff [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Neely, Rob [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Pearce, Olga [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Hammond, Si [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Trott, Christian [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lin, Paul [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Vaughan, Courtenay [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Cook, Jeanine [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hoekstra, Rob [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bergen, Ben [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Payne, Josh [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Womeldorff, Geoff [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2015-09-23

    In 2015, the three Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories that make up the Advanced Sci- enti c Computing (ASC) Program (Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos) collaboratively explored performance portability programming environments in the context of several ASC co-design proxy applica- tions as part of a tri-lab L2 milestone executed by the co-design teams at each laboratory. The programming environments that were studied included Kokkos (developed at Sandia), RAJA (LLNL), and Legion (Stan- ford University). The proxy apps studied included: miniAero, LULESH, CoMD, Kripke, and SNAP. These programming models and proxy-apps are described herein. Each lab focused on a particular combination of abstractions and proxy apps, with the goal of assessing performance portability using those. Performance portability was determined by: a) the ability to run a single application source code on multiple advanced architectures, b) comparing runtime performance between \

  7. Aeroacoustics research in Europe : the CEAS-ASC report on 2007 highlights

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouwer, H.H.; Rienstra, S.W.

    2008-01-01

    The Council of European Aerospace Societies (CEAS) Aeroacoustics Specialists Committee (ASC) supports and promotes the interests of the scientific and industrial aeroacoustics community on a European scale and European aeronautics activities internationally. In this context, "aeroacoustics"

  8. American Society of Civil Engineers | ASCE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Membership Your New Membership: Getting Started Member Value Civil Engineering Salaries Manage Your Account Vote Now Education & Careers Training & Courses Getting Licensed & Certified Live Exam Reviews Specialty Certifications Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge Volunteer Opportunities Jobs Ethics

  9. Theoretical Model of Professional Competence Development in Dual-Specialty Students (On the Example of the "History, Religious Studies" Specialty)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karimova, A. E.; Amanova, A. S.; Sadykova, A. M.; Kuzembaev, N. E.; Makisheva, A. T.; Kurmangazina, G. Zh.; Sakenov, Janat

    2016-01-01

    The article explores the significant problem of developing a theoretical model of professional competence development in dual-specialty students (on the example of the "History, Religious studies" specialty). In order to validate the specifics of the professional competence development in dual-specialty students (on the example of the…

  10. Characterization of a novel variant of amino acid transport system asc in erythrocytes from Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fincham, D A; Ellory, J C; Young, J D

    1992-08-01

    In thoroughbred horses, red blood cell amino acid transport activity is Na(+)-independent and controlled by three codominant genetic alleles (h, l, s), coding for high-affinity system asc1 (L-alanine apparent Km for influx at 37 degrees C congruent to 0.35 mM), low-affinity system asc2 (L-alanine Km congruent to 14 mM), and transport deficiency, respectively. The present study investigated amino acid transport mechanisms in red cells from four wild species: Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii), Hartmann's zebra (Zebra hartmannae), Grevy's zebra (Zebra grevyi), and onager (Equus hemonius). Red blood cell samples from different Przewalski's horses exhibited uniformly high rates of L-alanine uptake, mediated by a high-affinity asc1-type transport system. Mean apparent Km and Vmax values (+/- SE) for L-alanine influx at 37 degrees C in red cells from 10 individual animals were 0.373 +/- 0.068 mM and 2.27 +/- 0.11 mmol (L cells.h), respectively. As in thoroughbreds, the Przewalski's horse transporter interacted with dibasic as well as neutral amino acids. However, the Przewalski asc1 isoform transported L-lysine with a substantially (6.4-fold) higher apparent affinity than its thoroughbred counterpart (Km for influx 1.4 mM at 37 degrees C) and was also less prone to trans-stimulation effects. The novel high apparent affinity of the Przewalski's horse transporter for L-lysine provides additional key evidence of functional and possible structural similarities between asc and the classical Na(+)-dependent system ASC and between these systems and the Na(+)-independent dibasic amino acid transport system y+. Unlike Przewalski's horse, zebra red cells were polymorphic with respect to L-alanine transport activity, showing high-affinity or low-affinity saturable mechanisms of L-alanine uptake. Onager red cells transported this amino acid with intermediate affinity (apparent Km for influx 3.0 mM at 37 degrees C). Radiation inactivation analysis was used to estimate the target

  11. Factors Affecting Innovation Within Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) Organizations - An inductive Study

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Feil, Eric

    2003-01-01

    .... This thesis analyzed data collected during the 2002 Chief of Staff of the Air Force Organizational Climate Survey to identify factors that affect innovation within Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) organizations...

  12. Profiling Autism Symptomatology: An Exploration of the Q-ASC Parental Report Scale in Capturing Sex Differences in Autism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ormond, Sarah; Brownlow, Charlotte; Garnett, Michelle Sarah; Rynkiewicz, Agnieszka; Attwood, Tony

    2018-01-01

    The Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Conditions (Q-ASC) was developed by Attwood et al. (2011) to identify gender-sensitive profiles of autism symptomatology; prioritise and adjust the direction of clinical interventions; and support positive psychosocial outcomes and prognosis into adulthood. The current research piloted the Q-ASC with parents…

  13. Proceedings of GeoSask 2005 : The 58. Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 6. Joint CGS-IAH Groundwater Specialty Conference

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    The Canadian and international geotechnical community gathered at this conference to exchange information on recent research and development concerning all sectors of geotechnical engineering, applied geology and hydrogeology. The technical sessions addressed a wide range of geotechnical engineering issues such as soil mechanics and geodynamics; geoenvironmental issues associated with contaminant transport in landfills; hydrogeology issues such as aquifer properties, hydrogeochemistry, groundwater resources, hydrogeological mapping, contaminants and remediation; geosynthetics; geotechnical modelling; rock engineering; engineering geology; mining geotechnics; buried structures; unsaturated soils and aquitards. The presentations included several geotechnical case studies that focused on broad issues such as hydraulic properties of sedimentary rock aquifers, design criteria for geotextile filters used in agricultural drainage, the long term performance of containment systems, slope stability analysis of landfills, methane emissions from landfills, shear zones in weak rocks and tailings at oil sands operations. The conference featured approximately 200 presentations, of which 17 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs.

  14. Aeroacoustics research in Europe : the CEAS-ASC report on 1997 highlights

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rienstra, S.W.

    1998-01-01

    This paper is a report on the highlights of aeroacoustics research and development in Europe in 1997, compiled from information provided in the CEAS Aeroacoustics Specialists Committee (ASC). The Confederation of European Aerospace Societies (CEAS) comprises the national Aerospace Societies of

  15. Human adipose stem cell and ASC-derived cardiac progenitor cellular therapy improves outcomes in a murine model of myocardial infarction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davy PMC

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Philip MC Davy,1 Kevin D Lye,2,3 Juanita Mathews,1 Jesse B Owens,1 Alice Y Chow,1 Livingston Wong,2 Stefan Moisyadi,1 Richard C Allsopp1 1Institute for Biogenesis Research, 2John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, 3Tissue Genesis, Inc., Honolulu, HI, USA Background: Adipose tissue is an abundant and potent source of adult stem cells for transplant therapy. In this study, we present our findings on the potential application of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs as well as induced cardiac-like progenitors (iCPs derived from ASCs for the treatment of myocardial infarction. Methods and results: Human bone marrow (BM-derived stem cells, ASCs, and iCPs generated from ASCs using three defined cardiac lineage transcription factors were assessed in an immune-compromised mouse myocardial infarction model. Analysis of iCP prior to transplant confirmed changes in gene and protein expression consistent with a cardiac phenotype. Endpoint analysis was performed 1 month posttransplant. Significantly increased endpoint fractional shortening, as well as reduction in the infarct area at risk, was observed in recipients of iCPs as compared to the other recipient cohorts. Both recipients of iCPs and ASCs presented higher myocardial capillary densities than either recipients of BM-derived stem cells or the control cohort. Furthermore, mice receiving iCPs had a significantly higher cardiac retention of transplanted cells than all other groups. Conclusion: Overall, iCPs generated from ASCs outperform BM-derived stem cells and ASCs in facilitating recovery from induced myocardial infarction in mice. Keywords: adipose stem cells, myocardial infarction, cellular reprogramming, cellular therapy, piggyBac, induced cardiac-like progenitors

  16. Behaviour change interventions to influence antimicrobial prescribing: a cross-sectional analysis of reports from UK state-of-the-art scientific conferences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rawson, T M; Moore, L S P; Tivey, A M; Tsao, A; Gilchrist, M; Charani, E; Holmes, A H

    2017-01-01

    To improve the quality of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions the application of behavioural sciences supported by multidisciplinary collaboration has been recommended. We analysed major UK scientific research conferences to investigate AMS behaviour change intervention reporting. Leading UK 2015 scientific conference abstracts for 30 clinical specialties were identified and interrogated. All AMS and/or antimicrobial resistance(AMR) abstracts were identified using validated search criteria. Abstracts were independently reviewed by four researchers with reported behavioural interventions classified using a behaviour change taxonomy. Conferences ran for 110 days with >57,000 delegates. 311/12,313(2.5%) AMS-AMR abstracts (oral and poster) were identified. 118/311(40%) were presented at the UK's infectious diseases/microbiology conference. 56/311(18%) AMS-AMR abstracts described behaviour change interventions. These were identified across 12/30(40%) conferences. The commonest abstract reporting behaviour change interventions were quality improvement projects [44/56 (79%)]. In total 71 unique behaviour change functions were identified. Policy categories; "guidelines" (16/71) and "service provision" (11/71) were the most frequently reported. Intervention functions; "education" (6/71), "persuasion" (7/71), and "enablement" (9/71) were also common. Only infection and primary care conferences reported studies that contained multiple behaviour change interventions. The remaining 10 specialties tended to report a narrow range of interventions focusing on "guidelines" and "enablement". Despite the benefits of behaviour change interventions on antimicrobial prescribing, very few AMS-AMR studies reported implementing them in 2015. AMS interventions must focus on promoting behaviour change towards antimicrobial prescribing. Greater focus must be placed on non-infection specialties to engage with the issue of behaviour change towards antimicrobial use.

  17. A qualitative study on physicians' perceptions of specialty characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Kwi Hwa; Jun, Soo-Koung; Park, Ie Byung

    2016-09-01

    There has been limited research on physicians' perceptions of the specialty characteristics that are needed to sustain a successful career in medical specialties in Korea. Medical Specialty Preference Inventory in the United States or SCI59 (specialty choice inventory) in the United Kingdom are implemented to help medical students plan their careers. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of the major specialties in Korea. Twelve physicians from different specialties participated in an exploratory study consisting of qualitative interviews about the personal ability and emotional characteristics and job attributes of each specialty. The collected data were analysed with content analysis methods. Twelve codes were extracted for ability & skill attributes, 23 codes for emotion & attitude attributes, and 12 codes for job attributes. Each specialty shows a different profile in terms of its characteristic attributes. The findings have implications for the design of career planning programs for medical students.

  18. The Value of Specialty Oncology Drugs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldman, Dana P; Jena, Anupam B; Lakdawalla, Darius N; Malin, Jennifer L; Malkin, Jesse D; Sun, Eric

    2010-01-01

    Objective To estimate patients' elasticity of demand, willingness to pay, and consumer surplus for five high-cost specialty medications treating metastatic disease or hematologic malignancies. Data Source/Study Setting Claims data from 71 private health plans from 1997 to 2005. Study Design This is a revealed preference analysis of the demand for specialty drugs among cancer patients. We exploit differences in plan generosity to examine how utilization of specialty oncology drugs varies with patient out-of-pocket costs. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We extracted key variables from administrative health insurance claims records. Principal Findings A 25 percent reduction in out-of-pocket costs leads to a 5 percent increase in the probability that a patient initiates specialty cancer drug therapy. Among patients who initiate, a 25 percent reduction in out-of-pocket costs reduces the number of treatments (claims) by 1–3 percent, depending on the drug. On average, the value of these drugs to patients who use them is about four times the total cost paid by the patient and his or her insurer, although this ratio may be lower for oral specialty therapies. Conclusions The decision to initiate therapy with specialty oncology drugs is responsive to price, but not highly so. Among patients who initiate therapy, the amount of treatment is equally responsive. The drugs we examine are highly valued by patients in excess of their total costs, although oral agents warrant further scrutiny as copayments increase. PMID:19878344

  19. Integration of specialties: An institutional and organizational view.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerson, Elihu M

    2013-12-01

    By what mechanisms of organizational and institutional change do different specialties succeed in accommodating and working with one another? How do these mechanisms function over time to support and retard the emergence and stability of new knowledge? This paper considers two such mechanisms, metawork (work that determines the organization of work) and common knowledge (knowledge that participants know is known by all participants). These mechanisms integrate specialties by making the activities of multiple specialties dependent upon one another, and by segmenting the common effort from the parent specialties. Integration of specialties can lead to the development of new specialties. Integration is facilitated and impeded by the anchoring of specialties in the system of institutions that participate in research. Host organizations, degree programs, sponsors, associations, regulators, and other organizations provide resources and impose demands that shape research. Some of these impacts are obvious and direct; others are indirect and more subtle. The research specialties form a network (not a hierarchy) in which connections constantly form and reform, and in which the influence of different anchoring institutions are constantly waxing and waning. The complexity of connections and their pattern of change are especially obvious in the life sciences, which are an especially good place to study problems of integration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. A qualitative study on physicians' perceptions of specialty characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwi Hwa Park

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: There has been limited research on physicians’ perceptions of the specialty characteristics that are needed to sustain a successful career in medical specialties in Korea. Medical Specialty Preference Inventory in the United States or SCI59 (specialty choice inventory in the United Kingdom are implemented to help medical students plan their careers. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of the major specialties in Korea. Methods: Twelve physicians from different specialties participated in an exploratory study consisting of qualitative interviews about the personal ability and emotional characteristics and job attributes of each specialty. The collected data were analysed with content analysis methods. Results: Twelve codes were extracted for ability & skill attributes, 23 codes for emotion & attitude attributes, and 12 codes for job attributes. Each specialty shows a different profile in terms of its characteristic attributes. Conclusion: The findings have implications for the design of career planning programs for medical students.

  1. Nursing specialty and burnout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browning, Laura; Ryan, Carey S; Thomas, Scott; Greenberg, Martin; Rolniak, Susan

    2007-03-01

    We examined the relationship between perceived control and burnout among three nursing specialties: nurse practitioners, nurse managers, and emergency nurses. Survey data were collected from 228 nurses from 30 states. Findings indicated that emergency nurses had the least control and the highest burnout, whereas nurse practitioners had the most control and the least burnout. Mediational analyses showed that expected control, hostility, and stressor frequency explained differences between specialties in burnout. The implications of these findings for interventions that reduce burnout and promote nursing retention are discussed.

  2. Repair of Achilles tendon defect with autologous ASCs engineered tendon in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Dan; Wang, Wenbo; Wang, Bin; Zhang, Peihua; Zhou, Guangdong; Zhang, Wen Jie; Cao, Yilin; Liu, Wei

    2014-10-01

    Adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) are an important cell source for tissue regeneration and have been demonstrated the potential of tenogenic differentiation in vitro. This study explored the feasibility of using ASCs for engineered tendon repair in vivo in a rabbit Achilles tendon model. Total 30 rabbits were involved in this study. A composite tendon scaffold composed of an inner part of polyglycolic acid (PGA) unwoven fibers and an outer part of a net knitted with PGA/PLA (polylactic acid) fibers was used to provide mechanical strength. Autologous ASCs were harvested from nuchal subcutaneous adipose tissues and in vitro expanded. The expanded ASCs were harvested and resuspended in culture medium and evenly seeded onto the scaffold in the experimental group, whereas cell-free scaffolds served as the control group. The constructs of both groups were cultured inside a bioreactor under dynamic stretch for 5 weeks. In each of 30 rabbits, a 2 cm defect was created on right side of Achilles tendon followed by the transplantation of a 3 cm cell-seeded scaffold in the experimental group of 15 rabbits, or by the transplantation of a 3 cm cell-free scaffold in the control group of 15 rabbits. Animals were sacrificed at 12, 21 and 45 weeks post-surgery for gross view, histology, and mechanical analysis. The results showed that short term in vitro culture enabled ASCs to produce matrix on the PGA fibers and the constructs showed tensile strength around 50 MPa in both groups (p > 0.05). With the increase of implantation time, cell-seeded constructs gradually form neo-tendon and became more mature at 45 weeks with histological structure similar to that of native tendon and with the presence of bipolar pattern and D-periodic structure of formed collagen fibrils. Additionally, both collagen fibril diameters and tensile strength increased continuously with significant difference among different time points (p tendon tissue with fibril structure observable only at 45 weeks

  3. 18 CFR Appendix 1 to Part 301 - ASC Utility Filing Template

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false ASC Utility Filing Template 1 Appendix 1 to Part 301 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS FOR FEDERAL POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS AVERAGE SYSTEM COST...

  4. Specialty choice among dental students in Ibadan, Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The majority of dental students at the University of Ibadan preferred the oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) specialty above all other dental specialties, while prosthetic dentistry was least preferred. Of all the factors to take into consideration when choosing a dental specialty, personal interest was the only factor considered ...

  5. A Comparison of ASCE and FAO56 Reference Evapotranspiration at Different Subdaily Timescales: a Numerical Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzin Parchami-Araghi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Subdaily estimates of reference evapotranspiration (ETo are needed in many applications such as dynamic agro-hydrological modeling. The ASCE and FAO56 Penman–Monteith models (ASCE-PM and FAO56-PM, respectively has received favorable acceptance and application over much of the world, including the United States, for establishing a reference evapotranspiration (ETo index as a function of weather parameters. In the past several years various studies have evaluated ASCE-PM and FAO56-PM models for calculating the commonest hourly or 15-min ETo either by comparing them with lysimetric measurements or by comparison with one another (2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 19. In this study, sub-daily ET o estimates made by the ASCE-PM and FAO56-PM models at different timescales (1-360 min were compared through conduction of a computational experiment, using a daily to sub-daily disaggregation framework developed by Parchami-Araghi et al. (14. Materials and Methods: Daily and sub-daily weather data at different timescales (1-360 min were generated via a daily-to-sub-daily weather data disaggregation framework developed by Parchami-Araghi et al. (14, using long-term (59 years daily weather data obtained from Abadan synoptic weather station. Daily/sub-daily net long wave radiation (Rnl was estimated through 6 different approaches, including using two different criteria for identifying the daytime/nighttime periods : 1 the standard criteria implemented in both ASCE-PM and FAO56-PM models and 2 criterion of actual time of sunset and sunrise in combination with 1 estimation of clear-sky radiation (Rso based on the standard approach implemented in both ASCE-PM and FAO56-PM models (1st and 2nd Rnl estimation approaches, respectively, 2 integral of the Rso estimates derived via a physically based solar radiation model developed by Yang et al. (25, YNG model, for one-second time-steps (3rd and 4th Rnl estimation approaches, respectively, and 3 integral of

  6. Androgen receptor (AR) degradation enhancer ASC-J9® in an FDA-approved formulated solution suppresses castration resistant prostate cancer cell growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Max A; Chou, Fu-Ju; Wang, Keliang; Yang, Rachel; Ding, Jie; Zhang, Qiaoxia; Li, Gonghui; Yeh, Shuyuan; Xu, Defeng; Chang, Chawnshang

    2018-03-28

    ASC-J9 ® is a recently-developed androgen receptor (AR)-degradation enhancer that effectively suppresses castration resistant prostate cancer (PCa) cell proliferation and invasion. The optimal half maximum inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 ) of ASC-J9 ® at various PCa cell confluences (20%, 50%, and 100%) were assessed via both short-term MTT growth assays and long-term clonogenic proliferation assays. Our results indicate that the IC 50 values for ASC-J9 ® increased with increasing cell confluency. The IC 50 values were significantly decreased in PCa AR-positive cells compared to PCa AR-negative cells or in normal prostate cells. This suggests that ASC-J9 ® may function mainly via targeting the AR-positive PCa cells with limited unwanted side-effects to suppress the surrounding normal prostate cells. Mechanism dissection indicated that ASC-J9 ® might function via altering the apoptosis signals to suppress the PCa AR-negative PC-3 cells. Preclinical studies using multiple in vitro PCa cell lines and an in vivo mouse model with xenografted castration-resistant PCa CWR22Rv1 cells demonstrated that ASC-J9 ® has similar AR degradation effects when dissolved in FDA-approved solvents, including DMSO, PEG-400:Tween-80 (95:5), DMA:Labrasol:Tween-80 (10:45:45), and DMA:Labrasol:Tween-20 (10:45:45). Together, results from preclinical studies suggest a potential new therapy with AR-degradation enhancer ASC-J9 ® may potentially be ready to be used in human clinical trials in order to better suppress PCa at later castration resistant stages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Physician wages across specialties: informing the physician reimbursement debate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leigh, J Paul; Tancredi, Daniel; Jerant, Anthony; Kravitz, Richard L

    2010-10-25

    Disparities in remuneration between primary care and other physician specialties may impede health care reform by undermining the sustainability of a primary care workforce. Previous studies have compared annual incomes across specialties unadjusted for work hours. Wage (earnings-per-hour) comparisons could better inform the physician payment debate. In a cross-sectional analysis of data from 6381 physicians providing patient care in the 2004-2005 Community Tracking Study (adjusted response rate, 53%), we compared wages across broad and narrow categories of physician specialties. Tobit and linear regressions were run. Four broad specialty categories (primary care, surgery, internal medicine and pediatric subspecialties, and other) and 41 specific specialties were analyzed together with demographic, geographic, and market variables. In adjusted analyses on broad categories, wages for surgery, internal medicine and pediatric subspecialties, and other specialties were 48%, 36%, and 45% higher, respectively, than for primary care specialties. In adjusted analyses for 41 specific specialties, wages were significantly lower for the following than for the reference group of general surgery (wage near median, $85.98): internal medicine and pediatrics combined (-$24.36), internal medicine (-$24.27), family medicine (-$23.70), and other pediatric subspecialties (-$23.44). Wage rankings were largely impervious to adjustment for control variables, including age, race, sex, and region. Wages varied substantially across physician specialties and were lowest for primary care specialties. The primary care wage gap was likely conservative owing to exclusion of radiologists, anesthesiologists, and pathologists. In light of low and declining medical student interest in primary care, these findings suggest the need for payment reform aimed at increasing incomes or reducing work hours for primary care physicians.

  8. Commercial production of specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals from biomass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McChesney, J.D. [Univ. of Mississippi, University, MS (United States)

    1993-12-31

    The chemical substances utilized in consumer products, and for pharmaceutical and agricultural uses are generally referred to as specialty chemicals. These may be flavor or fragrance substances, intermediates for synthesis of drugs or agrochemicals or the drugs or agrochemicals themselves, insecticides or insect pheromones or antifeedants, plant growth regulators, etc. These are in contrast to chemicals which are utilized in large quantities for fuels or preparation of plastics, lubricants, etc., which are usually referred to as industrial chemicals. The specific utilization of specialty chemicals is associated with a specific important physiochemical or biological property. They may possess unique properties as lubricants or waxes or have a very desirable biological activity such as a drug, agrochemical or perfume ingredient. These unique properties convey significant economic value to the specific specialty chemical. The economic commercial production of specialty chemicals commonly requires the isolation of a precursor or the specialty chemical itself from a natural source. The discovery, development and commercialization of specialty chemicals is presented and reviewed. The economic and sustainable production of specialty chemicals is discussed.

  9. A study of HPV typing for the management of HPV-positive ASC-US cervical cytologic results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiffman, Mark; Vaughan, Laurence M; Raine-Bennett, Tina R; Castle, Philip E; Katki, Hormuzd A; Gage, Julia C; Fetterman, Barbara; Befano, Brian; Wentzensen, Nicolas

    2015-09-01

    In US cervical screening, immediate colposcopy is recommended for women with HPV-positive ASC-US (equivocal) cytology. We evaluated whether partial typing by Onclarity™ (BD) might identify HPV-positive women with low enough CIN3+ risk to permit 1-year follow-up instead. The NCI-Kaiser Permanente Northern California Persistence and Progression cohort includes a subset of 13,890 women aged 21+ with HC2 (Qiagen)-positive ASC-US at enrollment; current median follow-up is 3.0years. Using stratified random sampling, we typed 2079 archived enrollment specimens including 329 women subsequently diagnosed with CIN3+, 563 with CIN2, and 1187 with ASC-US was 5.2%; this establishes the "benchmark" risk for colposcopic referral. Hierarchically, 3-year cumulative risks for each typing channel were 16.0% for HPV16, 7.4% for HPV18, 7.0% for HPV31, 7.1% for grouped HPV33/58, 4.3% for HPV52, 3.9% for HPV45, 2.7% for HPV51, 1.6% for HPV39/68/35, and 1.3% for HPV59/56/66. ASC-US linked to HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, or HPV33/58 warrants immediate colposcopy. Optimal management of women with HPV52 or HPV45 is uncertain. Risk of women with only HPV51, HPV39/68/35, or HPV59/56/66 might be low enough to recommend 1-year retesting permitting viral clearance. This strategy would defer colposcopy for 40% of women with HPV-positive ASC-US, half of whom would be cotest-negative at 1-year return. Approximately 10% of those with CIN3 diagnosable at enrollment would be delayed 1year instead. Cost-effectiveness analyses are needed. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Factors affecting future specialty choice among medical students in Kuwait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Fouzan, Rawan; Al-Ajlan, Sarah; Marwan, Yousef; Al-Saleh, Mervat

    2012-01-01

    Choosing a medical specialty can be either a daunting and confusing experience for some medical students and junior doctors or a foregone conclusion to others. The aim of this study is to evaluate factors affecting future specialty choice among medical students in Kuwait University. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from medical students registered in Kuwait University during the academic year 2011/2012. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to test the association between deciding a future specialty and students' sociodemographic and academic factors. Of the 422 students approached, 387 (91.7%) decided to participate. A total of 144 (37.2%) students made a decision regarding their choice of future medical specialty. Pediatrics, general surgery, and cardiology were the most desired specialties - 18 (12.5%), 17 (11.8%), and 16 (11.1%) students requested these specialties, respectively. Only 61 (42.4%) of those who selected a future specialty received advice regarding their choice. Looking for a good treatment outcome for patients (66; 45.8%) and a challenging specialty (58; 40.3%) were the most influencing incentives when selecting a future specialty. Students in the clinical phase of their study were 3.014 (95% CI: 1.498-6.065) more likely to report on their decision regarding a future specialty compared to students in the basic medical sciences phase (p=0.002). A variety of factors appeared to inspire medical students in Kuwait to choose a future medical specialty. When identified, these factors can be used by mentors of medical students and directors of residency training programs to motivate students to choose specialties that are limited in Kuwait.

  11. Opioid Prescriptions by Specialty in Ohio, 2010-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiner, Scott G; Baker, Olesya; Rodgers, Ann F; Garner, Chad; Nelson, Lewis S; Kreiner, Peter W; Schuur, Jeremiah D

    2018-05-01

    The current US opioid epidemic is attributed to the large volume of prescribed opioids. This study analyzed the contribution of different medical specialties to overall opioids by evaluating the pill counts and morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) of opioid prescriptions, stratified by provider specialty, and determined temporal trends. This was an analysis of the Ohio prescription drug monitoring program database, which captures scheduled medication prescriptions filled in the state as well as prescriber specialty. We extracted prescriptions for pill versions of opioids written in the calendar years 2010 to 2014. The main outcomes were the number of filled prescriptions, pill counts, MMEs, and extended-released opioids written by physicians in each specialty, and annual prescribing trends. There were 56,873,719 prescriptions for the studied opioids dispensed, for which 41,959,581 (73.8%) had prescriber specialty type available. Mean number of pills per prescription and MMEs were highest for physical medicine/rehabilitation (PM&R; 91.2 pills, 1,532 mg, N = 1,680,579), anesthesiology/pain (89.3 pills, 1,484 mg, N = 3,261,449), hematology/oncology (88.2 pills, 1,534 mg, N = 516,596), and neurology (84.4 pills, 1,230 mg, N = 573,389). Family medicine (21.8%) and internal medicine (17.6%) wrote the most opioid prescriptions overall. Time trends in the average number of pills and MMEs per prescription also varied depending on specialty. The numbers of pills and MMEs per opioid prescription vary markedly by prescriber specialty, as do trends in prescribing characteristics. Pill count and MME values define each specialty's contribution to overall opioid prescribing more accurately than the number of prescriptions alone.

  12. Low-frequency, low-magnitude vibrations (LFLM enhances chondrogenic differentiation potential of human adipose derived mesenchymal stromal stem cells (hASCs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Marycz

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate if low-frequency, low-magnitude vibrations (LFLM could enhance chondrogenic differentiation potential of human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs with simultaneous inhibition of their adipogenic properties for biomedical purposes. We developed a prototype device that induces low-magnitude (0.3 g low-frequency vibrations with the following frequencies: 25, 35 and 45 Hz. Afterwards, we used human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell (hASCS, to investigate their cellular response to the mechanical signals. We have also evaluated hASCs morphological and proliferative activity changes in response to each frequency. Induction of chondrogenesis in hASCs, under the influence of a 35 Hz signal leads to most effective and stable cartilaginous tissue formation through highest secretion of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 (BMP-2, and Collagen type II, with low concentration of Collagen type I. These results correlated well with appropriate gene expression level. Simultaneously, we observed significant up-regulation of α3, α4, β1 and β3 integrins in chondroblast progenitor cells treated with 35 Hz vibrations, as well as Sox-9. Interestingly, we noticed that application of 35 Hz frequencies significantly inhibited adipogenesis of hASCs. The obtained results suggest that application of LFLM vibrations together with stem cell therapy might be a promising tool in cartilage regeneration.

  13. Association of medical student burnout with residency specialty choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enoch, Lindsey; Chibnall, John T; Schindler, Debra L; Slavin, Stuart J

    2013-02-01

    Given the trend among medical students away from primary care medicine and toward specialties that allow for more controllable lifestyles, the identification of factors associated with specialty choice is important. Burnout is one such factor. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between burnout and residency specialty choice in terms of provision for a less versus more controllable lifestyle (e.g. internal medicine versus dermatology) and a lower versus higher income (e.g. paediatrics versus anaesthesiology). A survey was sent to 165 Year 4 medical students who had entered the residency matching system. Students answered questions about specialty choice, motivating factors (lifestyle, patient care and prestige) and perceptions of medicine as a profession. They completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services (MBI), which defines burnout in relation to emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). Burnout and other variables were tested for associations with specialty lifestyle controllability and income. A response rate of 88% (n = 145) was achieved. Experiences of MBI-EE, MBI-DP and MBI-PA burnout were reported by 42 (29%), 26 (18%) and 30 (21%) students, respectively. Specialties with less controllable lifestyles were chosen by 87 (60%) students and lower-income specialties by 81 (56%). Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) indicated that the choice of a specialty with a more controllable lifestyle was associated with higher MBI-EE burnout (OR = 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-2.96), as well as stronger lifestyle- and prestige-related motivation, and weaker patient care-related motivation. The choice of a higher-income specialty was associated with lower MBI-PA burnout (OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.32-0.98), weaker lifestyle- and patient care-related motivation, and stronger prestige-related motivation. Specialty choices regarding lifestyle controllability and income were associated with the amount and type of

  14. Interferência do ácido ascórbico na dosagem glicêmica - doi: 10.5102/ucs.v6i2.722

    OpenAIRE

    Aline Cardoso Barbosa; Tania Cristina Andrade

    2009-01-01

    Sabe-se que exames laboratoriais estão sujeitos a fatores interferentes. A literatura científica cita interferência do ácido ascórbico em dosagens que envolvam oxirredução, como a glicêmica. Devido a isto, buscou-se avaliar o efeito do ácido ascórbico sobre a dosagem glicêmica em dois tipos de soro controle submetidos a diferentes concentrações de ácido ascórbico, variando de 2,5 a 100 mg/dL. Utilizou-se um soro controle com valores normais de glicemia e outro com valores patológicos. Observo...

  15. Gender variations in specialties among medical doctors working in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Gender variations exist in the choice of specialties among ... as it affects the distribution of doctors in public health institutions and patient care. ... For female doctors,pediatrics was the topmost specialty (25%) followed by ... Keywords: Gender variation,Specialties,Doctors,Public healthcare,Health workforce ...

  16. Prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades II/III and cervical cancer in patients with cytological diagnosis of atypical squamous cells when high-grade intraepithelial lesions (ASC-H) cannot be ruled out.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cytryn, Andréa; Russomano, Fábio Bastos; Camargo, Maria José de; Zardo, Lucília Maria Gama; Horta, Nilza Maria Sobral Rebelo; Fonseca, Rachel de Carvalho Silveira de Paula; Tristão, Maria Aparecida; Monteiro, Aparecida Cristina Sampaio

    2009-09-01

    The latest update of the Bethesda System divided the category of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) into ASC-US (undetermined significance) and ASC-H (high-grade intraepithelial lesion cannot be ruled out). The aims here were to measure the prevalence of pre-invasive lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN II/III) and cervical cancer among patients referred to Instituto Fernandes Figueira (IFF) with ASC-H cytology, and compare them with ASC-US cases. Cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection, at the IFF Cervical Pathology outpatient clinic. ASCUS cases referred to IFF from November 1997 to September 2007 were reviewed according to the 2001 Bethesda System to reach cytological consensus. The resulting ASC-H and ASC-US cases, along with new cases, were analyzed relative to the outcome of interest. The histological diagnosis (or cytocolposcopic follow-up in cases without such diagnosis) was taken as the gold standard. The prevalence of CIN II/III in cases with ASC-H cytology was 19.29% (95% confidence interval, CI, 9.05-29.55%) and the risk of these lesions was greater among patients with ASC-H than with ASC-US cytology (prevalence ratio, PR, 10.42; 95% CI, 2.39-45.47; P = 0.0000764). Pre-invasive lesions were more frequently found in patients under 50 years of age with ASC-H cytology (PR, 2.67; 95% CI, 0.38-18.83); P = 0.2786998). There were no uterine cervical cancer cases. The prevalence of CIN II/III in patients with ASC-H cytology was significantly higher than with ASC-US, and division into ASC diagnostic subcategories had good capacity for discriminating the presence of pre-invasive lesions.

  17. Factors affecting future specialty choice among medical students in Kuwait

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rawan Al-Fouzan

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Choosing a medical specialty can be either a daunting and confusing experience for some medical students and junior doctors or a foregone conclusion to others. The aim of this study is to evaluate factors affecting future specialty choice among medical students in Kuwait University. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from medical students registered in Kuwait University during the academic year 2011/2012. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to test the association between deciding a future specialty and students’ sociodemographic and academic factors. Results: Of the 422 students approached, 387 (91.7% decided to participate. A total of 144 (37.2% students made a decision regarding their choice of future medical specialty. Pediatrics, general surgery, and cardiology were the most desired specialties – 18 (12.5%, 17 (11.8%, and 16 (11.1% students requested these specialties, respectively. Only 61 (42.4% of those who selected a future specialty received advice regarding their choice. Looking for a good treatment outcome for patients (66; 45.8% and a challenging specialty (58; 40.3% were the most influencing incentives when selecting a future specialty. Students in the clinical phase of their study were 3.014 (95% CI: 1.498–6.065 more likely to report on their decision regarding a future specialty compared to students in the basic medical sciences phase (p=0.002. Conclusion : A variety of factors appeared to inspire medical students in Kuwait to choose a future medical specialty. When identified, these factors can be used by mentors of medical students and directors of residency training programs to motivate students to choose specialties that are limited in Kuwait.

  18. The Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms (ASC) curriculum: focusing upon diverse students and teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arino de la Rubia, Leigh S

    2012-09-01

    The Minority Institution Astrobiology Collaborative (MIAC) began working with the NASA Goddard Center for Astrobiology in 2003 to develop curriculum materials for high school chemistry and Earth science classes based on astrobiology concepts. The Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms (ASC) modules emphasize interdisciplinary connections in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geoscience, physics, mathematics, and ethics through hands-on activities that address national educational standards. Field-testing of the Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms materials occurred over three years in eight U.S. locations, each with populations that are underrepresented in the career fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Analysis of the educational research upon the high school students participating in the ASC project showed statistically significant increases in students' perceived knowledge and science reasoning. The curriculum is in its final stages, preparing for review to become a NASA educational product.

  19. Prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades II/III and cervical cancer in patients with cytological diagnosis of atypical squamous cells when high-grade intraepithelial lesions (ASC-H cannot be ruled out

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andréa Cytryn

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The latest update of the Bethesda System divided the category of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS into ASC-US (undetermined significance and ASC-H (high-grade intraepithelial lesion cannot be ruled out. The aims here were to measure the prevalence of pre-invasive lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN II/III and cervical cancer among patients referred to Instituto Fernandes Figueira (IFF with ASC-H cytology, and compare them with ASC-US cases. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection, at the IFF Cervical Pathology outpatient clinic. METHODS: ASCUS cases referred to IFF from November 1997 to September 2007 were reviewed according to the 2001 Bethesda System to reach cytological consensus. The resulting ASC-H and ASC-US cases, along with new cases, were analyzed relative to the outcome of interest. The histological diagnosis (or cytocolposcopic follow-up in cases without such diagnosis was taken as the gold standard. RESULTS: The prevalence of CIN II/III in cases with ASC-H cytology was 19.29% (95% confidence interval, CI, 9.05-29.55% and the risk of these lesions was greater among patients with ASC-H than with ASC-US cytology (prevalence ratio, PR, 10.42; 95% CI, 2.39-45.47; P = 0.0000764. Pre-invasive lesions were more frequently found in patients under 50 years of age with ASC-H cytology (PR, 2.67; 95% CI, 0.38-18.83; P = 0.2786998. There were no uterine cervical cancer cases. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CIN II/III in patients with ASC-H cytology was significantly higher than with ASC-US, and division into ASC diagnostic subcategories had good capacity for discriminating the presence of pre-invasive lesions.

  20. Using marketing research concepts to investigate specialty selection by medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weissman, Charles; Schroeder, Josh; Elchalal, Uriel; Weiss, Yoram; Tandeter, Howard; Zisk-Rony, Rachel Y

    2012-10-01

    This study was intended to examine whether a marketing research approach improves understanding of medical specialty selection by medical students. This approach likens students to consumers who are deciding whether or not to purchase a product (specialty). This approach proposes that when consumers' criteria match their perceptions of a product's features, the likelihood that they will purchase it (select the specialty) increases. This study examines whether exploring students' selection criteria and perceptions of various specialties provides additional insights into the selection process. Using a consumer behaviour model as a framework, a questionnaire was designed and administered to Year 6 (final-year) students in 2008 and 2009 to elicit information on their knowledge about and interests in various specialties, the criteria they used in specialty selection, and their perceptions of six specialties. A total of 132 (67%) questionnaires were returned. In many instances, consistency between selection criteria and perceptions of a specialty was accompanied by interest in pursuing the specialty. Exceptions were noted and pointed to areas requiring additional research. For example, although > 70% of female students replied that the affordance of a controllable lifestyle was an important selection criterion, many were interested in obstetrics and gynaecology despite the fact that it was not perceived as providing a controllable lifestyle. Minimal overlap among students reporting interest in primary specialties that possess similar characteristics (e.g. paediatrics and family medicine) demonstrated the need to target marketing (recruitment) efforts for each specialty individually. Using marketing research concepts to examine medical specialty selection may precipitate a conceptual shift among health care leaders which acknowledges that, to attract students, specialties must meet students' selection criteria. Moreover, if consumers (students) deem a product (specialty

  1. Specialty-service lines: salvos in the new medical arms race.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berenson, Robert A; Bodenheimer, Thomas; Pham, Hoangmai H

    2006-01-01

    Hospitals and physicians are developing and marketing discrete and profitable specialty-service lines. Although closely affiliated specialist physicians are central to hospitals' service-line products, other physicians compete directly with hospitals via physician-owned specialty facilities. Specialty-service lines may be provided in a variety of settings, both inside and outside traditional hospital walls. Thus far, the escalating battle between hospitals and physicians for control over specialty services has not affected hospital profitability. However, as the scope of care that can be safely performed in the outpatient arena expands, physician competition for control over specialty services may threaten hospitals' financial health.

  2. Factors affecting membership in specialty nursing organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Mary Joe; Olson, Rhonda S

    2004-01-01

    A discouraging trend in many specialty nursing organizations is the stagnant or declining membership. The research committee of the Southeast Texas Chapter of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) collected data and studied this trend to determine what changes would be necessary to increase membership. Using Herzberg's motivational theory as a framework, a review of the literature was initiated. There were few current studies on this issue, but relevant information was found about nursing's emerging workforce, as well as implications of the growth of magnet hospitals, which affect whether nurses join specialty nursing organizations. A multifaceted data-collection approach using convenience samples was designed. First, relevant literature was reviewed. Second, a survey was sent by e-mail to other ARN chapters. Third, a telephone survey on other specialty organizations in the geographic region was completed. Finally, members of the local ARN chapter and four other specialty organizations, as well staff nurses in the geographic area, were given questionnaires to complete. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulations were used to determine why nurses do and do not join specialty organizations (N = 81). The most frequent reasons for joining an organization were to increase knowledge, benefit professionally, network, and earn continuing education units. Reasons for choosing not to participate were family responsibilities, lack of information about these organizations, and lack of time. Ways to reverse the decline in membership are discussed.

  3. Implementation of a Cross-specialty Training Program in Basic Laparoscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerrum, Flemming; Sorensen, Jette Led; Thinggaard, Jette

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several surgical specialties use laparoscopy and share many of the same techniques and challenges, such as entry approaches, equipment, and complications. However, most basic training programs focus on a single specialty. The objective of this study was to describe the ...... laparoscopy is feasible. There are several logistic benefits of using a cross-specialty approach; however, it is important that local departments include specialty-specific components, together with clinical departmental follow-up....

  4. Social Dominance Theory and Medical Specialty Choice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lepièce, Brice; Reynaert, Christine; van Meerbeeck, Philippe; Dory, Valérie

    2016-01-01

    Understanding how medical students select their specialty is a fundamental issue for public health and educational policy makers. One of the factors that students take into account is a specialty's prestige which hinges partly on its focus on technique rather than whole person. We examine the potential of a psychological framework, social…

  5. medical students' preference for choice of clinical specialties

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Zamzar

    This study seeks to determine the medical student preference for the clinical specialty and the factors that they consider in making ... undergraduates in selecting these specialties is important. .... effect of National Health Insurance on changes.

  6. In-gap discounts in Medicare Part D and specialty drug use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Jeah; Xu, Wendy Yi; Cheong, Chelim

    2017-09-01

    Specialty drugs can bring significant benefits to patients, but they can be expensive. Medicare Part D plans charge relatively high cost-sharing costs for specialty drugs. A provision in the Affordable Care Act reduced cost sharing in the Part D coverage gap phase in an attempt to mitigate the financial burden of beneficiaries with high drug spending. We examined the early impact of the Part D in-gap discount on specialty cancer drug use and patients' out-of-pocket (OOP) spending. Natural experimental design. We compared changes in outcomes before and after the in-gap discount among beneficiaries with and without low-income subsidies (LIS). Beneficiaries with LIS, who were not affected by the in-gap discount, made up the control group. We studied a random sample of elderly standalone prescription drug plan enrollees with relatively uncommon cancers (eg, leukemia, skin, pancreas, kidney, sarcomas, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma) between 2009 and 2013. We constructed 4 outcome variables annually: 1) use of any specialty cancer drug, 2) the number of specialty cancer drug fills, 3) total specialty drug spending, and 4) OOP spending for specialty cancer drugs. The in-gap discount did not influence specialty cancer drug use, but reduced annual OOP spending for specialty cancer drugs among users without LIS by $1108. In-gap discounts in Part D decreased patients' financial burden to some extent, but resulted in no change in specialty drug use. As demand for specialty drugs increases, it will be important to ensure patients' access to needed drugs, while simultaneously reducing their financial burden.

  7. Factors Influencing Medical Students' Choice of Specialty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pei-Yeh Chang

    2006-01-01

    Conclusion: This study found that personal intelligence/ability preference and career opportunities were more important factors to the current generation of students in choosing a specialty. Knowledge of these students' attitudes could form the basis for the development of strategies to enhance the attractiveness of specialties facing the problem of a shortage of manpower.

  8. Differential regulation of caspase-1 activation, pyroptosis, and autophagy via Ipaf and ASC in Shigella-infected macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toshihiko Suzuki

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Shigella infection, the cause of bacillary dysentery, induces caspase-1 activation and cell death in macrophages, but the precise mechanisms of this activation remain poorly understood. We demonstrate here that caspase-1 activation and IL-1beta processing induced by Shigella are mediated through Ipaf, a cytosolic pattern-recognition receptor of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD-like receptor (NLR family, and the adaptor protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain (ASC. We also show that Ipaf was critical for pyroptosis, a specialized form of caspase-1-dependent cell death induced in macrophages by bacterial infection, whereas ASC was dispensable. Unlike that observed in Salmonella and Legionella, caspase-1 activation induced by Shigella infection was independent of flagellin. Notably, infection of macrophages with Shigella induced autophagy, which was dramatically increased by the absence of caspase-1 or Ipaf, but not ASC. Autophagy induced by Shigella required an intact bacterial type III secretion system but not VirG protein, a bacterial factor required for autophagy in epithelial-infected cells. Treatment of macrophages with 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, enhanced pyroptosis induced by Shigella infection, suggesting that autophagy protects infected macrophages from pyroptosis. Thus, Ipaf plays a critical role in caspase-1 activation induced by Shigella independently of flagellin. Furthermore, the absence of Ipaf or caspase-1, but not ASC, regulates pyroptosis and the induction of autophagy in Shigella-infected macrophages, providing a novel function for NLR proteins in bacterial-host interactions.

  9. Collaboration between paediatric surgery and other medical specialties in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philemon E Okoro

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The quality of service and success of patient care and research in most fields of medicine depend on effective collaboration between different specialties. Paediatric surgery is a relatively young specialty in Nigeria and such collaborations are desirable. This survey assesses the nature and extent of collaboration between paediatric surgery and other specialties in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a questionnaire survey carried out in November 2008 among paediatric surgeons and their trainees practising in Nigeria. Questionnaires were distributed and retrieved either by hand or e-mailing. The responses were then collated and analysed using the SPSS 17.0. Results: Forty-seven respondents were included in the survey. Forty-five (95.7% respondents thought that there was inadequate collaboration and that there was a need for an increased collaboration between paediatric surgery and other specialties. Anaesthesia, paediatrics and radiology are among the specialties where collaborations were most required but not adequately received. Collaboration had been required from these specialties in areas of patient care, training and research. Reasons for inadequate collaboration included the paucity of avenues for inter-specialty communication and exchange of ideas 33 (70.3%, lack of awareness of the need for collaboration 32 (68.1%, tendency to apportion blames for bad outcome 13 (27.7%, and mutual suspicion 8 (17%. Conclusion: There is presently inadequate collaboration between paediatric surgery and other specialties in Nigeria. There is a need for more inter-specialty support, communication, and exchange of ideas in order to achieve desirable outcomes.

  10. 6th year of the MEFANET conference brought new ideas for the education of future health professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lenka Šnajdrová

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The 6th year of the MEFANET conference was held in Brno, Czech Republic, from Tuesday 27th to Wednesday 28th November 2012. This conference provides a regular opportunity for teachers and students from medical faculties from all over the Czech Republic and Slovakia to meet experts in health care informatics and providers of electronical support in the education. Apart from methodical and educational aspects of e-learning at medical faculties in general, this year’s conference has again dealt with the impact of this phenomenon on a specific medical specialty: a thematically focused symposium addressed the fields of orthopaedics, rheumatology and physiotherapy.

  11. Estabilidade de ácido ascórbico em sucos de frutas frescos sob diferentes formas de armazenamento

    OpenAIRE

    Cunha, Kelly Damasceno; Silva, Priscila Ribeiro da; Costa, Ana Lígia Faria e Silva da Fonseca; Teodoro, Anderson Junger; Koblitz, Maria Gabriela Bello

    2014-01-01

    O ácido ascórbico é uma vitamina hidrossolúvel de importância nutricional há muito estabelecida, por sua atuação como cofator em diversos processos fisiológicos e como antioxidante. O ser humano depende da ingestão diária desse micronutriente, cujas principais fontes são as frutas e hortaliças. Por ser um nutriente menos estável, o ácido ascórbico sofre perdas no processamento e no armazenamento, influenciadas por diversos fatores, como pH, temperatura, presença de íons, etc. A literatura apr...

  12. Tipo de respuesta según el genotipado del virus del papiloma humano según cobas 4800 en las lesiones asc-us HPV positivas

    OpenAIRE

    Kanjou Augé, Nadwa

    2016-01-01

    Objetivos: Evaluar el riesgo de patología subyacente en las pacientes ASC-US HPV positivas de nuestra área de influencia analizadas por el método COBAS 4800. Se estudió el riesgo de CIN2+ en el momento del diagnóstico de las mujeres ASC-US HPV positivas según el genotipo del virus del papiloma: HPV16, HPV18 ( ambos incluyendo coinfecciones) u otros HPV de alto riesgo (HR-HPV). El objetivo es detectar aquellas mujeres con citologías ASC-US HPV positivo con un mayor riesgo de progresión y por l...

  13. Seashell specialties and food handling in Slovene Istria restaurants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamara POKLAR VATOVEC

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the research was to evaluate the offer of seashell specialties in Slovene Istria restaurants, and to assess food safety knowledge (gained through formal and informal education as well as to assess the behaviour of food handlers in preparing shell dishes. A self-administered questionnaire was designed that included four sections: a demographic section, a general section, a restaurant menu offer, and a food safety section related to preparation of seashell specialties. Seashell specialties were offered in 41 restaurants, of which the employed food handlers 24 attended formal education and 17 informal education. Seashells specialties and seashell menus are commonly part of the culinary and gastronomic specialties along the Slovene coast, with the most frequently offered main dish being “Blue Mussels alla Busara”. Results the questionnaire indicated poor food safety knowledge and poor behaviour regardless of the (informal education of those who prepared the dishes. We propose that formal education for catering workers preparing shell dishes should be much more emphasized.

  14. Knowledge silos: assessing knowledge sharing between specialties through the vestibular schwannoma literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnurman, Zane; Golfinos, John G; Roland, J Thomas; Kondziolka, Douglas

    2017-12-01

    OBJECTIVE It is common for a medical disorder to be managed or researched by individuals who work within different specialties. It is known that both neurosurgeons and neurotologists manage vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients. While overlap in specialty focus has the potential to stimulate multidisciplinary collaboration and innovative thinking, there is a risk of specialties forming closed-communication loops, called knowledge silos, which may inhibit knowledge diffusion. This study quantitatively assessed knowledge sharing between neurosurgery and otolaryngology on the subject of VS. METHODS A broad Web of Science search was used to download details for 4439 articles related to VS through 2016. The publishing journal's specialty and the authors' specialties (based on author department) were determined for available articles. All 114,647 of the article references were categorized by journal specialty. The prevalence of several VS topics was assessed using keyword searches of titles. RESULTS For articles written by neurosurgeons, 44.0% of citations were from neurosurgery journal articles and 23.4% were from otolaryngology journals. The citations of otolaryngology authors included 11.6% neurosurgery journals and 56.5% otolaryngology journals. Both author specialty and journal specialty led to more citations of the same specialty, though author specialty had the largest effect. Comparing the specialties' literature, several VS topics had significantly different levels of coverage, including radiosurgery and hearing topics. Despite the availability of the Internet, there has been no change in the proportions of references for either specialty since 1997 (the year PubMed became publicly available). CONCLUSIONS Partial knowledge silos are observed between neurosurgery and otolaryngology on the topic of VS, based on the peer-reviewed literature. The increase in access provided by the Internet and searchable online databases has not decreased specialty reference bias

  15. Completion Report for Multi-Site Incentive MRT 2779 Implement ASC Tripod Initiative by 30SEP08

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    East, D; Cerutti, J; Noe, J; Cupps, K; Loncaric, J; Sturtevant, J

    2008-09-22

    This report provides documentation and evidence for the completion of the deployment of the Tripod common operating system (TripodOS, also known as and generally referred to below as TOSS). Background documents for TOSS are provided in Appendices A and B, including the initial TOSS proposal accepted by ASC HQ and Executives in July 2007 and a Governance Model defined by a Tri-Lab working group in September 2007. Appendix C contains a document that clarifies the intent and requirements for the completion criteria associated with MRT 2779. The deployment of TOSS is a Multi-Site Incentive from the ASC FY08-09 Implementation Plan due at the end of Quarter 4 in FY08.

  16. The long overdue medical specialty: bioethiatrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kevorkian, J

    1986-11-01

    Traditional bioethical codes have been unable to cope with the results of modern technology and the drastic changes in life patterns. The medical profession can reestablish bioethical order and reassert leadership through a new and urgently needed medical specialty, which the author tentatively calls bioethiatrics or bioethiatry. Bioethiatrics embodies a unique combination of ethical action and moral judgment.Training for the specialty would start with a residency program, consisting of thorough training in philosophy and religion coupled with continued experience in clinical medicine and indoctrination in contemporary research. Requirements would include the practice of general medicine for at least two years after internship, the passing of oral and written examinations after four years of residency, board certification, and subsequent periodic evaluations.Bioethiatricians would assume all the usual privileges, obligations, and risks associated with the practice of any medical specialty, thereby averting unnecessary ethical crises and ensuring a more rational response to present and future moral challenges.

  17. Orthopedic specialty hospitals: centers of excellence or greed machines?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badlani, Neil; Boden, Scott; Phillips, Frank

    2012-03-07

    Orthopedic specialty hospitals have recently been the subject of debate. They are patient-centered, physician-friendly health care alternatives that take advantage of the economic efficiencies of specialization. Medically, they provide a higher quality of care and increase patient and physician satisfaction. Economically, they are more efficient and profitable than general hospitals. They also positively affect society through the taxes they pay and the beneficial aspects of the competition they provide to general hospitals. Their ability to provide a disruptive innovation to the existing hospital industry will lead to lower costs and greater access to health care. However, critics say that physician ownership presents potential conflicts of interest and leads to overuse of medical care. Some general hospitals are suffering as a result of unfair specialty hospital practices, and a few drastic medical complications have occurred at specialty hospitals. Specialty hospitals have been scrutinized for increasing the inequality of health care and continue to be a target of government regulations. In this article, the pros and cons are examined, and the Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital is analyzed as an example. Orthopedic specialty hospitals provide excellent care and are great assets to society. Competition between specialty and general hospitals has provided added value to patients and taxpayers. However, physicians must take more responsibility in their appropriate and ethical leadership. It is critical to recognize financial conflicts of interest, disclose ownership, and act ethically. Patient care cannot be compromised. With thoughtful and efficient leadership, specialty hospitals can be an integral part of improving health care in the long term. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

  18. Pakistani medical students' specialty preference and the influencing factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehman, Anis; Rehman, Tariq; Shaikh, Muhammad Ateeb; Yasmin, Haleema; Asif, Ammara; Kafil, Hina

    2011-07-01

    To elucidate the specialty preferences of Pakistani medical students and the factors which influence medical students to make the decision regarding which specialty to pursue. Both basic sciences and clinical students from four medical colleges of Pakistan, i.e., Dow Medical College, Sindh Medical College, Liaquat National Medical College and Muhammad Medical College, were included in the cross-sectional survey during the period of July 2008 to Jan' 2009. After ethical acceptance, data was collected using convenient sampling technique. The questionnaire covered the following demographic details: 13 common specialties and 15 influencing factors. Questionnaires included in the analysis were 771. Most students gave preference to surgery and its associated sub-specialties (50.3%) followed by internal medicine (26.8%), paediatrics (23.2%), dermatology (16.7%), gynaecology and obstetrics (16.7%), psychiatry (13.1%), radiology (10.8%), ENT (8.8%), anaesthesiology (8.7%), administrative medicine (8.6%), orthopaedics (8.2%), ophthalmology (7.5%), and laboratory medicine (6.1%). The highly considered factors (regarding specialties) chosen by 70% of the medical students were: applicable to respective personalities of the individuals, prestige and respect, international opportunities, and time commitment. Surgical-skills, job availability, financial rating, academic performance, and a role model were moderately influencing factors. Hospital environment, parents, general practice, peer-pressure and personal health were the least influential. This trend suggests competition in surgery and its sub-specialties along with internal medicine, paediatrics, dermatology, gynaecology and obstetrics. Specialty suited to personality, time commitment, prestige/respect and international opportunity, influenced more than 70% of the students.

  19. Specialty and full-service hospitals: a comparative cost analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Kathleen; Burgess, James F; Young, Gary J

    2008-10-01

    To compare the costs of physician-owned cardiac, orthopedic, and surgical single specialty hospitals with those of full-service hospital competitors. The primary data sources are the Medicare Cost Reports for 1998-2004 and hospital inpatient discharge data for three of the states where single specialty hospitals are most prevalent, Texas, California, and Arizona. The latter were obtained from the Texas Department of State Health Services, the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Additional data comes from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database. We identified all physician-owned cardiac, orthopedic, and surgical specialty hospitals in these three states as well as all full-service acute care hospitals serving the same market areas, defined using Dartmouth Hospital Referral Regions. We estimated a hospital cost function using stochastic frontier regression analysis, and generated hospital specific inefficiency measures. Application of t-tests of significance compared the inefficiency measures of specialty hospitals with those of full-service hospitals to make general comparisons between these classes of hospitals. Results do not provide evidence that specialty hospitals are more efficient than the full-service hospitals with whom they compete. In particular, orthopedic and surgical specialty hospitals appear to have significantly higher levels of cost inefficiency. Cardiac hospitals, however, do not appear to be different from competitors in this respect. Policymakers should not embrace the assumption that physician-owned specialty hospitals produce patient care more efficiently than their full-service hospital competitors.

  20. Recent trends in specialty pharma business model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mannching Sherry Ku

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The recent rise of specialty pharma is attributed to its flexible, versatile, and open business model while the traditional big pharma is facing a challenging time with patent cliff, generic threat, and low research and development (R&D productivity. These multinational pharmaceutical companies, facing a difficult time, have been systematically externalizing R&D and some even establish their own corporate venture capital so as to diversify with more shots on goal, with the hope of achieving a higher success rate in their compound pipeline. Biologics and clinical Phase II proof-of-concept (POC compounds are the preferred licensing and collaboration targets. Biologics enjoys a high success rate with a low generic biosimilar threat, while the need is high for clinical Phase II POC compounds, due to its high attrition/low success rate. Repurposing of big pharma leftover compounds is a popular strategy but with limitations. Most old compounds come with baggage either in lackluster clinical performance or short in patent life. Orphan drugs is another area which has gained popularity in recent years. The shorter and less costly regulatory pathway provides incentives, especially for smaller specialty pharma. However, clinical studies on orphan drugs require a large network of clinical operations in many countries in order to recruit enough patients. Big pharma is also working on orphan drugs starting with a small indication, with the hope of expanding the indication into a blockbuster status. Specialty medicine, including orphan drugs, has become the growth engine in the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. Big pharma is also keen on in-licensing technology or projects from specialty pharma to extend product life cycles, in order to protect their blockbuster drug franchises. Ample opportunities exist for smaller players, even in the emerging countries, to collaborate with multinational pharmaceutical companies provided that the technology platforms or

  1. Recent trends in specialty pharma business model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ku, Mannching Sherry

    2015-12-01

    The recent rise of specialty pharma is attributed to its flexible, versatile, and open business model while the traditional big pharma is facing a challenging time with patent cliff, generic threat, and low research and development (R&D) productivity. These multinational pharmaceutical companies, facing a difficult time, have been systematically externalizing R&D and some even establish their own corporate venture capital so as to diversify with more shots on goal, with the hope of achieving a higher success rate in their compound pipeline. Biologics and clinical Phase II proof-of-concept (POC) compounds are the preferred licensing and collaboration targets. Biologics enjoys a high success rate with a low generic biosimilar threat, while the need is high for clinical Phase II POC compounds, due to its high attrition/low success rate. Repurposing of big pharma leftover compounds is a popular strategy but with limitations. Most old compounds come with baggage either in lackluster clinical performance or short in patent life. Orphan drugs is another area which has gained popularity in recent years. The shorter and less costly regulatory pathway provides incentives, especially for smaller specialty pharma. However, clinical studies on orphan drugs require a large network of clinical operations in many countries in order to recruit enough patients. Big pharma is also working on orphan drugs starting with a small indication, with the hope of expanding the indication into a blockbuster status. Specialty medicine, including orphan drugs, has become the growth engine in the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. Big pharma is also keen on in-licensing technology or projects from specialty pharma to extend product life cycles, in order to protect their blockbuster drug franchises. Ample opportunities exist for smaller players, even in the emerging countries, to collaborate with multinational pharmaceutical companies provided that the technology platforms or specialty medicinal

  2. Ambulatory Surgery Centers and Prices in Hospital Outpatient Departments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Kathleen

    2017-04-01

    Specialty providers claim to offer a new competitive benchmark for efficient delivery of health care. This article explores this view by examining evidence for price competition between ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). I studied the impact of ASC market presence on actual prices paid to HOPDs during 2007-2010 for four common surgical procedures that were performed in both provider types. For the procedures examined, HOPDs received payments from commercial insurers in the range of 3.25% to 5.15% lower for each additional ASC per 100,000 persons in a market. HOPDs may have less negotiating leverage with commercial insurers on price in markets with high ASC market penetration, resulting in relatively lower prices.

  3. Medical specialty considerations by medical students early in their clinical experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weissman Charles

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Specialty selection by medical students determines the future composition of the physician workforce. Selection of career specialties begins in earnest during the clinical rotations with exposure to the clinical and intellectual environments of various specialties. Career specialty selection is followed by choosing a residency program. This is the period where insight into the decision process might help healthcare leaders ascertain whether, when, and how to intervene and attempt to influence students' decisions. The criteria students consider important in selecting a specialty and a residency program during the early phases of their clinical rotations were examined. Methods Questionnaires distributed to fifth-year medical students at two Israeli medical schools. Results 229 of 275 (83% questionnaires were returned. 80% of the students had considered specialties; 62% considered one specialty, 25% two, the remainder 3-5 specialties. Students took a long-range view; 55% considered working conditions after residency more important than those during residency, another 42% considered both equally important. More than two-thirds wanted an interesting and challenging bedside specialty affording control over lifestyle and providing a reasonable relationship between salary and lifestyle. Men were more interested in well-remunerated procedure-oriented specialties that allowed for private practice. Most students rated as important selecting a challenging and interesting residency program characterized by good relationships between staff members, with positive treatment by the institution, and that provided much teaching. More women wanted short residencies with few on-calls and limited hours. More men rated as important residencies affording much responsibility for making clinical decisions and providing research opportunities. More than 50% of the students considered it important that their residency be in a leading department, and in

  4. Embracing a competency-based specialty curriculum for community-based nursing roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, Pamela F; Swider, Susan M; Breakwell, Susan; Cowell, Julia M; Reising, Virginia

    2013-01-01

    The Quad Council competencies for public health nursing (PHN) provide guidance in developing curricula at both the generalist and specialist level. However, these competencies are based on nursing roles in traditional public health agencies and community/public health is defined more broadly than official agency practice. The question arises as to whether community-based specialties require largely the same knowledge and skill set as PHN. The purpose of the competency cross-mapping project reported here was to (a) assess the intersection of the Quad Council competencies with four community-based specialties and (b) ensure the appropriateness of a Quad Council-based curriculum to prepare graduates across these four specialties (home health, occupational health, environmental health, and school nursing). This article details the multistep cross-mapping process, including validation with practice leaders. Results indicate strong alignment of community-based specialty competencies with Quad Council competencies. Community-based specialty-specific content that did not align well is identified, along with examples of didactic and clinical strategies to address gaps. This work indicates that a Quad Council-based curriculum is appropriate to prepare graduates in community-based specialties when attention to the specialty-specific competencies in the clinical setting is included. This work guides the development of a doctorate of nursing practice curriculum in PHN, encompassing the four additional community-based specialties. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Factors considered by undergraduate medical students when selecting specialty of their future careers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alawad, Awad Ali Mohamed Ahmed; Khan, Waleed Shabeer; Abdelrazig, Yousif Mohammed; Elzain, Yamin Ibrahim; Khalil, Hassan Osman; Ahmed, Omer Bakri Elsayed; Adam, Omeralfaroug Ahmed Ibrahim

    2015-01-01

    Medical students are the source of a country's physicians. Determining how medical students select their areas of specialization is the key to achieve a balanced distribution of doctors among all specialties. The objective is to identify the number of medical students who have decided their postgraduate specialty career, their career specialties preference, and factors that may influence their decision to select a particular specialty. A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2013 at Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire comprising demographic data and questions about future specialties preferences and factors influencing those preferences was distributed to 887 male and female students, (from first to fifth academic years) recruited in the study. Response rate was 73% with 647 questionnaires collected, out of 887 eligible medical students. Of the returned questionnaires, 604 were valid. The majority of students (541, 89.6%) have chosen a specialty. Surgery, medicine, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology were the most selected specialties. The least selected specialty was anaesthesiology. A significant association was found between gender and specialty choice using Chi-square test (p = 0.00). There was no association between undergraduate level and specialty choice (p = 0.633). The most common reason for choosing a specific specialty was "Personal Interest" (215, 39.7%) followed by being "Helpful to the community" (144, 26.6%). Surgery, medicine, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology were the most selected specialties.

  6. Health plan utilization and costs of specialty drugs within 4 chronic conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gleason, Patrick P; Alexander, G Caleb; Starner, Catherine I; Ritter, Stephen T; Van Houten, Holly K; Gunderson, Brent W; Shah, Nilay D

    2013-09-01

    Drugs are most typically defined as specialty because they are expensive; however, other criteria used to define a drug as specialty include biologic drugs, the need to inject or infuse the drug, the requirement for special handling, or drug availability only via a limited distribution network. Specialty drugs play an increasingly important role in the treatment of chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), yet little is known regarding the comprehensive medical and pharmacy benefit utilization and cost trends for these conditions. To describe MS, RA, psoriasis, and IBD trends for condition prevalence, treatment with specialty drugs, specialty costs, nonspecialty costs, and total direct costs of care within the medical and pharmacy benefits. This was a descriptive analysis of a commercially insured population made up of 1 million members, using integrated medical and pharmacy administrative claims data from 2008 to 2010. Analyses were limited to continuously enrolled commercially insured individuals less than 65 years of age. Condition-specific cohorts for MS, RA, psoriasis, and IBD were defined using standardized criteria. Trends in condition prevalence, specialty drug use for the conditions, and direct total cost of care were analyzed. The direct costs were subcategorized into the following: medical benefit specialty drug costs, medical benefit all other costs, pharmacy benefit specialty drug costs, and pharmacy benefit all other costs. Trends and compound annual growth rates were calculated for the total cost of care and subcategory costs from 2008 through 2010. Condition prevalence ranged from a low of 1,720 per million members for MS to a high of 4,489 per million members for RA. Psoriasis and MS condition prevalence rates were unchanged over the 3 years; however, IBD prevalence increased 7.0%, and RA prevalence increased 9.7%. The rate of specialty drug use was lowest for IBD

  7. The effect of magnetic stimulation on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human stem cells derived from the adipose tissue (hASCs)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, João; Gonçalves, Ana I.; Rodrigues, Márcia T.; Reis, Rui L.; Gomes, Manuela E.

    2015-11-01

    The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) towards the musculoskeletal tissues has been the focus of many studies, regarding MNPs ability to promote and direct cellular stimulation and orient tissue responses. This is thought to be mainly achieved by mechano-responsive pathways, which can induce changes in cell behavior, including the processes of proliferation and differentiation, in response to external mechanical stimuli. Thus, the application of MNP-based strategies in tissue engineering may hold potential to propose novel solutions for cell therapy on bone and cartilage strategies to accomplish tissue regeneration. The present work aims at studying the influence of MNPs on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs). MNPs were incorporated in hASCs and cultured in medium supplemented for osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Cultures were maintained up to 28 days with/without an external magnetic stimulus provided by a magnetic bioreactor, to determine if the MNPs alone could affect the osteogenic or chondrogenic phenotype of the hASCs. Results indicate that the incorporation of MNPs does not negatively affect the viability nor the proliferation of hASCs. Furthermore, Alizarin Red staining evidences an enhancement in extracellular (ECM) mineralization under the influence of an external magnetic field. Although not as evident as for osteogenic differentiation, Toluidine blue and Safranin-O stainings also suggest the presence of a cartilage-like ECM with glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans under the magnetic stimulus provided. Thus, MNPs incorporated in hASCs under the influence of an external magnetic field have the potential to induce differentiation towards the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages.

  8. Sampling and farm stories prompt consumers to buy specialty cheeses

    OpenAIRE

    Reed, Barbara A.; Bruhn, Christine M.

    2003-01-01

    California specialty cheese makers need information on what drives product sales so they can effectively market their products. Focus group and telephone research revealed that specialty cheese consumers have a strong preference for sampling cheese before making a purchase. Consumers also rely heavily on staff recommendations to select cheese. They appreciate unlimited sampling in an unhurried, low-pressure environment. Specialty cheese consumers consider themselves “food experimenters”; they...

  9. Gender bias in specialty preferences among Danish medical students

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Laura Erna Toftegaard; Skytte, Nanna Hasle Bak; Dissing, Agnete Skovlund

    2011-01-01

    Female medical students tend to prefer person-oriented specialties characterized by close doctor-patient contact and aspects of care. Conversely, male medical students tend to seek towards specialties with elements of autonomy, technology and "action" . Furthermore, female doctors will outnumber ...

  10. Factors Influencing Medical Students' Choice of Specialty

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Pei-Yeh; Hung, Chih-Young; Wang, Kuei-lng; Huang, Yuan-Huei; Chang, King-Jen

    2006-01-01

    Medical school graduates are the source of a country's physicians. Determining how the graduates of these schools select their areas of specialization is the key to achieving a balanced distribution of doctors among all specialties. The purposes of this study were to determine the factors that influence medical students' choice of medical specialty, and to derive the relative weight of each factor. Methods: We constructed a two-tiered analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model which was repres...

  11. Two interesting cases highlighting an oblivious specialty of psychoneuroendocrinology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hari Kumar, K V S; Dhull, Pawan; Somasekharan, Manoj; Seshadri, K

    2012-01-01

    Psychoneuroendocrinology deals with the overlap disorders pertaining to three different specialties. Awareness about the somatic manifestations of psychiatric diseases and vice versa is a must for all the clinicians. The knowledge of this interlinked specialty is essential because of the obscure presentation of certain disorders. Our first case was treated as depressive disorder, whereas the diagnosis was hypogonadism with empty sella. Our second patient was managed as schizophrenia and the evaluation revealed bilateral basal ganglia calcification and a diagnosis of Fahr's disease. We report these cases for their unusual presentation and to highlight the importance of this emerging specialty.

  12. Optimizing the ASC WAN: evaluating network performance tools for comparing transport protocols.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lydick, Christopher L.

    2007-07-01

    The Advanced Simulation & Computing Wide Area Network (ASC WAN), which is a high delay-bandwidth network connection between US Department of Energy National Laboratories, is constantly being examined and evaluated for efficiency. One of the current transport-layer protocols which is used, TCP, was developed for traffic demands which are different from that on the ASC WAN. The Stream Control Transport Protocol (SCTP), on the other hand, has shown characteristics which make it more appealing to networks such as these. Most important, before considering a replacement for TCP on any network, a testing tool that performs well against certain criteria needs to be found. In order to try to find such a tool, two popular networking tools (Netperf v.2.4.3 & v.2.4.6 (OpenSS7 STREAMS), and Iperf v.2.0.6) were tested. These tools implement both TCP and SCTP and were evaluated using four metrics: (1) How effectively can the tool reach a throughput near the bandwidth? (2) How much of the CPU does the tool utilize during operation? (3) Is the tool freely and widely available? And, (4) Is the tool actively developed? Following the analysis of those tools, this paper goes further into explaining some recommendations and ideas for future work.

  13. [Infectious diseases - a specialty of internal medicine].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fätkenheuer, G; Jung, N; Kern, W V; Fölsch, U R; Salzberger, B

    2018-04-01

    Infectious diseases have recently gained wide public interest. Emerging infections and rising rates of antibiotic resistance are determining this trend. Both challenges will need to be addressed in international and local collaborations between different specialties in medicine and basic science. Infectious diseases as a clinical specialty in this scenario is directly responsible for the care of patients with infectious diseases. Its involvement in the care of patients with complicated infections has proved to be highly effective. Antibiotic stewardship programmes are effective measures in slowing the development of antibiotic resistance and have been widely implemented. But antibiotic stewardship specialists should not be confused with or taken as an alternative to infectious disease experts. Infectious diseases requires appropriate and specific training. It mainly uses the instrumentarium of internal medicine. With the current challenges in modern medicine, infectious diseases in Germany should thus be upgraded from a subspecialty to a clinical specialty, ideally within Internal Medicine.

  14. Medical specialty preferences in early medical school training in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vo, Anthony; McLean, Laurie; McInnes, Matthew D F

    2017-11-14

    To understand what medical students consider when choosing their specialty, prior to significant clinical exposure to develop strategies to provide adequate career counseling. A cross-sectional study was performed by distributing optional questionnaires to 165 first-year medical students at the University of Ottawa in their first month of training with a sample yield of 54.5% (n=90).  Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, Spearman's rank correlation, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure, and exploratory factor analyses were used to analyze the anonymized results. "Job satisfaction", "lifestyle following training" and, "impact on the patient" were the three highest rated considerations when choosing a specialty.  Fifty-two and seventeen percent (n=24) and 57.89% (n=22) of males and females ranked non-surgical specialties as their top choice. Student confidence in their specialty preferences was moderate, meaning their preference could likely change (mean=2.40/5.00, SD=1.23). ANOVA showed no significant differences between confidence and population size (F(2,86)=0.290, p=0.75) or marital status (F(2,85)=0.354, p=0.70) in both genders combined. Five underlying factors that explained 44.32% of the total variance were identified. Five themes were identified to enhance career counseling. Medical students in their first month of training have already considered their specialty preferences, despite limited exposure. However, students are not fixed in their specialty preference. Our findings further support previous results but expand what students consider when choosing their specialty early in their training. Medical educators and administrators who recognize and understand the importance of these considerations may further enhance career counseling and medical education curricula.

  15. ASC FY17 Implementation Plan, Rev. 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamilton, P. G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2017-06-14

    The Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) is an integrated technical program for maintaining the safety, surety, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The SSP uses nuclear test data, computational modeling and simulation, and experimental facilities to advance understanding of nuclear weapons. It includes stockpile surveillance, experimental research, development and engineering programs, and an appropriately scaled production capability to support stockpile requirements. This integrated national program requires the continued use of experimental facilities and programs, and the computational capabilities to support these programs. The Advanced Simulation and Computing Program (ASC) is a cornerstone of the SSP, providing simulation capabilities and computational resources that support annual stockpile assessment and certification, study advanced nuclear weapons design and manufacturing processes, analyze accident scenarios and weapons aging, and provide the tools to enable stockpile Life Extension Programs (LEPs) and the resolution of Significant Finding Investigations (SFIs). This requires a balance of resources, including technical staff, hardware, simulation software, and computer science solutions.

  16. Gender Distribution Among American Board of Medical Specialties Boards of Directors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Laura E; Sadosty, Annie T; Colletti, James E; Goyal, Deepi G; Sunga, Kharmene L; Hayes, Sharonne N

    2016-11-01

    Since 1995, women have comprised more than 40% of all medical school graduates. However, representation at leadership levels in medicine remains considerably lower. Gender representation among the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) boards of directors (BODs) has not previously been evaluated. Our objective was to determine the relative representation of women on ABMS BODs and compare it with the in-training and in-practice gender composition of the respective specialties. The composition of the ABMS BODs was obtained from websites in March 2016 for all Member Boards. Association of American Medical Colleges and American Medical Association data were utilized to identify current and future trends in gender composition. Although represented by a common board, neurology and psychiatry were evaluated separately because of their very different practices and gender demographic characteristics. A total of 25 specialties were evaluated. Of the 25 specialties analyzed, 12 BODs have proportional gender representation compared with their constituency. Seven specialties have a larger proportion of women serving on their boards compared with physicians in practice, and 6 specialties have a greater proportion of men populating their BODs. Based on the most recent trainee data (2013), women have increasing workforce representation in almost all specialties. Although women in both training and practice are approaching equal representation, there is variability in gender ratios across specialties. Directorship within ABMS BODs has a more equitable gender distribution than other areas of leadership in medicine. Further investigation is needed to determine the reasons behind this difference and to identify opportunities to engage women in leadership in medicine. Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. The deoxyhypusine synthase mutant dys1-1 reveals the association of eIF5A and Asc1 with cell wall integrity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabio Carrilho Galvão

    Full Text Available The putative eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A is a highly conserved protein among archaea and eukaryotes that has recently been implicated in the elongation step of translation. eIF5A undergoes an essential and conserved posttranslational modification at a specific lysine to generate the residue hypusine. The enzymes deoxyhypusine synthase (Dys1 and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (Lia1 catalyze this two-step modification process. Although several Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF5A mutants have importantly contributed to the study of eIF5A function, no conditional mutant of Dys1 has been described so far. In this study, we generated and characterized the dys1-1 mutant, which showed a strong depletion of mutated Dys1 protein, resulting in more than 2-fold decrease in hypusine levels relative to the wild type. The dys1-1 mutant demonstrated a defect in total protein synthesis, a defect in polysome profile indicative of a translation elongation defect and a reduced association of eIF5A with polysomes. The growth phenotype of dys1-1 mutant is severe, growing only in the presence of 1 M sorbitol, an osmotic stabilizer. Although this phenotype is characteristic of Pkc1 cell wall integrity mutants, the sorbitol requirement from dys1-1 is not associated with cell lysis. We observed that the dys1-1 genetically interacts with the sole yeast protein kinase C (Pkc1 and Asc1, a component of the 40S ribosomal subunit. The dys1-1 mutant was synthetically lethal in combination with asc1Δ and overexpression of TIF51A (eIF5A or DYS1 is toxic for an asc1Δ strain. Moreover, eIF5A is more associated with translating ribosomes in the absence of Asc1 in the cell. Finally, analysis of the sensitivity to cell wall-perturbing compounds revealed a more similar behavior of the dys1-1 and asc1Δ mutants in comparison with the pkc1Δ mutant. These data suggest a correlated role for eIF5A and Asc1 in coordinating the translational control of a subset of m

  18. The effect of magnetic stimulation on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human stem cells derived from the adipose tissue (hASCs)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lima, João; Gonçalves, Ana I.; Rodrigues, Márcia T.; Reis, Rui L. [3Bs Research Group–Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Guimarães (Portugal); ICVS/3Bs–PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães (Portugal); Gomes, Manuela E., E-mail: megomes@dep.uminho.pt [3Bs Research Group–Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Guimarães (Portugal); ICVS/3Bs–PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães (Portugal)

    2015-11-01

    The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) towards the musculoskeletal tissues has been the focus of many studies, regarding MNPs ability to promote and direct cellular stimulation and orient tissue responses. This is thought to be mainly achieved by mechano-responsive pathways, which can induce changes in cell behavior, including the processes of proliferation and differentiation, in response to external mechanical stimuli. Thus, the application of MNP-based strategies in tissue engineering may hold potential to propose novel solutions for cell therapy on bone and cartilage strategies to accomplish tissue regeneration. The present work aims at studying the influence of MNPs on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs). MNPs were incorporated in hASCs and cultured in medium supplemented for osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Cultures were maintained up to 28 days with/without an external magnetic stimulus provided by a magnetic bioreactor, to determine if the MNPs alone could affect the osteogenic or chondrogenic phenotype of the hASCs. Results indicate that the incorporation of MNPs does not negatively affect the viability nor the proliferation of hASCs. Furthermore, Alizarin Red staining evidences an enhancement in extracellular (ECM) mineralization under the influence of an external magnetic field. Although not as evident as for osteogenic differentiation, Toluidine blue and Safranin-O stainings also suggest the presence of a cartilage-like ECM with glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans under the magnetic stimulus provided. Thus, MNPs incorporated in hASCs under the influence of an external magnetic field have the potential to induce differentiation towards the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. - Highlights: • Cellular viability was not negatively influenced by the nanoparticles. • Chondrogenic medium influences more the synthesis of cartilage-like ECM than MNPs. • Synergetic effect among

  19. Genomic presence of gadD1 glutamate decarboxylase correlates with the organization of ascB-dapE internalin cluster in Listeria monocytogenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jianshun; Fang, Chun; Zheng, Tianlun; Zhu, Ningyu; Bei, Yijiang; Fang, Weihuan

    2012-02-01

    The ability to survive and proliferate in acidic environments is a prerequisite for the infection of Listeria monocytogenes. The glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) system is responsible for acid resistance, and three GAD homologs have been identified in L. monocytogenes: gadD1, gadD2, and gadD3. To examine whether GAD genes are specific to lineage, serovar, or certain subpopulation, we performed a systematic investigation on the prevalence of GAD genes in 164 L. monocytogenes. In contrast to gadD2 and gadD3 conserved in all L. monocytogenes strains, gadD1 was identified in 36.6% (60/164) of L. monocytogenes strains, including all serovar 1/2c and 68.5% (37/54) of serovar 1/2a strains, as well as a small fraction of serovar 1/2b (3.4%, 1/29) and lineage III (13.8%, 4/29) strains. All serovar 4b and lineage IV strains lacked this gene. According to the ascB-dapE structure, L. monocytogenes strains were classified into four subpopulations, carrying inlC2DE, inlGC2DE, inlGHE, or no internalin cluster, respectively. All L. monocytogenes strains with inlGC2DE or inlGHE pattern harbored gadD1, whereas those bearing inlC2DE or no internalin cluster between ascB and dapE lacked gadD1. In addition, other five non-monocytogenes Listeria species lacking ascB-dapE internalin cluster were gadD1-negative. Overall, the presence of gadD1 is not fully dependent on lineages or serovars but correlates with ascB-dapE internalin profiles, suggesting gadD1 might have co-evolved with the ascB-dapE internalin cluster in the primitive L. monocytogenes before divergence of serovars.

  20. The effect of magnetic stimulation on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human stem cells derived from the adipose tissue (hASCs)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima, João; Gonçalves, Ana I.; Rodrigues, Márcia T.; Reis, Rui L.; Gomes, Manuela E.

    2015-01-01

    The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) towards the musculoskeletal tissues has been the focus of many studies, regarding MNPs ability to promote and direct cellular stimulation and orient tissue responses. This is thought to be mainly achieved by mechano-responsive pathways, which can induce changes in cell behavior, including the processes of proliferation and differentiation, in response to external mechanical stimuli. Thus, the application of MNP-based strategies in tissue engineering may hold potential to propose novel solutions for cell therapy on bone and cartilage strategies to accomplish tissue regeneration. The present work aims at studying the influence of MNPs on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs). MNPs were incorporated in hASCs and cultured in medium supplemented for osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Cultures were maintained up to 28 days with/without an external magnetic stimulus provided by a magnetic bioreactor, to determine if the MNPs alone could affect the osteogenic or chondrogenic phenotype of the hASCs. Results indicate that the incorporation of MNPs does not negatively affect the viability nor the proliferation of hASCs. Furthermore, Alizarin Red staining evidences an enhancement in extracellular (ECM) mineralization under the influence of an external magnetic field. Although not as evident as for osteogenic differentiation, Toluidine blue and Safranin-O stainings also suggest the presence of a cartilage-like ECM with glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans under the magnetic stimulus provided. Thus, MNPs incorporated in hASCs under the influence of an external magnetic field have the potential to induce differentiation towards the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. - Highlights: • Cellular viability was not negatively influenced by the nanoparticles. • Chondrogenic medium influences more the synthesis of cartilage-like ECM than MNPs. • Synergetic effect among

  1. Consumo de ácido ascórbico y niveles séricos en hombres adultos fumadores y no fumadores de la CD. de Hermosillo, Sonora, México

    OpenAIRE

    Méndez E, Rosa Olivia; Wyatt, C. Jane; Saavedra, Javier; Ornelas, Alicia

    2002-01-01

    El ácido ascórbico es uno de las antioxidantes más importantes a nivel extracelular, sin embargo su papel preventivo de enfermedades degenerativas se puede comprometer al disminuir sus niveles séricos. Bajos valores de ácido ascórbico sérico se han reportado en hombres fumadores. En el presente estudio se estimó la ingestión de ácido ascórbico en 25 hombres adultos sanos de Hermosillo, Sonora, México, divididos en dos grupos: fumadores y no fumadores; se compararon los niveles séricos de ácid...

  2. Specialties differ in which aspects of doctor communication predict overall physician ratings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quigley, Denise D; Elliott, Marc N; Farley, Donna O; Burkhart, Q; Skootsky, Samuel A; Hays, Ron D

    2014-03-01

    Effective doctor communication is critical to positive doctor-patient relationships and predicts better health outcomes. Doctor communication is the strongest predictor of patient ratings of doctors, but the most important aspects of communication may vary by specialty. To determine the importance of five aspects of doctor communication to overall physician ratings by specialty. For each of 28 specialties, we calculated partial correlations of five communication items with a 0-10 overall physician rating, controlling for patient demographics. Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician and Group (CG-CAHPS®) 12-month Survey data collected 2005-2009 from 58,251 adults at a 534-physician medical group. CG-CAHPS includes a 0 ("Worst physician possible") to 10 ("Best physician possible") overall physician rating. Five doctor communication items assess how often the physician: explains things; listens carefully; gives easy-to-understand instructions; shows respect; and spends enough time. Physician showing respect was the most important aspect of communication for 23/28 specialties, with a mean partial correlation (0.27, ranging from 0.07 to 0.44 across specialties) that accounted for more than four times as much variance in the overall physician rating as any other communication item. Three of five communication items varied significantly across specialties in their associations with the overall rating (p importance of other aspects of communication varied significantly by specialty. Quality improvement efforts by all specialties should emphasize physicians showing respect to patients, and each specialty should also target other aspects of communication that matter most to their patients. The results have implications for improving provider quality improvement and incentive programs and the reporting of CAHPS data to patients. Specialists make important contributions to coordinated patient care, and thus customized approaches to measurement

  3. Temperamental traits may be associated with medical students’ specialty preferences – pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Pawełczyk

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: This study was aimed at checking a hypothesis about a possible correlation between medical students’ temperamental traits and specialty preferences. Material and methods: The study was carried out among 202 students of the 6th year at the Medical University of Łódź in academic year 2008/2009. The examined group consisted of 140 women (69% and 62 men (31%. The average age of the students included into the study was 24.7 years (range: 23-29. The subjects were asked to fill in a questionnaire on demographic variables and the Formal Characteristics of BehaviourTemperament Inventory (FCB-TI by Zawadzki and Strelau. Results: The students taking part in the study preferred specialties in internal diseases (22%, surgery (18% and paediatrics (11%. Two point five percent of the students were indecisive in the specialty choice, 26% preferred surgical specialty and 71% – non-surgical specialty. Differences in temperamental traits were indicated between the students preferring different specialties. Students preferring surgery scored higher than those preferring internal medicine in Endurance (p=0.0036, d=0.63 and Activity (p=0.0292, d=0.63. Significantly higher average values were observed within two temperamental traits: Briskness (p=0.0083, d=0.5 and Endurance (p=0.0070, d=0.49 in students preferring surgical specialties, as compared to those choosing non-surgical specialties. Conclusions: Students’ preferring different medical specialties differ in temperamental traits. They obtained different results on the scales of Briskness, Endurance and Activity. The obtained results may be useful in vocational guidance within the choice of medical specialty.

  4. Prediction of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2+ (CIN2+) using HPV DNA testing after a diagnosis of atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASC-US) in Catalonia, Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibáñez, Raquel; Moreno-Crespi, Judit; Sardà, Montserrat; Autonell, Josefina; Fibla, Montserrat; Gutiérrez, Cristina; Lloveras, Belen; Alejo, María; Català, Isabel; Alameda, Francesc; Casas, Miquel; Bosch, F Xavier; de Sanjosé, Silvia

    2012-01-26

    A protocol for cervical cancer screening among sexually active women 25 to 65 years of age was introduced in 2006 in Catalonia, Spain to increase coverage and to recommend a 3-year-interval between screening cytology. In addition, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) was offered as a triage test for women with a diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). HPV testing was recommended within 3 months of ASC-US diagnosis. According to protocol, HPV negative women were referred to regular screening including a cytological exam every 3 years while HPV positive women were referred to colposcopy and closer follow-up. We evaluated the implementation of the protocol and the prediction of HPV testing as a triage tool for cervical intraepithelial lesions grade two or worse (CIN2+) in women with a cytological diagnosis of ASC-US. During 2007-08 a total of 611 women from five reference laboratories in Catalonia with a novel diagnosis of ASC-US were referred for high risk HPV (hrHPV) triage using high risk Hybrid Capture version 2. Using routine record linkage data, women were followed for 3 years to evaluate hrHPV testing efficacy for predicting CIN2+ cases. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio for CIN2 +. Among the 611 women diagnosed with ASC-US, 493 (80.7%) had at least one follow-up visit during the study period. hrHPV was detected in 48.3% of the women at study entry (mean age 35.2 years). hrHPV positivity decreased with increasing age from 72.6% among women younger than 25 years to 31.6% in women older than 54 years (p < 0.01). At the end of the 3 years follow-up period, 37 women with a diagnosis of CIN2+ (18 CIN2, 16 CIN3, 2 cancers, and 1 with high squamous intraepithelial lesions--HSIL) were identified and all but one had a hrHPV positive test at study entry. Sensitivity to detect CIN2+ of hrHPV was 97.2% (95%confidence interval (CI) = 85.5-99.9) and specificity was 68.3% (95%CI = 63.1-73.2). The odds ratio for CIN2

  5. Specialty Drug Spending Trends Among Medicare And Medicare Advantage Enrollees, 2007–11

    OpenAIRE

    Trish, Erin; Joyce, Geoffrey; Goldman, Dana P.

    2014-01-01

    Specialty pharmaceuticals include most injectable and biologic agents used to treat complex conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. We analyzed trends in specialty drug spending among Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older using 2007–11 pharmacy claims data from a 20 percent sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Annual specialty drug spending per beneficiary who used specialty drugs increased considerably during the study period, from $2,641 to $8,976. H...

  6. ASC-J9 Suppresses Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Growth through Degradation of Full-length and Splice Variant Androgen Receptors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shinichi Yamashita

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Early studies suggested androgen receptor (AR splice variants might contribute to the progression of prostate cancer (PCa into castration resistance. However, the therapeutic strategy to target these AR splice variants still remains unresolved. Through tissue survey of tumors from the same patients before and after castration resistance, we found that the expression of AR3, a major AR splice variant that lacks the AR ligand-binding domain, was substantially increased after castration resistance development. The currently used antiandrogen, Casodex, showed little growth suppression in CWR22Rv1 cells. Importantly, we found that AR degradation enhancer ASC-J9 could degrade both full-length (fAR and AR3 in CWR22Rv1 cells as well as in C4-2 and C81 cells with addition of AR3. The consequences of such degradation of both fAR and AR3 might then result in the inhibition of AR transcriptional activity and cell growth in vitro. More importantly, suppression of AR3 specifically by short-hairpin AR3 or degradation of AR3 by ASC-J9 resulted in suppression of AR transcriptional activity and cell growth in CWR22Rv1-fARKD (fAR knockdown cells in which DHT failed to induce, suggesting the importance of targeting AR3. Finally, we demonstrated the in vivo therapeutic effects of ASC-J9 by showing the inhibition of PCa growth using the xenografted model of CWR22Rv1 cells orthotopically implanted into castrated nude mice with undetectable serum testosterone. These results suggested that targeting both fAR- and AR3-mediated PCa growth by ASC-J9 may represent the novel therapeutic approach to suppress castration-resistant PCa. Successful clinical trials targeting both fAR and AR3 may help us to battle castration-resistant PCa in the future.

  7. The Price Elasticity of Specialty Drug Use: Evidence from Cancer Patients in Medicare Part D.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Jeah Kyoungrae; Feldman, Roger; McBean, A Marshall

    2017-12-01

    Specialty drugs can bring substantial benefits to patients with debilitating conditions, such as cancer, but their costs are very high. Insurers/payers have increased patient cost-sharing for specialty drugs to manage specialty drug spending. We utilized Medicare Part D plan formulary data to create the initial price (cost-sharing in the initial coverage phase in Part D), and estimated the total demand (both on- and off-label uses) for specialty cancer drugs among elderly Medicare Part D enrollees with no low-income subsidies (non-LIS) as a function of the initial price. We corrected for potential endogeneity associated with plan choice by instrumenting the initial price of specialty cancer drugs with the initial prices of specialty drugs in unrelated classes. We report three findings. First, we found that elderly non-LIS beneficiaries with cancer were less likely to use a Part D specialty cancer drug when the initial price was high: the overall price elasticity of specialty cancer drug spending ranged between -0.72 and -0.75. Second, the price effect in Part D specialty cancer drug use was not significant among newly diagnosed patients. Finally, we found that use of Part B-covered cancer drugs was not responsive to the Part D specialty cancer drug price. As the demand for costly specialty drugs grows, it will be important to identify clinical circumstances where specialty drugs can be valuable and ensure access to high-value treatments.

  8. Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology

    Science.gov (United States)

    American Psychologist, 2013

    2013-01-01

    In the past 50 years forensic psychological practice has expanded dramatically. Because the practice of forensic psychology differs in important ways from more traditional practice areas (Monahan, 1980) the "Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists" were developed and published in 1991 (Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic…

  9. Surgical specialty procedures in rural surgery practices: implications for rural surgery training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sticca, Robert P; Mullin, Brady C; Harris, Joel D; Hosford, Clint C

    2012-12-01

    Specialty procedures constitute one eighth of rural surgery practice. Currently, general surgeons intending to practice in rural hospitals may not get adequate training for specialty procedures, which they will be expected to perform. Better definition of these procedures will help guide rural surgery training. Current Procedural Terminology codes for all surgical procedures for 81% of North Dakota and South Dakota rural surgeons were entered into the Dakota Database for Rural Surgery. Specialty procedures were analyzed and compared with the Surgical Council on Resident Education curriculum to determine whether general surgery training is adequate preparation for rural surgery practice. The Dakota Database for Rural Surgery included 46,052 procedures, of which 5,666 (12.3%) were specialty procedures. Highest volume specialty categories included vascular, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, cardiothoracic, urology, and otolaryngology. Common procedures in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery are taught in general surgical residency, while common procedures in obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, urology, and otolaryngology are usually not taught in general surgery training. Optimal training for rural surgery practice should include experience in specialty procedures in obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, urology, and otolaryngology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. 75 FR 42431 - Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc; Notice Soliciting Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-21

    ... Papers, Inc; Notice Soliciting Applications July 14, 2010. On April 29, 2009, Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc... is located in the basement of MeadWestvaco's paper mill. There are no transmission lines associated... information from the licensee, please contact Mr. John Clements, Counsel for Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc., Van...

  11. The continuing medical education activities and attitudes of Australian doctors working in different clinical specialties and practice locations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Grant D; Khadra, Mohamed H

    2009-02-01

    Currently, it is not clear which continuing medical education (CME) methods are being used by senior doctors and what their attitudes towards them are. The aims of this study were to investigate which modes of CME delivery senior Australian doctors utilise, to assess doctors' attitudes towards CME and to determine any differences in modes used and attitudes between clinical specialties and practice locations. A 52-statement questionnaire enquiring about doctors' current CME activities and their attitudes towards CME was distributed to 1336 senior Australian doctors. 494 doctors responded to the questionnaire. Traditional forms of CME (eg, meetings, conferences, journals and lectures) were most commonly used. Doctors thought CME involving face-to-face interaction was superior to electronic forms of CME. All doctors, especially those in hospital practice, had a positive attitude towards CME but found lack of time a barrier to learning. Rural doctors found CME sessions more difficult to attend than did their metropolitan colleagues. Traditional forms of CME were more popular than modern CME approaches, such as e-learning. Australian doctors had a positive attitude towards undertaking CME despite struggling to find time to perform CME. The differences in attitudes towards CME demonstrated between specialties and different practice location will aid future CME planning.

  12. A survey of sub-specialty preferences of radiography students of the University of Lagos, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E T Namah

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Technological advances and computing have expanded both the scope and capacity of diagnostic medical imaging (the radiography profession. This has created many diverse imaging modalities which in turn, have culminated in different sub-specialties in the profession. Objective: The aims of the study were to determine the level of awareness of imaging sub-specialties, preferred sub specialties and reasons for preferences of sub-specialties in senior level radiography students of the University of Lagos. Methods: The study was a prospective cross-sectional survey. Consents were obtained before the students were recruited for the study. Data Collection and Analysis: A questionnaire semi-structured in line with objectives of the study was used in data collection. A computer software Epi Info version 3.3 was used to analyze data while results were expressed as percentages of responses and were presented in tables and pie charts. Results : Greater than 90% showed awareness of sub-specialties in the radiography profession whereas 35% preferred ultrasonography to other sub-specialties. The least preferred sub-specialty was conventional radiography (4.3%. Remuneration (73.3% and less physical exertion (73.3% were major attractors to preferred sub-specialties whereas concerns over radiation hazard were major detractors (58.3%. Conclusion : Awareness of sub-specialties in the radiography profession was high amongst students studied. Furthermore, ultrasonography was the most preferred sub-specialty among the respondents. Remuneration was the main attractor to sub-specialties whereas fears over effects of ionizing radiation were the major detractors to some sub-specialties.

  13. Publication Rate of Avian Medicine Conference Abstracts and Influencing Factors: 2011-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doukaki, Christina; MedVet, Dr; Beaufrère, Hugues; Vet, Dr Med; Huynh, Minh

    2018-06-01

    International conferences on avian medicine and surgery aim to disseminate scientific and evidence-based information in the form of oral presentations and posters. Most manuscripts presented are printed in the conference proceedings as abstracts. Subsequent publication in a scientific peer-reviewed journal is the natural outcome of the research cycle, although studies have shown that the vast majority of conference abstracts are not published. The purpose of this study was to explore 1) the fate of abstracts presented in avian conferences (Association of Avian Veterinarians, European Association of Avian Veterinarians, International Conference on Avian Herpetological and Exotic Mammal Medicine) in the years 2011-2015, 2) assess the publication rate in peer-reviewed journals, 3) describe the time course of subsequent publication, and 4) identify factors associated with increased likelihood of publication. The results showed that 24% of conference abstracts were published within the next 2 years. Depending on the statistical model used, several factors were identified as associated with increased publication rate. North American papers seem to publish with more frequency (univariate model), while European papers had the opposite trend (multivariable model). Likewise, experimental studies were more prone to being published overall (univariate model), whereas retrospective observational studies had a lower rate of publication (multivariable model). Increasing the number of authors was also associated with increased publication rate. Most publications were published in the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, which tends to suggest that this journal is the main journal of the specialty. Some parameters highlighted in this study may assist conference attendees to assess the likelihood of later publication.

  14. Prediction of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2+ (CIN2+ using HPV DNA testing after a diagnosis of atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASC-US in Catalonia, Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibáñez Raquel

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A protocol for cervical cancer screening among sexually active women 25 to 65 years of age was introduced in 2006 in Catalonia, Spain to increase coverage and to recommend a 3-year-interval between screening cytology. In addition, Human Papillomavirus (HPV was offered as a triage test for women with a diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US. HPV testing was recommended within 3 months of ASC-US diagnosis. According to protocol, HPV negative women were referred to regular screening including a cytological exam every 3 years while HPV positive women were referred to colposcopy and closer follow-up. We evaluated the implementation of the protocol and the prediction of HPV testing as a triage tool for cervical intraepithelial lesions grade two or worse (CIN2+ in women with a cytological diagnosis of ASC-US. Methods During 2007-08 a total of 611 women from five reference laboratories in Catalonia with a novel diagnosis of ASC-US were referred for high risk HPV (hrHPV triage using high risk Hybrid Capture version 2. Using routine record linkage data, women were followed for 3 years to evaluate hrHPV testing efficacy for predicting CIN2+ cases. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio for CIN2 +. Results Among the 611 women diagnosed with ASC-US, 493 (80.7% had at least one follow-up visit during the study period. hrHPV was detected in 48.3% of the women at study entry (mean age 35.2 years. hrHPV positivity decreased with increasing age from 72.6% among women younger than 25 years to 31.6% in women older than 54 years (p At the end of the 3 years follow-up period, 37 women with a diagnosis of CIN2+ (18 CIN2, 16 CIN3, 2 cancers, and 1 with high squamous intraepithelial lesions -HSIL were identified and all but one had a hrHPV positive test at study entry. Sensitivity to detect CIN2+ of hrHPV was 97.2% (95%confidence interval (CI = 85.5-99.9 and specificity was 68.3% (95%CI

  15. Do financial incentives linked to ownership of specialty hospitals affect physicians' practice patterns?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Jean M

    2008-07-01

    Although physician-owned specialty hospitals have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, little research has examined whether the financial incentives linked to ownership influence physicians' referral rates for services performed at the specialty hospital. We compared the practice patterns of physician owners of specialty hospitals in Oklahoma, before and after ownership, to the practice patterns of physician nonowners who treated similar cases over the same time period in Oklahoma markets without physician-owned specialty hospitals. We constructed episodes of care for injured workers with a primary diagnosis of back/spine disorders. We used pre-post comparisons and difference-in-differences analysis to evaluate changes in practice patterns for physician owners and nonowners over the time period spanned by the entry of the specialty hospital. Findings suggest the introduction of financial incentives linked to ownership coincided with a significant change in the practice patterns of physician owners, whereas such changes were not evident among physician nonowners. After physicians established ownership interests in a specialty hospital, the frequency of use of surgery, diagnostic, and ancillary services used in the treatment of injured workers with back/spine disorders increased significantly. Physician ownership of specialty hospitals altered the frequency of use for an array of procedures rendered to patients treated at these hospitals. Given the growth in physician-owned specialty hospitals, these findings suggest that health care expenditures will be substantially greater for patients treated at these institutions relative to persons who obtain care from nonself-referral providers.

  16. The Orientation and Development of the Public Affair Management Specialty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chenghui; Fu, Yongxian; Chen, Rongxiang; Hu, Xueqi

    2010-01-01

    Though the specialty of the public affair management has been developed for ten years, but it is still facing the actuality that the orientation and development are difficult. Only by confirming the cultivation target and the development orientation, the development of the specialty could find the development approach and method. According to the…

  17. Stability of and Factors Related to Medical Student Specialty Choice of Psychiatry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldenberg, Matthew N; Williams, D Keith; Spollen, John J

    2017-09-01

    Targeted efforts are needed to increase the number of medical students choosing psychiatry, but little is known about when students decide on their specialty or what factors influence their choice. The authors examined the timing and stability of student career choice of psychiatry compared with other specialties and determined what pre- and intra-medical school factors were associated with choosing a career in psychiatry. Using survey data from students who graduated from U.S. allopathic medical schools in 2013 and 2014 (N=29,713), the authors computed rates of psychiatry specialty choice at the beginning and end of medical school and assessed the stability of that choice. A multivariate-adjusted logistic regression and recursive partitioning were used to determine the association of 29 factors with psychiatry specialty choice. Choice of psychiatry increased from 1.6% at the start of medical school to 4.1% at graduation. The stability of psychiatry specialty choice from matriculation to graduation, at just over 50%, was greater than for any other specialty. However, almost 80% of future psychiatrists did not indicate an inclination toward the specialty at matriculation. A rating of "excellent" for the psychiatry clerkship (odds ratio=2.66), a major in psychology in college (odds ratio=2.58), and valuing work-life balance (odds ratio=2.25) were the factors most strongly associated with psychiatry career choice. Students who enter medical school planning to become psychiatrists are likely to do so, but the vast majority of students who choose psychiatry do so during medical school. Increasing the percentage of medical students with undergraduate psychology majors and providing an exemplary psychiatry clerkship are modifiable factors that may increase the rate of psychiatry specialty choice.

  18. Antocianinas, ácido ascórbico, polifenoles totales y actividad antioxidante, en la cáscara de camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K McVaugh Antocianinas, ácido ascórbico, polifenóis totais e atividade antioxidante na casca do camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K McVaugh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Edson Villanueva-Tiburcio

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Este trabajo fue realizado en la UNAS, Tingo María, Perú. Los objetivos fueron evaluar el contenido de antocianinas, ácido ascórbico, y polifenoles totales, en la cáscara fresca y seca de camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K McVaugh en diferentes estados de madurez; evaluar la actividad antioxidante en la cáscara seca, usando diferentes tipos de radicales (DPPH, ABTS+ y Peroxilo y correlacionar el valor de ácido ascórbico y polifenoles totales con la actividad antioxidante. La extracción fue realizada en medio acuoso, y los resultados de las evaluaciones de cada experimento fueron analizados por un diseño completamente al azar (DCA, según la prueba de t-student (p A pesquisa foi realizada na UNAS em Tingo Maria, Peru, teve como objetivos: avaliar o teor de antocianinas, ácido ascórbico e polifenóis totais, na casca fresca e na casca seca do camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (HBK McVaugh em diferentes tempos de maturação; avaliar a atividade antioxidante na casca seca utilizando diferentes tipos de radicais (DPPH, ABTS+ e Peroxilo e correlacionar o teor de ácido ascórbico e polifenóis totais com a atividade antioxidante. A extraç��o foi realizada em meio aquoso, os resultados das avaliações de cada experiência são analisados no delineamento inteiramente casualizado (DIC, pelo teste de t-student (p < 0,05. O extrato da casca da amostra madura fresca apresentou as concentrações mais elevadas de ácido ascórbico e de antocianinas em relação a meio madura e verde, com 21,95 mg.g-1 de casca e 46,42 mg.L-1 de cianidin-3-glucosídeo, respectivamente, enquanto que o extrato da casca seca meio madura apresentou o maior teor de ácido ascórbico em relação a madura e verde (53,49 mg.g-1 e de polifenóis totais: 7,70 mg Ác. Gálico/g. A maior atividade antioxidante foi encontrada no extrato da casca seca da amostra meio madura com IC50 = 46,20; 20,25 e 8,30 μg.mL-1, em comparação com DPPH radical, ABTS+ e Perox

  19. Use of Twitter at a major national pharmacy conference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awad, Nadia I; Cocchio, Craig

    2015-01-01

    The results of a study of Twitter use by attendees of the 2013 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting (MCM) and other interested parties are presented. All messages posted on the social media platform Twitter under the official MCM "hashtag" (#ashpmidyear) during the five-day conference were archived and evaluated. Demographic data on authors of MCM-related tweets were collected by evaluating information provided by Twitter users in their public profiles. The archived messages were classified by content type. A total of 1539 messages originating from 400 unique U.S.- and foreign-based Twitter accounts were posted under the MCM hashtag, an average of 3.84 tweets per account. The estimated rate of conference-related Twitter use by MCM attendees was 1.7%. One third of Twitter users posting conference-related tweets were identified as pharmacists; 86 (21.5%) and 65 (16.25%) tweets originated from accounts held by pharmacy students and pharmaceutical industry representatives, respectively. The authors of MCM-related tweets represented a broad cross-section of pharmacy practice settings and specialties. About 39% of the evaluated Twitter postings were classified as social, with about 31% of postings pertaining to specific MCM educational sessions and nearly 25% classified as advertising. The majority of MCM-related tweets by onsite and remote Twitter users were social in nature or pertained to educational sessions held over the course of the conference. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Doctors who considered but did not pursue specific clinical specialties as careers: questionnaire surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldacre, Michael J; Goldacre, Raph; Lambert, Trevor W

    2012-04-01

    To report doctors' rejection of specialties as long-term careers and reasons for rejection. Postal questionnaires. United Kingdom. Graduates of 2002, 2005 and 2008 from all UK medical schools, surveyed one year after qualification. Current specialty choice; any choice that had been seriously considered but not pursued (termed 'rejected' choices) with reasons for rejection. 2573 of 9155 respondents (28%) had seriously considered but then not pursued a specialty choice. By comparison with positive choices, general practice was under-represented among rejected choices: it was the actual choice of 27% of respondents and the rejected choice of only 6% of those who had rejected a specialty. Consideration of 'job content' was important in not pursuing general practice (cited by 78% of those who considered but rejected a career in general practice), psychiatry (72%), radiology (69%) and pathology (68%). The surgical specialties were the current choice of 20% of respondents and had been considered but rejected by 32% of doctors who rejected a specialty. Issues of work-life balance were the single most common factor, particularly for women, in not pursuing the surgical specialties, emergency medicine, the medical hospital specialties, paediatrics, and obstetrics and gynaecology. Competition for posts, difficult examinations, stressful working conditions, and poor training were mentioned but were mainly minority concerns. There is considerable diversity between doctors in their reasons for finding specialties attractive or unattractive. This underlines the importance of recruitment strategies to medical school that recognize diversity of students' interests and aptitudes.

  1. Women otolaryngologist representation in specialty society membership and leadership positions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Sukgi S; Miller, Robert H

    2012-11-01

    To determine the proportion of female otolaryngologists in leadership positions relative to their number in the specialty, their membership in various otolaryngology organizations, and age. Cross-sectional analyses of otolaryngology organization membership with a subgroup analysis on female membership and leadership proportion comparing 5-year male/female cohort groups. Information on the number of members and leaders was obtained from various specialty societies by direct communication and from their Web sites between June and December 2010. The number of female and male otolaryngologists and their age distribution in 5-year age groups was obtained from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). Statistical analyses were used to determine whether women had proportional membership and leadership representation in various specialty societies. Additionally, female representation in other leadership roles was analyzed using the male/female ratio within the 5-year cohort groups. Female otolaryngologists were found to constitute approximately 11% of practicing otolaryngologists. The American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology had a higher proportion of female members (22%) compared to five other societies. When the gender composition within each organization was taken into account, female representation in specialty society leadership positions was proportionate to their membership across all societies. When gender and age were considered, women have achieved proportionate representation in each of the specialty societies' leadership positions. There was also proportionate representation of females as program directors, American Board of Otolaryngology directors, Residency Review Committee members, and journal editors/editorial board members. Finally, fewer female chairs or chiefs of departments/divisions were seen, but when age was taken into consideration, this difference was no longer significant. Women have achieved parity in

  2. Report of experiments and evidence for ASC L2 milestone 4467 : demonstration of a legacy application's path to exascale.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Curry, Matthew L.; Ferreira, Kurt Brian; Pedretti, Kevin Thomas Tauke; Leung, Vitus Joseph; Moreland, Kenneth D.; Lofstead, Gerald Fredrick, II; Gentile, Ann C. (Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA); Klundt, Ruth Ann; Ward, H. Lee; Laros, James H., III; Hemmert, Karl Scott; Fabian, Nathan D.; Levenhagen, Michael J.; Barrett, Brian W.; Brightwell, Ronald Brian; Barrett, Richard; Wheeler, Kyle Bruce; Kelly, Suzanne Marie; Rodrigues, Arun F.; Brandt, James M. (Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA); Thompson, David (Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA); VanDyke, John P.; Oldfield, Ron A.; Tucker, Thomas (Open Grid Computing, Inc., Austin, TX); Vaughan, Courtenay Thomas

    2012-03-01

    This report documents thirteen of Sandia's contributions to the Computational Systems and Software Environment (CSSE) within the Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program between fiscal years 2009 and 2012. It describes their impact on ASC applications. Most contributions are implemented in lower software levels allowing for application improvement without source code changes. Improvements are identified in such areas as reduced run time, characterizing power usage, and Input/Output (I/O). Other experiments are more forward looking, demonstrating potential bottlenecks using mini-application versions of the legacy codes and simulating their network activity on Exascale-class hardware. The purpose of this report is to prove that the team has completed milestone 4467-Demonstration of a Legacy Application's Path to Exascale. Cielo is expected to be the last capability system on which existing ASC codes can run without significant modifications. This assertion will be tested to determine where the breaking point is for an existing highly scalable application. The goal is to stretch the performance boundaries of the application by applying recent CSSE RD in areas such as resilience, power, I/O, visualization services, SMARTMAP, lightweight LWKs, virtualization, simulation, and feedback loops. Dedicated system time reservations and/or CCC allocations will be used to quantify the impact of system-level changes to extend the life and performance of the ASC code base. Finally, a simulation of anticipated exascale-class hardware will be performed using SST to supplement the calculations. Determine where the breaking point is for an existing highly scalable application: Chapter 15 presented the CSSE work that sought to identify the breaking point in two ASC legacy applications-Charon and CTH. Their mini-app versions were also employed to complete the task. There is no single breaking point as more than one issue was found with the two codes. The results were

  3. Specialty pharmacy: an emerging area of interest for medical management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Xiaoli; Fetterolf, Donald

    2005-04-01

    Specialty pharmaceuticals are expensive injectable and infusion therapies used to treat patients with chronic or life-threatening diseases. The high cost of these agents and their frequent usage in chronic diseases represent not only challenges, but also opportunities for medical management programs to improve the quality of care and moderate the rapid cost escalation seen in the industry. The number and variety of these agents have been increasing significantly, with hundreds of drug candidates in the development pipeline. The specialty pharmacy industry also is going through a consolidation stage, both horizontally and vertically. Industry approaches to medical management include the acquisition of specialty pharmacy companies, restrictive contracting to achieve concentrated buying power, and the development of utilization management strategies.

  4. Determinação das constantes cinéticas de degradação do ácido ascórbico em purê de pêssego: efeito da temperatura e concentração

    OpenAIRE

    Toralles,Ricardo Peraça; Vendruscolo,João Luiz; Vendruscolo,Claire Tondo; Del Pino,Francisco Augusto Burkert; Antunes,Pedro Luiz

    2008-01-01

    O ácido ascórbico, vitamina C, é usado extensivamente na indústria de alimentos, não só devido ao seu valor nutricional, mas devido a suas contribuições funcionais na qualidade do produto. Existem muitos estudos sobre a estabilidade cinética do ácido ascórbico em bebidas, mas nenhum estudo foi encontrado sobre as constantes cinéticas de degradação do ácido ascórbico adicionado em purê de pêssego. Neste trabalho, estudou-se a cinética de degradação do ácido ascórbico em purê de pêssego da cult...

  5. 78 FR 60766 - Clarification on Fireworks Policy Regarding Approvals or Certifications for Specialty Fireworks...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-02

    ... 173 [Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0206; Notice No. 13-15] Clarification on Fireworks Policy Regarding Approvals or Certifications for Specialty Fireworks Devices AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety... applications for specialty fireworks devices. Specialty fireworks devices are fireworks devices in various...

  6. Online examiner calibration across specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturman, Nancy; Wong, Wai Yee; Turner, Jane; Allan, Chris

    2017-09-26

    Integrating undergraduate medical curricula horizontally across clinical medical specialties may be a more patient-centred and learner-centred approach than rotating students through specialty-specific teaching and assessment, but requires some interspecialty calibration of examiner judgements. Our aim was to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of an online pilot of interdisciplinary examiner calibration. Fair clinical assessment is important to both medical students and clinical teachers METHODS: Clinical teachers were invited to rate video-recorded student objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) performances and join subsequent online discussions using the university's learning management system. Post-project survey free-text and Likert-scale participant responses were analysed to evaluate the acceptability of the pilot and to identify recommendations for improvement. Although 68 clinicians were recruited to participate, and there were 1599 hits on recordings and discussion threads, only 25 clinical teachers rated at least one student performance, and 18 posted at least one comment. Participants, including rural doctors, appeared to value the opportunity for interdisciplinary rating calibration and discussion. Although the asynchronous online format had advantages, especially for rural doctors, participants reported considerable IT challenges. Our findings suggest that fair clinical assessment is important to both medical students and clinical teachers. Interspecialty discussions about assessment may have the potential to enrich intraspecialty perspectives, enhance interspecialty engagement and collaboration, and improve the quality of clinical teacher assessment. Better alignment of university and hospital systems, a face to face component and other modifications may have enhanced clinician engagement with this project. Findings suggest that specialty assessment cultures and content expertise may not be barriers to pursuing more integrated

  7. Efeito do ácido ascórbico em massa de pão na presença do ácido tânico - doi: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v32i2.5290

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Leticia Gomes Saraiva

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Pães de farinha de trigo com adição do agente oxidante ácido ascórbico foram elaborados, tentando-se encontrar a concentração de ácido tânico que melhor retivesse o ácido ascórbico, sem afetar significativamente as características reológicas e os principais atributos sensoriais do pão. Os pães foram elaborados com a formulação de pão-padrão. Na primeira etapa, determinou-se a concentração de ácido ascórbico que melhor proporcionasse estabilidade à massa de pão-padrão (300 ppm. Na etapa seguinte, foram utilizadas na formulação da massa-padrão três concentrações diferentes de ácido tânico: 0,10; 0,20 e 0,30%, com a finalidade de se verificar a concentração que melhor retivesse o ácido ascórbico. Os pães foram elaborados com a formulação-padrão. Após o resfriamento dos pães, foi avaliada a retenção de ácido ascórbico, presente no pão de acordo com a concentração previamente determinada. Os resultados indicaram que o pão elaborado com a massa de pão-padrão (300 ppm de ácido ascórbico apresentou concentração de ácido ascórbico de 41,50 mg 100 g-1 de pão.

  8. Observaciones histopatologicas de juveniles penaeus vannamei sometidos a dietas artificiales con diferentes concentraciones de una sal de ácido ascórbico (vitamina c)

    OpenAIRE

    Vera Muñoz, L.

    1995-01-01

    Observaciones histopatologicas de juveniles Penaeus Vannamei sometidos a dietas artificiales con diferentes concentraciones de una sal de ácido ascórbico (vitamina C) Se realizaron análisis histológicos y comprobación mediante métodos histoquímicos de la presencia de melanina, a juveniles Penaeus vannamei sometidos a cinco dietas experimentales con diferentes concentraciones de una sal de L-Ascorbato-2-Fosfato de Mg (APM) usada como fuente de ácido ascórbico (AA).

  9. 76 FR 2148 - Specialty Minerals, Inc., Franklin, VA; Notice of Revised Determination on Reconsideration

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-74,057] Specialty Minerals, Inc...) applicable to workers of Specialty Minerals, Inc., Franklin, Virginia (the subject firm). The Notice was... workers of Specialty Minerals, Inc., Franklin, Virginia, who are engaged in employment related to the...

  10. Clinical significance of HPV DNA cotesting in Korean women with ASCUS or ASC-H.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sanghoon; Kim, Jae Won; Hong, Jin Hwa; Song, Jae Yun; Lee, Jae Kwan; Kim, In Sun; Lee, Nak Woo

    2014-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA cotesting in Korean women with abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smear results based on colposcopic pathology. A total of 1012 women underwent liquid-based Pap smears and hybrid capture II HPV DNA tests followed by colposcopy at the Korea University Hospital from January 2007 to May 2012. Of these women, 832 women were included in this retrospective study. The mean patient age was 45.4 ± 13.7 years (range:15-80). The distribution of Pap smear results was normal (4.7%), atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance (ASCUS) (42.1%), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (26.8%), ASC-H (7.0%), and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (19.5%). In women with ASCUS, none of the 87 HPV-negative had ≥cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2) (P age groups: ASCUS and ASC-H furnish healthcare providers with informative data. There is a lower proportion of ≥CIN2 in HPV-negative women and a higher proportion of ≥CIN2 in HPV-positive. When HPV data were further evaluated by age group, the risk of ≥CIN2 was lower in HPV-negative women, especially in women ≥30. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Effects of Metal Micro and Nano-Particles on hASCs: An In Vitro Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palombella, Silvia; Pirrone, Cristina; Rossi, Federica; Armenia, Ilaria; Cherubino, Mario; Valdatta, Luigi; Raspanti, Mario; Bernardini, Giovanni; Gornati, Rosalba

    2017-08-03

    As the knowledge about the interferences of nanomaterials on human staminal cells are scarce and contradictory, we undertook a comparative multidisciplinary study based on the size effect of zero-valent iron, cobalt, and nickel microparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) using human adipose stem cells (hASCs) as a model, and evaluating cytotoxicity, morphology, cellular uptake, and gene expression. Our results suggested that the medium did not influence the cell sensitivity but, surprisingly, the iron microparticles (FeMPs) resulted in being toxic. These data were supported by modifications in mRNA expression of some genes implicated in the inflammatory response. Microscopic analysis confirmed that NPs, mainly internalized by endocytosis, persist in the vesicles without any apparent cell damage. Conversely, MPs are not internalized, and the effects on hASCs have to be ascribed to the release of ions in the culture medium, or to the reduced oxygen and nutrient exchange efficiency due to the presence of MP agglomerating around the cells. Notwithstanding the results depicting a heterogeneous scene that does not allow drawing a general conclusion, this work reiterates the importance of comparative investigations on MPs, NPs, and corresponding ions, and the need to continue the thorough verification of NP and MP innocuousness to ensure unaffected stem cell physiology and differentiation.

  12. Questionnaire survey on the process of specialty training in neurology in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonoo, Masahiro; Nishiyama, Kazutoshi; Ando, Tetsuo; Shindo, Katsuro; Kanda, Takashi; Aoki, Masashi; Kamei, Satoshi; Kikuchi, Seiji; Kusunoki, Susumu; Suzuki, Norihiro; Sobue, Gen; Nakashima, Kenji; Hara, Hideo; Hirata, Koichi; Mizusawa, Hidehiro; Murai, Hiroyuki; Murata, Miho; Mochizuki, Hideki; Takahashi, Ryosuke; Kira, Jun-Ichi

    2017-07-29

    Documentation of the current status of specialty training to become a neurologist in Japan would represent an important basis for constructing better neurology training program in the planned reform of the specialty training system in Japan. The committee for future neurology specialty system of Japanese Society of Neurology (JSN) conducted a questionnaire survey on the process of specialty training of each trainee for neurology in board-certified educational facilities and semi-educational facilities throughout Japan. The response rate was 46.2% in all facilities and 87.5% in medical universities. The training process of 905 trainees over 5 grades was clarified, which was estimated to be about 80% of all the relevant subjects. Specialty training dedicated to neurology was started at the 3rd year of residency in 87.8% of subjects. During the 3 years following junior residency, 51.3% of subjects ran the rotation training between university and city hospital, whereas 36.5% was trained within the same institution throughout the 3 years of training period.

  13. Gendered Perceptions of Typical Engineers across Specialties for Engineering Majors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelley, Margaret S.; Bryan, Kimberley K.

    2018-01-01

    Young women do not choose to be engineers nearly as often as young men, and they tend to cluster in particular specialties when they do. We examine these patterns and the role of gender schemas as applied to perceptions of typical engineers in understanding the choices that women make in terms of engineering specialties. We use Part 1 of two waves…

  14. THE SPECIALTY OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE IN CHILE: 20 YEARS OF HISTORY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WK Mallon

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Chile is uniquely situated to be a leader in South American development of the specialty of Emergency Medicine. Chilean emergency medicine has successfully transitioned from a novelty training idea to a nationally and internationally recognized entity with serious public health goals. There are more residency training programs in Chile than in any other South American or Latin American country, and the specialty is formally recognized by the Ministry of Health. Chilean emergency medicine thought leaders have networked internationally with multiple groups, intelligently used outside resources, and created durable academic relationships. While focusing on locally important issues and patient care they have successfully advanced their agenda. Despite this, the specialty faces many new challenges and remains fragile but sustainable. Policy makers and the Chilean MOH need to be acutely aware of this fragility to preserve the progress achieved so far, and support ongoing maturation of the specialty of Emergency Medicine.

  15. Effects of Metal Micro and Nano-Particles on hASCs: An In Vitro Model

    OpenAIRE

    Palombella, Silvia; Pirrone, Cristina; Rossi, Federica; Armenia, Ilaria; Cherubino, Mario; Valdatta, Luigi; Raspanti, Mario; Bernardini, Giovanni; Gornati, Rosalba

    2017-01-01

    As the knowledge about the interferences of nanomaterials on human staminal cells are scarce and contradictory, we undertook a comparative multidisciplinary study based on the size effect of zero-valent iron, cobalt, and nickel microparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) using human adipose stem cells (hASCs) as a model, and evaluating cytotoxicity, morphology, cellular uptake, and gene expression. Our results suggested that the medium did not influence the cell sensitivity but, surprisingly...

  16. The research on teaching reformation of photoelectric information science and engineering specialty experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Zheng; Yang, Fan; Zhang, Yang; Geng, Tao; Li, Yuxiang

    2017-08-01

    This paper introduced the idea of teaching reformation of photoelectric information science and engineering specialty experiments. The teaching reformation of specialty experiments was analyzed from many aspects, such as construction of specialized laboratory, experimental methods, experiment content, experiment assessing mechanism, and so on. The teaching of specialty experiments was composed of four levels experiments: basic experiments, comprehensive and designing experiments, innovative research experiments and engineering experiments which are aiming at enterprise production. Scientific research achievements and advanced technology on photoelectric technology were brought into the teaching of specialty experiments, which will develop the students' scientific research ability and make them to be the talent suitable for photoelectric industry.

  17. DETERMINANTS OF SPECIALTY CHOICE OF RESIDENT DOCTORS; CASE STUDY--AMONG RESIDENT DOCTORS IN NIGERIA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osuoji, Roland I; Adebanji, Atinuke; Abdulsalam, Moruf A; Oludara, Mobolaji A; Abolarinwa, Abimbola A

    2015-01-01

    This study examined medical specialty selection by Nigerian resident doctors using a marketing research approach to determine the selection criteria and the role of perceptions, expected remuneration, and job placement prospects of various specialties in the selection process. Data were from the Community of residents from April 2014 to July 2014. The cohort included 200 residents, but only 171 had complete information. Data were obtained from a cross section of resident doctors in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and at the 2014 Ordinary General Meeting of the National Association of Resident Doctors(NARD) where representatives from over 50 Teaching hospitals in Nigeria attended. Using a client behaviour model as a framework, a tripartite questionnaire was designed and administered to residents to deduce information on their knowledge about and interests in various specialties, their opinions of sixteen specialties, and the criteria they used in specialty selection. A total of 171 (85.5%) questionnaires were returned. ln many instances, consistency between selection criteria and perceptions of a specialty were accompanied by interest in pursuing the specialty. Job security, job availability on completion of programme, duration of training and qualifying examinations were highly correlated with p value marketing research concepts for medical specialty selection (Weissmanet al 2012) stipulates that choice of speciality is influenced by criteria and perception. This study shows that job security expected financial remuneration, and examination requirements for qualification are major determinants of the choice of speciality for residents.

  18. Medical specialty selection criteria of Israeli medical students early in their clinical experience: subgroups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avidan, Alexander; Weissman, Charles; Elchalal, Uriel; Tandeter, Howard; Zisk-Rony, Rachel Yaffa

    2018-04-18

    Israeli medical school classes include a number of student subgroups. Therefore, interventions aimed at recruiting medical students to the various specialties should to be tailored to each subgroup. Questionnaires, distributed to 6 consecutive 5th-year classes of the Hebrew University - Hadassah School of Medicine, elicited information on criteria for choosing a career specialty, criteria for choosing a residency program and the importance of finding a specialty interesting and challenging when choosing a residency. Completed questionnaires were returned by 540 of 769 (70%) students. The decision processes for choosing a medical specialty and choosing a residency program were different. Family and colleagues had minimal influence on choosing a specialty, while family and their residential locality had much influence on choosing a residency, especially among women. Older age, marriage, and spousal influence were positively associated with choice of a specialty. Two-thirds of the students had completed military service, 20% were attending medical school prior to military service, 5% had completed national service and 9% had entered medical school without serving. Despite the pre-military subgroup being younger and having another 7 years of medical school, internship and military service before residency, they had begun thinking about which specialty to choose, just like the post-military students. When choosing a residency program, post-military women were more influenced by their families and family residential locality than their pre-military counterparts; differences ascribed to the older and often married post-military women having or wanting to begin families. This difference was reinforced by fewer post- than pre-military women willing to wait 2-3 years for a residency in the specialty that interested them most and were willing to begin residency immediately after internship in a specialty that interested them less. Medical school classes are composed of

  19. How are the different specialties represented in the major journals in general medicine?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gehanno, Jean-Francois; Ladner, Joel; Rollin, Laetitia; Dahamna, Badisse; Darmoni, Stefan J

    2011-01-21

    General practitioners and medical specialists mainly rely on one "general medical" journal to keep their medical knowledge up to date. Nevertheless, it is not known if these journals display the same overview of the medical knowledge in different specialties. The aims of this study were to measure the relative weight of the different specialties in the major journals of general medicine, to evaluate the trends in these weights over a ten-year period and to compare the journals. The 14,091 articles published in The Lancet, the NEJM, the JAMA and the BMJ in 1997, 2002 and 2007 were analyzed. The relative weight of the medical specialities was determined by categorization of all the articles, using a categorization algorithm which inferred the medical specialties relevant to each article MEDLINE file from the MeSH terms used by the indexers of the US National Library of Medicine to describe each article. The 14,091 articles included in our study were indexed by 22,155 major MeSH terms, which were categorized into 81 different medical specialties. Cardiology and Neurology were in the first 3 specialties in the 4 journals. Five and 15 specialties were systematically ranked in the first 10 and first 20 in the four journals respectively. Among the first 30 specialties, 23 were common to the four journals. For each speciality, the trends over a 10-year period were different from one journal to another, with no consistency and no obvious explanatory factor. Overall, the representation of many specialties in the four journals in general and internal medicine included in this study may differ, probably due to different editorial policies. Reading only one of these journals may provide a reliable but only partial overview.

  20. 75 FR 39664 - Grant of Authority For Subzone Status Materials Science Technology, Inc. (Specialty Elastomers...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-12

    ... Status Materials Science Technology, Inc. (Specialty Elastomers and Fire Retardant Chemicals) Conroe... specialty elastomer manufacturing and distribution facility of Materials Science Technology, Inc., located... and distribution of specialty elastomers and fire retardant chemicals at the facility of Materials...

  1. Visualization on supercomputing platform level II ASC milestone (3537-1B) results from Sandia.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geveci, Berk (Kitware, Inc., Clifton Park, NY); Fabian, Nathan; Marion, Patrick (Kitware, Inc., Clifton Park, NY); Moreland, Kenneth D.

    2010-09-01

    This report provides documentation for the completion of the Sandia portion of the ASC Level II Visualization on the platform milestone. This ASC Level II milestone is a joint milestone between Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratories. This milestone contains functionality required for performing visualization directly on a supercomputing platform, which is necessary for peta-scale visualization. Sandia's contribution concerns in-situ visualization, running a visualization in tandem with a solver. Visualization and analysis of petascale data is limited by several factors which must be addressed as ACES delivers the Cielo platform. Two primary difficulties are: (1) Performance of interactive rendering, which is most computationally intensive portion of the visualization process. For terascale platforms, commodity clusters with graphics processors(GPUs) have been used for interactive rendering. For petascale platforms, visualization and rendering may be able to run efficiently on the supercomputer platform itself. (2) I/O bandwidth, which limits how much information can be written to disk. If we simply analyze the sparse information that is saved to disk we miss the opportunity to analyze the rich information produced every timestep by the simulation. For the first issue, we are pursuing in-situ analysis, in which simulations are coupled directly with analysis libraries at runtime. This milestone will evaluate the visualization and rendering performance of current and next generation supercomputers in contrast to GPU-based visualization clusters, and evaluate the performance of common analysis libraries coupled with the simulation that analyze and write data to disk during a running simulation. This milestone will explore, evaluate and advance the maturity level of these technologies and their applicability to problems of interest to the ASC program. Scientific simulation on parallel supercomputers is traditionally performed in four

  2. Comparison of lysimeter based and calculated ASCE reference evapotranspiration in a subhumid climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolz, Reinhard; Cepuder, Peter; Eitzinger, Josef

    2016-04-01

    The standardized form of the well-known FAO Penman-Monteith equation, published by the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE-EWRI), is recommended as a standard procedure for calculating reference evapotranspiration (ET ref) and subsequently plant water requirements. Applied and validated under different climatic conditions it generally achieved good results compared to other methods. However, several studies documented deviations between measured and calculated reference evapotranspiration depending on environmental and weather conditions. Therefore, it seems generally advisable to evaluate the model under local environmental conditions. In this study, reference evapotranspiration was determined at a subhumid site in northeastern Austria from 2005 to 2010 using a large weighing lysimeter (ET lys). The measured data were compared with ET ref calculations. Daily values differed slightly during a year, at which ET ref was generally overestimated at small values, whereas it was rather underestimated when ET was large, which is supported also by other studies. In our case, advection of sensible heat proved to have an impact, but it could not explain the differences exclusively. Obviously, there were also other influences, such as seasonal varying surface resistance or albedo. Generally, the ASCE-EWRI equation for daily time steps performed best at average weather conditions. The outcomes should help to correctly interpret ET ref data in the region and in similar environments and improve knowledge on the dynamics of influencing factors causing deviations.

  3. 75 FR 34418 - Notice of the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening Session

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-17

    ... Notice of the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening Session AGENCY: Research, Education, and Economics, USDA. ACTION: Notice of stakeholder listening session. SUMMARY: The notice announces the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening Session. The document contained the wrong date for the...

  4. Current and future funding sources for specialty mental health and substance abuse treatment providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levit, Katharine R; Stranges, Elizabeth; Coffey, Rosanna M; Kassed, Cheryl; Mark, Tami L; Buck, Jeffrey A; Vandivort-Warren, Rita

    2013-06-01

    Goals were to describe funding for specialty behavioral health providers in 1986 and 2005 and examine how the recession, parity law, and Affordable Care Act (ACA) may affect future funding. Numerous public data sets and actuarial methods were used to estimate spending for services from specialty behavioral health providers (general hospital specialty units; specialty hospitals; psychiatrists; other behavioral health professionals; and specialty mental health and substance abuse treatment centers). Between 1986 and 2005, hospitals-which had received the largest share of behavioral health spending-declined in importance, and spending shares trended away from specialty hospitals that were largely funded by state and local governments. Hospitals' share of funding from private insurance decreased from 25% in 1986 to 12% in 2005, and the Medicaid share increased from 11% to 23%. Office-based specialty providers continued to be largely dependent on private insurance and out-of-pocket payments, with psychiatrists receiving increased Medicaid funding. Specialty centers received increased funding shares from Medicaid (from 11% to 29%), and shares from other state and local government sources fell (from 64% to 46%). With ACA's full implementation, spending on behavioral health will likely increase under private insurance and Medicaid. Parity in private plans will also push a larger share of payments for office-based professionals from out-of-pocket payments to private insurance. As ACA provides insurance for formerly uninsured individuals, funding by state behavioral health authorities of center-based treatment will likely refocus on recovery and support services. Federal Medicaid rules will increase in importance as more people needing behavioral health treatment become covered.

  5. Care coordination and unmet specialty care among children with special health care needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boudreau, Alexy Arauz; Perrin, James M; Goodman, Elizabeth; Kurowski, Daniel; Cooley, W Carl; Kuhlthau, Karen

    2014-06-01

    Care coordination and the medical home may ensure access to specialty care. Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have higher rates of specialty care use and unmet need compared with the general pediatric population. We hypothesized that care coordination, regardless of whether it was provided in a medical home, would decrease unmet specialty care needs among CSHCN and that the effect of care coordination would be greater among low-income families. Secondary data analysis of participants in the 2009–2010 National Survey of CSHCN who reported unmet specialty care needs and for whom care coordination and medical home status could be determined (n = 18 905). Logistic regression models explored the association of unmet need with care coordination and medical home status adjusting for household income. Approximately 9% of CSHCN reported having unmet specialty care needs. Care coordination was associated with reduced odds of unmet specialty care need (without a medical home, odds ratio: 0.63, 95% confidence interval: 0.47–0.86; within a medical home, odds ratio: 0.22, 95% confidence interval: 0.16–0.29) with a greater reduction among those receiving care coordination within a medical home versus those receiving care coordination without a medical home. We did not find differences in the impact of care coordination by percentage of the federal poverty level. Care coordination is associated with family report of decreased unmet specialty care needs among CSHCN independent of household income. The effect of care coordination is greater when care is received in a medical home.

  6. The impact of clerkships on students' specialty preferences: what do undergraduates learn for their profession?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maiorova, T.; Stevens, F.; Scherpbier, A.; Zee, J. van der

    2008-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Clinical experiences and gender have been shown to influence medical students' specialty choices. It remains unclear, however, which aspects of experiences make students favour some specialties and reject others. This study aimed to clarify the effects of clerkships on specialty choice

  7. Artificial intelligence in radiation oncology: A specialty-wide disruptive transformation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Reid F; Valdes, Gilmer; Fuller, Clifton D; Carpenter, Colin M; Morin, Olivier; Aneja, Sanjay; Lindsay, William D; Aerts, Hugo J W L; Agrimson, Barbara; Deville, Curtiland; Rosenthal, Seth A; Yu, James B; Thomas, Charles R

    2018-06-12

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a technology with the power to transform established industries, and with applications from automated manufacturing to advertising and facial recognition to fully autonomous transportation. Advances in each of these domains have led some to call AI the "fourth" industrial revolution [1]. In healthcare, AI is emerging as both a productive and disruptive force across many disciplines. This is perhaps most evident in Diagnostic Radiology and Pathology, specialties largely built around the processing and complex interpretation of medical images, where the role of AI is increasingly seen as both a boon and a threat. In Radiation Oncology as well, AI seems poised to reshape the specialty in significant ways, though the impact of AI has been relatively limited at present, and may rightly seem more distant to many, given the predominantly interpersonal and complex interventional nature of the specialty. In this overview, we will explore the current state and anticipated future impact of AI on Radiation Oncology, in detail, focusing on key topics from multiple stakeholder perspectives, as well as the role our specialty may play in helping to shape the future of AI within the larger spectrum of medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. The impact of endovascular repair on specialties performing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ultee, Klaas H J; Hurks, Rob; Buck, Dominique B.; Dasilva, George S.; Soden, Peter A.; Van Herwaarden, Joost A.; Verhagen, Hence J M; Schermerhorn, Marc L.

    2015-01-01

    Background Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair has been performed by various surgical specialties for many years. Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) may be a disruptive technology, having an impact on which specialties care for patients with AAA. Therefore, we examined the proportion of AAA

  9. The impact of endovascular repair on specialties performing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    K.H.J. Ultee (Klaas); R. Hurks (Rob); D.B. Buck (Dominique B.); G.S. Dasilva (George S.); P.A. Soden (Peter A.); J.A. van Herwaarden (Joost); H.J.M. Verhagen (Hence); M.L. Schermerhorn (Marc)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractBackground Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair has been performed by various surgical specialties for many years. Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) may be a disruptive technology, having an impact on which specialties care for patients with AAA. Therefore, we examined the proportion

  10. 75 FR 27536 - Notice of the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening Session

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-17

    ... Stakeholder Listening Session AGENCY: Research, Education, and Economics, USDA. ACTION: Notice of stakeholder... United States Department of Agriculture announces a stakeholder listening session of the Specialty Crop... Advisory Board (NAREEE). DATES: The Specialty Crop Committee will hold the stakeholder listening session on...

  11. 75 FR 32735 - Notice of the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening Session

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-09

    ... Stakeholder Listening Session AGENCY: Research, Education, and Economics, USDA. ACTION: Notice of stakeholder... United States Department of Agriculture announces a stakeholder listening session of the Specialty Crop... Advisory Board (NAREEE). DATES: The Specialty Crop Committee will hold the stakeholder listening session on...

  12. Specialty pharmaceuticals care management in an integrated health care delivery system with electronic health records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monroe, C Douglas; Chin, Karen Y

    2013-05-01

    The specialty pharmaceuticals market is expanding more rapidly than the traditional pharmaceuticals market. Specialty pharmacy operations have evolved to deliver selected medications and associated clinical services. The growing role of specialty drugs requires new approaches to managing the use of these drugs. The focus, expectations, and emphasis in specialty drug management in an integrated health care delivery system such as Kaiser Permanente (KP) can vary as compared with more conventional health care systems. The KP Specialty Pharmacy (KP-SP) serves KP members across the United States. This descriptive account addresses the impetus for specialty drug management within KP, the use of tools such as an electronic health record (EHR) system and process management software, the KP-SP approach for specialty pharmacy services, and the emphasis on quality measurement of services provided. Kaiser Permanente's integrated system enables KP-SP pharmacists to coordinate the provision of specialty drugs while monitoring laboratory values, physician visits, and most other relevant elements of the patient's therapy. Process management software facilitates the counseling of patients, promotion of adherence, and interventions to resolve clinical, logistic, or pharmacy benefit issues. The integrated EHR affords KP-SP pharmacists advantages for care management that should become available to more health care systems with broadened adoption of EHRs. The KP-SP experience may help to establish models for clinical pharmacy services as health care systems and information systems become more integrated.

  13. Genetic diversity of internalin genes in the ascB-dapE locus among Listeria monocytogenes lineages III and IV strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jianshun; Cheng, Changyong; Lv, Yonghui; Fang, Weihuan

    2013-09-01

    Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen encompassing four phylogenetic lineages. Lineages III and IV are rare, but have been reported to show considerable biodiversity, providing important clues for the evolutionary history in Listeria. In this study, analysis of the ascB-dapE locus reveals genetic diversity in lineages III and IV, and is consistent with the classification of sublineages. Four of the six genetic patterns (two of sublineage IIIC and two of lineage IV) are specific to these two lineages. The ascB-dapE locus suggests a hot spot for genome diversification, and serves as an attractive molecular marker for better understanding of the biodiversity and population structure of lineages III and IV strains. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. An Alternative Optimization Model and Robust Experimental Design for the Assignment Scheduling Capability for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (ASC-U) Simulation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Oliver, Derek M

    2007-01-01

    .... TRAC selected ASC-U to provide insight into the programmatic decisions addressed in the U.S. Army UAV-Mix Analysis that directly affects future development and fielding of UAVs to include the Future Combat System...

  15. Factors affecting future specialty choice among medical students in Kuwait

    OpenAIRE

    Marwan, Yousef; Al-Fouzan, Rawan; Al-Ajlan, Sarah; Al-Saleh, Mervat

    2012-01-01

    Background: Choosing a medical specialty can be either a daunting and confusing experience for some medical students and junior doctors or a foregone conclusion to others. The aim of this study is to evaluate factors affecting future specialty choice among medical students in Kuwait University. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from medical students registered in Kuwait University during the academic year 2011/2012. Chi-square test and logistic regression wer...

  16. Experience with DICOM for the clinical specialties in the healthcare enterprise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzmak, Peter M.; Dayhoff, Ruth E.

    2003-05-01

    DICOM is a success for radiology and cardiology and it is now beginning to be used for other clinical specialties. The US Department of Veterans Affairs has been instrumental in promoting this technological advancement. We have worked with a number of non-radiology imaging vendors over the past several years, encouraging them to support DICOM, providing requirement specifications, validating their implementations, installing their products, and integrating their systems with the VA healthcare enterprise. We require each new non-radiology vendor to support the DICOM Modality Worklist and Storage services, as specified in the IHE Technical Framework, and insist that they perform validation testing with us over the Internet before installing at a VA site. Three years ago we began working with commercial DICOM image acquisition applications in ophthalmology and endoscopy. Today we are interfacing with six vendors in ophthalmology, six in dental, and two in endoscopy. Getting imaging modality vendors to support DICOM is only part of the story, however. We have also developed the capabilities of the VistA hospital information system to properly handle DICOM interfaces to the different clinical specialties. The workflow in the clinical specialties is different than that of radiology, and is much more diverse. We designed the VistA DICOM image acquisition and display interface to use the generic order entry, result entry, result reporting, and appointment scheduling applications of our hospital information system, which are common to other hospital information systems, in order to maintain existing clinical workflow, minimize operational disruptions, simplify training, and win user acceptance. This software is now being field tested with dental and ophthalmology systems at a large number of VA medical centers. We have learned several things from this field test. The DICOM Modality Worklist and Storage services can be successfully used for image acquisition in the clinical

  17. Quantificação de compostos fenólicos e ácido ascórbico em frutos e polpas congeladas de acerola, caju, goiaba e morango

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Mesquita Freire

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available O crescente interesse da população pela promoção da saúde vem despertando a atenção dos consumidores por alimentos ricos em antioxidantes, combinado com a praticidade do consumo de sucos de frutos processados. O presente trabalho objetivou quantificar e avaliar a capacidade antioxidante de compostos fenólicos e ácido ascórbico em frutas in natura e polpas congeladas. As frutas in natura e polpas congeladas obtidas na região de Lavras - MG foram submetidas à quantificação de compostos fenólicos e ácido ascórbico e os respectivos extratos acetônico-etanólico e acetônico-metanólico. Foram determinadas suas atividades antioxidantes pelos métodos radicalares DPPH e ABTS. O extrato acetônico-metanólico foi mais efetivo para extrair os compostos antioxidantes das amostras. Apenas as polpas congeladas de acerola apresentaram uma redução do teor de compostos fenólicos em relação ao fruto. Para o teor de ácido ascórbico, houve uma redução nas polpas congeladas de acerola e goiaba. As amostras de acerola apresentaram os maiores teores de compostos fenólicos, ácido ascórbico e atividade antioxidante em relação aos demais frutos analisados.

  18. Much ado about nothing? The financial impact of physician-owned specialty hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakravarty, Sujoy

    2016-06-01

    The U.S. hospital industry has recently witnessed a number of policy changes aimed at aligning hospital payments to costs and these can be traced to significant concerns regarding selection of profitable patients and procedures by physician-owned specialty hospitals. The policy responses to specialty hospitals have alternated between payment system reforms and outright moratoriums on hospital operations including one in the recently enacted Affordable Care Act. A key issue is whether physician-owned specialty hospitals pose financial strain on the larger group of general hospitals through cream-skimming of profitable patients, yet there is no study that conducts a systematic analysis relating such selection behavior by physician-owners to financial impacts within hospital markets. The current paper takes into account heterogeneity in specialty hospital behavior and finds some evidence of their adverse impact on profit margins of competitor hospitals, especially for-profit hospitals. There is also some evidence of hospital consolidation in response to competitive pressures by specialty hospitals. Overall, these findings underline the importance of the payment reforms aimed at correcting distortions in the reimbursement system that generate incentives for risk-selection among providers groups. The identification techniques will also inform empirical analysis on future data testing the efficacy of these payment reforms.

  19. [A new specialty is born: Vascular medicine].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laroche, J-P

    2016-05-01

    On the 4th of December 2015, the French authorities officially recognized the birth of a specialty in vascular medicine entitled CO-DES cardiology-vascular/vascular Medicine. France is the 7th country to obtain this specialty after Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, six countries in the EEC. It has taken years to achieve a long but exciting experience: we went from hopes to disappointments, sometimes with the blues, but lobbying helping… with sustained confidence. This article tells the story of 30 years of struggle to achieve this vascular medicine specialty. Gaston Bachelard wrote: "Nothing is obvious, nothing is given, all is built." For the construction of vascular medicine, we had to overcome many obstacles, nothing was given to us, everything was conquered. Beware "The specialist is one who knows more and more things about an increasingly restricted field, up to 'knowing everything about nothing"' recalled Ralph Barton Ferry, philosopher; so there is room for modesty and humility but also convictions. The physical examination will remain the basis of our exercise. But let us recall the contributions of all those vascular physicians who practiced in the past, together with those currently active, who built day after day, year after year, a vascular medicine of quality. It is because of the trust of our colleagues and our patients that we can occupy the place that is ours today. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Medical Specialty Choice and Related Factors of Brazilian Medical Students and Recent Doctors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ligia Correia Lima de Souza

    Full Text Available Choosing a medical specialty is an important, complex, and not fully understood process. The present study investigated the factors that are related to choosing and rejecting medical specialties in a group of students and recent medical doctors.A cross-sectional survey of 1,223 medical students and doctors was performed in Brazil in 2012. A standardized literature-based questionnaire was applied that gathered preferable or rejected specialties, and asked questions about extracurricular experiences and the influence of 14 factors on a Likert-type scale from 0 to 4. Specialties were grouped according to lifestyle categories: controllable and uncontrollable, which were subdivided into primary care, internal medicine, and surgical specialties. Notably, the time period of rejection was usually earlier than the time period of intended choice (p < 0.0001, χ(2 = 107.2. The choice mainly occurred during the internship period in medical school (n = 466; 38.7%. An overall large frequency of participation in extracurricular activities was observed (n = 1,184; 95.8%, which were highly associated with the respective medical area. Orthopedic surgery had the highest correlation with participation in specialty-specific organized groups (OR = 59.9, 95% CI = 21.6-166.3 and psychiatry was correlated with participation in research groups (OR = 18.0, 95% CI = 9.0-36.2. With regard to influential factors in controllable lifestyle specialties, "financial reason" (mean score ± standard deviation: 2.8 ± 1.0; median = 3 and "personal time" (3.1 ± 1.3; median = 4 were important factors. In primary care, these factors were less important (1.7 ± 1.3 and 1.7 ± 1.5, respectively; median = 2 for both, and higher scores were observed for "curricular internship" (3.2 ± 1.1, median = 4 and "social commitment" (2.6 ± 1.3, median = 3.The present findings provide important insights into developing strategies to stimulate interest in specialties based on the needs of the

  1. Specialty Choices: Patterns and Determinants among Medical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-07-18

    Jul 18, 2017 ... Methods: This was a cross‑sectional questionnaire‑based survey carried out ... were preferentially influenced by family/societal expectations (P = 0.03) and ..... Table 5: Distribution of specialties of first choice by age, parent's ...

  2. Gender difference in preference of specialty as a career choice among Japanese medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamoto, Ryuichi; Ninomiya, Daisuke; Kasai, Yoshihisa; Kusunoki, Tomo; Ohtsuka, Nobuyuki; Kumagi, Teru; Abe, Masanori

    2016-11-10

    In Japan, the absolute deficiency of doctors and maldistribution of doctors by specialty is a significant problem in the Japanese health care system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors contributing to specialty preference in career choice among Japanese medical students. A total of 368 medical students completed the survey giving an 88.2 % response rate. The subjects comprised 141 women aged 21 ± 3 (range, 18-34) years and 227 men aged 22 ± 4 (range, 18-44) years. Binary Logistic regression analysis was performed using specialty preferences as the criterion variable and the factors in brackets as six motivational variables (e.g., Factor 1: educational experience; Factor 2: job security; Factor 3: advice from others; Factor 4: work-life balance; Factor 5: technical and research specialty; and Factor 6: personal reasons). Women significantly preferred pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, and psychology than the men. Men significantly preferred surgery and orthopedics than the women. For both genders, a high odds ratio (OR) of "technical & research specialty" and a low OR for "personal reasons" were associated with preference for surgery. "Technical & research specialty" was positively associated with preference for special internal medicine and negatively for pediatrics. "Work-life balance" was positively associated with preference for psychology and negatively for emergency medicine. Among the women only, "technical & research specialty" was negatively associated with preference for general medicine/family medicine and obstetrics & gynecology, and "job security" was positively associated for general medicine/family medicine and negatively for psychology. Among men only, "educational experience" and "personal reasons" were positively, and "job security" was negatively associated with preference for pediatrics. For both genders, "work-life balance" was positively associated with preference for controllable lifestyle specialties. We

  3. CLASSIFICATION OF SPECIALTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS IN REPUBLIC OF BELARUS: TENDENCIES AND PROSPECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. A. Oleks

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In the present publication short data on the system of specialties and qualifications functioning in Republic of Belarus, her features, scope of application are given. The purpose and problems of the revision of the National classifier of the Republic of Belarus «Specialties and qualifications», its orientation to reduce the gap between the content of education and content of activity of graduates of establishments of education are described. The main tendencies of change of the operating classification – on the basis of types of economic activity and international standard classification of education taking into account requirements of employers, minimization of economic expenses for education, including due to minimization of classification units, rapprochement of positions with educational systems of other states are revealed. Prospects of development of national system of specialties and qualifications are disclosed. Tendencies and prospects of the expected changes are shown on the examples of the certain specialties offered by BNTU (Belarusian National Technical University.

  4. Meta-Analysis of Surgeon Burnout Syndrome and Specialty Differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomew, Alex J; Houk, Anna K; Pulcrano, Marisa; Shara, Nawar M; Kwagyan, John; Jackson, Patrick G; Sosin, Michael

    2018-02-27

    Surgeon burnout compromises the quality of life of physicians and the delivery of care to patients. Burnout rates and interpretation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) complicates the interpretation of surgeon burnout. The purpose of this study is to apply a standardized interpretation of severe surgeon burnout termed, "burnout syndrome" to analyze inherent variation within surgical specialties. A systematic literature search was performed using MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE to identify studies reporting MBI data by surgical specialty. Data extraction was performed to isolate surgeon specific data. A meta-analysis was performed. A total of 16 cross-sectional studies were included in this meta-analysis, totaling 3581 subjects. A random effects model approximated burnout syndrome at 3.0% (95% CI: 2.0%-5.0%; I 2 = 78.1%). Subscale analysis of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment indicated subscale burnout in 30.0% (CI: 25.0%-36.0%; I 2 = 93.2%), 34.0% (CI: 25.0%-43.0%; I 2 = 96.9%), and 25.0% (CI: 18.0%-32.0%; I 2 = 96.5%) of surgeons, respectively. Significant differences (p burnout termed "burnout syndrome," although surgeon burnout may occur in up to 34% of surgeons, characterized by high burnout in 1 of 3 subscales. Surgical specialties have significantly different rates of burnout subscales. Future burnout studies should target the specialty-specific level to understand inherent differences in an effort to better understand methods of improving surgeon burnout. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Lipid components and oxidative status of selected specialty oils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Madawala, S. R. P.; Kochhar, S. P.; Dutta, P. C.

    2012-11-01

    Many vegetable oils are marketed as specialty oils because of their retained flavors, tastes and distinct characteristics. Specialty oil samples which were commercially produced and retailed were purchased from local superstores in Reading, UK, and Uppsala, Sweden and profiled for detailed lipid composition and oxidative status. These oil samples include: almond, hazelnut, walnut, macadamia nut, argan, avocado, grape seed, roasted sesame, rice bran, cold pressed, organic and cold pressed, warm pressed and refined rapeseed oils. The levels of PV were quite low (0.5-1.3mEq O{sub 2}/kg) but AV and Rancimat values at 100 degree centigrade (except for rapeseed oils) varied considerably at (0.5-15.5) and (4.2-37.0 h) respectively. Macadamia nut oil was found to be the most stable oil followed by argan oil, while walnut oil was the least stable. Among the specialty oils, macadamia nut oil had the lowest (4%) and walnut oil had the highest (71%) level of total PUFA. The organic cold pressed rapeseed oil had considerably lower PUFA (27%) compared with other rapeseed oils (28- 35%). In all the samples, {alpha}- and {gamma}- tocopherols were the major tocopherols; nut oils had generally lower levels. Total sterols ranged from 889 to 15,106 {mu}g/g oil. The major sterols were {beta}-sitosterol (61-85%) and campesterol (6-20%). Argan oil contained schottenol (35%) and spinasterol (32%). Compared with literature values, no marked differences were observed among the differently processed, organically grown or cold pressed rapeseed oils and other specialty oils in this study. (Author) 33 refs.

  6. Educational debt: does it have an influence on initial job location and specialty choice?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snyder, Jennifer; Nehrenz, Guy; Danielsen, Randy; Pedersen, Donald

    2014-01-01

    This study applied a quantitative design and analyzed the impact of educational debt on initial specialty and location choices for physician assistant (PA) graduates in Indiana. PAs who graduated between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2010, and actively practice in Indiana were surveyed. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were performed to determine whether any significant relationships existed among practice specialty, location, and gender. 157 participants (33%) responded to the survey and were considered in the final analysis. Males were more likely than females to be influenced by debt in choosing their specialty and the location of their initial job. A majority of PAs would have reconsidered rural practice if they had received federal and or state loan forgiveness for educational debt. This study provides evidence that debt may influence practice specialty and location choice. Further studies are needed to determine how gender might account for decisions to practice in certain specialties and location.

  7. Physician work intensity among medical specialties: emerging evidence on its magnitude and composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horner, Ronnie D; Szaflarski, Jerzy P; Ying, Jun; Meganathan, Karthikeyan; Matthews, Gerald; Schroer, Brian; Weber, Debra; Raphaelson, Marc

    2011-11-01

    Similarities and differences in physician work intensity among specialties are poorly understood but have implications for quality of care, patient safety, practice organization and management, and payment. To determine the magnitude and important dimensions of physician work intensity for 4 specialties. Cross-sectional assessment of work intensity associated with actual patient care in the examination room or operating room. A convenience sample of 45 family physicians, 20 general internists, 22 neurologists, and 21 surgeons, located in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia. Work intensity measures included the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), Subjective Work Assessment Technique (SWAT), and Multiple Resource Questionnaire. Stress was measured by the Dundee Stress State Questionnaire. Physicians reported similar magnitude of work intensity on the NASA-TLX and Multiple Resource Questionnaire. On the SWAT, general internists reported work intensity similar to surgeons but significantly lower than family physicians and neurologists (P=0.035). Surgeons reported significantly higher levels of task engagement on the stress measure than the other specialties (P=0.019), significantly higher intensity on physical demand (P NASA-TLX than the other specialties (P=0.003). Surgeons reported the lowest intensity for temporal demand of all specialties, being significantly lower than either family physicians or neurologists (P=0.014). Family physicians reported the highest intensity on the time dimension of the SWAT, being significantly higher than either general internists or surgeons (P=0.008). Level of physician work intensity seems to be similar among specialties.

  8. Challenges in referral communication between VHA primary care and specialty care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuchowski, Jessica L; Rose, Danielle E; Hamilton, Alison B; Stockdale, Susan E; Meredith, Lisa S; Yano, Elizabeth M; Rubenstein, Lisa V; Cordasco, Kristina M

    2015-03-01

    Poor communication between primary care providers (PCPs) and specialists is a significant problem and a detriment to effective care coordination. Inconsistency in the quality of primary-specialty communication persists even in environments with integrated delivery systems and electronic medical records (EMRs), such as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The purpose of this study was to measure ease of communication and to characterize communication challenges perceived by PCPs and primary care personnel in the VHA, with a particular focus on challenges associated with referral communication. The study utilized a convergent mixed-methods design: online cross-sectional survey measuring PCP-reported ease of communication with specialists, and semi-structured interviews characterizing primary-specialty communication challenges. 191 VHA PCPs from one regional network were surveyed (54% response rate), and 41 VHA PCPs and primary care staff were interviewed. PCP-reported ease of communication mean score (survey) and recurring themes in participant descriptions of primary-specialty referral communication (interviews) were analyzed. Among PCPs, ease-of-communication ratings were highest for women's health and mental health (mean score of 2.3 on a scale of 1-3 in both), and lowest for cardiothoracic surgery and neurology (mean scores of 1.3 and 1.6, respectively). Primary care personnel experienced challenges communicating with specialists via the EMR system, including difficulty in communicating special requests for appointments within a certain time frame and frequent rejection of referral requests due to rigid informational requirements. When faced with these challenges, PCPs reported using strategies such as telephone and e-mail contact with specialists with whom they had established relationships, as well as the use of an EMR-based referral innovation called "eConsults" as an alternative to a traditional referral. Primary-specialty communication is a continuing

  9. 77 FR 40644 - Specialty Bar Products Company; A Subsidiary of Doncasters, Inc., Blairsville, PA; Notice of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-80,511] Specialty Bar Products... Application for Reconsideration for the workers and former workers of Specialty Bar Products Company, a... resulted in reduction of work force within Specialty Bar Products.'' Information obtained during the...

  10. Genetic and physical analysis of a YAC contig spanning the fungal disease resistance locus Asc of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mesbah, L.A.; Kneppers, T.J.A.; Takken, F.L.W.; Laurent, P.; Hille, J.; Nijkamp, H.J.J.

    1998-01-01

    The Alternaria stem canker disease of tomato is caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici (AAL). The fungus produces AAL toxins that kill the plant tissue. Resistance to the fungus segregates as a single locus, called Asc, and has been genetically mapped on

  11. Genetic and physical analysis of a YAC contig spannig the fungal disease resistance locus Asc of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mesbah, L.A.; Kneppers, T.J.A.; Takken, F.L.W.; Laurent, P.J.F.; Hille, J.; Nijkamp, H.J.J.

    1999-01-01

    The Alternaria in stem canker disease of tomato is caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici (AAL). The fungus produces AAL toxins that kill the plant tissue. Resistance to the fungus segregates as a single locus, called Asc, and has been genetically mapped

  12. 15 CFR 2011.204 - Entry of specialty sugars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE ALLOCATION OF TARIFF-RATE QUOTA ON IMPORTED SUGARS, SYRUPS AND... present a certificate to the appropriate customs official at the date of entry of specialty sugars. Entry...

  13. Specialty-specific admission: a cost-effective intervention?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Slattery, E

    2012-02-01

    INTRODUCTION: Cost effectiveness of healthcare has become an important component in its delivery. Current practices need to be assessed and measured for variations that may lead to financial savings. Speciality specific admission is known not only to lead improved clinical outcomes but also to lead important cost reductions. METHODS: All patients admitted to an Irish teaching hospital via the emergency department over a 2-year period with a gastroenterology (GI) related illness were included in this analysis.GI illness was classified using the Disease related grouping (DRG) system. Mean length of stay (LOS) and patient level costing (PLC) were calculated. Differences between DRGs with respect to speciality (i.e. specialist vs. non-specialist) were calculated for the five commonest DRGs. RESULTS: Significant variations in LOS and PLC were demonstrated in the DRGs. Mean LOS varied with increasing complexity, from 3.2 days for non-complex GI haemorrhage to 14.4 days for complex alcohol related cirrhosis as expected. A substantial difference in LOS within DRG groups was demonstrated by large standard deviations in the mean (up to 8.1 days in some groups) and was independent of complexity of cases. PLC also varied widely in both complex and non-complex cases with standard deviations of up to 17,342 noted. Specialty-specific admission was associated with shorter LOS for most GI admissions. CONCLUSION: Significant disparity exists for both LOS and PLC for most GI diagnoses. Specialty-specific admissions are associated with reduced LOS. Specialty-specific admission would appear to be cost-effective which may also lead to improved clinical outcomes.

  14. 77 FR 40353 - Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 2985-008 Massachusetts] Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment In accordance with the...), Commission staff has reviewed the Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc.'s application for surrender of project license...

  15. Evaluation of feedback given to trainees in medical specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tham, Tony Ck; Burr, Bill; Boohan, Mairead

    2017-07-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of feedback provided to specialty trainees (ST3 or higher) in medical specialties during their workplace-based assessments (WBAs). The feedback given in WBAs was examined in detail in a group of 50 ST3 or higher trainees randomly selected from those taking part in a pilot study of changes to the WBA system conducted by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board. They were based in Health Education Northeast (Northern Deanery) and Health Education East of England (Eastern Deanery). Thematic analysis was used to identify commonly occurring themes. Feedback was mainly positive but there were differences in quality between specialties. Problems with feedback included insufficient detail, such that it was not possible to map the progression of the trainee, insufficient action plans made and the timing of feedback not being contemporaneous (feedback not being given at the time of assessment). Recommendations included feedback should be more specific; there need to be more options in the feedback forms for the supervisor to compare the trainee's performance to what is expected and action plans need to be made. © Royal College of Physicians 2017. All rights reserved.

  16. 76 FR 45397 - Export Inspection and Weighing Waiver for High Quality Specialty Grain Transported in Containers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-29

    ...-AB18 Export Inspection and Weighing Waiver for High Quality Specialty Grain Transported in Containers... permanent a waiver due to expire on July 31, 2012, for high quality specialty grain exported in containers... of high quality specialty grain exported in containers are small entities that up until recently...

  17. Influence of gender and other factors on medical student specialty interest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyle, Veronica; Shulruf, Boaz; Poole, Phillippa

    2014-09-12

    Medical schools must select and educate to meet anticipated health needs. Factors influencing career choice include those of the student and their background as well as subsequent experience. Women have comprised over 50% of medical classes for over 20 years. This study describes gender patterns of current specialty interest among medical students at the University of Auckland, and models the predictive effect of gender compared to other career influencing factors. The study analysed career intention survey data from 711 graduating medical students (response rate, 79%) from 2006 to 2011. Interest level was highest for medicine, followed by subspecialty surgery, general practice and paediatrics. There were differences by gender for most specialties, but not for general practice. Women were more likely than men to be interested in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Geriatrics, Public Health or General Medicine, and less interested in Surgery, Anaesthesia, Emergency Medicine or post graduate study. Each specialty had a different pattern of influencing factors with the most important factor being the experience on a clinical attachment. Factors in career choice are complex and vary by gender and specialty. General practice levels of interest are too low for workforce needs. Predictive models need to be validated in longer term studies but may help guide selection and curriculum design.

  18. Network protocol changes can improve DisCom WAN performance : evaluating TCP modifications and SCTP in the ASC tri-lab environment.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tolendino, Lawrence F.; Hu, Tan Chang

    2005-06-01

    The Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Distance Computing (DisCom) Wide Area Network (WAN) is a high performance, long distance network environment that is based on the ubiquitous TCP/IP protocol set. However, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the algorithms that govern its operation were defined almost two decades ago for a network environment vastly different from the DisCom WAN. In this paper we explore and evaluate possible modifications to TCP that purport to improve TCP performance in environments like the DisCom WAN. We also examine a much newer protocol, SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol) that claims to provide reliable network transport while also implementing multi-streaming, multi-homing capabilities that are appealing in the DisCom high performance network environment. We provide performance comparisons and recommendations for continued development that will lead to network communications protocol implementations capable of supporting the coming ASC Petaflop computing environments.

  19. Specialty choice preference of medical students according to personality traits by Five-Factor Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Oh Young; Park, So Youn

    2016-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between personality traits, using the Five-Factor Model, and characteristics and motivational factors affecting specialty choice in Korean medical students. A questionnaire survey of Year 4 medical students (n=110) in July 2015 was administered. We evaluated the personality traits of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness by using the Korean version of Big Five Inventory. Questions about general characteristics, medical specialties most preferred as a career, motivational factors in determining specialty choice were included. Data between five personality traits and general characteristics and motivational factors affecting specialty choice were analyzed using Student t-test, Mann-Whitney test and analysis of variance. Of the 110 eligible medical students, 105 (95.4% response rate) completed the questionnaire. More Agreeableness students preferred clinical medicine to basic medicine (p=0.010) and more Openness students preferred medical departments to others (p=0.031). Personal interest was the significant motivational factors in more Openness students (p=0.003) and Conscientiousness students (p=0.003). Medical students with more Agreeableness were more likely to prefer clinical medicine and those with more Openness preferred medical departments. Personal interest was a significant influential factor determining specialty choice in more Openness and Conscientiousness students. These findings may be helpful to medical educators or career counselors in the specialty choice process.

  20. Specialty choice preference of medical students according to personality traits by Five-Factor Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oh Young Kwon

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between personality traits, using the Five-Factor Model, and characteristics and motivational factors affecting specialty choice in Korean medical students. Methods: A questionnaire survey of Year 4 medical students (n=110 in July 2015 was administered. We evaluated the personality traits of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness by using the Korean version of Big Five Inventory. Questions about general characteristics, medical specialties most preferred as a career, motivational factors in determining specialty choice were included. Data between five personality traits and general characteristics and motivational factors affecting specialty choice were analyzed using Student t-test, Mann-Whitney test and analysis of variance. Results: Of the 110 eligible medical students, 105 (95.4% response rate completed the questionnaire. More Agreeableness students preferred clinical medicine to basic medicine (p=0.010 and more Openness students preferred medical departments to others (p=0.031. Personal interest was the significant motivational factors in more Openness students (p=0.003 and Conscientiousness students (p=0.003. Conclusion: Medical students with more Agreeableness were more likely to prefer clinical medicine and those with more Openness preferred medical departments. Personal interest was a significant influential factor determining specialty choice in more Openness and Conscientiousness students. These findings may be helpful to medical educators or career counselors in the specialty choice process.

  1. Agile Model Driven Development of Electronic Health Record-Based Specialty Population Registries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kannan, Vaishnavi; Fish, Jason C.; Willett, DuWayne L.

    2018-01-01

    The transformation of the American healthcare payment system from fee-for-service to value-based care increasingly makes it valuable to develop patient registries for specialized populations, to better assess healthcare quality and costs. Recent widespread adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in the U.S. now makes possible construction of EHR-based specialty registry data collection tools and reports, previously unfeasible using manual chart abstraction. But the complexities of specialty registry EHR tools and measures, along with the variety of stakeholders involved, can result in misunderstood requirements and frequent product change requests, as users first experience the tools in their actual clinical workflows. Such requirements churn could easily stall progress in specialty registry rollout. Modeling a system’s requirements and solution design can be a powerful way to remove ambiguities, facilitate shared understanding, and help evolve a design to meet newly-discovered needs. “Agile Modeling” retains these values while avoiding excessive unused up-front modeling in favor of iterative incremental modeling. Using Agile Modeling principles and practices, in calendar year 2015 one institution developed 58 EHR-based specialty registries, with 111 new data collection tools, supporting 134 clinical process and outcome measures, and enrolling over 16,000 patients. The subset of UML and non-UML models found most consistently useful in designing, building, and iteratively evolving EHR-based specialty registries included User Stories, Domain Models, Use Case Diagrams, Decision Trees, Graphical User Interface Storyboards, Use Case text descriptions, and Solution Class Diagrams. PMID:29750222

  2. [Medical student perception of physician values in practice by individual characteristics and preferred medical specialty field].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Kwi Hwa; Yoo, Hyo Hyun; Yim, Jun

    2014-12-01

    Medical students' values figure prominently in their choice of medical specialty; yet, little research has been performed on this topic. The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in values according to medical students' individual characteristics (medical educational system, gender, and grade) and preferred medical specialty. A total of 905 medical students participated in the study; 426 were graduate-entry medical students (GEMS), and 479 were undergraduate medical students (UMS). Further, 561 were male and 316 were female; 356 were in year 1, 219 were in year 2, 230 were in year 3, and 100 were in year 4. Students completed the Physician Values in Practice Scale (PVIPS). The PVIPS comprises six dimensions: autonomy, management, prestige, service, lifestyle, and scholarly pursuits. The data were analyzed by t-test and analysis of variance. GEMS had higher scores for service, management, and scholarly pursuits than UMS. Males had higher scores for prestige, lifestyle, and management, whereas female scored higher on service and scholarly pursuits. Higher grade was associated with increased scores for prestige, lifestyle, and management. The differences in lifestyle and scholarly pursuits were significant between preferred specialties. Students in support specialties scored significantly higher on lifestyle. With regard to scholarly pursuits, basic science specialties scored significantly higher than other specialties. There were significant differences in PVIPS according to individual characteristics and preferred medical specialty. This result could be useful in developing a medical specialty choice program for medical students.

  3. Quantifying the variability of financial disclosure information reported by authors presenting research at multiple sports medicine conferences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jegede, Kolawole A; Ju, Brian; Miller, Christopher P; Whang, Peter; Grauer, Jonathan N

    2011-11-01

    In the study reported here, we compared self-reported industry relationships of authors who attended 3 major orthopedic sports medicine conferences during a single calendar year. Our goal was to calculate the variability between disclosure information over time. A significant percentage of authors who attended these meetings were inconsistent in submitting their disclosure information. In addition, most authors with irregularities had more than 1 discrepancy. We believe that the vast majority of the observed discrepancies did not result from intentional deception on the part of the authors but instead from ongoing confusion regarding which industry relationships should be acknowledged for particular meetings (some specialty societies require that all relationships be divulged, whereas others require only those affiliations directly applicable to research being presented). In the absence of a uniform disclosure policy that is widely adopted by many specialty societies, these findings suggest that the disclosure process will continue to be plagued by inconsistent reporting of financial conflicts of interest.

  4. Information Security: A Scientometric Study of the Profile, Structure, and Dynamics of an Emerging Scholarly Specialty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olijnyk, Nicholas Victor

    2014-01-01

    The central aim of the current research is to explore and describe the profile, dynamics, and structure of the information security specialty. This study's objectives are guided by four research questions: 1. What are the salient features of information security as a specialty? 2. How has the information security specialty emerged and evolved from…

  5. 27 CFR 6.84 - Point of sale advertising materials and consumer advertising specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Point of sale advertising materials and consumer advertising specialties. 6.84 Section 6.84 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms....84 Point of sale advertising materials and consumer advertising specialties. (a) General. The act by...

  6. Does Specialty Bias Trump Evidence in the Management of High-risk Prostate Cancer?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishan, Amar U; Duchesne, Gillian; Wang, Pin-Chieh; Rwigema, Jean-Claude M; Saigal, Christopher; Rettig, Matthew; Steinberg, Michael L; King, Christopher R

    2018-06-01

    The objective was to query how specialty influences treatment recommendations for high-risk prostate cancer in 3 clinical settings: upfront management, postoperative management, and management of biochemical recurrences (BCRs) after radiotherapy (RT). We hypothesized that specialty bias would manifest in all settings, trumping available evidence. A survey of practicing urologists and radiation oncologists was distributed through electronic mail. Questions pertained to upfront management, postoperative treatment, and local salvage for postradiation BCRs. The associations between 26 selected categorical responses and specialty were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Training level/expertise, practice setting, percentage of consultation caseload consisting of prostate cancer, and nationality were set as effect modifiers. One thousand two hundred fifty-three physicians (846 radiation oncologists and 407 urologists) completed the survey. Radiation oncologists were more likely to recommend adjuvant RT and consider it to be underutilized, and more likely to recommend salvage RT at lower prostate-specific antigen thresholds (P<0.0001). Urologists were more likely to recommend salvage radical prostatectomy or cryoablation for local salvage after RT, whereas radiation oncologists were more likely to recommend RT-based modalities and more likely to report that local salvage was underutilized after RT (P<0.0001). Urologists were more likely to report that upfront radical prostatectomy was a better definitive treatment (P<0.0001), whereas radiation oncologists were more likely to report the opposite (P=0.005). Specialty biases permeate recommendations for upfront management and management in the postoperative and post-RT BCR setting, irrespective of available evidence. These data reveal the critical need for multidisciplinary clinics and cross-specialty training as potential solutions for overcoming specialty bias.

  7. Impact of a national specialty e-consultation implementation project on access.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsh, Susan; Carey, Evan; Aron, Dacid C; Cardenas, Omar; Graham, Glenn; Jain, Rajiv; Au, David H; Tseng, Chin-Lin; Franklin, Heather; Ho, P Michael

    2015-12-01

    To assess the early impact of implementation of the electronic consults (e-consults) initiative by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), designed to improve specialty care access. Observational cohort study exploiting a natural experiment begun in May 2011 at 12 VHA medical centers and expanded to 122 medical centers by December 2013. The following were assessed: 1) growth of e-consults by VHA regional networks, medical centers, and specialty; 2) location of patient's primary care provider (medical center vs community-based outpatient clinic [CBOC]); 3) potential patient miles needed to travel for a specialty care face-to-face consult in place of the observed e-consults using estimated geodesic distance; 4) use of specialty care subsequent to the e-consult. Of 11,270,638 consults completed in 13 clinics of interest, 217,014 were e-consults (adjusted rate, 1.93 e-consults per 100 consults). The e-consult rate was highest in endocrinology (5.0 per 100), hematology (3.0 per 100), and gastroenterology (3.0 per 100). The percentage of e-consult patients with CBOC-based primary care grew from 28.5% to 44.4% in the first year of implementation and to 45.6% at year 3. Of those e-consult patients from community clinics, the average potential miles needed to travel was 72.1 miles per patient (SD = 72.6; median = 54.6; interquartile range = 17.1-108), translating to a potential savings of 6,875,631 total miles and travel reimbursement costs of $2,853,387. E-consult volume increased significantly since inception within many medical and surgical specialties. For patients receiving primary care at one of more than 800 CBOCs, e-consults may decrease travel burden and direct travel costs for patients.

  8. The value of independent specialty designation for interventional cardiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blankenship, James C; Powell, Wayne A; Gray, Dawn R; Duffy, Peter L

    2017-01-01

    Interventional cardiology has finally completed, after 26 years of advocacy, a professional hat trick: independent board certification, membership as a unique specialty in the American Medical Association House of Delegates (AMA HOD), and recognition by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) as a separate medical specialty. This article points out how these distinctions for interventional cardiology and its professional society, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), have led to clear and definite benefits for interventional cardiologists and their patients. We focus on the least understood of these three-recognition by CMS and its implications for reimbursement and quality assessment for interventional cardiologists. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Study on the Higher Vocational and Professional Specialty Ability Module of "Construction Management"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Qun

    2008-01-01

    The higher vocational and professional specialty of "construction management" of China begun late, and the talent training mode of various colleges are different, especially the analysis to the specialty ability modules on the higher vocational and professional layer is not mature. In this article, combining with the practice of Manjing…

  10. Formation of Professional Competence of Legal Specialty Students in the Elective Courses Studying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akhmejanova, Gulnara; Olzhabayev, Bulat; Grigoryeva, Roza; Karibaeva, Zhanara; Avilkhan, Akmamyk; Sakenov, Janat

    2016-01-01

    This article examines the scientific problem of the formation of professional competence of legal specialty students in the elective courses studying. The analysis has been conducted and the content of professional competence of legal specialty students has been substantiated. This work substantiates the role of elective courses in the formation…

  11. FEATURES OF THE HIGHEST QUALIFICATION IN THE SPECIALTY «INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION»

    OpenAIRE

    O.M. Spirin; A.V. Iatsyshyn

    2013-01-01

    The paper analyzes the prerequisites for developing and becoming of new specialty 13.00.10 – information and communication technology in education. The features of training of the high-qualified specialists at the Institute of information technologies and learning tools of NAPS of Ukraine are examined. The subjects of dissertations on new specialty, are studied the respective research directions in new specialty are defined. The features of the formulation of scientific and categorical appara...

  12. Innovative Approach to Validation of Ultraviolet (UV) Reactors for Disinfection in Drinking Water Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slide presentation at Conference: ASCE 7th Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region. USEPA in partnership with the Cadmus Group, Carollo Engineers, and other State & Industry collaborators, are evaluating new approaches for validating UV reactors to meet groundwater & sur...

  13. Association of surgeons in training 40th anniversary conference: Liverpool #ASiT2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harries, Rhiannon L; Williams, Adam P; McElnay, Philip J; Gokani, Vimal J

    2016-11-01

    The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) is a professional body and registered charity working to promote excellence in surgical training for the benefit of junior doctors and patient alike. ASiT is independent of the National Health Service (NHS), Surgical Royal Colleges and specialty associations, and represents trainees in all ten surgical specialities. We were delighted to be celebrating our 40th Anniversary Conference in the fantastic city of Liverpool with over 700 delegates in attendance and in the company of many ASiT Past Presidents. The conference programme focused on how to overcome threats to training in light of the recent turbulent events associated with the junior doctor contract dispute with inspiring talks from Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director and Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP, Shadow Health Secretary. The other central topic to the conference was 'celebrating excellence in surgical training' and we were thankful to many other high profile speakers who attended to help in this celebration. In addition, over £4000 was distributed between more than 30 prizes and was awarded by the incoming President, Mr Adam Williams, to delegates who presented the highest scoring academic work from over 1200 submitted abstracts. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  14. Fiber Fabrication Facility for Non-Oxide and Specialty Glasses

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — FUNCTION: Unique facility for the research, development, and fabrication of non-oxide and specialty glasses and fibers in support of Navy/DoD programs.DESCRIPTION:...

  15. Psychiatric specialty training in Greece.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margariti, M; Kontaxakis, V; Ploumpidis, D

    2017-01-01

    The reform and development of psychiatric services require, in addition to financial resources, reserves in specialized human resources. The role of psychiatrists in this process, and at reducing the consequences of mental morbidity is evident. Psychiatrists are required to play a multifaceted role as clinicians, as experts in multidisciplinary team environments and as advisors in the recognition of public needs in mental health issues, as teachers and mentors for students and other health professionals, as researchers in order to enrich our knowledge in the scientific field of psychiatry, and as public health specialists in the development of the mental health services system. This multifaceted role requires the continuous education of modern psychiatrists, but above all a broad, substantial and comprehensive training regime in the initial stage of their professional career, that is to say during specialization. Training in Psychiatry, as indeed has happened in all other medical specialties, has evolved considerably in recent decades, both in the content of education due to scientific advances in the fields of neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience, genetics, psychopharmacology, epidemiology and psychiatric nosology, and also because of advances in the educational process itself. Simple apprenticeship next to an experienced clinician, despite its importance in the clinical training of young psychiatrists, is no longer sufficient to meet the increased demands of the modern role of psychiatrists, resulting in the creation of educational programs defined by setting and pursuing minimum, though comprehensive educational objectives. This development has created the global need to develop organizations intended to supervise training programs. These organizations have various forms worldwide. In the European Union, the competent supervising body for medical specialties is the UEMS (European Union of Medical Specialities) and particularly in the case of the psychiatric

  16. Design and Implementation of the Automatic Assessment System for the Command and Control Specialty in Ships

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Hao

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available On the basis of analyzing the actual demand of automated assessment system for the command and control specialty in ships, the thought of the overall design of automated assessment system for the command and control specialty in ships is given, and the concrete realization methods of the user login module, test paper operation module and system maintenance module are studied and demonstrated. The proposed design idea and implementation method of automated assessment system for the command and control specialty in ships is scientific, efficient and practical, and provides reference for the exploitation of automated assessment system for the command and control specialty in ships.

  17. Organizational readiness in specialty mental health care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Alison B; Cohen, Amy N; Young, Alexander S

    2010-01-01

    Implementing quality improvement efforts in clinics is challenging. Assessment of organizational "readiness" for change can set the stage for implementation by providing information regarding existing strengths and deficiencies, thereby increasing the chance of a successful improvement effort. This paper discusses organizational assessment in specialty mental health, in preparation for improving care for individuals with schizophrenia. To assess organizational readiness for change in specialty mental health in order to facilitate locally tailored implementation strategies. EQUIP-2 is a site-level controlled trial at nine VA medical centers (four intervention, five control). Providers at all sites completed an organizational readiness for change (ORC) measure, and key stakeholders at the intervention sites completed a semi-structured interview at baseline. At the four intervention sites, 16 administrators and 43 clinical staff completed the ORC, and 38 key stakeholders were interviewed. The readiness domains of training needs, communication, and change were the domains with lower mean scores (i.e., potential deficiencies) ranging from a low of 23.8 to a high of 36.2 on a scale of 10-50, while staff attributes of growth and adaptability had higher mean scores (i.e., potential strengths) ranging from a low of 35.4 to a high of 41.1. Semi-structured interviews revealed that staff perceptions and experiences of change and decision-making are affected by larger structural factors such as change mandates from VA headquarters. Motivation for change, organizational climate, staff perceptions and beliefs, and prior experience with change efforts contribute to readiness for change in specialty mental health. Sites with less readiness for change may require more flexibility in the implementation of a quality improvement intervention. We suggest that uptake of evidence-based practices can be enhanced by tailoring implementation efforts to the strengths and deficiencies of the

  18. Dental student perceptions of oral and maxillofacial surgery as a specialty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarosz, Krystian F; Ziccardi, Vincent B; Aziz, Shahid R; Sue-Jiang, Shuying

    2013-05-01

    The specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) encompasses the diagnosis and surgical management of a variety of pathologic, functional, and esthetic conditions of the oral and maxillofacial region. Despite the specialty's prominent role in the field of dentistry, a lack of complete understanding still remains among dental and medical health professionals as to the exact scope and expertise of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The present study aimed to analyze a population of dental students' perceptions of OMS as a specialty with respect to treatment rendered, referral patterns, and a general opinion of the specialty as a whole. A survey consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions was compiled and distributed to dental students through an on-line polling service (SurveyMonkey). A total of 5 dental student classes at a single dental school were polled using school-based electronic mail, including the graduating seniors. All answers were kept confidential, and no individual students were identified. The students were not able to retake the survey once completed. The final tallies of the survey results were compiled and submitted for statistical analysis. Statistically significant associations between the year of dental education and student perceptions of OMS were determined. As dental students progress through their undergraduate studies, their perceptions change with regard to the referral of dental implants. Periodontists were found to have statistically significantly greater rates of referral than oral and maxillofacial surgeons from dental students in the fourth year and recent graduates compared with younger dental students from the first, second, and third years for placement of dental implants. Statistically insignificant in terms of a changing dental student perception was the finding that third molar removal was within the domain of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, as well as the management of cleft lip and palate deformities and mandibular

  19. Pangasius in the EU market; Prospects for the position of (ASC-certified) pangasius in the EU retail and food service sector

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beukers, R.; Pijl, van der W.; Duijn, van A.P.

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this market study is to investigate the potential short- and long-term benefits for investors to invest in the production of pangasius with a trademark based on ASC certification, for the retail and food service market segments in the EU market.

  20. Surgery or general medicine: a study of the reasons underlying the choice of medical specialty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrícia Lacerda Bellodi

    Full Text Available CONTEXT: The reality of medical services in Brazil points towards expansion and diversification of medical knowledge. However, there are few Brazilian studies on choosing a medical specialty. OBJECTIVE: To investigate and characterize the process of choosing the medical specialty among Brazilian resident doctors, with a comparison of the choice between general medicine and surgery. TYPE OF STUDY: Stratified survey. SETTING: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (HC-FMUSP. METHODS: A randomized sample of resident doctors in general medicine (30 and surgery (30 was interviewed. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and the moment, stability and reasons for the choice of specialty were obtained. RESULTS: The moment of choice between the two specialties differed. Surgeons (30% choose the specialty earlier, while general doctors decided progressively, mainly during the internship (43%. Most residents in both fields (73% general medicine, 70% surgery said they had considered another specialty before the current choice. The main reasons for general doctors' choice were contact with patients (50%, intellectual activities (30% and knowledge of the field (27%. For surgeons the main reasons were practical intervention (43%, manual activities (43% and the results obtained (40%. Personality was important in the choice for 20% of general doctors and for 27% of surgeons. DISCUSSION: The reasons found for the choice between general medicine and surgery were consistent with the literature. The concepts of wanting to be a general doctor or a surgeon are similar throughout the world. Personality characteristics were an important influencing factor for all residents, without statistical difference between the specialties, as was lifestyle. Remuneration did not appear as a determinant. CONCLUSION: The results from this group of Brazilian resident doctors corroborated data on choosing a medical specialty from other countries

  1. Medical student debt and major life choices other than specialty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Rohlfing

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Median indebtedness at graduation is now more than $170,000 for graduates of US Medical Schools. Debate still exists as to whether higher debt levels influence students to choose high paying non-primary care specialties. Notably, no previous research on the topic has taken into account cost of attendance when constructing a debt model, nor has any research examined the non-career major life decisions that medical students face. Methods: Medical students were surveyed using an anonymous electronic instrument developed for this study. The survey was delivered through a link included in a study email and students were recruited from school wide listservs and through snowball sampling (students were encouraged to share a link to the survey with other medical students. No incentives were offered for survey completion. Results: Responses were recorded from 102 US Allopathic medical schools (n=3,032, with 22 institutions (11 public, 11 private meeting inclusion criteria of 10% student body response proportion (n=1,846. Students with higher debt relative to their peers at their home institution reported higher frequencies of feeling callous towards others, were more likely to choose a specialty with a higher average annual income, were less likely to plan to practice in underserved locations, and were less likely to choose primary care specialties. Students with higher aggregate amounts of medical student loan debt were more likely to report high levels of stress from their educational debt, to delay getting married and to report disagreement that they would choose to become a physician again, if given the opportunity to revisit that choice. Increases in both aggregate and relative debt were associated with delaying having children, delaying buying a house, concerns about managing and paying back educational debt, and worrying that educational debt will influence one's specialty choice. Conclusions: Medical student debt and particularly debt

  2. Medical student debt and major life choices other than specialty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohlfing, James; Navarro, Ryan; Maniya, Omar Z; Hughes, Byron D; Rogalsky, Derek K

    2014-01-01

    Median indebtedness at graduation is now more than $170,000 for graduates of US Medical Schools. Debate still exists as to whether higher debt levels influence students to choose high paying non-primary care specialties. Notably, no previous research on the topic has taken into account cost of attendance when constructing a debt model, nor has any research examined the non-career major life decisions that medical students face. Medical students were surveyed using an anonymous electronic instrument developed for this study. The survey was delivered through a link included in a study email and students were recruited from school wide listservs and through snowball sampling (students were encouraged to share a link to the survey with other medical students). No incentives were offered for survey completion. Responses were recorded from 102 US Allopathic medical schools (n=3,032), with 22 institutions (11 public, 11 private) meeting inclusion criteria of 10% student body response proportion (n=1,846). Students with higher debt relative to their peers at their home institution reported higher frequencies of feeling callous towards others, were more likely to choose a specialty with a higher average annual income, were less likely to plan to practice in underserved locations, and were less likely to choose primary care specialties. Students with higher aggregate amounts of medical student loan debt were more likely to report high levels of stress from their educational debt, to delay getting married and to report disagreement that they would choose to become a physician again, if given the opportunity to revisit that choice. Increases in both aggregate and relative debt were associated with delaying having children, delaying buying a house, concerns about managing and paying back educational debt, and worrying that educational debt will influence one's specialty choice. Medical student debt and particularly debt relative to peers at the same institution appears to

  3. Benchmarking specialty hospitals, a scoping review on theory and practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wind, A; van Harten, W H

    2017-04-04

    Although benchmarking may improve hospital processes, research on this subject is limited. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of publications on benchmarking in specialty hospitals and a description of study characteristics. We searched PubMed and EMBASE for articles published in English in the last 10 years. Eligible articles described a project stating benchmarking as its objective and involving a specialty hospital or specific patient category; or those dealing with the methodology or evaluation of benchmarking. Of 1,817 articles identified in total, 24 were included in the study. Articles were categorized into: pathway benchmarking, institutional benchmarking, articles on benchmark methodology or -evaluation and benchmarking using a patient registry. There was a large degree of variability:(1) study designs were mostly descriptive and retrospective; (2) not all studies generated and showed data in sufficient detail; and (3) there was variety in whether a benchmarking model was just described or if quality improvement as a consequence of the benchmark was reported upon. Most of the studies that described a benchmark model described the use of benchmarking partners from the same industry category, sometimes from all over the world. Benchmarking seems to be more developed in eye hospitals, emergency departments and oncology specialty hospitals. Some studies showed promising improvement effects. However, the majority of the articles lacked a structured design, and did not report on benchmark outcomes. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of benchmarking to improve quality in specialty hospitals, robust and structured designs are needed including a follow up to check whether the benchmark study has led to improvements.

  4. The professional orientation to the masonry specialty: a system of activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jóse Andrés Gómez Torres

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The specialty Masonry in Technical and Vocational Education is of great importance given the mission that has to train workers who have to use the most efficient and updated techniques and technologies for the construction of buildings and other construction works. In the pedagogical practice manifested a contradiction expressed in the need to raise the quality of the professional training of the workers in the specialty Masonry, however, there were inadequacies in the work of professional guidance with students who attend the first year in the Polytechnical center "Leonides Blanco", reflected in the insufficient inclination towards the study profile, which led to the failure of a percentage of students. The objective of the work was to elaborate a system of activities that perfected the process of professional orientation towards the specialty Albañilería the first year at the "Leonides Blanco" PolytechnicCenter. In the investigative process, the dialectical-materialist method was assumed as the general method, which supported the theoretical methods, the application of statistical techniques that made possible the study and systematization of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the process under investigation. The practical significance is expressed in a system of activities that contributed to the professional orientation of the first-year students of the specialty Masonry, which guarantees a relevant initial training process, depending on the demands of the professional model and the needs educational and social

  5. Skin and Soft Tissue Surgery in the Office Versus Operating Room Setting: An Analysis Based on Individual-Level Medicare Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kantor, Jonathan

    2018-03-23

    The relative volume of skin and soft tissue excision and reconstructive procedures performed in the outpatient office versus facility (ambulatory surgical center or hospital) differs by specialty, and has major implications for quality of care, outcomes, development of guidelines, resident education, health care economics, and patient perception. To assess the relative volume of surgical procedures performed in each setting (office vs ambulatory surgery center [ASC]/hospital) by dermatologists and nondermatologists. A cross-sectional analytical study was performed using the Medicare public use file (PUF) for 2014, which includes every patient seen in an office, ASC, or hospital in the United States billed to Medicare part B. Data were divided by physician specialty and setting. A total of 9,316,307 individual encounters were included in the Medicare PUF. Dermatologists account for 195,001 (2.1%) of the total. Dermatologists were more likely to perform surgical procedures in an office setting only (odds ratio 5.48 [95% confidence interval 5.05-5.95], p office setting, and dermatologists are more than 5 times as likely as other specialists to operate in an office setting.

  6. Awareness and perception of the specialty of family medicine ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Family Medicine is the medical specialty that provides ... the World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged the critical importance and positive ... This study evaluated the awareness, knowledge and perception of Family ...

  7. Some theoretic elements about vocational guidance in the specialty Carpintería

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odelmi Miló García

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Presently article the methodological conceptual theoretical bases are presented that sustain in an essential way the cultural historical theory, The objective of the same one is to elaborate a methodological strategy for the development of the professional orientation toward the specialty carpentry in students of the first year of the Polytechnic Leonides Blanco González, being given the problem that the students are not motivated by the specialty.

  8. Gender differences in specialty preference and mismatch with real needs in Japanese medical students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harada Tadanari

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The shortage of doctors and maldistribution among specialties are of great concern in the Japanese health care system. This study investigated specialty preference in medical students of one university, and examined gender differences and compared their preference with real needs. Methods We conducted a self-administered questionnaire including specialty preference in all students of one medical university. Preference was assessed by the five-level probability of their future choice: 1 = very low, 2 = low, 3 = moderate, 4 = high, and 5 = very high. The proportion of 4 or 5 was calculated as the preference rate. The real needs (magnitude of doctor shortage in the prefecture were drawn from two different surveys. The relationship between the sex-specific preference rate by specialty and real needs was assessed by Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results Internal medicine showed the highest preference rate, followed by general surgery, pediatrics, and emergency medicine. There was no significant correlation between the preference rates of men and women (r = 0.27, p = 0.34. The preference rates for general surgery, orthopedics, neurosurgery, and emergency medicine were significantly higher in men than in women, while those of obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, and dermatology were significantly higher in women. The magnitude of doctor shortage by specialty from two surveys were significantly correlated with the total preference rate and men's preference rate (r = 0.54 to 0.74, but not with women's preference rate (r = 0.06 and 0.32. Conclusions This study elucidated not only gender differences in specialty preference but also the relationship to real needs. Critical gender differences and mismatch with real needs were found in women. In addition to traditional gender roles and insufficient support for women's participation in Japan, gender differences and mismatch influence the current and future maldistribution of

  9. Emergency medicine journal impact factor and change compared to other medical and surgical specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, Joshua C; Menegazzi, James J; Yealy, Donald M

    2012-11-01

    A journal impact factor represents the mean number of citations per article published. Designed as one tool to measure the relative importance of a journal, impact factors are often incorporated into academic evaluation of investigators. The authors sought to determine how impact factors of emergency medicine (EM) journals compare to journals from other medical and surgical specialties and if any change has taken place over time. The 2010 impact factors and 5-year impact factors for each journal indexed by the Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Knowledge Journal Citation Reports (JCR) were collected, and EM, medical, and surgical specialties were evaluated. The maximum, median, and interquartile range (IQR) of the current impact factor and 5-year impact factor in each journal category were determined, and specialties were ranked according to the summary statistics. The "top three" impact factor journals for each specialty were analyzed, and growth trends from 2001 through 2010 were examined with random effects linear regression. Data from 2,287 journals in 31 specialties were examined. There were 23 EM journals with a current maximum impact factor of 4.177, median of 1.269, and IQR of 0.400 to 2.176. Of 23 EM journals, 57% had a 5-year impact factor available, with a maximum of 4.531, median of 1.325, and IQR of 0.741 to 2.435. The top three EM journals had a mean standard deviation (±SD) impact factor of 3.801 (±0.621) and median of 4.142 and a mean (±SD) 5-year impact factor of 3.788 (±1.091) and median of 4.297, with a growth trend of 0.211 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.177 to 0.245; p journals ranked no higher than 24th among 31 specialties. Emergency medicine journals rank low in impact factor summary statistics and growth trends among 31 medical and surgical specialties. © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

  10. Emergency Contraception: A multi-specialty survey of clinician knowledge and practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batur, Pelin; Cleland, Kelly; McNamara, Megan; Wu, Justine; Pickle, Sarah

    2015-01-01

    Objectives To assess knowledge and provision of emergency contraception (EC), particularly the most effective methods. Study Design A web-based survey was distributed to a cross-sectional convenience sample of healthcare providers across specialties treating reproductive-aged women. The survey was sent to 3,260 practicing physicians and advanced practice clinicians in 14 academic centers between February 2013 and April 2014. We analyzed responses by provider specialty using multivariable logistic regression. Results The final sample included 1,684 providers (response rate = 51.7%). Ninety-five percent of the respondents had heard of levonorgestrel (LNG) EC. Among reproductive health specialists, 81% provide levonorgestrel EC in their practice, although only half (52%) had heard of ulipristal acetate (UPA) and very few provide it (14%). The majority in family medicine (69%) and emergency medicine (74%) provide levonorgestrel, in contrast to 42% of internists and 55% of pediatricians. However, the more effective methods (UPA and copper IUD) were little known and rarely provided outside of reproductive health specialties; 18% of internists and 14% of emergency medicine providers had heard of UPA and 4% provide it. Only 22% of emergency providers and 32% of pediatricians had heard of the copper IUD used as EC. Among reproductive health specialists, only 36% provide copper IUD as EC in their practice. Specialty, provider type and proportion of women of reproductive age in the practice were related to knowledge and provision of some forms of EC. Conclusions Awareness and provision of the most effective EC methods, UPA and the copper IUD (which are provider-dependent), are substantially lower than for LNG EC, especially among providers who do not focus on reproductive health. Implications In our sample of 1,684 healthcare providers from diverse specialties who treat reproductive-aged women, knowledge and provision of the most effective forms of emergency contraception

  11. Critical issues in water and wastewater treatment. Proceedings of the 1994 national conference on environmental engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryan, J.N.; Edwards, M.

    1994-01-01

    This proceedings, Critical Issues in Water and Wastewater, contains short versions of most of the 114 papers presented at the 1994 Specialty Conference on Environmental Engineering held in Boulder, Colorado on July 11 to 13, 1994. These papers are organized into 23 distinct sessions that focus primarily on water treatment, water distribution, and wastewater treatment. Some of the topics discussed concern microbes in drinking water, contaminated groundwater remediation, and the effects of floods on hazardous waste sites. To summarize, this proceedings provides a practical and timely reference for engineers interested in the current state of water and wastewater concerns

  12. Perception of 1 st year medical students towards career choices and specialty of psychiatry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suneet Kumar Upadhyaya

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Shortage of psychiatrists is a worldwide phenomenon. If the factors that attract or repel students towards a specialty can be identified, it may be possible to encourage them towards it. Choice of specialty as a career depends on the complex interplay of experiences before, during or after exposure to the specialty. Objectives: The aim was to understand perceptions of 1 st year medical students regarding career choices and the specialty of psychiatry through a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Materials and Methods: Perceptions of 137 1 st year medical students from the Government Medical College were recorded using a semi-structured questionnaire. Students provided their opinions about future career choices; perspective of these specialties in terms of financial reward, reputation, work-life balance, challenging aspect, ability to help patients effectively and emotional stability; their preferences in life and interaction with psychiatrist and its impact. Statistical Analysis Used: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA with post-hoc analysis by Tukey-Kramer test. Results: Surgery was a high priority for 69 (50% while psychiatry was a high priority only for 11 (8%. Surgery was highest for financial reward and reputation, but lowest for work-life balance. Psychiatry had higher emotional stability, however, its the reputation was lower than surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatrics. Students preferred reputation (41% over social service opportunities (43%, work-life balance (16%, and high-income (11%. Interaction with psychiatrist increased inclination for psychiatry in 69% (9/13 students. Conclusions: Psychiatry is not a preferred specialty among 1 st year medical students due to its poor reputation.

  13. [Prosthodontic specialty training in the United States: what can we learn].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qing, H

    2017-12-09

    Prosthodontics is one of the nine recognized specialties by American Dental Association. The postgraduate prosthodontic program used to train prosthodontic specialists in U S A started about 70 years ago. Compared to China which just launched the dental residency programs, the programs in U S A have more developed and relatively more mature education system. It is worthwhile for China to study and learn the U S A prosthodontic residency education program. Prosthodontics is a specialty to diagnose and treat complex dental problems, and is often considered as the 'orchestrator' directing and coordinating all the other dental specialists to manage complex situations. This specialty plays an important role in a nation's oral health system. The present article is aimed to introduce the history of US prosthodontic residency program, initial accreditation, curriculum, education standards and mechanisms of the residency program, and how the program is monitored and managed post initial accreditation, with the hope that this system can serve as a reference for China's developing its own residency program.

  14. An analysis of the medical specialty training system in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freire, José-Manuel; Infante, Alberto; de Aguiar, Adriana Cavalcanti; Carbajo, Pilar

    2015-06-02

    In this paper, we analyse the medical specialty training system in Spain (the so-called "residency system"). In order to do so, we a) summarize its historical evolution; b) describe the five major architectural pillars on which the system is currently based; c) analyse the special contract of the specialist-in-training; d) discuss the three major challenges for the medical specialist training future: the evolution and expansion of the residency system to other health professions, the issue of grouping specialties with a common core trunk and the continuity of the learning process; and e) draw four conclusions that may be relevant for those who are in the process of developing or revising their own medical specialization systems.

  15. International Medical Graduates in Radiation Oncology: Historical Trends and Comparison With Other Medical Specialties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verma, Vivek, E-mail: vivek333@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska (United States); Shah, Chirag [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Lautenschlaeger, Tim [Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (United States); Lin, Chi [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska (United States); Beriwal, Sushil [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (United States); Zhen, Weining [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska (United States); Mehta, Minesh P. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Coral Gables, Florida (United States); Zietman, Anthony L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

    2016-07-15

    Purpose: This is the first National Resident Matching Program analysis evaluating historical patterns of international medical graduates (IMGs) in radiation oncology (RO) and providing comparison with American (MD) medical graduates (AMGs), osteopathic students (DOs), unfilled positions, and other specialties. Methods and Materials: National Resident Matching Program data for IMGs were available from 2003 to 2015, with limited data for other specialty matches. The following RO-specific figures were obtained per year: total positions available; total matched positions; number of unfilled positions; and number of IMG, AMG, and DO matches. In addition, the number of IMG matches and total matched positions were obtained for 19 other specialties. Fisher exact tests and χ{sup 2} tests were considered significant at α <.05. Results: From 2010 to 2015, 0.8% of RO matches were IMGs, a decline from 2.4% in 2003 to 2009 (P=.006). Proportions of DO matches during these intervals increased by 40% (from 1.0% to 1.4%), significantly lower than IMGs for 2003 to 2009 (P=.03) but not 2010 to 2015 (P=.26). From 2003 to 2015, the percentage of IMG matches, at 1.5%, was significantly lower than the percentage of unfilled seats, at 3.5% (P<.001). In comparison with other specialties (2003-2015), RO had the fewest IMG matches (1.5%), followed by otolaryngology (1.9%) and orthopedics (2.2%); specialties with the highest IMG proportions were internal medicine (37.1%), family medicine (35.7%), and neurology (31.1%). Conclusions: Presently, IMGs represent <1% of RO matches, the lowest among major specialties. There are several speculative factors associated with this low proportion. There are significantly more unfilled positions than those filled by IMGs; programs at risk of not matching could weigh the advantages and disadvantages of interviewing IMGs.

  16. [Impact of the Core Training Law on preventive medicine and public health training and other common medical specialties].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latasa, Pello; Gil-Borrelli, Christian; Aguilera, José Antonio; Reques, Laura; Barreales, Saúl; Ojeda, Elena; Alemán, Guadalupe; Iniesta, Carlos; Gullón, Pedro

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the Core Training Law (CTL) is to amend specialised medical training to include 24 months of common training. The aim of this study is to assess its potential impact on the Preventive Medicine and Public Health (PM&PH) training programme and other medical specialties. The programmes of the 21 common medical specialties were analysed and the recommended training periods for each specialty collected, before the information was agreed upon by three observers. The training impact was calculated as the percentage of months that should be amended per specialty to adapt to the common training schedule. The Preventive Medicine and Public Health training programme is the specialty most affected by the Core Training Law (100%, 24 months). Intensive medicine (0%, 0 months) and medical oncology (17%, 4 months) is the least affected. The CTL affects the common medical specialties in different ways and requires a complete reorganisation of the activities and competencies of PM&PH professionals. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  17. Knowledge of Medical House Officers about Dental Specialties ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Some patients with oral diseases present initially to a general medical practitioner who is expected to refer the patients to the appropriate dental specialist for management. Thus they are expected to have a good knowledge of the different specialties in dentistry. This study was designed to determine the ...

  18. Burnout Comparison among Residents in Different Medical Specialties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martini, Shahm; Arfken, Cynthia L.; Churchill, Amy; Balon, Richard

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate resident burnout in relation to work and home-related factors. Method: Maslach Burnout Inventory was mailed to residents in eight different medical specialties, with a response rate of 35%. Results: Overall, 50% of residents met burnout criteria, ranging from 75% (obstetrics/gynecology) to 27% (family medicine). The first…

  19. Social media in the mentorship and networking of physicians: Important role for women in surgical specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luc, Jessica G Y; Stamp, Nikki L; Antonoff, Mara B

    2018-04-01

    Social media may be a useful supplement to physician and trainee interactions; however, its role in enhancing mentorship has not been described. A 35-item survey investigating trainee and physician social media use was distributed. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. 282 respondents completed the survey, among whom 136 (48.2%) reported careers in surgical specialties. Women in surgical specialties were more likely to describe the specialty as being dominated by the opposite sex (p media to build a network of same-sex mentorship (p = 0.031). Social media serves as a valuable tool to enhance the networking and mentorship of surgeons, particularly for women in surgical specialties who may lack exposure to same-sex mentors at their own institution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Gender inflexion in the construction of a new medical specialty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Aisengart Menezes

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available This article presents the constitution of a new medical specialty, Palliative Care, directed to patients "out of therapeutic possibilities". The concept emerged around 1960 in England and was implemented in Brazil a couple of years before 1990. It is characterized by an active attendance of the dying process. It postulates a "spiritual assistance" to the patient and his/her family members, including the emotional universe. Ethnographical observation and interviews with Brazilian professionals showed a majority of women among the health teams involved in this proposal. This article discusses and analyses the connection between the construction of the specialty and gender representation among these professionals that reflects popular social images about death, beliefs, emotions and the roles played by women and men in these subjects.

  1. Specialty pharmacies and other restricted drug distribution systems: financial and safety considerations for patients and health-system pharmacists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirschenbaum, Bonnie E

    2009-12-15

    To discuss the role of restricted drug distribution systems in the implementation of risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS), health-system pharmacists' concerns associated with the use of specialty pharmacies and other restricted drug distribution systems, reimbursement policies for high-cost specialty drugs, supply chain models for traditional and specialty drugs, and emerging trends in the management of and reimbursement for specialty pharmaceuticals. Restricted drug distribution systems established by pharmaceutical manufacturers, specialty pharmacies, or other specialty suppliers may be a component of REMS, which are required by the Food and Drug Administration for the management of known or potential serious risks from certain drugs. Concerns of health-system pharmacists using specialty suppliers include access to pharmaceuticals, operational challenges, product integrity, financial implications, continuity of care, and patient safety. An ambulatory care patient taking a specialty drug product from home to a hospital outpatient clinic or inpatient setting for administration, a practice known as "brown bagging," raises concerns about product integrity and institutional liability. An institution's finances, tolerance for liability, and ability to skillfully manage the processes involved often determine its choice between an approach that prohibits brown bagging but is costly and one that permits the practice under certain conditions and is less costly. The recent shift from a traditional supply chain model to a specialty pharmacy supply chain model for high-cost pharmaceuticals has the potential to increase pharmaceutical costs for health systems. A dialogue is needed between health-system pharmacists and group purchasing organizations to address the latter's role in mitigating the financial implications of this change and to help clarify the safety issues. Some health plans have shifted part of the cost of expensive drugs to patients by establishing a

  2. Comparison of Women in Department Leadership in Obstetrics and Gynecology With Those in Other Specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofler, Lisa G; Hacker, Michele R; Dodge, Laura E; Schutzberg, Rose; Ricciotti, Hope A

    2016-03-01

    To compare the representation of women in obstetrics and gynecology department-based leadership to other clinical specialties while accounting for proportions of women in historical residency cohorts. This was a cross-sectional observational study. The gender of department-based leaders (chair, vice chair, division director) and residency program directors was determined from websites of 950 academic departments of anesthesiology, diagnostic radiology, general surgery, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pathology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Each specialty's representation ratio-proportion of leadership roles held by women in 2013 divided by proportion of residents in 1990 who were women-and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. A ratio of 1 indicates proportionate representation. Women were significantly underrepresented among chairs for all specialties (ratios 0.60 or less, P≤.02) and division directors for all specialties except anesthesiology (ratio 1.13, 95% CI 0.87-1.46) and diagnostic radiology (ratio 0.97, 95% CI 0.81-1.16). The representation ratio for vice chair was below 1.0 for all specialties except anesthesiology; this finding reached statistical significance only for pathology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Women were significantly overrepresented as residency program directors in general surgery, anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics (ratios greater than 1.19, P≤.046). Obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics had the highest proportions of residents in 1990 and department leaders in 2013 who were women. Despite having the largest proportion of leaders who were women, representation ratios demonstrate obstetrics and gynecology is behind other specialties in progression of women to departmental leadership. Women's overrepresentation as residency program directors raises concern because education-based academic tracks may not lead to major leadership roles.

  3. Clinical conferences for physicians: Who sets the agenda?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abakumova, T R; Safina, A F; Ziganshina, L E

    2015-01-01

    Clinical conferences are generally defined as scheduled events at which practicing physicians themselves present to their colleagues interesting clinical cases, share their new experiences and learn about the latest achievements of medical science and practice. The value of a clinical conference is thought to be in direct communication between physicians, in analysis of topical issues in a given specialty with the aim to improve the quality of care. Speakers based on their own observations and studies reveal the most urgent problems, analyze results and offer potential decisions to their colleagues interested in the same questions. The event format may be different: workshops, highly specialized sections, round tables and seminars with participation of the leading specialists in a given field. These conferences are generally organised by the Ministries and Departments of Health, by leading research and/or educational institutions in the field, by recognised medical centres and other institutions. Recently pharmaceutical companies got actively involved in medical events, acting as sponsors of various scientific conferences and congresses, however threatening the mission of these events [1]. This brings up some uneasy questions: who are the medical conferences for? Who is in charge of setting the conference agenda? Do they contribute to evidence-based medicine; do they contribute to better health? Unfortunately, there is a trend to duplication or multiplication of conferences: various agencies and departments deliver the same conferences, presentations at which are often pre-arranged by pharmaceutical companies and do not have clear scientific novelty, while the conferences themselves have largely transformed into advertising of new pharmaceuticals or new technologies [2]. Pharmaceutical corporations sponsor invited speakers paying for their trips and paying honoraria, organising cocktail parties as part of medical activities. With the help of leading experts with

  4. Residents' views about family medicine specialty education in Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uzuner Arzu

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Residents are one of the key stakeholders of specialty training. The Turkish Board of Family Medicine wanted to pursue a realistic and structured approach in the design of the specialty training programme. This approach required the development of a needs-based core curriculum built on evidence obtained from residents about their needs for specialty training and their needs in the current infrastructure. The aim of this study was to obtain evidence on residents' opinions and views about Family Medicine specialty training. Methods This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The board prepared a questionnaire to investigate residents' views about some aspects of the education programme such as duration and content, to assess the residents' learning needs as well as their need for a training infrastructure. The questionnaire was distributed to the Family Medicine Departments (n = 27 and to the coordinators of Family Medicine residency programmes in state hospitals (n = 11 by e-mail and by personal contact. Results A total of 191 questionnaires were returned. The female/male ratio was 58.6%/41.4%. Nine state hospitals and 10 university departments participated in the study. The response rate was 29%. Forty-five percent of the participants proposed over three years for the residency duration with either extensions of the standard rotation periods in pediatrics and internal medicine or reductions in general surgery. Residents expressed the need for extra rotations (dermatology 61.8%; otolaryngology 58.6%; radiology 52.4%. Fifty-nine percent of the residents deemed a rotation in a private primary care centre necessary, 62.8% in a state primary care centre with a proposed median duration of three months. Forty-seven percent of the participants advocated subspecialties for Family Medicine, especially geriatrics. The residents were open to new educational methods such as debates, training with models, workshops and e

  5. Resident and program director gender distribution by specialty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Timothy R; Elliott, Beth A; Warner, Mary Ellen; Brown, Michael J; Rose, Steven H

    2011-12-01

    Although enrollment of women in U.S. medical schools has increased, women remain less likely to achieve senior academic rank, lead academic departments, or be appointed to national leadership positions. The purpose of this paper is to compare the gender distribution of residency program directors (PDs) with residents and faculty in the 10 largest specialties. The gender distribution of residents training in the 10 specialties with the largest enrollment was obtained from the annual education issue of Journal of the American Medical Association. The gender distribution of the residents was compared with the gender distribution of PDs and medical school faculty. The number of programs and the names of the PDs were identified by accessing the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education web site. Gender was confirmed through electronic search of state medical board data, program web sites, or by using internet search engines. The gender distribution of medical school faculty was determined using the Association of American Medical Colleges faculty roster database (accessed June 15, 2011). The correlation between female residents and PDs was assessed using Pearson's product-moment correlation. The gender distribution of female PDs appointed June 1, 2006, through June 1, 2010, was compared with the distribution appointed before June 1, 2006, using chi square analysis. Specialties with higher percentages of female PDs had a higher percentage of female residents enrolled (r=0.81, p=0.005). The number of female PDs appointed from July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2010, was greater than the number appointed before July 1, 2006, in emergency medicine (pWomen remain underrepresented in PD appointments relative to the proportion of female medical school faculty and female residents. Mechanisms to address gender-based barriers to advancement should be considered.

  6. 76 FR 42112 - Specialty Crop Committee Stakeholder Listening Sessions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-18

    ... Specialty Crop Committee Stakeholder Listening Sessions AGENCY: Research, Education, and Economics, USDA. ACTION: Notice of stakeholder listening sessions. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App 2, the United States Department of Agriculture announces two stakeholder...

  7. Aeromechanics and Vehicle Configuration Demonstrations. Volume 3: A Hybrid Probabilistic Method for Estimate Design Margin

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-02-01

    hindering- our-design-process/, 2008. [12] BIGGS , R., LOVE, M., and PENDLETON, E., “An integrated airframe experiment for future responsive access to...space applications,” in 50th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2009. [13] BIGGS , R., MCCANDLESS...C., WARD, S., and WARD, S., Project risk management: processes, techniques, and insights. John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2003. [26] CHAU, K., “Monte

  8. [A historical view of the specialty of clinical microbiology].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez, Evelio Perea; Álvarez, Rogelio Martín

    2010-10-01

    Clinical microbiology today is a well established specialty in Spain whose development has necessarily been linked to improvements in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Over time, clinical, teaching, and research structures have been organized around these diseases. In addition, a scientific society for specialists in infectious diseases (Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica) has been set up, which in turn, publishes the journal ENFERMEDADES INFECCIOSAS Y MICROBIOLOGÍA CLÍNICA, and organizes congresses, meetings, working groups and a quality control program, etc. Clinical microbiologists will continue to be needed to meet future challenges (identification of new pathogenic microorganisms, methodological changes, diagnostic quality and speed, nosocomial infections, the development of antimicrobial resistance, etc.), which constitute a well-defined area of knowledge specific to our specialty. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España S.L. All rights reserved.

  9. Ideal versus real conditions for type 2 diabetes care : diabetes specialty nurses’ perspectives

    OpenAIRE

    Jutterström, Lena; Hällgren Graneheim, Ulla; Isaksson, Ulf; Hörnsten, Åsa

    2012-01-01

    Background: Since diabetes specialty nurses are the professionals who spend the most time with patients living with diabetes, they probably have the greatest influence on the quality of diabetes care. Therefore, their personal perceptions about what constitutes “good care” in type 2 diabetes care are important to explore. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe conditions for “good care” in type 2-diabetes as perceived by diabetes specialty nurses. Method: Twenty-one experienced diabetes s...

  10. Providing Specialty Care for the Poor and Underserved at Student-Run Free Clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Max Bolun; Xiong, Grace; Boggiano, Victoria Lynn; Ye, Patrick Peiyong; Lin, Steven

    2017-01-01

    This report describes the model of specialty clinics implemented at Stanford University's two student-run free clinics, Arbor Free Clinic and Pacific Free Clinic, in the San Francisco Bay Area. We describe our patient demographic characteristics and the specialty services provided. We discuss challenges in implementing specialty care at student-run free clinics.

  11. Improving the communication between teams managing boarded patients on a surgical specialty ward.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puvaneswaralingam, Shobitha; Ross, Daniella

    2016-01-01

    Transferring patients from the ward of their specialty or consultant is described as boarding. 1 Boarding patients is becoming increasingly prevalent due to greater pressure on hospital capacity. This practice compromises patient safety through delayed investigations, prolonged hospital stays, and increased risk of hospital-acquired infections. 1 2 We evaluated how regularly boarded patients were reviewed, and how effectively information regarding their management was communicated from their primary specialty to ward staff. We aimed to improve the frequency of patient reviews by ensuring that each patient was reviewed every weekday and increase communication between primary specialty, and medical and nursing teams by 20% from baseline during the data collection period. The project was based in the Otolaryngology ward in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, where there was a high prevalence of boarded patients. Baseline data showed a clear deficit in communication between the primary specialty and ward staff with only 31% of patient reviews being communicated to ward doctors. We designed and implemented a communication tool, in the form of a sticker, to be inserted into patients' medical notes for use by the primary specialty. Implementation of the sticker improved communication between teams as stickers were completed in 93% of instances. In 88% of patient reviews, the junior doctor was informed of the management plan, showing a large increase from baseline. Through PDSA cycles, we aimed to increase the sustainability and reliability of the sticker; however, we faced challenges with sustainability of sticker insertion. We aim to engage more stakeholders to raise awareness of the problem, brainstorm solutions together, and review the production and implementation of stickers with senior hospital management to discuss the potential use of this tool within practice. There is potentially a large scope for utilisation of this communication tool on a local level, which we hope

  12. 77 FR 6584 - Specialty Bar Products Company,a Subsidiary of Doncasters, Inc., Blairsville, PA; Notice of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-80,511] Specialty Bar Products Company,a Subsidiary of Doncasters, Inc., Blairsville, PA; Notice of Affirmative Determination Regarding... Assistance (TAA) applicable to workers and former workers of Specialty Bar Products Company, a subsidiary of...

  13. Gender difference in preference of specialty as a career choice among Japanese medical students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryuichi Kawamoto

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Japan, the absolute deficiency of doctors and maldistribution of doctors by specialty is a significant problem in the Japanese health care system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors contributing to specialty preference in career choice among Japanese medical students. Methods A total of 368 medical students completed the survey giving an 88.2 % response rate. The subjects comprised 141 women aged 21 ± 3 (range, 18–34 years and 227 men aged 22 ± 4 (range, 18–44 years. Binary Logistic regression analysis was performed using specialty preferences as the criterion variable and the factors in brackets as six motivational variables (e.g., Factor 1: educational experience; Factor 2: job security; Factor 3: advice from others; Factor 4: work-life balance; Factor 5: technical and research specialty; and Factor 6: personal reasons. Results Women significantly preferred pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, and psychology than the men. Men significantly preferred surgery and orthopedics than the women. For both genders, a high odds ratio (OR of “technical & research specialty” and a low OR for “personal reasons” were associated with preference for surgery. “Technical & research specialty” was positively associated with preference for special internal medicine and negatively for pediatrics. “Work-life balance” was positively associated with preference for psychology and negatively for emergency medicine. Among the women only, “technical & research specialty” was negatively associated with preference for general medicine/family medicine and obstetrics & gynecology, and “job security” was positively associated for general medicine/family medicine and negatively for psychology. Among men only, “educational experience” and “personal reasons” were positively, and “job security” was negatively associated with preference for pediatrics. For both genders,

  14. Operational experience with DICOM for the clinical specialties in the healthcare enterprise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzmak, Peter M.; Dayhoff, Ruth E.

    2004-04-01

    A number of clinical specialties routinely use images in treating patients, for example ophthalmology, dentistry, cardiology, endoscopy, and surgery. These images are captured by a variety of commercial digital image acquisition systems. The US Department of Veterans Affairs has been working for several years on advancing the use of the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Standard in these clinical specialties. This is an effort that has involved several facets: (1) working with the vendors to ensure that they satisfy existing DICOM requirements, (2) developing interface software to the VistA hospital information system (HIS), (3) field testing DICOM systems, (4) deploying these DICOM interfaces nation-wide to all VA medical centers, (5) working with the healthcare providers using the system, and (6) participating in the DICOM working groups to improve the standard. The VA is now beginning to develop clinical applications that make use of the DICOM interfaces in the clinical specialties. The first of these will be in ophthalmology to remotely screen patients for diabetic retinopathy.

  15. Evaluation and Validation of Organic Materials for Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASCs): Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Euy-Sik Eugene

    2015-01-01

    Various organic materials are used as essential parts in Stirling Convertors for their unique properties and functionalities such as bonding, potting, sealing, thread locking, insulation, and lubrication. More efficient Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASC) are being developed for future space applications especially with a long mission cycle, sometimes up to 17 years, such as deep space exploration or lunar surface power or Mars rovers, and others. Thus, performance, durability, and reliability of those organics should be critically evaluated in every possible material-process-fabrication-service environment relations based on their mission specifications. In general, thermal stability, radiation hardness, outgassing, and material compatibility of the selected organics have been systematically evaluated while their process and fabrication conditions and procedures were being optimized. Service environment-simulated long term aging tests up to 4 years were performed as a function of temperature for durability assessment of the most critical organic material systems.

  16. E-cigarette specialty retailers: Data to assess the association between retail environment and student e-cigarette use

    OpenAIRE

    Georgiana Bostean; Catherine M. Crespi; Patsornkarn Vorapharuek; William J. McCarthy

    2017-01-01

    The retail environment is a major social determinant of health, yet little is known about the e-cigarette specialty retailer environment. The e-cigarette specialty retail environment may be associated with e-cigarette use by middle and high school students, an issue that was addressed in a recent article entitled, ?E-cigarette use among students and e-cigarette specialty retailer presence near schools,? by Bostean and colleagues (G. Bostean, C.M. Crespi, P. Vorapharuek, W.J. McCarthy, 2016 [1...

  17. Gender Inflexion in the Construction of a New Medical Specialty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Aisengart Menezes

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available This article presents the constitution of a new medical specialty, Palliative Care, directed to patients “out of therapeutic possibilities”. The concept emerged around 1960 in England and was implemented in Brazil a couple of years before 1990. It is characterized by an active attendance of the dying process. It postulates a “spiritual assistance” to the patient and his/her family members, including the emotional universe. Ethnographical observation and interviews with Brazilian professionals showed a majority of women among the health teams involved in this proposal. This article discusses and analyses the connection between the construction of the specialty and gender representation among these professionals that reflects popular social images about death, beliefs, emotions and the roles played by women and men in these subjects.

  18. Are new medical students' specialty preferences gendered? Related motivational factors at a Dutch medical school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Tongeren-Alers, Margret; van Esch, Maartje; Verdonk, Petra; Johansson, Eva; Hamberg, Katarina; Lagro-Janssen, Toine

    2011-01-01

    Female students currently outnumber male students in most medical schools. Some medical specialties are highly gender segregated. Therefore, it is interesting to know whether medical students have early specialization preferences based on their gender. Consequently, we like to know importance stipulated to motivational factors. Our study investigates new medical students' early specialization preferences and motivational factors. New students at a Dutch medical school (n = 657) filled in a questionnaire about specialty preferences (response rate = 94%; 69.5% female, 30.5% male). The students chose out of internal medicine, psychiatry, neurology, pediatrics, surgery, gynecology and family medicine, "other" or "I don't know." Finally, they valued ten motivational factors. Forty percent of the medical students reported no specialty preference yet. Taken together, female medical students preferred pediatrics and wished to combine work and care, whereas male students opted for surgery and valued career opportunities. Gender-driven professional preferences in new medical students should be noticed in order to use competencies. Changes in specialty preferences and motivational factors in pre- and post graduates should further assess the role of medical education.

  19. ASC 84: applied superconductivity conference. Final program and abstracts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-01-01

    Abstracts are given of presentations covering: superconducting device fabrication; applications of rf superconductivity; conductor stability and losses; detectors and signal processing; fusion magnets; A15 and Nb-Ti conductors; stability, losses, and various conductors; SQUID applications; new applications of superconductivity; advanced conductor materials; high energy physics applications of superconductivity; electronic materials and characterization; general superconducting electronics; ac machinery and new applications; digital devices; fusion and other large scale applications; in-situ and powder process conductors; ac applications; synthesis, properties, and characterization of conductors; superconducting microelectronics

  20. ASC 84: applied superconductivity conference. Final program and abstracts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1984-01-01

    Abstracts are given of presentations covering: superconducting device fabrication; applications of rf superconductivity; conductor stability and losses; detectors and signal processing; fusion magnets; A15 and Nb-Ti conductors; stability, losses, and various conductors; SQUID applications; new applications of superconductivity; advanced conductor materials; high energy physics applications of superconductivity; electronic materials and characterization; general superconducting electronics; ac machinery and new applications; digital devices; fusion and other large scale applications; in-situ and powder process conductors; ac applications; synthesis, properties, and characterization of conductors; superconducting microelectronics. (LEW)

  1. Beyond yields: Climate change effects on specialty crop quality and agroecological management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selena Ahmed

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Climate change is impacting the sustainability of food systems through shifts in natural and human dimensions of agroecosystems that influence farmer livelihoods, consumer choices, and food security. This paper highlights the need for climate studies on specialty crops to focus not only on yields, but also on quality, as well as the ability of agroecological management to buffer climate effects on quality parameters. Crop quality refers to phytonutrient and secondary metabolite profiles and associated health and sensory properties that influence consumer buying decisions. Through two literature reviews, we provide examples of specialty crops that are vulnerable to climate effects on quality and examples of climate-resilient agroecological strategies. A range of specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, stimulants, and herbs were identified to respond to climate variables with changes in quality. The review on climate-resilient strategies to mitigate effects on crop quality highlighted a major gap in the literature. However, agricultural diversification emerged as a promising strategy for climate resilience more broadly and highlights the need for future research to assess the potential of diversified agroecosystems to buffer climate effects on crop quality. We integrate the concepts from our literature review within a socio-ecological systems framework that takes into account feedbacks between crop quality, consumer responses, and agroecosystem management. The presented framework is especially useful for two themes in agricultural development and marketing, nutrition-sensitive agriculture and terroir, for informing the design of climate-change resilient specialty crop systems focused on management of quality and other ecosystem services towards promoting environmental and human wellbeing.

  2. Pain medicine: The case for an independent medical specialty and training programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubois, Michel Y; Follett, Kenneth A

    2014-06-01

    Over the last 30 years, pain has become one of the most dynamic areas of medicine and a public health issue. According to a recent Institute of Medicine report, pain affects approximately 100 million Americans at an estimated annual economic cost of $560 to $635 billion and is poorly treated overall. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognizes a pain subspecialty, but pain care delivery has struggled with increasing demand and developed in an inconsistent and uncoordinated fashion. Pain education is insufficient and highly variable. Multiple pain professional organizations have led to fragmentation of the field and lack of interdisciplinary agreement, resulting in confusion regarding who speaks for pain medicine. In this Perspective, the authors argue that ABMS recognition of pain medicine as an independent medical specialty would provide much needed structure and oversight for the field and would generate credibility for the specialty and its providers among medical peers, payers, regulatory and legislative agencies, and the public at large. The existing system, managed by three ABMS boards, largely excludes other specialties that contribute to pain care, fails to provide leadership from a single professional organization, provides suboptimal training exposure to pain medicine, and lengthens training, which results in inefficient use of time and educational resources. The creation of a primary ABMS conjoint board in pain medicine with its own residency programs and departments would provide better coordinated training, ensure the highest degree of competence of pain medicine specialists, and improve the quality of pain care and patient safety.

  3. Preparation for a postgraduate specialty examination by medical students in Turkey: processes and sources of anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turan, Sevgi; Üner, Sarp

    2015-01-01

    PHENOMENON: Interns in Turkey must endeavor to study for a specialty exam during their internship. The preparation process for the specialty exam and the effect of this process on the students' anxiety has not been studied comprehensively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interns' preparation time for the specialty exam, their perception of how the preparation process affects their training, and which factors are related to their test anxiety. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 6th-year students (interns). A questionnaire asked participants to report health status, academic achievement, exam-related anxiety, and trait anxiety. Two open-ended questions asked about views regarding the specialty exam. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the significant predictors of anxiety level due to the exam. The average duration of exam preparations of participating interns (n = 214) was 16.8 months and 14.3 hours/week. Participating interns' health status, economic level, perception of academic achievement, time allocated to study for the exam, time remaining until the exam, and trait anxiety level demonstrated a relationship with anxiety level due to the exam (R =.35, R(2) =.13, p anxiety level. The internship curriculum, requirements, and timing of the specialty exam should be reconsidered.

  4. HPV genotype profile in a Norwegian cohort with ASC-US and LSIL cytology with three year cumulative risk of high grade cervical neoplasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lie, A K; Tropé, A; Skare, G B; Bjørge, T; Jonassen, C M; Brusegard, K; Lönnberg, S

    2018-01-01

    To explore the HPVgenotype profile in Norwegian women with ASC-US/LSIL cytology and the subsequent risk of high-grade cervical neoplasia (CIN 3+). In this observational study delayed triage of ASC-US/LSIL of 6058 women were included from 2005 to 2010. High-risk HPV detection with Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) was used and the HC2+ cases were genotyped with in-house nmPCR. Women were followed-up for histologically confirmed CIN3+ within three years of index HPV test by linkage to the screening databases at the Cancer Registry of Norway. HC2 was positive in 45% (2756/6058) of the women. Within 3years CIN3+ was diagnosed in 26% of womenrisk for CIN3+. Among older women, all 13 high-risk genotypes as single infection were associated with >20% risk of CIN3+. Further studies are necessary to risk stratify the individual genotypes to reduce the number of colposcopies in Norway. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The preference of radiology as a postgraduate medical specialty ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Recruitment into medical specialties outside the core clinical departments remains a stumbling block to advancing medical practice in Nigeria. We set out to determine the factors influencing choice of diagnostic radiology as a field of specialization by the final year medical students in Usmanu Danfodiyo ...

  6. [A scintillating specialty. Excerpts from the history of nuclear medicine in Denmark].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Søren

    2010-01-01

    Nuclear medicine is among the youngest medical specialties but its history spans more than a century. From the earliest discoveries of radioactivity and the establishment of the novel field of nuclear physics at the turn of the twentieth century and via the developments in radiochemistry set in motion by George de Hevesy from his base in Copenhagen to the specialty of today offering a multitude of diagnostic procedures. The present work is not intended to cover the entire history of nuclear medicine exhaustively but focus on pivotal events in the development of the field with special reference to Denmark.

  7. Urology – a specialty that will be faced by all future doctors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miah S

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Saiful Miah,1 Karl H Pang2 1Department of Urology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, 2Academic Urology Unit, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UKWe read with great interest the articles by Shah, and Ah-kee and Khan regarding the various potential methods that could increase the exposure of undergraduate medical students to smaller specialties.1,2 We would like to draw attention to a small but high clinical volume specialty, ie, urology.Read the original article by ShahRead the original article by Ah-kee and Khan 

  8. Impact of Cost-Sharing Increases on Continuity of Specialty Drug Use: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Pengxiang; Hu, Tianyan; Yu, Xinyan; Chahin, Salim; Dahodwala, Nabila; Blum, Marissa; Pettit, Amy R; Doshi, Jalpa A

    2017-07-24

    To examine the impact of cost-sharing increases on continuity of specialty drug use in Medicare beneficiaries with multiple sclerosis (MS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Five percent Medicare claims data (2007-2010). Quasi-experimental study examining changes in specialty drug use among a group of Medicare Part D beneficiaries without low-income subsidies (non-LIS) as they transitioned from a 5 percent cost-sharing preperiod to a ≥25 percent cost-sharing postperiod, as compared to changes among a disease-matched contemporaneous control group of patients eligible for full low-income subsidies (LIS), who faced minor cost sharing (≤$6.30 copayment) in both the pre- and postperiods. Key variables were extracted from Medicare data. Relative to the LIS group, the non-LIS group had a greater increase in incidence of 30-day continuous gaps in any Part D treatment from the lower cost-sharing period to the higher cost-sharing period (MS, absolute increase = 10.1 percent, OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.19-2.17; RA, absolute increase = 21.9 percent, OR = 2.75, 95% CI 2.15-3.51). The increase in Part D treatment gaps was not offset by increased Part B specialty drug use. Cost-sharing increases due to specialty tier-level cost sharing were associated with interruptions in MS and RA specialty drug treatments. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  9. Future Choice of Specialty among Students in a Caribbean Medical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: The medical specialities chosen by medical students for their careers play an important part in ... data, generic factors considered as important in their specialty choice as well as factors that influence the students\\' attractiveness to ...

  10. High and specialty-related musculoskeletal disorders afflict dental professionals even since early training years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianru YI

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To determine how early musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs develop in dental professionals and to explore the potential differences among distinct dental specialties. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 271 dental postgraduates majoring in five dental specialties were recruited, i.e., orthodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics and alveolar surgery. 254 age-matched non-dental postgraduates served as the control. The standardized Nordic questionnaire on MSDs and a self-report questionnaire regarding correlative factors (only for dental postgraduates were answered through emails. Reliability of responses was assessed applying test-retest method. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficient of participants' answers ranged from 0.89 to 0.96. Dental postgraduates had significantly higher prevalence of MSDs than the control group, especially at neck, upper back and lower back. In all dental specialties included, high prevalence of MSDs was reported at neck (47.5%-69.8%, shoulders (50.8%-65.1%, lower back (27.1%-51.2% and upper back (25.6%-46.5%, with lower prevalence at elbows (5.1%-18.6%, hips (3.4%-16.3% and ankles (5.1%-11.6%. Periodontics students reported the worst MSDs in most body regions except wrists and knees, which were more prevalent for prosthodontic and alveolar surgery students, respectively. Furthermore, year of clinical work, clinical hours per week and desk hours per week were found as risk factors for MSDs, whereas physical exercise and rest between patients as protective factors. CONCLUSIONS: High and specialty-related MSDs afflict dental professionals even since very early stage of careers. Prevention aimed at the specialty-related characteristics and the risk/protective factors revealed in this study should be introduced to dental personnel as early as possible.

  11. Patient-Centered Specialty Practice: Defining the Role of Specialists in Value-Based Health Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Lawrence; Powell, Rhea E; Scharf, Michael L; Chapman, Andrew; Kavuru, Mani

    2017-04-01

    Health care is at a crossroads and under pressure to add value by improving patient experience and health outcomes and reducing costs to the system. Efforts to improve the care model in primary care, such as the patient-centered medical home, have enjoyed some success. However, primary care accounts for only a small portion of total health-care spending, and there is a need for policies and frameworks to support high-quality, cost-efficient care in specialty practices of the medical neighborhood. The Patient-Centered Specialty Practice (PCSP) model offers ambulatory-based specialty practices one such framework, supported by a formal recognition program through the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The key elements of the PCSP model include processes to support timely access to referral requests, improved communication and coordination with patients and referring clinicians, reduced unnecessary and duplicative testing, and an emphasis on continuous measurement of quality, safety, and performance improvement for a population of patients. Evidence to support the model remains limited, and estimates of net costs and value to practices are not fully understood. The PCSP model holds promise for promoting value-based health care in specialty practices. The continued development of appropriate incentives is required to ensure widespread adoption. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Surgical resident perceptions of trauma surgery as a specialty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadzikadic, Lejla; Burke, Peter A; Esposito, Thomas J; Agarwal, Suresh

    2010-05-01

    Presenting the opinions of surgical residents about the appeal of trauma surgery as a specialty may influence current reform. Survey study. Academic research. General surgery residents (postgraduate years 1-5 and recent graduates) registered with the American College of Surgeons. A 22-item survey. Career plans and perceptions about trauma surgery as a specialty. Of 6006 mailed surveys, we had a 20.1% response rate. Midlevel residents comprised most of the respondents, and most were undecided about their career choice or planned to enter general surgical private practice. The typical residency programs represented were academic (81.7%), urban (90.6%), and level I trauma centers (78.7%), and included more than 6 months of trauma experience (77.6%). Most respondents (70.6%) thought that trauma surgery was unappealing. The most important deterrents to entering the field were lifestyle, poor reimbursement, and limited operating room exposure, while increased surgical critical care was not seen as a restriction. When questioned about the future of trauma surgery, they believed that trauma surgeons should perform elective (86.8%) and nontrauma emergency (91.5%) cases and would benefit from active association with an outpatient clinic (76.0%). Intellectual challenge and exciting nature of the field were listed as the most appealing aspects, and ideal practice characteristics included guaranteed salary and time away from work. As demand for trauma surgeons increases, resident interest has dwindled. As a specialty, trauma surgery must undergo changes that reflect the needs of the incoming generation. We present a sampling of current surgical resident opinion and offer these data to assist the changing discipline and the evolving field of acute care surgery.

  13. Topical anaesthesia in children: reducing the need for specialty referral.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Connor, Gabrielle

    2012-01-31

    OBJECTIVE: The management of wounds in children is stressful, not only for the child, but also for parents and staff. In our Emergency Department (ED), we currently do not have a paediatric sedation policy, and thus children requiring suturing, not amenable to distraction and infiltrative anaesthesia, are referred to specialty teams for general anaesthesia. We proposed that the introduction of a topical anaesthetic gel (lidocaine, adrenaline, tetracaine - LAT) might help to reduce the number of referrals, by allowing the ED staff to perform the procedures, in combination with nonpharmacological approaches. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective review of ED records of all children aged 14 years or less attending with wounds, over an 8-month period, from 01 May 2007 to 31 January 2008. RESULTS: Two hundred and one (50.6%) patients presented before the introduction of LAT gel, whereas 196 (49.3%) patients presented afterwards. A total of 39 (19.4%) patients were referred for specialty review pre-LAT, whereas only 19 (9.7%) patients were referred in the LAT group. Of these, 31 (15.4%) pre-LAT and 15 (7.7%) LAT group required general anaesthesia. There is a significant difference between these two groups, using Fischer\\'s exact test, P=0.018. CONCLUSION: We have found that the introduction of topical anaesthetic gel in ED has significantly reduced the number of children with wounds referred to specialty teams for general anaesthesia. This has important implications for patient safety and hospital resources.

  14. Shale oil specialty markets: Screening survey for United States applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1987-12-01

    EG and G requested J. E. Sinor Consultants Inc. to carry out an initial screening study on the possibilities for producing specialty chemicals from oil shale. Raw shale oil is not an acceptable feedstock to refineries and there are not enough user of heavy fuel oil in the western oil shale region to provide a dependable market. The only alternatives are to hydrotreat the oil, or else ship it long distances to a larger market area. Either of these alternatives results in a cost penalty of several dollars per barrel. Instead of attempting to enter the large-volume petroleum products market, it was hypothesized that a small shale oil facility might be able to produce specialty chemicals with a high enough average value to absorb the high costs of shipping small quantities to distant markets and still provide a higher netback to the plant site than sales to the conventional petroleum products market. This approach, rather than attempting to refine shale oil or to modify its characteristics to satisfy the specifications for petroleum feedstocks or products, focuses instead on those particular characteristics which distinguish shale oil from petroleum, and attempts to identify applications which would justify a premium value for those distinctive characteristics. Because byproducts or specialty chemicals production has been a prominent feature of oil shale industries which have flourished for periods of time in various countries, a brief review of those industries provides a starting point for this study. 9 figs., 32 tabs.

  15. Nurse specialty subcultures and patient outcomes in acute care hospitals: A multiple-group structural equation modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallidou, Anastasia A; Cummings, Greta G; Estabrooks, Carole A; Giovannetti, Phyllis B

    2011-01-01

    Hospital organizational culture is widely held to matter to the delivery of services, their effectiveness, and system performance in general. However, little empirical evidence exists to support that culture affects provider and patient outcomes; even less evidence exists to support how this occurs. To explore causal relationships and mechanisms between nursing specialty subcultures and selected patient outcomes (i.e., quality of care, adverse patient events). Martin's differentiation perspective of culture (nested subcultures within organizations) was used as a theoretical framework to develop and test a model. Hospital nurse subcultures were identified as being reflected in formal practices (i.e., satisfactory salary, continuing education, quality assurance program, preceptorship), informal practices (i.e., autonomy, control over practice, nurse-physician relationships), and content themes (i.e., emotional exhaustion). A series of structural equation models were assessed using LISREL on a large nurse survey database representing four specialties (i.e., medical, surgical, intensive care, emergency) in acute care hospitals in Alberta, Canada. Nursing specialty subcultures differentially influenced patient outcomes. Specifically, quality of care (a) was affected by nurses' control over practice, (b) was better in intensive care than in medical specialty, and (c) was related to lower adverse patient events; nurses in intensive care and emergency specialties reported fewer adverse events than did their counterparts in medical specialties. Understanding the meaning of subcultures in clinical settings would influence nurses and administrators efforts to implement clinical change and affect outcomes. More research is needed on nested subcultures within healthcare organizations for better understanding differentiated subspecialty effects on complexity of care and outcomes in hospitals. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The Effect of Medical Student Volunteering in a Student-Run Clinic on Specialty Choice for Residency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Ashley; Ismail, Rahim; Gookin, Glenn; Hernandez, Caridad; Logan, Grace; Pasarica, Magdalena

    2017-01-09

     Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) are a recent popular addition to medical school education, and a subset of studies has looked at the influence of SRFC volunteering on the medical student's career development. The majority of the research done in this area has focused on understanding if these SRFCs produce physicians who are more likely to practice medicine in underserved communities, caring for the uninsured. The remainder of the research has investigated if volunteering in an SRFC influences the specialty choice of medical school students. The results of these specialty choice studies give no definitive answer as to whether medical students chose primary or specialty care residencies as a result of their SRFC experience. Keeping Neighbors in Good Health through Service (KNIGHTS) is the SRFC of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine (UCF COM). Both primary and specialty care is offered at the clinic. It is the goal of this study to determine if volunteering in the KNIGHTS SRFC influences UCF COM medical students to choose primary care, thereby helping to meet the rising need for primary care physicians in the United States.  A survey was distributed to first, second, and third-year medical students at the UCF COM to collect data on demographics, prior volunteering experience, and specialty choice for residency. Responses were then combined with records of volunteer hours from the KNIGHTS Clinic and analyzed for correlations. We analyzed the frequency and Pearson's chi-squared values. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.  Our survey had a total response rate of 39.8%. We found that neither the act of becoming a KNIGHTS Clinic volunteer nor the hours volunteered at the KNIGHTS Clinic influenced the UCF COM student's choice to enter a primary care specialty (p = NS). Additionally, prior volunteering/clinical experience or the gender of the medical school student did not influence a student's choice to volunteer at

  17. Just fun or a prejudice? - physician stereotypes in common jokes and their attribution to medical specialties by undergraduate medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harendza, Sigrid; Pyra, Martin

    2017-07-26

    Many jokes exist about stereotypical attributes of physicians in various specialties, which could lead to prejudices against physicians from a specific specialty. It is unknown whether and when medical students are aware of stereotypes about different specialties. The goal of this study was to analyze the degree of stereotypes that exist about medical specialties amongst undergraduate medical students at different stages of their education. One hundred fifty-two jokes with different content about attributes of physicians from different specialties were found by an internet search. In total, 36 characteristics of the five specialties of anesthesia, general surgery, internal medicine, orthopedics, and psychiatry were extracted from the jokes and they constituted the basis for the development of an online questionnaire. The questionnaire allowed each characteristic to be assigned to one of the five specialties and was sent to 999 undergraduate medical students from semester 1, 7, and 12 at the Medical Faculty of Hamburg University. Three hundred eight (30.8%) of the invited students completed the survey. The characteristics of general surgeons and psychiatrists were assigned congruently most frequently (>50%). For internists and orthopedics, there was a significantly more congruent assignment of the characteristics by final year students versus students in their first semester. Male students assigned the characteristics of anesthetists and internists significantly more congruently than female students. The three characteristics "…are a bit slow on the uptake", "…consider income to be relatively unimportant", and "...apologize a lot" were not assigned to any of the five specialties by more than 50% of the students. While stereotypes about physicians from certain specialties seem to exist commonly, medical educators need to be aware that stereotypes about specialties might develop during undergraduate medical training. In order to support students in their

  18. The dynamics of triads in aggregated journal-journal citation relations: specialty developments at the above-journal level

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Nooy, W.; Leydesdorff, L.

    2015-01-01

    Dyads of journals—related by citations—can agglomerate into specialties through the mechanism of triadic closure. Using the Journal Citation Reports 2011, 2012, and 2013, we analyze triad formation as indicators of integration (specialty growth) and disintegration (restructuring). The strongest

  19. 76 FR 22733 - Cable Statutory License: Specialty Station List

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-22

    ... Counsel, Copyright GC/I&R, P.O. Box 70400, Southwest Station, Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 707... foreign- language, religious, and/or automated programming in one-third of the hours of an average... programming comports with the 1981 FCC definition, and hence, qualifies it as a specialty station. 55 FR 40021...

  20. Personality and Values as Predictors of Medical Specialty Choice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taber, Brian J.; Hartung, Paul J.; Borges, Nicole J.

    2011-01-01

    Research rarely considers the combined influence of personality traits and values in predicting behavioral outcomes. We aimed to advance a germinal line of inquiry that addresses this gap by separately and simultaneously examining personality traits and physician work values to predict medical specialty choice. First-year medical students (125…

  1. PREFACE: International Scientific and Research Conference on Topical Issues in Aeronautics and Astronautics (dedicated to the 55th anniversary from the foundation of SibSAU)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-01

    The International Scientific and Research Conference ''Topical Issues in Aeronautics and Astronautics'' is one of the most significant scientific conferences arranged by the Reshetnev Siberian State Aerospace University (SibSAU) which is located in the Krasnoyarsk Region of Russian Federation. In April 2015 this Conference was dedicated to the 55th anniversary from the foundation of the University. Traditionally, the Conference is seen as emblematic of the University's specialty and is annually organized in April, when the first human travelled into space. This Conference is arranged for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students, scientists and lecturers, as well as developers, designers and constructors representing leading companies and enterprises of the aerospace sector to give opportunities to present their projects, research work and results. The Conference is a great chance to connect scientists and highly-qualified and skilled specialists with a new community of future scientists and practitioners in the aerospace sector. The Conference proceedings include papers presented by creative young specialists closely connected with aviation and space vehicles - design, production, problem-solving in space machine building and aerospace education, macro- and microeconomic development of the field, new approaches to solving philosophical and social problems, - experienced scientists and specialists, and all those who want to dedicate themselves to aeronautics and astronautics. The selected papers are presented in these proceedings to share University research results, innovations and cutting-edge technologies with the international community to develop aeronautics and astronautics on a global scale.

  2. From bench to bedside: use of human adipose-derived stem cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feisst V

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Vaughan Feisst,1 Sarah Meidinger,1 Michelle B Locke2 1Dunbar Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, 2Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Abstract: Since the discovery of adipose-derived stem cells (ASC in human adipose tissue nearly 15 years ago, significant advances have been made in progressing this promising cell therapy tool from the laboratory bench to bedside usage. Standardization of nomenclature around the different cell types used is finally being adopted, which facilitates comparison of results between research groups. In vitro studies have assessed the ability of ASC to undergo mesenchymal differentiation as well as differentiation along alternate lineages (transdifferentiation. Recently, focus has shifted to the immune modulatory and paracrine effects of transplanted ASC, with growing interest in the ASC secretome as a source of clinical effect. Bedside use of ASC is advancing alongside basic research. An increasing number of safety-focused Phase I and Phase IIb trials have been published without identifying any significant risks or adverse events in the short term. Phase III trials to assess efficacy are currently underway. In many countries, regulatory frameworks are being developed to monitor their use and assure their safety. As many trials rely on ASC injected at a distant site from the area of clinical need, strategies to improve the homing and efficacy of transplanted cells are also being explored. This review highlights each of these aspects of the bench-to-bedside use of ASC and summarizes their clinical utility across a variety of medical specialties. Keywords: standardization, bystander effect, stromal cells, mesenchymal stem cells, stromal vascular fraction

  3. Detecting clinically relevant new information in clinical notes across specialties and settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei V S; Arsoniadis, Elliot G; Lee, Janet T; Wang, Yan; Melton, Genevieve B

    2017-07-05

    Automated methods for identifying clinically relevant new versus redundant information in electronic health record (EHR) clinical notes is useful for clinicians and researchers involved in patient care and clinical research, respectively. We evaluated methods to automatically identify clinically relevant new information in clinical notes, and compared the quantity of redundant information across specialties and clinical settings. Statistical language models augmented with semantic similarity measures were evaluated as a means to detect and quantify clinically relevant new and redundant information over longitudinal clinical notes for a given patient. A corpus of 591 progress notes over 40 inpatient admissions was annotated for new information longitudinally by physicians to generate a reference standard. Note redundancy between various specialties was evaluated on 71,021 outpatient notes and 64,695 inpatient notes from 500 solid organ transplant patients (April 2015 through August 2015). Our best method achieved at best performance of 0.87 recall, 0.62 precision, and 0.72 F-measure. Addition of semantic similarity metrics compared to baseline improved recall but otherwise resulted in similar performance. While outpatient and inpatient notes had relatively similar levels of high redundancy (61% and 68%, respectively), redundancy differed by author specialty with mean redundancy of 75%, 66%, 57%, and 55% observed in pediatric, internal medicine, psychiatry and surgical notes, respectively. Automated techniques with statistical language models for detecting redundant versus clinically relevant new information in clinical notes do not improve with the addition of semantic similarity measures. While levels of redundancy seem relatively similar in the inpatient and ambulatory settings in the Fairview Health Services, clinical note redundancy appears to vary significantly with different medical specialties.

  4. The Antimalarial Chloroquine Suppresses LPS-Induced NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Confers Protection against Murine Endotoxic Shock

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoli Chen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which catalyzes maturation of proinflammatory cytokines like IL-1β and IL-18, is implicated and essentially involved in many kinds of inflammatory disorders. Chloroquine (CQ is a traditional antimalarial drug and also possesses an anti-inflammatory property. In this study, we investigated whether CQ suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation and thereby confers protection against murine endotoxic shock. CQ attenuated NF-κB and MAPK activation and prohibited expression of IL-1β, IL-18, and Nlrp3 in LPS treated murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs, demonstrating its inhibitory effect on the priming signal of NLRP3 activation. Then, CQ was shown to inhibit caspase-1 activation and ASC specks formation in BMDMs, which indicates that CQ also suppresses inflammasome assembly, the second signal for NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In a murine endotoxic shock model, CQ effectively improved survival and markedly reduced IL-1β and IL-18 production in serum, peritoneal fluid, and lung tissues. Moreover, CQ reduced protein levels of NLRP3 and caspases-1 p10 in lung homogenates of mice with endotoxic shock, which may possibly explain its anti-inflammatory activity and life protection efficacy in vivo. Overall, our results demonstrate a new role of CQ that facilitates negative regulation on NLRP3 inflammasome, which thereby confers protection against lethal endotoxic shock.

  5. IPM of specialty crops and community gardens in north Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Insect pests post serious challenges to specialty crops (vegetables, fruits and nut crops) and community gardens in North Florida. The major vegetable pests include silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii; the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae; southeastern green stinkbug, Nezara viridula; brown s...

  6. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR SPECIALTY COFFEE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vharessa Aknesia

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Specialty coffee is a coffee of premium quality that has been made through various stages of post-harvest processing and strictly controlled to produce distinctive taste of origins. PT Sinar Mayang Lestari is one of the companies that currently produce and develop specialty coffee type, Arabica Java Preanger. The objectives of the study are to examine competitive advantages and develop an alternative strategy that need to be done by PT Sinar Mayang Lestari for their business development. The research methods used are value chain analysis and VRIO framework to explore competitive advantage owned by the company. The result shows the company currently has a temporary competitive advantage of the technological resources and reputation. By using SWOT-AHP technique, the alternative strategies that can be done by company are as follows: 1 increasing the production of natural and honey coffee  type; 2 building coffee center in plantation site for sharing knowledge and innovation media to the farmers; 3 improving the competency of human resource in plantation, post harvest, and promoting area; 4 building management system gradually 5 forwarding integration by building roast and ground coffee business; and 6 maximizing the ability of the land and human resources through research and development.Keywords: competitive advantage, specialty coffee, SWOT-AHP, value chain, VRIOABSTRAKKopi special merupakan kopi dengan kualitas premium yang sudah melalui berbagai tahapan pengolahan pascapanen yang diawasi dengan ketat sehingga menghasilkan cita rasa yang khas sesuai dengan daerah asalnya. PT Sinar Mayang Lestari adalah salah satu perusahaan yang saatini memproduksi dan mengembangkan kopi spesial jenis Arabika Java Preanger. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah menganalisis keunggulan bersaing yang dimiliki dan mengembangkan alternative strategi yang perlu dilakukanoleh PT Sinar Mayang Lestari untuk pengembangan usahanya. Penelitian ini menggunakan analisis rantai

  7. Lessons Learned in Pilot Testing Specialty Consultations to Benefit Individuals with Lower Limb Loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Elnitsky

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Telerehabilitation technologies enable the delivery of rehabilitation services from providers to people with disabilities as well as specialty care consultations. This article discusses the barriers experienced when planning and pilot testing a telerehabilitation multi-site specialty consultation for specialists in their medical centers, and the lessons learned. The barriers included integration and participation, coordination across organizational units, and privacy and information security. Lessons learned included the need for collaboration across multiple departments, telerehabilitation equipment back-ups, and anonymous and private communication protocols. Despite delays resulting from coordination at multiple levels of a national organization, we developed a program plan and successfully implemented a pilot test of the southeast region program.  Specialty consultation using telerehabilitation delivery methods requires identifying provider preferences for technological features. Lessons learned could inform development of outpatient telerehabilitation for patients with amputations and studies of patients and providers involved in telerehabilitation.

  8. Primary care resident perceived preparedness to deliver cross-cultural care: an examination of training and specialty differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greer, Joseph A; Park, Elyse R; Green, Alexander R; Betancourt, Joseph R; Weissman, Joel S

    2007-08-01

    Previous research has shown that resident physicians report differences in training across primary care specialties, although limited data exist on education in delivering cross-cultural care. The goals of this study were to identify factors that relate to primary care residents' perceived preparedness to provide cross-cultural care and to explore the extent to which these perceptions vary across primary care specialties. Cross-sectional, national mail survey of resident physicians in their last year of training. Eleven hundred fifty primary care residents specializing in family medicine (27%), internal medicine (23%), pediatrics (26%), and obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) (24%). Male residents as well as those who reported having graduated from U.S. medical schools, access to role models, and a greater cross-cultural case mix during residency felt more prepared to deliver cross-cultural care. Adjusting for these demographic and clinical factors, family practice residents were significantly more likely to feel prepared to deliver cross-cultural care compared to internal medicine, pediatric, and OB/GYN residents. Yet, when the quantity of instruction residents reported receiving to deliver cross-cultural care was added as a predictor, specialty differences became nonsignificant, suggesting that training opportunities better account for the variability in perceived preparedness than specialty. Across primary care specialties, residents reported different perceptions of preparedness to deliver cross-cultural care. However, this variation was more strongly related to training factors, such as the amount of instruction physicians received to deliver such care, rather than specialty affiliation. These findings underscore the importance of formal education to enhance residents' preparedness to provide cross-cultural care.

  9. Empathy differences by gender and specialty preference in medical students: a study in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Mariana A; Grosseman, Suely; Morelli, Thiago C; Giuliano, Isabela C B; Erdmann, Thomas R

    2016-05-21

    We have conducted this study to assess medical students' empathy and to examine empathy differences by students' socio-demographic characteristics, including gender, and specialty preference. We have conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive research. Among 595 medical students registered at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil) in 2012, we have selected a sample of 320 enrolled in the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, and in the last semester of the course. The response rate obtained was 70.6% (n=226). Data was collected by using a self-report questionnaire, and the variables analyzed included course semester, socio-demographic characteristics (such as age, gender, household monthly income and parents level of education), students' specialty preference, and empathy assessed by the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. We have used descriptive statistics, 95% Confidence Interval for percentages, Student's t-test, and Analysis of Variance to analyze the data. Mean empathy among students was (M=119.7, SD=9.9), with no difference by according to semester (F=1.5, p=.2). Empathy means were higher among females (M=118.3, SD=10.6) than among males (M=121.0, SD=9.3, t=-2.1, p=.032). Students who preferred a people-oriented specialty obtained significantly higher mean scores (M=121.5, SD=8.1) in comparison to students who preferred technology-oriented specialties (M=118.0, SD=11.3, t=2.4, p=.02). Our study has found consistently high scores of empathy among medical students enrolled in all levels of training at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, and higher empathy among women and students who intend to pursue a people-oriented specialty. Conclusions on higher empathy among medical students require further study.

  10. ‎ Factors Affecting the Choice of Psychiatry as a Specialty in ‎Psychiatry Residents in Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadr, Seyed Saeed; Nayerifard‎‎, Razieh; Samimi Ardestani, Seyed Mehdi; Namjoo, Massood

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the current factors affecting the choice of ‎psychiatry as a specialty and to detect the main factors in their choice.‎ Method: This descriptive study included 75 first year psychiatry residents in the academic year of ‎‎2014/2015. A Likert-type anonymous questionnaire consisting of academic and ‎demographic data with 43 questions, which evaluated the reason for choosing ‎psychiatry as a specialty, was given to the residents.‎ Results: The participants had a positive opinion about 28 items of the questionnaire, meaning that ‎these items had a positive effect in choosing psychiatry as a specialty (questions with P ‎value less than 0.05 and a positive mean). More than 80% of the residents had a positive ‎opinion about six items of the questionnaire (amount of intellectual challenge, variety of ‎knowledge fields relevant to psychiatry, emphasis on the patient as a whole person, the ‎importance of treating mental illnesses in the future, work pressure and stress of the ‎field during residency and coordinating with the person's life style). The participants ‎had a negative opinion about two items of the questionnaire (questions with a P value ‎less than 0.05 and a negative mean). They included experiencing mental illness ‎personally through relatives or close friends as well as the income in psychiatry. ‎Moreover, 36% of the residents with a more definite opinion mentioned that they chose ‎psychiatry as a specialty because of the limitations in residency exam.‎ Conclusion: Assistants had a positive opinion about most of the questions and this positive attitude ‎seemed to be an important factor in their specialty choice. However, attending to the ‎preventing factors may increase the selection of psychiatry as a specialty.‎ PMID:27928251

  11. The Impact of HIV/AIDS Epidemic on the Choice of Specialties ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Impact of HIV/AIDS Epidemic on the Choice of Specialties among Medical ... satisfaction and favourable work schedule respectively. ... We recommend improvements in the work environment and adherence to universal precautions to

  12. The recognition of radiation protection training as a professional specialty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Touzet, R. E.

    2003-01-01

    After Chernobyl accident, the radiation protection training was recognized as a professional specialty. To improve this training we focussed the project in 3 points: - The recognition of radiation protective in the legislation. - Stablishment of minimum programs - Different categories: nuclear facilities, radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals

  13. Assessing Student Interest and Familiarity with Professional Psychology Specialty Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark-Wroblewski, Kimberly; Wiggins, Tina L.; Ryan, Joseph J.

    2006-01-01

    The present study examined undergraduate psychology students' (N = 83) self-reported interest in and familiarity with five specialty areas in professional psychology: counseling psychology, clinical psychology, school psychology, forensic psychology, and criminal profiling. Results suggest that although students are quite interested in careers…

  14. Best practices across surgical specialties relating to simulation-based training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardner, Aimee K; Scott, Daniel J; Pedowitz, Robert A; Sweet, Robert M; Feins, Richard H; Deutsch, Ellen S; Sachdeva, Ajit K

    2015-11-01

    Simulation-based training is playing an increasingly important role in surgery. However, there is insufficient discussion among the surgical specialties regarding how simulation may best be leveraged for training. There is much to be learned from one another as we all strive to meet new requirements within the context of Undergraduate Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education, and Continuing Medical Education. To address this need, a panel was convened at the 6th Annual Meeting of the Consortium of the American College of Surgeons-Accredited Education Institutes consisting of key leaders in the field of simulation from 4 surgical subspecialties, namely, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, urology, and otolaryngology. An overview of how the 5 surgical specialties are using simulation-based training to meet a wide array of educational needs for all levels of learners is presented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. An Investigation into the Current State and Direction of the Development of the Russian Language as a Specialty in China’s Comprehensive Universities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guo Lijun

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Chinese comprehensive universities will face the stern tenet of the development of Russian as a specialty. Connecting this specialty with the advantage of the development of university disciplines and taking one’s own path of building the Russian language specialty using one’s own know-hows and accomplishments is an important issue instructors of Russians are going to have to tackle. This article analyzes the major tenet of the development of the Russian language specialty in comprehensive universities. The article provides the author’s speculations and proposes a countermeasure in respect of the development of the Russian language specialty in comprehensive universities, which, the author hopes, will help the cause of the development of the Russian language specialty in comprehensive universities.

  16. Access to specialty mental health services among women in California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimerling, Rachel; Baumrind, Nikki

    2005-06-01

    The Anderson behavioral model was used to investigate racial and ethnic disparities in access to specialty mental health services among women in California as well as factors that might account for such disparities. The study was a cross-sectional examination of a probability sample of 3,750 California women. The main indicators of access to services were perceived need, service seeking, and service use. Multivariate models were constructed that accounted for need and enabling and demographic variables. Significant racial and ethnic variations in access to specialty mental health services were observed. African-American, Hispanic, and Asian women were significantly less likely to use specialty mental health services than white women. Multivariate analyses showed that Hispanic and Asian women were less likely than white women to report perceived need, even after frequent mental distress had been taken into account. Among women with perceived need, African-American and Asian women were less likely than white women to seek mental health services after differences in insurance status had been taken into account. Among women who sought services, Hispanic women were less likely than white women to obtain services after adjustment for the effects of poverty. Need and enabling factors did not entirely account for the observed disparities in access to services. Additional research is needed to identify gender- and culture-specific models for access to mental health services in order to decrease disparities in access. Factors such as perceived need and decisions to seek services are important factors that should be emphasized in future studies.

  17. Strategies for Introducing Outpatient Specialty Palliative Care in Gynecologic Oncology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hay, Casey M; Lefkowits, Carolyn; Crowley-Matoka, Megan; Bakitas, Marie A; Clark, Leslie H; Duska, Linda R; Urban, Renata R; Creasy, Stephanie L; Schenker, Yael

    2017-09-01

    Concern that patients will react negatively to the idea of palliative care is cited as a barrier to timely referral. Strategies to successfully introduce specialty palliative care to patients have not been well described. We sought to understand how gynecologic oncologists introduce outpatient specialty palliative care. We conducted a national qualitative interview study at six geographically diverse academic cancer centers with well-established palliative care clinics between September 2015 and March 2016. Thirty-four gynecologic oncologists participated in semistructured telephone interviews focusing on attitudes, experiences, and practices related to outpatient palliative care. A multidisciplinary team analyzed interview transcripts using constant comparative methods to inductively develop and refine a coding framework. This analysis focuses on practices for introducing palliative care. Mean participant age was 47 years (standard deviation, 10 years). Mean interview length was 25 minutes (standard deviation, 7 minutes). Gynecologic oncologists described the following three main strategies for introducing outpatient specialty palliative care: focus initial palliative care referral on symptom management to dissociate palliative care from end-of-life care and facilitate early relationship building with palliative care clinicians; use a strong physician-patient relationship and patient trust to increase acceptance of referral; and explain and normalize palliative care referral to address negative associations and decrease patient fear of abandonment. These strategies aim to decrease negative patient associations and encourage acceptance of early referral to palliative care specialists. Gynecologic oncologists have developed strategies for introducing palliative care services to alleviate patient concerns. These strategies provide groundwork for developing system-wide best practice approaches to the presentation of palliative care referral.

  18. Factors influencing medical students' choice of emergency medicine as a career specialty-a descriptive study of Saudi medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhaneen, Hadeel; Alhusain, Faisal; Alshahri, Khalid; Al Jerian, Nawfal

    2018-03-07

    Choosing a medical specialty is a poorly understood process. Although studies conducted around the world have attempted to identify the factors that affect medical students' choice of specialty, data is scarce on the factors that influence the choice of specialty of Saudi Arabian medical students, in particular those planning a career in emergency medicine (EM). In this study, we investigated whether Saudi medical students choosing EM are influenced by different factors to those choosing other specialties. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAUHS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire distributed among all undergraduate and postgraduate medical students of both sexes in the second and third phases (57% were males and 43% were females). A total of 436 students answered the questionnaire, a response rate of 53.4%. EM group was most influenced by hospital orientation and lifestyle and least influenced by social orientation and prestige provided by their specialty. Unlike controllable lifestyle (CL) group and primary care (PC) group, EM reported lesser influence of social orientation on their career choice. When compared with students primarily interested in the surgical subspecialties (SS), EM group were less likely to report prestige as an important influence. Moreover, students interested in SS reported a leaser influence of medical lifestyle in comparison to EM group. When compared with CL group, EM group reported more interest in medical lifestyle. We found that students primarily interested in EM had different values and career expectations to other specialty groups. The trends in specialty choice should be appraised to meet future needs.

  19. 48 CFR 252.225-7008 - Restriction on Acquisition of Specialty Metals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... CLAUSES Text of Provisions And Clauses 252.225-7008 Restriction on Acquisition of Specialty Metals. As... more of the following limits: Manganese, 1.65 percent; silicon, 0.60 percent; or copper, 0.60 percent...

  20. Oncofertility: A New Medical Specialty Helping Young Cancer Patients Have Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Oncofertility: A New Medical Specialty Helping Young Cancer Patients Have Children Past Issues / Fall 2014 Table of ... old problem: the fertility needs of young cancer patients. The word itself was coined through NIH-sponsored ...

  1. Specialty preferences and motivating factors: A national survey on medical students from five uae medical schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdulrahman, Mahera; Makki, Maryam; Shaaban, Sami; Al Shamsi, Maryam; Venkatramana, Manda; Sulaiman, Nabil; Sami, Manal M; Abdelmannan, Dima K; Salih, AbdulJabbar M A; AlShaer, Laila

    2016-01-01

    Workforce planning is critical for being able to deliver appropriate health service and thus is relevant to medical education. It is, therefore, important to understand medical students' future specialty choices and the factors that influence them. This study was conducted to identify, explore, and analyze the factors influencing specialty preferences among medical students of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A multiyear, multicenter survey of medical student career choice was conducted with all five UAE medical schools. The questionnaire consisted of five sections. Chi-squared tests, regression analysis, and stepwise logistic regression were performed. The overall response rate was 46% (956/2079). Factors that students reported to be extremely important when considering their future career preferences were intellectual satisfaction (87%), work-life balance (71%), having the required talent (70%), and having a stable and secure future (69%). The majority of students (60%) preferred internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, or family Medicine. The most common reason given for choosing a particular specialty was personal interest (21%), followed by flexibility of working hours (17%). The data show that a variety of factors inspires medical students in the UAE in their choice of a future medical specialty. These factors can be used by health policymakers, university mentors, and directors of residency training programs to motivate students to choose specialties that are scarce in the UAE and therefore better serve the health-care system and the national community.

  2. Choosing a career in paediatrics: do trainees' views change over the first year of specialty training?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodyear, Helen M; Lakshminarayana, Indumathy; Wall, David; Bindal, Taruna

    2014-09-01

    To look at why a regional cohort of UK doctors chose a paediatric career and to ascertain views on their career near the end of training year one. A 20-item questionnaire was sent to all new regional paediatric specialty trainees. Three focus groups were held with trainees near the end of year one to elicit key themes. West Midlands Deanery, UK. Twenty-nine new regional paediatric specialty trainees in year one completed the questionnaire. A total of 15 trainees participated in the focus groups near the end of year one training. Reasons for choosing a paediatric career and factors which further influence career choice for trainees during their first specialty training year. Key influencing factors for choosing paediatrics were enjoying working with children and positive undergraduate experience of the specialty. All trainees had paediatrics as their first choice specialty and undertook a paediatric Foundation post. Near the end of year one, doubts were cast on career aspirations due to seeing middle grade colleagues struggling with work-life balance and a growing feeling that family came first. Senior trainees need to be aware that they act as powerful role models for their more junior colleagues and therefore have an influential role on how juniors perceive a paediatric career. Family friendly flexible working patterns in paediatrics are vital to retain junior trainees. All paediatric staff are role models and need to be enthusiastic, keen to teach and to promote a positive working environment.

  3. Specialty satisfaction, positive psychological capital, and nursing professional values in nursing students: A cross-sectional survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woo, Chung Hee; Park, Ju Young

    2017-10-01

    Ideally, college majors should be chosen to achieve self-realization and correspond to self-concept. However, some students select a major based on extrinsic factors, rather than aptitude or interests, because of a lack of employment opportunities. If they have negative college experiences with an unsatisfactory major, they might not engage fully in their occupation following graduation. This study aimed to identify factors affecting specialty satisfaction in preclinical practice nursing-college students. A cross-sectional descriptive survey. A nonprobability convenience sample of 312 nursing-college students at colleges in Deajeon City, South Korea. The survey questionnaire was distributed to those who agreed to participate. Freshmen and sophomore nursing students (n=312). Participants were 312 students at colleges in Deajeon City. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data, which were analyzed using SPSS/WIN. Positive psychological capital and nursing professional values were positively correlated with specialty satisfaction. Significant predictors for specialty satisfaction included hope and optimism (as components of positive psychological capital), the roles of nursing service and originality of nursing (as nursing professional values), and aptitude/interests and job value (as motives for selecting a major). The findings suggested that nursing students' specialty satisfaction was partially linked to positive psychological capital and professional values. Therefore, the promotion of positive factors should be useful in enhancing specialty satisfaction in preclinical-practice nursing-college students. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The Effect of Teaching Experience and Specialty (Vocal or Instrumental) on Vocal Health Ratings of Music Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hackworth, Rhonda S.

    2010-01-01

    The current study sought to determine the relationship among music teachers' length of teaching experience, specialty (vocal or instrumental), and ratings of behaviors and teaching activities related to vocal health. Participants (N = 379) were experienced (n = 208) and preservice (n = 171) music teachers, further categorized by specialty, either…

  5. Should LSIL with ASC-H (LSIL-H in cervical smears be an independent category? A study on SurePath™ specimens with review of literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shidham Vinod B

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cervical smears exhibiting unequivocal features of 'low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion' (LSIL are occasionally also admixed with some cells suspicious for, but not diagnostic of, 'high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion' (HSIL. Only a few studies, mostly reported as abstracts, have evaluated this concurrence. In this study, we evaluate the current evidence that favors a distinct category for "LSIL, cannot exclude HSIL" (LSIL-H, and suggest a management algorithm based on combinations of current ASCCP guidelines for related interpretations. Methods We studied SurePath™ preparations of cervical specimens from various institutions during one year period. Cytohisto correlation was performed in cases with cervical biopsies submitted to our institution. The status of HPV DNA testing was also noted in some LSIL-H cases with biopsy results. Results Out of 77,979 cases 1,970 interpreted as LSIL (1,523, LSIL-H (146, 'atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude HSIL' (ASC-H (109, and HSIL (192 were selected. Concurrent biopsy results were available in 40% (Total 792 cases: 557 LSIL, 88 LSIL-H, 38 ASCH, and 109 HSIL. Biopsy results were grouped into A. negative for dysplasia (ND, B. low grade (HPV, CIN1, CIN1 with HPV, and C. high grade (CIN 2 and above. The positive predictive values for various biopsy results in relation to initial cytopathologic interpretation were: a. LSIL: (557 cases: ND 32% (179, low grade- 58% (323, high grade- 10% (55; b. LSIL-H: (88 cases: ND 24% (21, low grade- 43% (38, high grade- 33% (29; c. ASCH: (38 cases: ND 32% (12, low grade- 37% (14, high grade- 31% (12; d. HSIL (109 cases: ND 5% (6, low grade 26% (28, high grade 69% (75. The patterns of cervical biopsy results in cases reported as LSIL-H were compared with that observed in cases with LSIL, ASC-H, and HSIL. 94% (32 of 34 of LSIL-H were positive for high risk (HR HPV, 1 was negative for HR HPV but positive for low risk (LR, and 1 LSIL-H was

  6. The Stability of Factors Influencing the Choice of Medical Specialty Among Medical Students and Postgraduate Radiology Trainees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Adam J; Webb, Emily M; Jordan, Eric J; Kallianos, Kimberly; Naeger, David M

    2018-06-01

    To investigate whether general psychological motivating factors that guide career selection of a medical specialty differ over the course of medical school and to compare differences in motivating factors among students choosing "controllable" lifestyle specialties, students choosing "uncontrollable" lifestyle specialties, and a cohort of radiology residents. An anonymous survey was distributed to first- through fourth-year medical students and radiology residents at a single institution. Participants were asked to select their top three of seven factors that most influenced their choice of medical specialty. Fourth-year students were asked to designate the specialty to which they had applied. The survey was distributed to 259 students and 47 radiology residents with a response rate of 93.8% (243 of 259) and 95.7% (45 of 47), respectively. The top three factors indicated by medical students were finding the daily work fulfilling, work-life balance, and interest in the subject. These top three factors were common to all medical student classes and did not differ between students choosing "controllable" versus "uncontrollable" fields. The factors uncommonly selected were similar personality to others in the field, attending income, competitiveness or prestige, and job market conditions. For radiology residents, the top three motivating factors were the same as for medical students. Three out of seven motivating factors were universally important to trainees, regardless of their stage of medical training or their selection of a controllable versus uncontrollable lifestyle specialty. These data suggest the variety of career choices made by students may not derive from differing underlying values. Copyright © 2018 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Primary Care Resident Perceived Preparedness to Deliver Cross-cultural Care: An Examination of Training and Specialty Differences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Elyse R.; Green, Alexander R.; Betancourt, Joseph R.; Weissman, Joel S.

    2007-01-01

    Objective Previous research has shown that resident physicians report differences in training across primary care specialties, although limited data exist on education in delivering cross-cultural care. The goals of this study were to identify factors that relate to primary care residents’ perceived preparedness to provide cross-cultural care and to explore the extent to which these perceptions vary across primary care specialties. Design Cross-sectional, national mail survey of resident physicians in their last year of training. Participants Eleven hundred fifty primary care residents specializing in family medicine (27%), internal medicine (23%), pediatrics (26%), and obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) (24%). Results Male residents as well as those who reported having graduated from U.S. medical schools, access to role models, and a greater cross-cultural case mix during residency felt more prepared to deliver cross-cultural care. Adjusting for these demographic and clinical factors, family practice residents were significantly more likely to feel prepared to deliver cross-cultural care compared to internal medicine, pediatric, and OB/GYN residents. Yet, when the quantity of instruction residents reported receiving to deliver cross-cultural care was added as a predictor, specialty differences became nonsignificant, suggesting that training opportunities better account for the variability in perceived preparedness than specialty. Conclusions Across primary care specialties, residents reported different perceptions of preparedness to deliver cross-cultural care. However, this variation was more strongly related to training factors, such as the amount of instruction physicians received to deliver such care, rather than specialty affiliation. These findings underscore the importance of formal education to enhance residents’ preparedness to provide cross-cultural care. PMID:17516107

  8. Uso do ácido ascórbico no controle do escurecimento do pericarpo de lichia Use of ascorbic acid in the control of browning in the pericarp of lychees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danieele Fabíola Pereira da Silva

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Um dos maiores problemas na pós-colheita da lichia é o escurecimento do pericarpo, o qual tem sido atribuído à degradação da antocianina. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes doses de ácido ascórbico na prevenção do escurecimento do pericarpo e na manutenção da qualidade pós-colheita de lichia. Frutos de lichieira 'Bengal' com o pericarpo completamente vermelho foram imersos em solução com diferentes doses de ácido ascórbico (0; 5; 10; 15 e 30 mM, por 5 minutos. Após secagem à temperatura ambiente, foram acondicionados em bandejas de poliestireno, armazenados em câmara fria a 5 ± 1,2°C e 90 ± 5% de UR e avaliados a cada 4 dias, durante 12 dias. Observou-se que a perda de massa fresca foi maior nos frutos não tratados com ácido ascórbico. Independentemente da dose, o ácido ascórbico teve pouco efeito na retenção da cor vermelha do pericarpo de lichia. A atividade das enzimas polifenoloxidase e peroxidase no pericarpo foi maior com as menores doses de ácido ascórbico (0; 5 e 10 mM, entretanto observou-se escurecimento a partir do quarto dia no pericarpo dos frutos tratados com este ácido. O ácido ascórbico também não foi eficiente na manutenção da qualidade interna dos frutos.One of the biggest problems in postharvest of lychees is the pericarp browning, which has been attributed to anthocyanins degradation. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of different doses of ascorbic acid to prevent pericarp browning and on the maintenance of postharvest quality of lychees. Fruits of 'Bengal' lychee with completely red pericarp were immersed in solution with different doses of ascorbic acid (0, 5, 10, 15 and 30 mM for 5 minutes. After dried, the fruits were packed in polystyrene trays, stored in cold chamber at 5 ± 1,2°C e 90 ± 5% de RH and evaluated every other 4 days for 12 days. It was observed that the loss of fresh weight was higher in non-treated with ascorbic acid

  9. Dental specialty, career preferences and their influencing factors among final year dental students in Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Suliman Halawany

    2017-01-01

    Conclusion: The results of this study show the top preferred specialties and career choices which can be a baseline for establishing national policies and for the improvement of graduate programs. There seems to be a need to promote mentoring activities and provide guidance and encouragement to pre-doctoral dental students in selecting the most appropriate specialty within their capability domain.

  10. Marketing of specialty forest products in the southeast: opportunities for research, education and outreach (poster abstract)

    Science.gov (United States)

    A.L. Hammett; J.L. Chamberlain

    1999-01-01

    The specialty forest products sector in the Southeast is growing rapidly - perhaps faster than in other sections of the country. In 1993, the state of Virginia exported almost 10 percent of the national total of wild harvested ginseng. On a yearly basis, the value of the specialty forest products extracted from Virginia?s forests has been estimated at $35 million. The...

  11. Perceived Health Status and Utilization of Specialty Care: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Patients with Chronic Diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glover, Saundra; Bellinger, Jessica D.; Bae, Sejong; Rivers, Patrick A.; Singh, Karan P.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: The objective of this study is to determine racial and ethnic variations in specialty care utilization based on (a) perceived health status and (b) chronic disease status. Methods: Variations in specialty care utilization, by perceived health and chronic disease status, were examined using the Commonwealth Fund Health Care Quality…

  12. Synthetic Biology for Specialty Chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markham, Kelly A; Alper, Hal S

    2015-01-01

    In this review, we address recent advances in the field of synthetic biology and describe how those tools have been applied to produce a wide variety of chemicals in microorganisms. Here we classify the expansion of the synthetic biology toolbox into three different categories based on their primary function in strain engineering-for design, for construction, and for optimization. Next, focusing on recent years, we look at how chemicals have been produced using these new synthetic biology tools. Advances in producing fuels are briefly described, followed by a more thorough treatment of commodity chemicals, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. Throughout this review, an emphasis is placed on how synthetic biology tools are applied to strain engineering. Finally, we discuss organism and host strain diversity and provide a future outlook in the field.

  13. 76 FR 64083 - Reliability Technical Conference; Notice of Technical Conference

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-17

    ... Technical Conference; Notice of Technical Conference Take notice that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold a Technical Conference on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and... reliability that were identified in earlier Commission technical conferences. The conference also will discuss...

  14. Toward the establishment of a forensic nursing specialty in Brazil: an integrative literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteves, Rafael Braga; Lasiuk, Gerri C; Cardoso, Lucilene; Kent-Wilkinson, Arlene

    2014-01-01

    Over the past two decades, Brazil has made progress in bringing political and community attention to issues related to violence. The recognition of links between violence and health has intensified calls to accelerate the development of a forensic nursing specialty in Brazil. The aim of this study was to systematically examine and synthesize the literature on the development of the forensic nursing specialty around the globe and to extract important lessons for the establishment of a forensic nursing specialty in Brazil. An integrative review was conducted according to the method described by Whittmore and Knafl (2005). Electronic searches of the following databases were conducted between December 2012 and March 2013: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Criminal Justice, Index to Legal periodicals, MEDLINE, Soc Index with Full Text, Social Work Abstracts, SCOPUS, and PsycINFO. The search terms used were: [(TI nurs* or SU nurs*) and [TI (forensic* or penal or prison*) or SU (forensic* or penal or prison*)] and (sexual assault nurse examiner*). Preestablished inclusion/exclusion criteria were used to select published articles for review. Twenty-three articles met inclusion criteria and were included in the full review. Important lessons for Brazil are discussed in terms of education and curricular issues and forensic psychiatric nursing. In Brazil, there is a window of opportunity to contribute the theoretical foundations of forensic nursing science and to advance nursing specialty practice in the areas of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and forensic psychiatric nurses.

  15. Specialty glass development for radiation shielding windows and nuclear waste immobilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandal, S.; Ghorui, S.; Roy Chowdhury, A.; Sen, R.; Chakraborty, A.K.; Sen, S.; Maiti, H.S.

    2015-01-01

    The technology of two important varieties of specialty glasses, namely high density Radiation Shielding Window (RSW) glass and specialty glass beads of borosilicate composition have been successfully developed in CGCRI with an aim to meet the countries requirement. Radiation Shielding Windows used in nuclear installations, are viewing devices, which allow direct viewing into radioactive areas while still providing adequate protection to the operating personnel. The glass blocks are stabilized against damage from radiation by introducing cerium in definite proportions. Considering the essentially of developing an indigenous technology to make the country self-sufficient for this critical item, CGCRI has taken up a major programme to develop high lead containing glasses required for RSWs under a MoD with BARC. On the other hand, the specialty glass bead of specific composition and properties is a critical material required for management of radioactive waste in a closed nuclear fuel cycle that is followed by India. During reprocessing of the spent nuclear fuel, high level radio-active liquid waste (HLW) is produced containing unwanted radio isotopes some of which remain radioactive for thousands of years. The need is to immobilize them within a molecular structure so that they will not come out and be released to the ambience and thereby needs to be resolved if nuclear power is to make a significant contribution to the country's power requirement. Borosilicate glass has emerged as the material of choice for immobilization due to its unique random network structure

  16. Forecasting U.S. Marine Corps Reenlistments by Military Occupational Specialty and Grade

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Conatser, Dean G

    2006-01-01

    .... Currently the First Term Alignment Plan (FTAP) Model and Subsequent Term Alignment Plan (STAP) Model are used to determine the number of required reenlistments by Marine military occupational specialty...

  17. Gender difference in preference of specialty as a career choice among Japanese medical students

    OpenAIRE

    Kawamoto, Ryuichi; Ninomiya, Daisuke; Kasai, Yoshihisa; Kusunoki, Tomo; Ohtsuka, Nobuyuki; Kumagi, Teru; Abe, Masanori

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background In Japan, the absolute deficiency of doctors and maldistribution of doctors by specialty is a significant problem in the Japanese health care system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors contributing to specialty preference in career choice among Japanese medical students. Methods A total of 368 medical students completed the survey giving an 88.2 % response rate. The subjects comprised 141 women aged 21 ± 3 (range, 18–34) years and 227 men aged 22 ± 4 ...

  18. The database for aggregate analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov (AACT and subsequent regrouping by clinical specialty.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asba Tasneem

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The ClinicalTrials.gov registry provides information regarding characteristics of past, current, and planned clinical studies to patients, clinicians, and researchers; in addition, registry data are available for bulk download. However, issues related to data structure, nomenclature, and changes in data collection over time present challenges to the aggregate analysis and interpretation of these data in general and to the analysis of trials according to clinical specialty in particular. Improving usability of these data could enhance the utility of ClinicalTrials.gov as a research resource. METHODS/PRINCIPAL RESULTS: The purpose of our project was twofold. First, we sought to extend the usability of ClinicalTrials.gov for research purposes by developing a database for aggregate analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov (AACT that contains data from the 96,346 clinical trials registered as of September 27, 2010. Second, we developed and validated a methodology for annotating studies by clinical specialty, using a custom taxonomy employing Medical Subject Heading (MeSH terms applied by an NLM algorithm, as well as MeSH terms and other disease condition terms provided by study sponsors. Clinical specialists reviewed and annotated MeSH and non-MeSH disease condition terms, and an algorithm was created to classify studies into clinical specialties based on both MeSH and non-MeSH annotations. False positives and false negatives were evaluated by comparing algorithmic classification with manual classification for three specialties. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The resulting AACT database features study design attributes parsed into discrete fields, integrated metadata, and an integrated MeSH thesaurus, and is available for download as Oracle extracts (.dmp file and text format. This publicly-accessible dataset will facilitate analysis of studies and permit detailed characterization and analysis of the U.S. clinical trials enterprise as a whole. In

  19. Access to specialty care in autism spectrum disorders-a pilot study of referral source

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    West Therese

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the United States, a medical home model has been shown to improve the outcomes for children with special health care needs. As part of this model, primary care physicians provide comprehensive medical care that includes identification of delayed and/or atypical development in children and coordination of care with specialists. However, it is not clear if families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD rely on the medical home model for care of their child to the same extent as families of children with other special health care needs. This study aims to add to the understanding of medical care for children with ASD by examining the referral source for specialty care. Methods This retrospective study was accomplished by evaluating parent completed intake data for children with ASD compared to those with other neurological disorders in a single physician Pediatric Neurology Practice at a major urban medical center in Northern New Jersey. To account for referral bias, a similar comparison study was conducted using a multispecialty ASD practice at the same medical center. Parent reported "source of referral" and "reason for the referral" of 189 ASD children and 108 non-ASD neurological disordered children were analyzed. Results The specialty evaluations of ASD were predominantly parent initiated. There were significantly less referrals received from primary care physicians for children with ASD compared to children with other neurodevelopmental disorders. Requirement of an insurance referral was not associated with a primary care physician prompted specialty visit.We identified different patterns of referral to our specialty clinics for children with ASD vs. children with other neurolodevelopmental disorders. Conclusion The majority of the families of children with ASD evaluated at our autism center did not indicate that a primary care physician initiated the specialty referral. This study suggests that families of

  20. Does a single specialty intensive care unit make better business sense than a multi-specialty intensive care unit? A costing study in a trauma center in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Parmeshwar; Jithesh, Vishwanathan; Gupta, Shakti Kumar

    2015-01-01

    Though intensive care units (ICUs) only account for 10% of hospital beds, they consume nearly 22% of hospital resources. Few definitive costing studies have been conducted in Indian settings that would help determine appropriate resource allocation. To evaluate and compare the cost of intensive care delivery between multi-specialty and neurosurgery ICU in an apex trauma care facility in India. The study was conducted in a polytrauma and neurosurgery ICU at a 203 bedded level IV trauma care facility in New Delhi, India from May, 2012 to June 2012. The study was cross-sectional, retrospective, and record-based. Traditional costing was used to arrive at the cost for both direct and indirect cost estimates. The cost centers included in study were building cost, equipment cost, human resources, materials and supplies, clinical and nonclinical support services, engineering maintenance cost, and biomedical waste management. Fisher's two-tailed t-test. Total cost/bed/day for the multi-specialty ICU was Rs. 14,976.9/- and for the neurosurgery ICU was Rs. 14,306.7/-, manpower constituting nearly half of the expenditure in both ICUs. The cost center wise and overall difference in the cost among the ICUs were statistically significant. Quantification of expenditure in running an ICU in a trauma center would assist healthcare decision makers in better allocation of resources. Although multi-specialty ICUs are more expensive, other factors will also play a role in defining the kind of ICU that need to be designed.

  1. Investigation on the learning interest of senior undergraduate students in optoelectronics specialty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shenjiang; Wang, Na; Li, Dangjuan; Liu, Chanlao

    2017-08-01

    With the increasing number of the graduate students, many of them have some troubles in job finding. This situation make a huge pressure on the senior students and loss them the interesting in study. This work investigate the reasons by questionnaire survey, panel discussion, interview, etc. to achieve the factors influence their learning interesting. The main reason of students do not have the motivation on study is that they do not understand the development and competition of photoelectric specialty, lack of innovation and entrepreneurship training, hysteresis of the learning knowledge and practical application. Finally, the paper gives some suggestions through teaching reform on how to improve students' learning enthusiasm. This work will contribute to the teaching and training of senior undergraduate students of optoelectronics specialty.

  2. Modification of Displacement Coefficient Method in Estimation of Target Displacement for Regular Concrete Bridges Based on ASCE 41-06 Standard

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Bahram Beheshti-Aval

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Displacement Coefficient Method (DCM stipulated in the ASCE 41-06 standard is becoming the preferred method for seismic rehabilitation of buildings in many high-seismic-hazard countries. Applications of the method for non-building constructions such as bridges are beyond the scope of this standard. Thus its application to this kind of structure should be approached with care. Target displacement has reasonable accuracy for buildings with strong columns and weak beams, where there is the development of plastic hinges. Due to high stiffness and strength of the deck relative to the piers in most bridges, this mechanism does not occur, and it is necessary to evaluate the accuracy of DCM for such structures. In this research, an attempt is made to evaluate the credibility of DCM in the ASCE/SEI 41-06 standard for estimating target drifts in concrete regular bridges under strong ground motions. To apply the extension of the method to bridge structures, the definition of new correction factor CB, which should be multiplied to previous coefficients, is required. This novel coefficient can improve the accuracy of the mentioned method in accessing seismic displacement demands. The coefficient is presented for soil types A to D based on NEHRP soil classification. The validity of the modified DCM is examined for several bridges with use of nonlinear dynamic analysis. Good correlation is found between both procedures.

  3. Survey results show that adults are willing to pay higher insurance premiums for generous coverage of specialty drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romley, John A; Sanchez, Yuri; Penrod, John R; Goldman, Dana P

    2012-04-01

    Generous coverage of specialty drugs for cancer and other diseases may be valuable not only for sick patients currently using these drugs, but also for healthy people who recognize the potential need for them in the future. This study estimated how healthy people value insurance coverage of specialty drugs, defined as high-cost drugs that treat cancer and other serious health conditions like multiple sclerosis, by quantifying willingness to pay via a survey. US adults were estimated to be willing to pay an extra $12.94 on average in insurance premiums per month for generous specialty-drug coverage--in effect, $2.58 for every dollar in out-of-pocket costs that they would expect to pay with a less generous insurance plan. Given the value that people assign to generous coverage of specialty drugs, having high cost sharing on these drugs seemingly runs contrary to what people value in their health insurance.

  4. Budget-impact model for colonoscopy cost calculation and comparison between 2 litre PEG+ASC and sodium picosulphate with magnesium citrate or sodium phosphate oral bowel cleansing agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruss, H-J; Cockett, A; Leicester, R J

    2012-01-01

    With the availability of several bowel cleansing agents, physicians and hospitals performing colonoscopies will often base their choice of cleansing agent purely on acquisition cost. Therefore, an easy to use budget impact model has been developed and established as a tool to compare total colon preparation costs between different established bowel cleansing agents. The model was programmed in Excel and designed as a questionnaire evaluating information on treatment costs for a range of established bowel cleansing products. The sum of costs is based on National Health Service reference costs for bowel cleansing products. Estimations are made for savings achievable when using a 2-litre polyethylene glycol with ascorbate components solution (PEG+ASC) in place of other bowel cleansing solutions. Test data were entered into the model to confirm validity and sensitivity. The model was then applied to a set of audit cost data from a major hospital colonoscopy unit in the UK. Descriptive analysis of the test data showed that the main cost drivers in the colonoscopy process are the procedure costs and costs for bed days rather than drug acquisition costs, irrespective of the cleansing agent. Audit data from a colonoscopy unit in the UK confirmed the finding with a saving of £107,000 per year in favour of PEG+ASC when compared to sodium picosulphate with magnesium citrate solution (NaPic+MgCit). For every patient group the model calculated overall cost savings. This was irrespective of the higher drug expenditure associated with the use of PEG+ASC for bowel preparation. Savings were mainly realized through reduced costs for repeat colonoscopy procedures and associated costs, such as inpatient length of stay. The budget impact model demonstrated that the primary cost driver was the procedure cost for colonoscopy. Savings can be realized through the use of PEG+ASC despite higher drug acquisition costs relative to the comparator products. From a global hospital funding

  5. This Specialty Line of Clothing Really Is the "Bee's Knees"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollingsworth, Jan Carter

    2009-01-01

    This article features "Bee's Knees," a specialty line of clothing. While not the typical product one would think of when considering mobility equipment, this line of clothing certainly does aid in helping those with disabilities access their world more safely and comfortably. "Bee's Knees" offers pint-sized pants made of kid-friendly, durable…

  6. The assessment of clinical skills is imperative in postgraduate specialty training

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tolsgaard, Martin G; Ostergaard, Doris; Konge, Lars

    2014-01-01

    According to the Danish Ministry of Health recommendations, workplace-based assessment (WPBA) should be a central component in postgraduate specialty training. In this review the potential impact of WPBA with regard to patient safety, medical licensing and effects on doctors' learning is explored...

  7. Vulnerability of California specialty crops to projected mid-century temperature changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Increasing global temperatures are likely to have major impacts on agriculture, but the effects will vary by crop and location. This paper describes the temperature sensitivity and exposure of selected specialty crops in California. We used literature synthesis to create several sensitivity indices ...

  8. BIOCHEMISTRY IN THE SPECIALTY IN VISUAL FUNCTION, AND VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS IN THE CICS UMA-IPN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blanca Elisa Pérez-Magaña

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The higher education and postgraduate in Mexico." delivered at the National Polytechnic Institute is located in a period of constant modification and sustained that has led to the creation of new pedagogical proposals aimed at the promotion of learning emphasizing virtual education. The development of ICT (Information Technologies and Communication in the last few years has favored the emergence and consolidation of degrees, diplomas, Specialties, Master's Degrees among other, using the distance learning based on a web environment. This work analyzes the importance that had the Biochemistry course taught in the specialty of Visual Function in the CICS and UMA that allowed both to the students as the teachers try to virtually eliminate the disadvantages theoretical to traditional teaching. The results obtained in addition to the skills and competences acquired the students were highly successful, and it is hoped to be able to continue implementing such environments in other specialties and master's degrees.

  9. Specialty pharmaceuticals: policy initiatives to improve assessment, pricing, prescription, and use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, James C; Howell, Scott

    2014-10-01

    The value of "specialty pharmaceuticals" for cancer and other complex conditions depends not merely on their molecular structures but also on the manner in which the drugs are assessed, insured, priced, prescribed, and used. This article analyzes the five principal stages through which a specialty drug must pass on its journey from the laboratory to the bedside. These include regulatory approval by the Food and Drug Administration for market access, insurance coverage, pricing and payment, physician prescription, and patient engagement. If structured appropriately, each stage improves performance and supports continued research and development. If structured inappropriately, however, each stage adds to administrative burdens, distorts clinical decision making, and weakens incentives for innovation. Cautious optimism is in order, but neither the continued development of breakthrough products nor their use according to evidence-based guidelines can be taken for granted. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  10. 76 FR 50285 - Fiscal Year 2012 Tariff-Rate Quota Allocations for Raw Cane Sugar, Refined and Specialty Sugar...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-12

    ... for Raw Cane Sugar, Refined and Specialty Sugar and Sugar-Containing Products AGENCY: Office of the... quantity of the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar and sugar...), the United States maintains tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for imports of raw cane sugar and refined sugar...

  11. Measuring Participants' Attitudes Toward Mobile Device Conference Applications in Continuing Medical Education: Validation of an Instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wittich, Christopher M; Wang, Amy T; Fiala, Justin A; Mauck, Karen F; Mandrekar, Jayawant N; Ratelle, John T; Beckman, Thomas J

    2016-01-01

    Mobile device applications (apps) may enhance live CME courses. We aimed to (1) validate a measure of participant attitudes toward using a conference app and (2) determine associations between participant characteristics and attitudes toward CME apps with conference app usage. We conducted a cross-sectional validation study of participants at the Mayo Clinic Selected Topics in Internal Medicine Course. A conference app was developed that included presentation slides, note-taking features, search functions, social networking with other attendees, and access to presenter information. The CME app attitudes survey instrument (CMEAPP-10) was designed to determine participant attitudes toward conference apps. Of the 602 participants, 498 (82.7%) returned surveys. Factor analysis revealed a two-dimensional model for CMEAPP-10 scores (Cronbach α, 0.97). Mean (SD) CMEAPP-10 scores (maximum possible score of five) were higher for women than for men (4.06 [0.91] versus 3.85 [0.92]; P = .04). CMEAPP-10 scores (mean [SD]) were significantly associated (P = .02) with previous app usage as follows: less than once per month, 3.73 (1.05); monthly, 3.41 (1.16); weekly, 4.03 (0.69); and daily or more, 4.06 (0.89). Scores were unrelated to participant age, specialty, practice characteristics, or previous app use. This is the first validated measure of attitudes toward CME apps among course participants. App usage was higher among younger participants who had previously used educational or professional apps. Additionally, attitudes were more favorable among women and those who had previously used apps. These findings have important implications regarding efforts to engage participants with portable and accessible technology.

  12. 40 CFR 407.80 - Applicability; description of the canned and miscellaneous specialties subcategory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CANNED AND PRESERVED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Canned and Miscellaneous Specialties Subcategory § 407.80...

  13. Estimated cost savings associated with the transfer of office-administered specialty pharmaceuticals to a specialty pharmacy provider in a Medical Injectable Drug program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldini, Christopher G; Culley, Eric J

    2011-01-01

    A large managed care organization (MCO) in western Pennsylvania initiated a Medical Injectable Drug (MID) program in 2002 that transferred a specific subset of specialty drugs from physician reimbursement under the traditional "buy-and-bill" model in the medical benefit to MCO purchase from a specialty pharmacy provider (SPP) that supplied physician offices with the MIDs. The MID program was initiated with 4 drugs in 2002 (palivizumab and 3 hyaluronate products/derivatives) growing to more than 50 drugs by 2007-2008. To (a) describe the MID program as a method to manage the cost and delivery of this subset of specialty drugs, and (b) estimate the MID program cost savings in 2007 and 2008 in an MCO with approximately 4.6 million members. Cost savings generated by the MID program were calculated by comparing the total actual expenditure (plan cost plus member cost) on medications included in the MID program for calendar years 2007 and 2008 with the total estimated expenditure that would have been paid to physicians during the same time period for the same medication if reimbursement had been made using HCPCS (J code) billing under the physician "buy-and-bill" reimbursement rates. For the approximately 50 drugs in the MID program in 2007 and 2008, the drug cost savings in 2007 were estimated to be $15.5 million (18.2%) or $290 per claim ($0.28 per member per month [PMPM]) and about $13 million (12.7%) or $201 per claim ($0.23 PMPM) in 2008. Although 28% of MID claims continued to be billed by physicians using J codes in 2007 and 22% in 2008, all claims for MIDs were limited to the SPP reimbursement rates. This MID program was associated with health plan cost savings of approximately $28.5 million over 2 years, achieved by the transfer of about 50 physician-administered injectable pharmaceuticals from reimbursement to physicians to reimbursement to a single SPP and payment of physician claims for MIDs at the SPP reimbursement rates.

  14. The microbiological safety of ready-to-eat specialty meats from markets and specialty food shops: a UK wide study with a focus on Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gormley, F J; Little, C L; Grant, K A; de Pinna, E; McLauchlin, J

    2010-04-01

    From 2359 specialty meats (continental sausages, cured/fermented, dried meats) sampled from markets and specialty food shops, 98.9% of samples were of satisfactory or acceptable microbiological quality. However, 16 (0.7%) were unsatisfactory as a result of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus or Listeria spp. contamination (>or=10(2) CFU/g), and nine (0.4%) were unacceptable due to presence of Salmonella spp. or Listeria monocytogenes (>10(2) CFU/g). Meats with unacceptable levels of L. monocytogenes were within shelf life (range: 8-143 days remaining). Nine different subtypes of L. monocytogenes were detected with sero/AFLP type 1/2c VII predominating (37%), although this subtype was not overrepresented in any particular meat type (P > 0.05). Ninety-six percent of continental sausages and cured/fermented products were stored at potential for L. monocytogenes to be present at levels hazardous to health at the point of sale.

  15. Roadmap for a Smart Factory: A Modular, Intelligent Concept for the Production of Specialty Chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reitze, Arnulf; Jürgensmeyer, Nikolas; Lier, Stefan; Kohnke, Marco; Riese, Julia; Grünewald, Marcus

    2018-04-09

    Digitalization and increasing the flexibility of production concepts offer the possibility to react to market challenges in the field of specialty chemicals. Shorter product lifetimes, increasing product individualization, and the resulting market volatility impose new requirements on plant operators. Novel concepts such as modular production plants and developments in digitalization (Industry 4.0) are able to assist the implementation of smart factories in specialty chemicals. These essential concepts will be presented in this Minireview. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Prevalence of dry eye syndrome in residents of surgical specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castellanos-González, José Alberto; Torres-Martínez, Verónica; Martínez-Ruiz, Adriana; Fuentes-Orozco, Clotilde; Rendón-Félix, Jorge; Irusteta-Jiménez, Leire; Márquez-Valdez, Aída Rebeca; Cortés-Lares, José Antonio; González-Ojeda, Alejandro

    2016-07-16

    The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of dry eye syndrome in a group of Mexican residents of different surgical specialties. A cross-sectional descriptive study where the residents were studied using the Ocular Surface Disease Index, together with diagnostic tests for dry eye syndrome, such as tear breakup time, Oxford Schema, Schirmer's test I, and meibomian gland dysfunction testing. Statistical analyses were performed by Pearson's chi-squared test for categorical variables and student's t-test for quantitative variables. Any P value eyes); 90 (73 %) were male and 33 (27 %) were female. The mean age was 27.8 ± 2.1 years. A higher number of residents with dry eye syndrome was found in the cardiothoracic surgery (75 %) and otorhinolaryngology (71 %) specialties; 70 % of them reported ocular symptoms, with teardrop quality involvement in >50 % of them. We found a prevalence of 56 % for mild-to-moderate/severe stages of the condition. Their presence in the operating room predisposes surgical residents to dry eye syndrome because of environmental conditions.

  17. 77 FR 57180 - Fiscal Year 2013 Tariff-rate Quota Allocations for Raw Cane Sugar, Refined and Specialty Sugar...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-17

    ... Sugar, Refined and Specialty Sugar, and Sugar-Containing Products AGENCY: Office of the United States... quantity of the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar, and sugar... imports of raw cane sugar and refined sugar. Pursuant to Additional U.S. Note 8 to Chapter 17 of the HTS...

  18. Does a single specialty intensive care unit make better business sense than a multi-specialty intensive care unit? A costing study in a trauma center in India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Parmeshwar; Jithesh, Vishwanathan; Gupta, Shakti Kumar

    2015-01-01

    Context: Though intensive care units (ICUs) only account for 10% of hospital beds, they consume nearly 22% of hospital resources. Few definitive costing studies have been conducted in Indian settings that would help determine appropriate resource allocation. Aim: To evaluate and compare the cost of intensive care delivery between multi-specialty and neurosurgery ICU in an apex trauma care facility in India. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in a polytrauma and neurosurgery ICU at a 203 bedded level IV trauma care facility in New Delhi, India from May, 2012 to June 2012. The study was cross-sectional, retrospective, and record-based. Traditional costing was used to arrive at the cost for both direct and indirect cost estimates. The cost centers included in study were building cost, equipment cost, human resources, materials and supplies, clinical and nonclinical support services, engineering maintenance cost, and biomedical waste management. Statistical Analysis: Fisher's two-tailed t-test. Results: Total cost/bed/day for the multi-specialty ICU was Rs. 14,976.9/- and for the neurosurgery ICU was Rs. 14,306.7/-, manpower constituting nearly half of the expenditure in both ICUs. The cost center wise and overall difference in the cost among the ICUs were statistically significant. Conclusions: Quantification of expenditure in running an ICU in a trauma center would assist healthcare decision makers in better allocation of resources. Although multi-specialty ICUs are more expensive, other factors will also play a role in defining the kind of ICU that need to be designed. PMID:25829909

  19. Does a single specialty intensive care unit make better business sense than a multi-specialty intensive care unit? A costing study in a trauma center in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parmeshwar Kumar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Though intensive care units (ICUs only account for 10% of hospital beds, they consume nearly 22% of hospital resources. Few definitive costing studies have been conducted in Indian settings that would help determine appropriate resource allocation. Aim: To evaluate and compare the cost of intensive care delivery between multi-specialty and neurosurgery ICU in an apex trauma care facility in India. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in a polytrauma and neurosurgery ICU at a 203 bedded level IV trauma care facility in New Delhi, India from May, 2012 to June 2012. The study was cross-sectional, retrospective, and record-based. Traditional costing was used to arrive at the cost for both direct and indirect cost estimates. The cost centers included in study were building cost, equipment cost, human resources, materials and supplies, clinical and nonclinical support services, engineering maintenance cost, and biomedical waste management. Statistical Analysis: Fisher′s two-tailed t-test. Results: Total cost/bed/day for the multi-specialty ICU was Rs. 14,976.9/- and for the neurosurgery ICU was Rs. 14,306.7/-, manpower constituting nearly half of the expenditure in both ICUs. The cost center wise and overall difference in the cost among the ICUs were statistically significant. Conclusions: Quantification of expenditure in running an ICU in a trauma center would assist healthcare decision makers in better allocation of resources. Although multi-specialty ICUs are more expensive, other factors will also play a role in defining the kind of ICU that need to be designed.

  20. Primary care specialty career choice among Canadian medical students: Understanding the factors that influence their decisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osborn, Heather Ann; Glicksman, Jordan T; Brandt, Michael G; Doyle, Philip C; Fung, Kevin

    2017-02-01

    To identify which factors influence medical students' decision to choose a career in family medicine and pediatrics, and which factors influence their decision to choose careers in non-front-line specialties. Survey that was created based on a comprehensive literature review to determine which factors are considered important when choosing practice specialty. Ontario medical school. An open cohort of medical students in the graduating classes of 2008 to 2011 (inclusive). The main factors that influenced participants' decision to choose a career in primary care or pediatrics, and the main factors that influenced participants' decision to choose a career in a non-front-line specialty. A total of 323 participants were included in this study. Factors that significantly influenced participants' career choice in family medicine or pediatrics involved work-life balance (acceptable hours of practice [ P = .005], acceptable on-call demands [ P = .012], and lifestyle flexibility [ P = .006]); a robust physician-patient relationship (ability to promote individual health promotion [ P = .014] and the opportunity to form long-term relationships [ P  < .001], provide comprehensive care [ P = .001], and treat patients and their families [ P = .006]); and duration of residency program ( P = .001). The career-related factors that significantly influenced participants' decision to choose a non-front-line specialty were as follows: becoming an expert ( P  < .001), maintaining a focused scope of practice ( P  < .001), having a procedure-focused practice ( P = .001), seeing immediate results from one's actions ( P  < .001), potentially earning a high income ( P  < .001), and having a perceived status among colleagues ( P  < .001). In this study, 8 factors were found to positively influence medical students' career choice in family medicine and pediatrics, and 6 factors influenced the decision to choose a career in a non-front-line specialty. Medical students can be

  1. Spirulina platensis Improves Mitochondrial Function Impaired by Elevated Oxidative Stress in Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (ASCs) and Intestinal Epithelial Cells (IECs), and Enhances Insulin Sensitivity in Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) Horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nawrocka, Daria; Kornicka, Katarzyna; Śmieszek, Agnieszka; Marycz, Krzysztof

    2017-08-03

    Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a steadily growing life-threatening endocrine disorder linked to insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation. Inflammatory microenvironment of adipose tissue constitutes the direct tissue milieu for various cell populations, including adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs), widely considered as a potential therapeutic cell source in the course of the treatment of metabolic disorders. Moreover, elevated oxidative stress induces inflammation in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs)-the first-line cells exposed to dietary compounds. In the conducted research, we showed that in vitro application of Spirulina platensis contributes to the restoration of ASCs' and IECs' morphology and function through the reduction of cellular oxidative stress and inflammation. Enhanced viability, suppressed senescence, and improved proliferation of ASCs and IECs isolated from metabolic syndrome-affected individuals were evident following exposition to Spirulina. A protective effect of the investigated extract against mitochondrial dysfunction and degeneration was also observed. Moreover, our data demonstrate that Spirulina extract effectively suppressed LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages. In vivo studies showed that horses fed with a diet based on Spirulina platensis supplementation lost weight and their insulin sensitivity improved. Thus, our results indicate the engagement of Spirulina platensis nourishing as an interesting alternative approach for supporting the conventional treatment of equine metabolic syndrome.

  2. What aspects of autism predispose to talent?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Happé, Francesca; Vital, Pedro

    2009-05-27

    In this paper, we explore the question, why are striking special skills so much more common in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) than in other groups? Current cognitive accounts of ASC are briefly reviewed in relation to special skills. Difficulties in 'theory of mind' may contribute to originality in ASC, since individuals who do not automatically 'read other minds' may be better able to think outside prevailing fashions and popular theories. However, originality alone does not confer talent. Executive dysfunction has been suggested as the 'releasing' mechanism for special skills in ASC, but other groups with executive difficulties do not show raised incidence of talents. Detail-focused processing bias ('weak coherence', 'enhanced perceptual functioning') appears to be the most promising predisposing characteristic, or 'starting engine', for talent development. In support of this notion, we summarize data from a population-based twin study in which parents reported on their 8-year-olds' talents and their ASC-like traits. Across the whole sample, ASC-like traits, and specifically 'restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests' related to detail focus, were more pronounced in children reported to have talents outstripping older children. We suggest that detail-focused cognitive style predisposes to talent in savant domains in, and beyond, autism spectrum disorders.

  3. Computational Biology Support: RECOMB Conference Series (Conference Support)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Michael Waterman

    2006-06-15

    This funding was support for student and postdoctoral attendance at the Annual Recomb Conference from 2001 to 2005. The RECOMB Conference series was founded in 1997 to provide a scientific forum for theoretical advances in computational biology and their applications in molecular biology and medicine. The conference series aims at attracting research contributions in all areas of computational molecular biology. Typical, but not exclusive, the topics of interest are: Genomics, Molecular sequence analysis, Recognition of genes and regulatory elements, Molecular evolution, Protein structure, Structural genomics, Gene Expression, Gene Networks, Drug Design, Combinatorial libraries, Computational proteomics, and Structural and functional genomics. The origins of the conference came from the mathematical and computational side of the field, and there remains to be a certain focus on computational advances. However, the effective use of computational techniques to biological innovation is also an important aspect of the conference. The conference had a growing number of attendees, topping 300 in recent years and often exceeding 500. The conference program includes between 30 and 40 contributed papers, that are selected by a international program committee with around 30 experts during a rigorous review process rivaling the editorial procedure for top-rate scientific journals. In previous years papers selection has been made from up to 130--200 submissions from well over a dozen countries. 10-page extended abstracts of the contributed papers are collected in a volume published by ACM Press and Springer, and are available at the conference. Full versions of a selection of the papers are published annually in a special issue of the Journal of Computational Biology devoted to the RECOMB Conference. A further point in the program is a lively poster session. From 120-300 posters have been presented each year at RECOMB 2000. One of the highlights of each RECOMB conference is a

  4. Construction and Practice of the New Business Specialty Talent Cultivation Mode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Xiaokong

    2009-01-01

    The vocational education of business should actively adapt the demands of the domestic and foreign business development to cultivate high-quality applicable talents with international knowledge. The traditional business specialty teaching and the talent cultivation mode have not followed the domestic and foreign market demands, and are difficult…

  5. Cinética de la degradación del ácido ascórbico en jugo de parchita

    OpenAIRE

    Páez, Gisela; Freay, Jenny; Moreno, Mónica; Mármol, Zulay; Araujo, Karelen; Rincón, Marisela

    2008-01-01

    Se evaluó la cinética de la degradación del ácido ascórbico en el jugo de parchita maracuyá (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) fresco y pasteurizado a diferentes temperaturas de almacenamiento (0 ºC, 10 ºC, 25 ºC, 40 ºC, 60 ºC).El jugo se caracterizó en términos de pH, acidez titulable,sólidos solubles totales, relación grados Brix acidez y azucares totales. Las muestras de jugo fresco y pasteurizado se almacenaron a temperaturas de 0 ºC y 10 ºC durante un periodo de 60 y 15 días respectivamen...

  6. Summary and consensus in 7th International Conference on acoustic neuroma: An update for the management of sporadic acoustic neuromas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Wu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Sporadic vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor arising from cochleovestibular nerve. Nowadays, various specialties and medical centers are treating this disease, and the multidisciplinary collaboration is the trend. In an effort to promote a uniform standard for reporting clinical results, even for treatment indications, the mainly controversies were posed and discussed during the 7th International Conference on acoustic neuroma, and the agreement was summarized by the Committee of this conference. The main symptoms grading and tumor stage should note its name of classification for making them comparable. The goal of the modern managements for vestibular schwannoma is to improve the quality of life with lower mortality, lower morbidity and better neurological function preservation. The experience of surgical team and their preference might be a major factor for the outcome. Because of lacking of long-term follow-up large data after radiotherapy, and with the development of microsurgery, radiotherapy is now less recommended except for recurrent cases or elderly patients. Keywords: Sporadic acoustic neuroma, Vestibular schwannoma, Management, Symptoms grading, Tumor stage, Microsurgery, Radiotherapy

  7. Polyurethane/Polylactide-Blend Films Doped with Zinc Ions for the Growth and Expansion of Human Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (OECs and Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells (ASCs for Regenerative Medicine Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Marycz

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Polymeric biomaterials based on polyurethane and polylactide blends are promising candidates for regenerative medicine applications as biocompatible, bioresorbable carriers. In current research we showed that 80/20 polyurethane/polylactide blends (PU/PLDL with confirmed biological properties in vitro may be further improved by the addition of ZnO nanoparticles for the delivery of bioactive zinc oxide for cells. The PU/PLDL blends were doped with different concentrations of ZnO (0.001%, 0.01%, 0.05% and undertaken for in vitro biological evaluation using human adipose stromal stem cells (ASCs and olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs. The addition of 0.001% of ZnO to the biomaterials positively influenced the morphology, proliferation, and phenotype of cells cultured on the scaffolds. Moreover, the analysis of oxidative stress markers revealed that 0.001% of ZnO added to the material decreased the stress level in both cell lines. In addition, the levels of neural-specific genes were upregulated in OECs when cultured on sample 0.001 ZnO, while the apoptosis-related genes were downregulated in OECs and ASCs in the same group. Therefore, we showed that PU/PLDL blends doped with 0.001% of ZnO exert beneficial influence on ASCs and OECs in vitro and they may be considered for future applications in the field of regenerative medicine.

  8. Specialty Practice and Cost Considerations in the Management of Uveitis Associated With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palestine, Alan G; Singh, Jasleen K; Kolfenbach, Jason R; Ozzello, Daniel J

    2016-07-01

    To evaluate whether cost, prior insurance authorization concerns, and subspecialty practice influence therapeutic decisions in the treatment of uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. A total of 2,965 pediatric ophthalmologists, uveitis specialists, retina specialists, and rheumatologists across the United States were surveyed via e-mail regarding their choice in long-term therapy for a hypothetical patient with uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Outcomes of interest were differences in therapy choice based on cost/prior authorization and specialty practice. There were significant differences in the use of methotrexate and biologics among specialists, both with and without consideration for cost and prior authorization. Physicians in four different specialties who treat uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis agree on methotrexate as a first-line treatment choice and a biologic immunosuppressive medication as a second choice, but there are significant differences between the specialties in their use of these medications. Cost and insurance considerations did not affect therapy selection. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2016;53(4):246-251.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  9. Efeito do resveratrol e do ácido ascórbico na criopreservação de sêmen humano

    OpenAIRE

    Garcez, Márcia Esteves Silva

    2011-01-01

    A criopreservação de sêmen humano é de grande importância para a medicina reprodutiva, porém esse processo pode causar danos ao espermatozóide devido, entre outros aspectos, à produção de espécies reativas de oxigênio, as quais podem lesar as biomoléculas. Tanto o resveratrol quanto o ácido ascórbico são compostos com reconhecida capacidade antioxidante, porém ainda pouco estudados em relação à prevenção de criodanos em espermatozóides humanos. Desta forma, o objetivo deste est...

  10. Adoção de Cidadãos Presos e Formação de Professores para a Prisão: Ações de Fraternidade Política e Direitos, aproximando a extensão universitária da ASCES e da UFPE no agreste pernambucano. Adoption of inmates and teacher training for prison: Actions of political fraternity and human rights approaching university extension to ASCES and UFPE in the rural area of Pernambuco state, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jordão, Maria Perpétua S. D.

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo trata de analisar como dois projetos extensionistas – Adoção Jurídica de Cidadãos Presos (ASCES e Formação de Professores para o Sistema Penitenciário (UFPE – possibilitam desde 2001 (ASCES e 2009 (UFPE ações articuladas de cidadania e direitos humanos em uma unidade prisional do agreste de Pernambuco, Brasil. O trabalho foi articulado a partir da participação de professores da ASCES em Grupo de Pesquisa da UFPE-CNPq e da percepção de como a integração das atividades institucionais poderiam melhorar os resultados e incluir um número maior de docentes, discentes e beneficiados, os reclusos e educadores do Sistema Penitenciário. As ações são realizadas quinzenalmente na unidade prisional, envolvendo ampla participação da sociedade civil; os trabalhos são apresentados em forma de encontros de formação com os professores, palestras e debates com os detentos e atividades mediadas por elementos lúdicos: imagens, fotografias, filmes, documentários, músicas, poesias. Os estudantes das duas instituições se integram sem competição, os professores recebem formação continuada e as atividades lúdicas com os detentos quebram a rotina da prisão e estimulam os detentos a se manter nas salas de aula, reduzindo a evasão. A atividade é utilizada como carga horária de estágio para os alunos da ASCES e como atividades complementares para os estudantes de Pedagogia, e permitem às duas instituições contribuir para a melhoria da qualidade de ensino na prisão. Essa atividade também estimula o convívio de estudantes de instituições distintas, incluindo estudantes de instituições que, inclusive, não são parceiras dos projetos, atraindo a participação de muitos voluntários e ex-alunos da ASCES e da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Caruaru (FAFICA. A fraternidade política aparece como referencial teórico no trabalho com os docentes e no estímulo às relações entre os sujeitos envolvidos

  11. Comparison of Specialty Medication Use for Common Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Among Health Exchange and Other Commercially Insured Members.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiaoxue; Gautam, Santosh; Ruggieri, Alexander; Richards, Thomas; Devries, Andrea; Sylwestrzak, Gosia

    2018-01-01

    The Affordable Care Act of 2010 allows the purchase of health insurance through special marketplaces called "health exchanges." The majority of individuals enrolling in the exchanges were previously uninsured, older, and sicker than other commercially insured members. Early evidence also suggests that exchange plan members use more costly specialty drugs compared with other commercially insured members. To (a) examine patient characteristics and specialty drug use for common chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) among exchange plan members compared with other commercially insured members and (b) explore variations in specialty drug use within exchange plans by metal tiers (bronze, silver, gold, and platinum), as well as across local markets. This analysis included adults aged ≥ 18 years who were enrolled in exchange plans (exchange population) and other commercial health plans (nonexchange population). The primary outcome was the likelihood of using specialty drugs prescribed to treat common CIDs, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis. The adjusted likelihood of using CID specialty drugs was calculated from logistic regression controlling for prevalence of CIDs and other health risk factors. A total of 931,384 exchange plan members and 2,682,855 nonexchange plan members were included in the analysis. Compared with the nonexchange population, the exchange population was older, more likely to be female, had more comorbid conditions, but filled fewer prescriptions. The 2 groups were similar in terms of CID prevalence. The observed likelihood of CID specialty drug use was 20.0% lower in the exchange versus the nonexchange populations (341 users per 100,000 exchange members vs. 427 users per 100,000 nonexchange members; P exchange population, the observed likelihood of CID specialty drug use was 132 per 100,000 bronze plan members (69.1% lower than nonexchange); 326 per 100

  12. Adherence of randomized trials within children's surgical specialties published during 2000 to 2009 to standard reporting guidelines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blakely, Martin L; Kao, Lillian S; Tsao, Kuojen; Huang, Eunice Y; Tsai, Anthony; Tanaka, Stacy; Younas, Shiraz; Lu, Zengqi; Lally, Kevin P

    2013-09-01

    Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are uncommon in pediatric surgical specialties and the quality of reporting is unknown. Our primary purpose was to analyze published surgical RCTs involving children to measure adherence to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. Published RCTs from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2009 were reviewed. The trials were evaluated for the presence of 7 CONSORT guidelines and also graded according to the Jadad scale. Two hundred and twenty-eight trials were included. Five trials met all 7 CONSORT criteria (2%) and 53 had a Jadad score of ≥3 (23%). Slightly more than 50% of all trials specified primary outcomes and guidelines for allocation concealment, randomization description, and attrition details was even lower. There were significant differences between surgical specialties with regard to CONSORT adherence to the majority of the guidelines. Pediatric general surgery had the largest number of published RCTs. Pediatric orthopaedic surgery had the highest proportion of trials with a Jadad score ≥3 (40%). Adherence to CONSORT guidelines is low across the spectrum of children's surgical specialties, although significant differences do exist. Future RCTs in children's surgical specialties should specifically focus on areas of low adherence to reporting guidelines. Copyright © 2013 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Expanding Educators' Contributions to Continuous Quality Improvement of American Board of Medical Specialties Maintenance of Certification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nora, Lois Margaret; Pouwels, Mellie Villahermosa; Irons, Mira

    2016-01-01

    The American Board of Medical Specialties board certification has transformed into a career-long process of learning, assessment, and performance improvement through its Program for Maintenance of Certification (MOC). Medical educators across many medical professional organizations, specialty societies, and other institutions have played important roles in shaping MOC and tailoring its overarching framework to the needs of different specialties. This Commentary addresses potential barriers to engagement in work related to MOC for medical school (MS) and academic health center (AHC) educators and identifies reasons for, and ways to accomplish, greater involvement in this work. The authors present ways that medical and other health professions educators in these settings can contribute to the continuous improvement of the MOC program including developing educational and assessment activities, engaging in debate about MOC, linking MOC with institutional quality improvement activities, and pursuing MOC-related scholarship. MS- and AHC-based educators have much to offer this still-young and continually improving program, and their engagement is sought, necessary, and welcomed.

  14. The choice of surgery as a future career specialty among medical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aim: To determine the factors affecting the choice of surgery as a future career specialty among medical interns in a regional hospital in Nigeria. Method: A total of 74 junior doctors who completed internship training at the university of Benin teaching Hospital in 2012 were interviewed in this cross sectional study.

  15. Personality Patterns of Physicians in Person-Oriented and Technique-Oriented Specialties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borges, Nicole J.; Gibson, Denise D.

    2005-01-01

    This study investigated differences in personality patterns between person-oriented and technique-oriented physicians. It tested an integrative framework by converting the scores on the Personality Research Form (PRF) to the Big-Five factors and built a predictive model of group membership in clinical specialty area. PRF scores from 238 physicians…

  16. A patient group based business planning model for a surgical specialty

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adan, I.J.B.F.; Vissers, J.M.H.; van den Heuvel, M.N.; Wiersema, K.; Vissers, J.M.H.; Beech, R.

    2005-01-01

    In this contribution we present an approach for a business planning model for a surgical specialty, based on modelling of all patient processes as well as of the dynamics involved in planning and managing resources. An important basis of the model is the description of the processes of all patient

  17. Publication trends of research articles from infectious diseases specialty in a medical journal from India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KVS Hari Kumar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Details about research productivity in the infectious diseases specialty from India are lacking. Objective: To analyse publishing trends and research productivity of articles related to infectious diseases in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (JAPI. Materials and Methods : We carried out bibliometric analysis of articles related to infectious diseases specialty from JAPI published between 2000 and 2011. Data were derived from the journal′s website and the articles were analysed for type (original article, case reports, etc., microorganism (bacterial, viral, etc. place of the research and timelines for publication. Results : Out of 2977 articles published in JAPI over last 12 years, 256 articles belong to infectious diseases subspecialty. Infectious diseases contributed 11-18% of the published articles per year in JAPI during the last decade. Original articles (31%, case reports (38% and correspondence (22% constitute the majority of article types, while remaining 9% was made up by images. Bacterial (22%, protozoal and helminthic (20%, HIV (15% and mycobacterial (16% diseases lead the type of microorganisms represented in the research articles. Mumbai (16%, Delhi (9% and Kolkata (7% are the top three places contributing to the articles, followed by Chandigarh and Chennai. Original articles and case reports took approximately 14 months for publication, as compared to 6 months for an image (P < 0.0001. Conclusion : Infectious diseases specialty contributes about 15% of articles per annum in JAPI. HIV and tuberculosis together account for 30% of published litearture with fair representation from other organisms. Mumbai and Delhi are the leading contributors towards research productivity in this specialty.

  18. A Call to Action to Address Gender Equity Within Our Specialty: Time's Up on Waiting for Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baecher-Lind, Laura; Abbott, Jodi; Atkins, Katharyn Meredith; Nijjar, J Biba; Royce, Celeste; Schiff, Lauren; Ricciotti, Hope A

    2018-06-01

    Although national attention has been focused on sexual harassment and gender inequity in the United States, leaders within the obstetrics and gynecology community have remained relatively silent. Sexual harassment and gender inequity remain pervasive in our specialty. This article serves as a call to action for leadership as well as physicians within obstetrics and gynecology to implement ethical and evidence-based approaches to reduce gender inequity and improve workplace culture within our specialty.

  19. Estudo potenciométrico de reações oscilantes para a determinação de ácido ascórbico, por perturbação do padrão de oscilação

    OpenAIRE

    Baliza, Patrícia Xavier

    2006-01-01

    Neste trabalho, é proposta a determinação de ácido ascórbico em amostras de medicamentos, utilizando-se um sistema potenciométrico, desenvolvido no laboratório que permitiu o estudo de reações oscilantes. Esse método baseia-se na determinação de ácido ascórbico utilizando como princípio o efeito desta substância no padrão de oscilação da reação de Belousov-Zhabotinskii. As condições experimentais como temperatura e concentrações dos reagentes, foram otimizadas. O sistema era constituído de...

  20. Identifying Telemedicine Services to Improve Access to Specialty Care for the Underserved in the San Francisco Safety Net

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ken Russell Coelho

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Safety-net settings across the country have grappled with providing adequate access to specialty care services. San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, serving as the city's primary safety-net hospital, has also had to struggle with the same issue. With Healthy San Francisco, the City and County of San Francisco's Universal Healthcare mandate, the increased demand for specialty care services has placed a further strain on the system. With the recent passage of California Proposition 1D, infrastructural funds are now set aside to assist in connecting major hospitals with primary care clinics in remote areas all over the state of California, using telemedicine. Based on a selected sample of key informant interviews with local staff physicians, this study provides further insight into the current process of e-referral which uses electronic communication for making referrals to specialty care. It also identifies key services for telemedicine in primary and specialty care settings within the San Francisco public health system. This study concludes with proposals for a framework that seek to increase collaboration between the referring primary care physician and specialist, to prioritize institution of these key services for telemedicine.

  1. Comparison of the clinical performance of an HPV mRNA test and an HPV DNA test in triage of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Waldstrom, M; Ornskov, D

    2012-01-01

    The effect of triaging women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) with human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing has been well documented. New tests detecting HPV E6/E7 mRNA are emerging, claiming to be more specific for detecting high-grade disease. We evaluated the cl...

  2. Conference Report: The First ATLAS.ti User Conference

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeanine C. Evers

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This report on the First ATLAS.ti User Conference shares our impressions and experiences as longstanding ATLAS.ti users and trainers about the First ATLAS.ti User Conference in Berlin 2013. The origins, conceptual principles and development of the program are outlined, the conference themes discussed and experiences shared. Finally, the future of the program is discussed. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1401197

  3. Does students' exposure to gender discrimination and sexual harassment in medical school affect specialty choice and residency program selection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stratton, Terry D; McLaughlin, Margaret A; Witte, Florence M; Fosson, Sue E; Nora, Lois Margaret

    2005-04-01

    To examine the role of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in medical students' choice of specialty and residency program. Anonymous, self-administered questionnaires were distributed in 1997 to fourth-year students enrolled in 14 public and private U.S. medical schools. In addition to reporting the frequency of gender discrimination and sexual harassment encountered during preclinical coursework, core clerkships, elective clerkships, and residency selection, students assessed the impact of these exposures (none, a little, some, quite a bit, the deciding factor) on their specialty choices and rankings of residency programs. A total of 1,314 (69%) useable questionnaires were returned. Large percentages of men (83.2%) and women (92.8%) experienced, observed, or heard about at least one incident of gender discrimination and sexual harassment during medical school, although more women reported such behavior across all training contexts. Compared with men, significantly (p harassment influenced their specialty choices (45.3% versus 16.4%) and residency rankings (25.3% versus 10.9%). Across all specialties, more women than men experienced gender discrimination and sexual harassment during residency selection, with one exception: a larger percentage of men choosing obstetrics and gynecology experienced such behavior. Among women, those choosing general surgery were most likely to experience gender discrimination and sexual harassment during residency selection. Interestingly, correlations between exposure to gender discrimination and sexual harassment and self-assessed impact on career decisions tended to be larger for men, suggesting that although fewer men are generally affected, they may weigh such experiences more heavily in their choice of specialty and residency program. This study suggests that exposure to gender discrimination and sexual harassment during undergraduate education may influence some medical students' choice of specialty and, to a lesser

  4. Discrimination of several Indonesian specialty coffees using Fluorescence Spectroscopy combined with SIMCA method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suhandy, D.; Yulia, M.

    2018-03-01

    Indonesia is one of the important producers of several specialty coffees, which have a particularly high economic value, including Civet coffee (‘kopi luwak’ in Indonesian language) and Peaberry coffee (‘kopi lanang’ in Indonesian language). The production of Civet and Peaberry coffee is very limited. In order to provide authentication of Civet and Peaberry coffee and protect consumers from adulteration, a robust and easy method for evaluating ground Civet and Peaberry coffee and detection of its adulteration is needed. In this study, we investigate the use of fluorescence spectroscopy combined with SIMCA (soft independent modelling of class analogies) method to discriminate three Indonesian specialty coffee: ground Peaberry, Civet and Pagar Alam coffee. Total 90 samples were used (30 samples for Civet, Peaberry and Pagar Alam coffee, respectively). All coffee samples were ground using a home-coffee-grinder. Since particle size in coffee powder has a significant influence on the spectra obtained, we sieved all coffee samples through a nest of U. S. standard sieves (mesh number of 40) on a Meinzer II sieve shaker for 10 minutes to obtain a particle size of 420 µm. The experiments were performed at room temperature (around 27-29°C). All samples were extracted with distilled water and then filtered. For each samples, 3 mL of extracted sample then was pipetted into 10 mm cuvettes for spectral data acquisition. The EEM (excitation-emission matrix) spectral data of coffee samples were acquired using JASCO FP-8300 Fluorescence Spectrometer. The principal component analysis (PCA) result shows that it is possible to discriminate types of coffee based on information from EEM (excitation-emission matrix) spectral data. Using SIMCA method, the discrimination model of Indonesian specialty coffee was successfully developed and resulted in high performance of discrimination with 100% of sensitivity and specificity for Peaberry, Civet and Pagar Alam coffee. This research

  5. VOCATIONAL AND PATRIOTIC EDUCATION OF STUDENTS OF DEFENSE SPECIALTIES AT A TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. P. Ustinova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the publication is an experimental research of patriotic qualities of students – future engineers of the defense industry. Methods. The study is conducted with the use of system-based analysis methods, teacher modeling, observation, interviews, pedagogical testing, and questionnaires. Diagnosis and evaluation of personal qualities of students are carried out using morphological life values test (modified by I. G. Senin, and questionnaire «The need for achieving the goal» (modified by Y. M. Orlov. The reliability of the results is granted by the use of statistical processing of empirical methods. Results. The average empirical values have been obtained concerning the level of professional and patriotic education of students of defence specialties at technical universities. It has been shown that targeted educational activities carried out on the basis of the identified organizational and pedagogical conditions, contributes to the level of professional and patriotic education of students of defense specialties at a Technical University.Scientific novelty. In relation to students – future professionals of defense industry, the concept of «professional – patriotic education» is clarified, which appears to be an integrative quality of a person, including cognitive, emotion-andvalue component and rational-activity components. The organizational and pedagogical conditions of vocational patriotic education of students of defense specialties are identified; the conditions are united into two groups: the creation of professional-oriented educative environment and creating the opportunities for active participation of students in educational and professional activities. Practical significance. Designed criterion-evaluation units are used to evaluate the current level of professional and patriotic education of students. Identified set of organizational and pedagogical conditions has been implemented in the process of patriotic education

  6. Gender in clinical neuropsychology: practice survey trends and comparisons outside the specialty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweet, Jerry J; Lee, Catherine; Guidotti Breting, Leslie M; Benson, Laura M

    2018-02-01

    This paper describes gender-related trends within clinical neuropsychology, based primarily on recurrent practice surveys within the specialty and, to a lesser extent, job-related information from medical specialties and the general U.S. labor market. Chronological and cross-sectional analyses of professional practice survey data from 2005, 2010, and 2015 relevant to gender. As is common with survey data, descriptive analysis and independent samples t-tests were conducted. Longitudinal data allowed for examination of gender trends, as well as observations of change and stability of factors associated with gender, over time. Women have become dominant in number in clinical neuropsychology, and also comprise a vast majority of practitioners entering the specialty. Gender differences are noted in professional identity, work status, work settings, types of career satisfaction, and retirement expectations. Women are more likely to identify work environment and personal/family obstacles to aspects of career satisfaction. A gender pay gap was found at all time points and is not narrowing. As is true nationally, multiple factors appear related to the gender pay gap in clinical neuropsychology. Women in neuropsychology are now dominant in number, and their presence is strongly associated with specific practice patterns, such as greater institutional employment, less involvement in forensic practice, and strong involvement in pediatric practice, which may be maintaining the sizeable gender pay gap in neuropsychology. As the proportion of women neuropsychologists continues to increase, flexible work hours, and alternative means of remuneration may be needed to offset current disproportionate family-related responsibilities.

  7. Routine Prenatal Care Visits by Provider Specialty in the United States, 2009-2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... and are not in the specialties of anesthesiology, pathology, or radiology. The NAMCS physician response rate was ... last reviewed: November 6, 2015 Page last updated: March 13, 2014 Content source: Email Recommend Tweet YouTube ...

  8. Genetic organization of ascB-dapE internalin cluster serves as a potential marker for Listeria monocytogenes sublineages IIA, IIB, and IIC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jianshun; Fang, Chun; Zhu, Ningyu; Lv, Yonghui; Cheng, Changyong; Bei, Yijiang; Zheng, Tianlun; Fang, Weihuan

    2012-05-01

    Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen that comprises four genetic lineages: I, II, III, and IV. Of these, lineage II is frequently recovered from foods and environments and responsible for the increasing incidence of human listeriosis. In this study, the phylogenetic structure of lineage II was determined through sequencing analysis of the ascB-dapE internalin cluster. Fifteen sequence types proposed by multilocus sequence typing based on nine housekeeping genes were grouped into three distinct sublineages, IIA, IIB, and IIC. Organization of the ascBdapE internalin cluster could serve as a molecular marker for these sublineages, with inlGHE, inlGC2DE, and inlC2DE for IIA, IIB, and IIC, respectively. These sublineages displayed specific genetic and phenotypic characteristics. IIA and IIC showed a higher frequency of recombination (rho/theta). However, recombination events had greater effect (r/m) on IIB, leading to its high nucleotide diversity. Moreover, IIA and IIB harbored a wider range of internalin and stress-response genes, and possessed higher nisin tolerance, whereas IIC contained the largest portion of low-virulent strains owing to premature stop codons in inlA. The results of this study indicate that IIA, IIB, and IIC might occupy different ecological niches, and IIB might have a better adaptation to a broad range of environmental niches.

  9. Sliding and Rocking of Unanchored Components and Structures: Chapter 7.6 ASCE 4 Revision 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    S. R. Jensen

    2011-04-01

    Chapter 7.6 of ASCE 4-Rev 2, Seismic Analysis of Safety-Related Nuclear Structures: Standard and Commentary, provides updated guidance for analysis of rocking and sliding of unanchored structures and components subjected to seismic load. This guidance includes provisions both for simplified approximate energy-based approaches, and for detailed probabilistic time history analysis using nonlinear methods. Factors to be applied to the analytical results are also provided with the intent of ensuring achievement of the 80% non-exceedence probability target of the standard. The present paper surveys the published literature supporting these provisions. The results of available testing and analysis are compared to results produced by both simplified and probabilistic approaches. In addition, adequacy of the standard's provisions for analysis methods and factors is assessed. A comparison is made between the achieved level of conservatism and the standard's non-exceedence probability target.

  10. The Emergence and Development of the Sociology of Sport as an Academic Specialty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loy, John W.; And Others

    1980-01-01

    Sport sociology as an academic specialty and its stages of development are described. Problems confronting future developments in sport sociology include critical mass, academic status, and ideological orientation, both in physical education and in sociology. (CJ)

  11. Application-specific specialty microstructured optical fibers for mid-IR and THz photonics (Invited)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pal, Bishnu P.; Barh, Ajanta; Varshney, Ravi K.

    2016-01-01

    A review of several of our designed specialty microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) for mid-IR and THz generation and transmission including high power transmission is presented. Extensive results on performance of the designed MOFs are described....

  12. Veterans in Society Conference 2014: Humanizing the Discourse (Conference Program)

    OpenAIRE

    Virginia Tech. Department of English. Center for the Study of Rhetoric in Society; Virginia Tech. Veterans Studies Group

    2014-01-01

    This program lists the daily sessions, presentations, and events that took place during the 2014 Veterans in Society Conference, which was held from April 27-28, 2014 at the Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, VA. This program also includes speaker and presenter bios, descriptions of unrecorded conference events, and a letter from conference co-chair Jim Dubinsky, the director of Virginia Tech's Center for the Study of Rhetoric in Society. The 2014 Veterans in Society Conference: Humanizing the Discour...

  13. INTERCARTO CONFERENCES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Tikunov

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The InterCarto conferences are thematically organized to target one of the most pressing problems of modern geography—creation and use of geographical information systems (GISs as effective tools for achieving sustainable development of territories. Over the years, from 1994 to 2009, 1872 participants from 51 countries and 156 cities, who made 1494 reports, attended the conferences. There were 1508 participants from 49 regions of Russia making 1340 presentations. The conferences hosted 31 different sections, most popular of which were Environmental GIS-Projects: Development and Experience, Sustainable Development and Innovative Projects, GIS: the Theory and Methodology, Projects for Russia and Regions, and GIS-Technologies and Digital Mapping. The next annual InterCarto-InterGIS conference will take place in December 2011. The Russian component of the conference will be held in the Altay Kray followed by another meeting on Bali, Indonesia

  14. The educational impact of the Specialty Care Access Network-Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salgia, Reena J; Mullan, Patricia B; McCurdy, Heather; Sales, Anne; Moseley, Richard H; Su, Grace L

    2014-11-01

    With the aging hepatitis C cohort and increasing prevalence of fatty liver disease, the burden on primary care providers (PCPs) to care for patients with liver disease is growing. In response, the Veterans Administration implemented initiatives for primary care-specialty referral to increase PCP competency in complex disease management. The Specialty Care Access Network-Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes (SCAN-ECHO) program initiative was designed to transfer subspecialty knowledge to PCPs through case-based distance learning combined with real-time consultation. There is limited information regarding the initiative's ability to engage PCPs to learn and influence their practice. We surveyed PCPs to determine the factors that led to their participation in this program and the educational impact of participation. Of 51 potential participants, 24 responded to an anonymous survey. More than 75% of respondents participated more than one time in a SCAN-ECHO clinic. Providers were motivated to participate by a desire to learn more about liver disease, to apply the knowledge gained to future patients, and to save their patients time traveling to another center for specialty consultation. Seventy-one percent responded that the didactic component and case-based discussion were equally important. It is important that participation changed clinical practice: 75% of providers indicated they had personally discussed the information they learned from the case presentations with their colleague(s), and 42% indicated they helped a colleague care for their patient with the knowledge learned during discussions of other participants' cases. This study shows that the SCAN-ECHO videoconferencing program between PCPs and specialists can educate providers in the delivery of specialty care from a distance and potentially improve healthcare delivery.

  15. Factors Affecting the Choice of Anesthesiology by Medical Students for Specialty Training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandra, Phool; Hughes, Mark

    1984-01-01

    A study of medical students' choice of anesthesiology as a specialty and the quality of clerkships available established several factors in students' choice, including the negative effect of certified registered nurse anesthetists on the operating room floor. A study of relationships with nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and…

  16. On the Development of Professional Competence in Students of Creative Pedagogical Specialties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makhashova, Patima; Meirmanov, Asylbek; Zhunusbekov, Zhaxybek; Makasheva, Orynkul; Mirzaliyeva, Elmira; Ermuratova, Almagul; Sakenov, Janat

    2016-01-01

    The relevance of the topic revealed is caused by necessity to update the organization of professional activity for pedagogical higher education institution on a competence-based basis, creating conditions for developing the corresponding professional competences in students of creative pedagogical specialties. The paper addresses the structure,…

  17. Conference summaries. Canadian Nuclear Association 29. annual conference; Canadian Nuclear Society 10. annual conference

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1990-12-31

    Separate abstracts were prepared for 15 papers from the twenty-ninth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association. Abstracts were also prepared for the 102 papers from the tenth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society.

  18. Conference summaries. Canadian Nuclear Association 29. annual conference; Canadian Nuclear Society 10. annual conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    Separate abstracts were prepared for 15 papers from the twenty-ninth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association. Abstracts were also prepared for the 102 papers from the tenth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society

  19. Association of gender and specialty interest with video-gaming, three-dimensional spatial analysis, and entry-level laparoscopic skills in third-year veterinary students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bragg, Heather R; Towle Millard, Heather A; Millard, Ralph P; Constable, Peter D; Freeman, Lyn J

    2016-06-15

    OBJECTIVE To determine whether gender or interest in pursuing specialty certification in internal medicine or surgery was associated with video-gaming, 3-D spatial analysis, or entry-level laparoscopic skills in third-year veterinary students. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE A convenience sample of 68 (42 female and 26 male) third-year veterinary students. PROCEDURES Participants completed a survey asking about their interest in pursuing specialty certification in internal medicine or surgery. Subsequently, participants' entry-level laparoscopic skills were assessed with 3 procedures performed in box trainers, their video-gaming skills were tested with 3 video games, and their 3-D spatial analysis skills were evaluated with the Purdue University Visualization of Rotations Spatial Test. Scores were assigned for laparoscopic, video-gaming, and 3-D spatial analysis skills. RESULTS Significantly more female than male students were interested in pursuing specialty certification in internal medicine (23/42 vs 7/26), and significantly more male than female students were interested in pursuing specialty certification in surgery (19/26 vs 19/42). Males had significantly higher video-gaming skills scores than did females, but spatial analysis and laparoscopic skills scores did not differ between males and females. Students interested in pursuing specialty certification in surgery had higher video-gaming and spatial analysis skills scores than did students interested in pursuing specialty certification in internal medicine, but laparoscopic skills scores did not differ between these 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE For this group of students, neither gender nor interest in specialty certification in internal medicine versus surgery was associated with entry-level laparoscopy skills.

  20. Getting the right balance? A mixed logit analysis of the relationship between UK training doctors' characteristics and their specialties using the 2013 National Training Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez Santana, Idaira; Chalkley, Martin

    2017-08-11

    To analyse how training doctors' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics vary according to the specialty that they are training for. Descriptive statistics and mixed logistic regression analysis of cross-sectional survey data to quantify evidence of systematic relationships between doctors' characteristics and their specialty. Doctors in training in the United Kingdom in 2013. 27 530 doctors in training but not in their foundation year who responded to the National Training Survey 2013. Mixed logit regression estimates and the corresponding odds ratios (calculated separately for all doctors in training and a subsample comprising those educated in the UK), relating gender, age, ethnicity, place of studies, socioeconomic background and parental education to the probability of training for a particular specialty. Being female and being white British increase the chances of being in general practice with respect to any other specialty, while coming from a better-off socioeconomic background and having parents with tertiary education have the opposite effect. Mixed results are found for age and place of studies. For example, the difference between men and women is greatest for surgical specialties for which a man is 12.121 times more likely to be training to a surgical specialty (relative to general practice) than a woman (p-valuevalue<0.01). There are systematic and substantial differences between specialties in respect of training doctors' gender, ethnicity, age and socioeconomic background. The persistent underrepresentation in some specialties of women, minority ethnic groups and of those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds will impact on the representativeness of the profession into the future. Further research is needed to understand how the processes of selection and the self-selection of applicants into specialties gives rise to these observed differences. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article

  1. Second international conference on isotopes. Conference proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardy, C.J.

    1997-10-01

    The Second International Conference on Isotopes (2ICI) was hosted by the Australian Nuclear Association in Sydney, NSW, Australia. The Theme of the Second Conference: Isotopes for Industry, Health and a Better Environment recognizes that isotopes have been used in these fields successfully for many years and offer prospects for increasing use in the future. The worldwide interest in the use of research reactors and accelerators and in applications of stable and radioactive isotopes, isotopic techniques and radiation in industry, agriculture, medicine, environmental studies and research in general, was considered. Other radiation issues including radiation protection and safety were also addressed. International and national overviews and subject reviews invited from leading experts were included to introduce the program of technical sessions. The invited papers were supported by contributions accepted from participants for oral and poster presentation. A Technical Exhibition was held in association with the Conference. This volume contains the foreword, technical program, the author index and of the papers (1-60) presented at the conference

  2. Second international conference on isotopes. Conference proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hardy, C J [ed.

    1997-10-01

    The Second International Conference on Isotopes (2ICI) was hosted by the Australian Nuclear Association in Sydney, NSW, Australia. The Theme of the Second Conference: Isotopes for Industry, Health and a Better Environment recognizes that isotopes have been used in these fields successfully for many years and offer prospects for increasing use in the future. The worldwide interest in the use of research reactors and accelerators and in applications of stable and radioactive isotopes, isotopic techniques and radiation in industry, agriculture, medicine, environmental studies and research in general, was considered. Other radiation issues including radiation protection and safety were also addressed. International and national overviews and subject reviews invited from leading experts were included to introduce the program of technical sessions. The invited papers were supported by contributions accepted from participants for oral and poster presentation. A Technical Exhibition was held in association with the Conference. This volume contains the foreword, technical program, the author index and of the papers (1-60) presented at the conference.

  3. 20th IAEA fusion energy conference 2004. Conference proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The 20th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Fusion Energy Conference (FEC) was held in Vilamoura, Portugal, from 1 to 6 November 2004. The Instituto Superior Tecnico through the Centro de Fusao Nuclear on behalf of the Portuguese Government and the Association EURATOM/IST hosted the conference. The IAEA wishes to express its gratitude to the host. More than 600 delegates representing 33 countries and three international organizations attended the Fusion Energy Conference 2004. The Programme Committee accepted a total of some 437 papers for presentation at the conference. The scientific experimental and theoretical papers have been grouped with respect to the following themes: Overview on magnetic and inertial fusion; Advanced Scenarios and Steady State; Edge Localized Modes; Fusion Technology; Transport Theory; Beta Limits; Hybrid Scenarios; H-mode and Transport; ITER; Alfven Modes and Wave Heating; Operational Limits and Momentum Transport; Energetic Particles and Stability; Neoclassical Tearing Modes; Transport and Turbulence; Inertial Fusion; Configuration Effects and Transport; and Plasma-wall Interaction. The conference adjourned with the announcement of the next IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, which will be held for the first time in the People's Republic of China, in the city of Chengdu, October 16-22, 2006

  4. Mapping Direct Observations From Objective Structured Clinical Examinations to the Milestones Across Specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker-Genaw, Kimberly; Kokas, Maria S; Ahsan, Syed F; Darnley-Fisch, Deborah; Drake, Sean; Goyal, Nikhil; Inamdar, Kedar; Moutzouros, Vasilios; Prabhakar, Deepak; Rolland, Laurie; Sangha, Roopina; Shreve, Maria; Woodward, Ann

    2016-07-01

    Little is known about residents' performance on the milestones at the institutional level. Our institution formed a work group to explore this using an institutional-level curriculum and residents' evaluation of the milestones. We assessed whether beginner-level milestones for interpersonal and communication skills (ICS) related to observable behaviors in ICS-focused objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) for postgraduate year (PGY) 1 residents across specialties. The work group compared ICS subcompetencies across 12 programs to identify common beginner-level physician-patient communication milestones. The selected ICS milestone sets were compared for common language with the ICS-OSCE assessment tool-the Kalamazoo Essential Elements of Communication Checklist-Adapted (KEECC-A). To assess whether OSCE scores related to ICS milestone scores, all PGY-1 residents from programs that were part of Next Accreditation System Phase 1 were identified; their OSCE scores from July 2013 to June 2014 and ICS subcompetency scores from December 2014 were compared. The milestones for 10 specialties and the transitional year had at least 1 ICS subcompetency that related to physician-patient communication. The language of the ICS beginner-level milestones appears similar to behaviors outlined in the KEECC-A. All 60 residents with complete data received at least a beginner-level ICS subcompetency score and at least a satisfactory score on all 3 OSCEs. The ICS-OSCE scores for PGY-1 residents appear to relate to beginner-level milestones for physician-patient communication across multiple specialties.

  5. 2008 Gordon Research Conference on Catalysis [Conference summary report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soled, Stuart L.; Gray, Nancy Ryan

    2009-01-01

    The GRC on Catalysis is one of the most prestigious catalysis conferences as it brings together leading researchers from around the world to discuss their latest, most exciting work in catalysis. The 2008 conference will continue this tradition. The conference will cover a variety of themes including new catalytic materials, theoretical and experimental approaches to improve understanding of kinetics and transport phenomena, and state of the art nanoscale characterization probes to monitor active sites. The conference promotes interactions among established researchers and young scientists. It provides a venue for students to meet, talk to and learn from some of the world leading researchers in the area. It also gives them a platform for displaying their own work during the poster sessions. The informal nature of the meeting, excellent quality of the presentations and posters, and ability to meet many outstanding colleagues makes this an excellent conference.

  6. The acceptance of dental operating microscope among advance education specialty programs in endodontics in the middle east

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansour Alrejaie

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To present the current situation of dental operating microscopy (DOM training in the available Advance Specialty Education Programs in Endodontics in Arab Middle-Eastern countries. Materials and Methods: A web-based survey was sent to the electronic mail address of Advance Specialty Education programs of 15 Arab and middle east countries. The questions were limited to those who have an advanced specialty education program in Endodontics at their University if they are using an operating microscope? Results: Out of 15 countries, only 4 countries have microscopic technology in their Advance Education Programs in Endodontics. Conclusion: Few Arab Middle-Eastern countries have DOM in their advance education programs in endodontics. The highest authority in advancing endodontic education in the Arab Middle-East should consider in the near future the importance of this technology as standard care in teaching advance endodontics. An advance workshops should be organized regularly to provide enough knowledge about this standard educational technology.

  7. European Research Reactor Conference (RRFM) 2015: Conference Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-01-01

    In 2015 the European Research Reactor Conference, RRFM, took place in Bucharest, Romania. The conference programme resolved around a series of plenary sessions dedicated to the latest global developments with regards to research reactor technology and management. Parallel sessions focused on all areas of the fuel cycle of research reactors, their utilisation, operation and management as well as new research reactor projects and Innovative methods in reactor physics and thermo-hydraulics. The European Research Reactor Conference also gave special attention to safety and security of research reactors

  8. European Research Reactor Conference (RRFM) 2016: Conference Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    The 2016 European Research Reactor Conference, RRFM, took place in Berlin, Germany. The conference programme resolved around a series of plenary sessions dedicated to the latest global developments with regards to research reactor technology and management. Parallel sessions focused on all areas of the fuel cycle of research reactors, their utilisation, operation and management as well as new research reactor projects and Innovative methods in reactor physics and thermo-hydraulics. The European Research Reactor Conference also gave special attention to safety and security of research reactors.

  9. Birds of a Feather Flock Together: The Congruence of Personality Types within Librarians’ Subject Specialties. A Review of: Williamson, J.M., A.E. Pemberton, and J.W. Lounsbury. “Personality Traits of Individuals in Different Specialties of Librarianship.” Journal of Documentation 64.2 (2008: 273-86.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Loy

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives – To investigate the personality traits of a range of librarians and information professionals using the Personal Style Inventory (PSI, and to investigate whether the personality traits of those in person-orientated library specialties differ from those in technique-orientated specialties.Design – Self-selecting survey.Setting – Solicitations to complete the survey were sent out via 10 e-mail discussion lists, and paper copies were made available at the annual American Library Association conference in 2002.Subjects – 2,075 librarians and information science professionals.Methods – Participants completed the survey either in print format, as an e-mail attachment or a Web form. The survey format was an adaptation of the PSI scale using 13 of the accepted 16 scales, namely: adaptabilityassertivenessautonomyconscientiousnesscustomer service orientation emotional resilienceextraversionopennessoptimismteamworktough-mindednessvisionary-operational work stylework driveResponses were analysed using a two-step cluster analysis technique, and participants were grouped into seven clusters.Main Results – The largest group of respondents was cataloguers at 23.7%, followed by other (health or law 19.1%,academic reference librarians 13.2%, special librarians 12.3% with all other groups in single figures. Respondents were divided up into the following seven clusters. • Cluster 1, the “unadaptive” group -- so labelled because several unadaptive traits such as low emotional resilience, low optimism, low teamwork, and low work drive are included.• Cluster 2, “adaptive academic reference librarians” -- high on customer service orientation, extraversion and teamwork, and low on tough-mindedness.• Cluster 3, “adaptive cataloguers” -- low on customer service orientation and possessing a more operational work style.• Cluster 4, “adaptive special librarians” -- high on autonomy, customer service orientation and extraversion

  10. Avaliação da interferência do ácido ascórbico na detecção da glicosúria Evaluation of ascorbic acid interference in the detection of glycosuria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaime Murilo Fernandes Costa

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: O ácido ascórbico (vitamina C é comumente ingerido como suplemento vitamínico. É uma vitamina hidrossolúvel, excretada pela urina e pode interferir nos ensaios laboratoriais, como nas reações de oxirredução para detecção da glicosúria. OBJETIVO: Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a interferência do ácido ascórbico na detecção de glicosúria pelo método de química seca por meio do uso de tiras reagentes. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Amostras de urina foram avaliadas no analisador da marca Clinitek Atlas (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., EUA. Foram selecionadas quatro amostras de urina com diferentes concentrações de glicose: 100 mg/dl, 250 mg/dl, 500 mg/dl e 1.000 mg/dl. Para cada concentração de glicose foram criadas cinco alíquotas, adicionando-se uma solução de ácido ascórbico 200 mg/dl, suficiente para obter uma concentração final de ácido ascórbico de 20 mg/dl no primeiro tubo, de 50 mg/dl no segundo tubo, de 270 mg/dl no terceiro tubo, de 1.000 mg/dl no quarto tubo e de 2.000 mg/dl no quinto tubo. Após essa adição, as amostras foram novamente avaliadas no analisador Clinitek Atlas. RESULTADOS: Nas amostras com concentração de 20 mg/dl de ácido, não se evidenciou interferência. Nas concentrações iguais e acima de 50 mg/dl, a interferência do ácido ascórbico se fez presente, sendo que o fato foi caracterizado pelos resultados falso negativos para detecção da glicose urinária. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados demonstraram a interferência do ácido ascórbico no método da química seca (tiras reagentes, subestimando o nível de glicose urinária.INTRODUCTION: Ascorbic acid (vitamin C is commonly used as a vitamin supplement. It is a water soluble vitamin, which is excreted through urine and may interfere in laboratory tests as well as redox reactions for urinary glucose detection. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess ascorbic acid interference in glycosuria detection by dry chemistry

  11. Conference summaries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    This volume contains conference summaries for the 31. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association and the 12. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. Topics of discussion include: reactor physics; thermalhydraulics; industrial irradiation; computer applications; fuel channel analysis; small reactors; severe accidents; fuel behaviour under accident conditions; reactor components, safety related computer software; nuclear fuel management; fuel behaviour and performance; reactor safety; reactor engineering; nuclear waste management; and, uranium mining and processing

  12. INTERCARTO CONFERENCES

    OpenAIRE

    Vladimir Tikunov

    2010-01-01

    The InterCarto conferences are thematically organized to target one of the most pressing problems of modern geography—creation and use of geographical information systems (GISs) as effective tools for achieving sustainable development of territories. Over the years, from 1994 to 2009, 1872 participants from 51 countries and 156 cities, who made 1494 reports, attended the conferences. There were 1508 participants from 49 regions of Russia making 1340 presentations. The conferences hosted 31 di...

  13. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 4: dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 7 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of dynamics. (Topic 4). One item was in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for it

  14. Oral speech teaching to students of mathematic specialties: a grammatical aspect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibragimov I.I.

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available the paper considers teaching features of English speech grammar aspects. The case studies include undergraduates of mathematical specialties. The content of students’ educational activity at the final stage of language teaching is pointed out. Besides the structure of grammar section, a special didactic training unit in which framework mastering grammar phenomena used in oral speech takes place is described.

  15. Concordancia entre los hallazgos citológicos de ASC-US en atrofia y metaplasia con la biopsia en el laboratorio de Patología de Clínica Colsanitas S.A. durante los años 2009 a 2012

    OpenAIRE

    Posada Restrepo, Alejandro

    2015-01-01

    Introducción: La categoría atipia de células escamosas de significado indeterminado (ASC-US) en la terminología Bethesda plantea un reto para el citólogo(a)/patólogo(a), necesitándose una estrecha correlación con otras herramientas diagnósticas para lograr un diagnóstico preciso y un tratamiento adecuado. Se puede observar ASC-US en extendidos con atrofia y metaplasia que dificultan la interpretación, haciéndose necesario otros métodos como la biopsia cervical para acercarnos al diagnóstico p...

  16. Prediction of specialty coffee cup quality based on near infrared spectra of green coffee beans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolessa, Kassaye; Rademaker, Michael; De Baets, Bernard; Boeckx, Pascal

    2016-04-01

    The growing global demand for specialty coffee increases the need for improved coffee quality assessment methods. Green bean coffee quality analysis is usually carried out by physical (e.g. black beans, immature beans) and cup quality (e.g. acidity, flavour) evaluation. However, these evaluation methods are subjective, costly, time consuming, require sample preparation and may end up in poor grading systems. This calls for the development of a rapid, low-cost, reliable and reproducible analytical method to evaluate coffee quality attributes and eventually chemical compounds of interest (e.g. chlorogenic acid) in coffee beans. The aim of this study was to develop a model able to predict coffee cup quality based on NIR spectra of green coffee beans. NIR spectra of 86 samples of green Arabica beans of varying quality were analysed. Partial least squares (PLS) regression method was used to develop a model correlating spectral data to cupping score data (cup quality). The selected PLS model had a good predictive power for total specialty cup quality and its individual quality attributes (overall cup preference, acidity, body and aftertaste) showing a high correlation coefficient with r-values of 90, 90,78, 72 and 72, respectively, between measured and predicted cupping scores for 20 out of 86 samples. The corresponding root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) was 1.04, 0.22, 0.27, 0.24 and 0.27 for total specialty cup quality, overall cup preference, acidity, body and aftertaste, respectively. The results obtained suggest that NIR spectra of green coffee beans are a promising tool for fast and accurate prediction of coffee quality and for classifying green coffee beans into different specialty grades. However, the model should be further tested for coffee samples from different regions in Ethiopia and test if one generic or region-specific model should be developed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Conference Support, 23rd Western Photosynthesis Conference 2014, Final Technical Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wachter, Rebekka [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)

    2015-01-12

    The Western Photosynthesis Conference is a regional conference that is held on an annual basis to bring together researchers primarily from the Western United States to share their newest research advances on photosynthetic processes. The 23rd conference was focused on both fundamental and more applied research on the biological conversion of solar energy to various energy storage forms. Several particular areas of solar energy conversion were emphasized in this conference (see below). Some of these topics, such as carbon limitations on photosynthesis, biomimicry and phenotyping, have traditionally not been incorporated extensively in the Western Photosynthesis Conference. We found that these topics have substantially broadened of the scope of this meeting.

  18. Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol change the expression folds of AKT1 and DKC1 genes and decrease the telomere length of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs: An experimental and in silico study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdorrahim Absalan

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective(s: To investigate the effect of cinnamaldehyde and eugenol on the telomere-dependent senescence of stem cells. In addition, to search the probable targets of mentioned phytochemicals between human telomere interacting proteins (TIPs using in silico studies. Materials and Methods: Human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs were studied under treatments with 2.5 µM/ml cinnamaldehyde, 0.1 µg/ml eugenol, 0.01% DMSO or any additive. The expression of TERT, AKT1 and DKC1 genes and the telomere length were assessed over 48-hr treatment. In addition, docking study was conducted to show probable ways through which phytochemicals interact with TIPs. Results: Treated and untreated hASCs had undetectable TERT expression, but they did affect the AKT1 and DKC1 expression levels (CI=0.95; P

  19. 78 FR 27963 - Reliability Technical Conference; Notice of Technical Conference

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-13

    ... Technical Conference; Notice of Technical Conference Take notice that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold a Technical Conference on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This... technical support for webcasts and offers the option of listening to the meeting via phone-bridge for a fee...

  20. Physician attitudes toward industry: a view across the specialties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korenstein, Deborah; Keyhani, Salomeh; Ross, Joseph S.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives Physician relationships with industry are receiving attention as government and professional organizations move toward restrictive policies and financial transparency. Our objective was to explore attitudes of physicians from all specialties toward gifts from and interactions with the pharmaceutical and device industries. Design Anonymous cross sectional survey. Setting Hospitals in the Mount Sinai School of Medicine consortium, in the New York City metro area Participants Faculty and trainee physicians from all clinical departments Main Outcome Measures Attitudes toward industry interactions and gifts and their appropriateness, measured on 4-point Likert scales. Results Five hundred ninety physicians and medical students completed the survey (response rate=67%); 59% were male, 39% were attendings, and 24% were from surgical specialties. Attitudes toward industry and gifts were generally positive. More than 65% found educational materials and sponsored lunches appropriate, whereas fewer than 25% considered vacations or large gifts appropriate. Surgeons, trainees, and those unfamiliar with institutional policies on industry interactions held more positive attitudes than others and were more likely to deem some gifts appropriate, including industry funding of residency programs and, among surgeons, receiving meals, travel expenses, and payments for attending lectures. Non-attendings held more positive attitudes toward meals in clinical settings, textbooks and samples. Conclusions Physicians continue to hold positive attitudes toward marketing-oriented activities of the pharmaceutical and device industries. Changes in medical culture and physician education focused on surgeons and trainees may align physician attitudes with current policy trends. PMID:20566978

  1. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 8: computation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 10 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of computation. (Topic 8). Three items were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  2. A Delphi developed syllabus for the medical specialty of sport and exercise medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphries, David; Jaques, Rod; Dijkstra, Hendrik Paulus

    2018-04-01

    Training in the medical specialty of sport and exercise medicine is now available in many, but not all countries. Lack of resources may be a barrier to the development of this important specialty field and the International Syllabus in Sport and Exercise Medicine Group was convened to reduce one potential barrier, the need to develop a syllabus. The group is composed of 17 sport and exercise medicine specialists residing in 12 countries (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Qatar, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and USA). This paper presents the first phase of this project covering the domains and general learning areas of a specialist training syllabus in sport and exercise medicine. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  3. COAL Conference Poster

    OpenAIRE

    Brown, Taylor Alexander; McGibbney, Lewis John

    2017-01-01

    COAL Conference Poster This archive contains the COAL conference poster for the AGU Fall Meeting 2017 by Taylor Alexander Brown. The Inkscape SVG source is available at https://github.com/capstone-coal/coal-conference-poster/ under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.

  4. The Cladophora glomerata Enriched by Biosorption Process in Cr(III) Improves Viability, and Reduces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Equine Metabolic Syndrome Derived Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells (ASCs) and Their Extracellular Vesicles (MV's).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marycz, Krzysztof; Michalak, Izabela; Kocherova, Ievgeniia; Marędziak, Monika; Weiss, Christine

    2017-12-08

    This study investigated in vitro effects of freshwater alga Cladophora glomerata water extract enriched during a biosorption process in Cr(III) trivalent chromium and chromium picolinate on adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal stem cells (ASCs) and extracellular microvesicles (MVs) in equine metabolic syndrome-affected horses. Chemical characterisation of natural Cladophora glomerata was performed with special emphasis on: vitamin C, vitamin E, total phenols, fatty acids, free and protein-bound amino acids as well as measured Cr in algal biomass. To examine the influence of Cladophora glomerata water extracts, in vitro viability, oxidative stress factor accumulation, apoptosis, inflammatory response, biogenesis of mitochondria, autophagy in ASCs of EMS and secretory activity manifested by MV release were investigated. For this purpose, various methods of molecular biology and microscopic observations (i.e., immunofluorescence staining, SEM, TEM, FIB observations, mRNA and microRNA expression by RT-qPCR) were applied. The extract of Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III) ions reduced apoptosis and inflammation in ASCs of EMS horses through improvement of mitochondrial dynamics, decreasing of PDK4 expression and reduction of endoplastic reticulum stress. Moreover, it was found, that Cladophora glomerata and Cr(III) induce antioxidative protection coming from enhanced SOD activity Therefore, Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III) ions might become an interesting future therapeutic agent in the pharmacological treatment of EMS horses.

  5. Higher specialty training in genitourinary medicine: A curriculum competencies-based approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desai, Mitesh; Davies, Olubanke; Menon-Johansson, Anatole; Sethi, Gulshan Cindy

    2018-01-01

    Specialty trainees in genitourinary medicine (GUM) are required to attain competencies described in the GUM higher specialty training curriculum by the end of their training, but learning opportunities available may conflict with service delivery needs. In response to poor feedback on trainee satisfaction surveys, a four-year modular training programme was developed to achieve a curriculum competencies-based approach to training. We evaluated the clinical opportunities of the new programme to determine: (1) Whether opportunity cost of training to service delivery is justifiable; (2) Which competencies are inadequately addressed by direct clinical opportunities alone and (3) Trainee satisfaction. Local faculty and trainees assessed the 'usefulness' of the new modular programme to meet each curriculum competence. The annual General Medical Council (GMC) national training survey assessed trainee satisfaction. The clinical opportunities provided by the modular training programme were sufficiently useful for attaining many competencies. Trainee satisfaction as captured by the GMC survey improved from two reds pre- to nine greens post-intervention on a background of rising clinical activity in the department. The curriculum competencies-based approach to training offers an objective way to balance training with service provision and led to an improvement in GMC survey satisfaction.

  6. Where Are the Women? The Underrepresentation of Women Physicians Among Recognition Award Recipients From Medical Specialty Societies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silver, Julie K; Slocum, Chloe S; Bank, Anna M; Bhatnagar, Saurabha; Blauwet, Cheri A; Poorman, Julie A; Villablanca, Amparo; Parangi, Sareh

    2017-08-01

    Membership in medical societies is associated with a number of benefits to members that may include professional education, opportunities to present research, scientific and/or leadership training, networking, and others. In this perspective article, the authors address the value that medical specialty society membership and inclusion have in the development of an academic physician's career and how underrepresentation of women may pose barriers to their career advancement. Because society membership itself is not likely sufficient to support the advancement of academic physicians, this report focuses on one key component of advancement that also can be used as a measure of inclusion in society activities-the representation of women physicians among recipients of recognition awards. Previous reports demonstrated underrepresentation of women physicians among recognition award recipients from 2 physical medicine and rehabilitation specialty organizations, including examples of zero or near-zero results. This report investigated whether zero or near-zero representation of women physicians among recognition award recipients from medical specialty societies extended beyond the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Examples of the underrepresentation of women physicians, as compared with their presence in the respective field, was found across a range of additional specialties, including dermatology, neurology, anesthesiology, orthopedic surgery, head and neck surgery, and plastic surgery. The authors propose a call for action across the entire spectrum of medical specialty societies to: (1) examine gender diversity and inclusion data through the lens of the organization's mission, values, and culture; (2) transparently report the results to members and other stakeholders including medical schools and academic medical centers; (3) investigate potential causes of less than proportionate representation of women; (4) implement strategies designed to improve

  7. [Development of MEDUC-PG14 survey to assess postgraduate teaching in medical specialties].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizarro, Margarita; Solís, Nancy; Rojas, Viviana; Díaz, Luis Antonio; Padilla, Oslando; Letelier, Luz María; Aizman, Andrés; Sarfatis, Alberto; Olivos, Trinidad; Soza, Alejandro; Delfino, Alejandro; Latorre, Gonzalo; Ivanovic-Zuvic, Danisa; Hoyl, Trinidad; Bitran, Marcela; Arab, Juan Pablo; Riquelme, Arnoldo

    2015-08-01

    Feedback is one of the most important tools to improve teaching in medical education. To develop an instrument to assess the performance of clinical postgraduate teachers in medical specialties. A qualitative methodology consisting in interviews and focus-groups followed by a quantitative methodology to generate consensus, was employed. After generating the instrument, psychometric tests were performed to assess the construct validity (factor analysis) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha). Experts in medical education, teachers and residents of a medical school participated in interviews and focus groups. With this information, 26 categories (79 items) were proposed and reduced to 14 items (Likert scale 1-5) by an expert’s Delphi panel, generating the MEDUC-PG14 survey, which was answered by 123 residents from different programs of medical specialties. Construct validity was carried out. Factor analysis showed three domains: Teaching and evaluation, respectful behavior towards patients and health care team, and providing feedback. The global score was 4.46 ± 0.94 (89% of the maximum). One teachers’ strength, as evaluated by their residents was “respectful behavior” with 4.85 ± 0.42 (97% of the maximum). “Providing feedback” obtained 4.09 ± 1.0 points (81.8% of the maximum). MEDUC-PG14 survey had a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.947. MEDUC-PG14 survey is a useful and reliable guide for teacher evaluation in medical specialty programs. Also provides feedback to improve educational skills of postgraduate clinical teachers.

  8. Examining Medical Student Specialty Choice Through a Gender Lens: An Orientational Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Victoria; Bethune, Cheri; Hurley, Katrina F

    2018-01-01

    Phenomenon: A growing number of women are entering the medical workforce, yet their distribution across medical specialties remains nonuniform. We sought to describe how culture, bias, and socialization shape gendered thinking regarding specialty choice at a Canadian undergraduate medical institution. We analyzed transcripts from the Career Choices Project: 16 semistructured focus group discussions with 70 students graduating from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The questions and prompts were designed to explore factors influencing specialty choice and did not specifically probe gender-based experiences. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and deidentified before analysis. Analysis was inductive and guided by principles of orientational qualitative inquiry using a gender-specific lens. The pursuits of personal and professional goals, as well as contextual factors, were the major themes that influenced decision-making for women and men. Composition of these major themes varied between genders. Influence of a partner, consideration of familial commitments (both present and future), feeling a sense of connectedness with the field in question, and social accountability were described by women as important. Both genders hoped to pursue careers that would afford "flexibility" in order to balance work with their personal lives, though the construct of work-life balance differed between genders. Women did not explicitly identify gender bias or sexism as influencing factors, but their narratives suggest that these elements were at play. Insights: Our findings suggest that unlike men, women's decision-making is informed by tension between personal and professional goals, likely related to the context of gendered personal and societal expectations.

  9. U.S. Dental Specialty Residents' Expectations and Anticipated Benefits of Academic Employment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazarova, Elena; Martin-Peele, Melanie; Fifield, Judith

    2016-10-01

    The aims of this study were to assess features of an academic career that dental specialty residents, as a group and by gender, find most attractive and to identify what determines their expectations for responsibilities and professional growth in academic employment. In November 2013, an invitation to participate in the study along with a link to an online survey was sent to the 407 U.S. program directors of six of the dental specialties (endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, and orthodontics), asking them to forward the survey to their residents. A total of 287 residents responded (112 [41.3%] female and 159 [58.7%] male) out of 4,400 enrolled in these specialty training programs (6.5% response rate). The female respondents were significantly more interested in joining academia than were the male respondents (female 48%; male 31.5%; pgenders were attracted to academic dentistry by opportunities for intellectual and professional stimulation, but the lifestyle of academicians was significantly more important for the female respondents. The most important feature of a successful academic career for the female respondents was the ability to have a good balance between career and personal life. While opportunity to conduct research was a positive feature for all residents interested in academia and both male and female respondents agreed strongly on the need for collaboration between faculty members for productive research, male respondents agreed significantly more than female respondents that faculty members should conduct independent research. Faculty members' feedback about academic employment were a significantly positive influence on those planning an academic career compared to those planning to enter private practice. This study found that the female and male residents differed in their expectations of responsibilities and professional growth in academic employment. These results may be useful for

  10. International Conference on Physics

    CERN Document Server

    2016-01-01

    OMICS International, (conference series) the World Class Open Access Publisher and Scientific Event Organizer is hosting “International Conference on physics” which is going to be the biggest conference dedicated to Physics. The theme “Highlighting innovations and challenges in the field of Physics” and it features a three day conference addressing the major breakthroughs, challenges and the solutions adopted. The conference will be held during June 27-29, 2016 at New Orleans, USA. Will be published in: http://physics.conferenceseries.com/

  11. Facilitating Learning at Conferences

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ravn, Ib; Elsborg, Steen

    2011-01-01

    The typical conference consists of a series of PowerPoint presentations that tend to render participants passive. Students of learning have long abandoned the transfer model that underlies such one-way communication. We propose an al-ternative theory of conferences that sees them as a forum...... for learning, mutual inspiration and human flourishing. We offer five design principles that specify how conferences may engage participants more and hence increase their learning. In the research-and-development effort reported here, our team collaborated with conference organizers in Denmark to introduce...... and facilitate a variety of simple learning techniques at thirty one- and two-day conferences of up to 300 participants each. We present ten of these techniques and data evaluating them. We conclude that if conference organizers allocate a fraction of the total conference time to facilitated processes...

  12. 8. Seminar of the IMP-IIE-ININ on technological specialties. Topic 10: Earth Sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    The document contains two papers within INIS subject scope which were presented at the 8th Seminar of the IMP-IIE-ININ on technological specialties. Topic 10: Earth Sciences. A separate abstract was prepared for each paper

  13. Ambulatory surgery centers and interventional techniques: a look at long-term survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Parr, Allan T; Singh, Vijay; Fellows, Bert

    2011-01-01

    With health care expenditures skyrocketing, coupled with pervasive quality deficits, pressures to provide better and more proficient care continue to shape the landscape of the U.S. health care system. Payers, both federal and private, have laid out several initiatives designed to curtail costs, including value-based reimbursement programs, cost-shifting expenses to the consumer, reducing reimbursements for physicians, steering health care to more efficient settings, and finally affordable health care reform. Consequently, one of the major aspects in the expansion of health care for improving quality and reducing the costs is surgical services. Nearly 57 million outpatient procedures are performed annually in the United States, 14 million of which occur in elderly patients. Increasing use of these minor, yet common, procedures contributes to rising health care expenditures. Once exclusive within hospitals, more and more outpatient procedures are being performed in freestanding ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), physician offices, visits to which have increased over 300% during the past decade. Concurrent with this growing demand, the number of ASCs has more than doubled since the 1990s, with more than 5,000 facilities currently in operation nationwide. Further, total surgical center ASC payments have increased from $1.2 billion in 1999 to $3.2 billion in 2009, a 167% increase. On the same lines, growth and expenditures for hospital outpatient department (HOPD) services and office procedures also have been evident at similar levels. Recent surveys have illustrated on overall annual growth per capita in Medicare allowed ASC services of pain management of 23%, with 27% growth seen in ASCs and 16% of the growth seen in HOPD. Further, the proportion of interventional pain management which was 4% of Medicare ASC spending in 2000 has increase to 10% in 2007. Thus, interventional pain management as an evolving specialty is one of the most commonly performed procedures in

  14. World Energy Conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ott, G.; Schilling, H.D.

    1979-01-01

    After making some general remarks about goals, tasks, and works of the World Energy Conference the topics and the frame of the 11th World Energy Conference which will take place in Munich from 8th to 12th September 1980 are outlined. This conference is held under the general topic 'energy for our world' and deals with the reciprocal relation between energy supply, environment, and society. The main part of the publication presented here is the German version of the most important sections of the investigation 'World Energy-Looking Ahead to 2020' by the Conservation Commission (CC) of the World Energy Conference. Added to this is the German original brief version of a report by the Mining-Research Company (Bergbau-Forschung GmbH) to the CC which deals with the estimation of the world's coal resources and their future availability. This report was presented on the 10th World Energy Conference in Istanbul together with the corresponding reports concerning the other energy sources. Finally, an introduction to the technical programme for the 11th World Energy Conference 1980 is given. (UA) [de

  15. 76 FR 2290 - TRICARE; Reimbursement for Travel for Specialty Care Under Exceptional Circumstances

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-13

    ... or TRICARE Prime Remote. The Director, TRICARE Management Activity, shall issue procedures and... from members of the public is to make these submissions available for viewing on the Internet at http... live in certain more remote areas where there are insufficient numbers or types of specialty or...

  16. Oral health in Brazil - Part II: Dental Specialty Centers (CEOs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinícius Pedrazzi

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available The concepts of health promotion, self-care and community participation emerged during the 1970s and, since then, their application has grown rapidly in the developed world, showing evidence of effectiveness. In spite of this, a major part of the population in the developing countries still has no access to specialized dental care such as endodontic treatment, dental care for patients with special needs, minor oral surgery, periodontal treatment and oral diagnosis. This review focuses on a program of the Brazilian Federal Government named CEOs (Dental Specialty Centers, which is an attempt to solve the dental care deficit of a population that is suffering from oral diseases and whose oral health care needs have not been addressed by the regular programs offered by the SUS (Unified National Health System. Literature published from 2000 to the present day, using electronic searches by Medline, Scielo, Google and hand-searching was considered. The descriptors used were Brazil, Oral health, Health policy, Health programs, and Dental Specialty Centers. There are currently 640 CEOs in Brazil, distributed in 545 municipal districts, carrying out dental procedures with major complexity. Based on this data, it was possible to conclude that public actions on oral health must involve both preventive and curative procedures aiming to minimize the oral health distortions still prevailing in developing countries like Brazil.

  17. High prevalence of sexual dysfunction in a vulvovaginal specialty clinic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Dina; Gardella, Carolyn; Eschenbach, David; Mitchell, Caroline M.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Our study evaluated the presence and predictors of sexual dysfunction in a vulvovaginal specialty clinic population. Materials & Methods Women who presented to a vulvovaginal specialty clinic were eligible to enroll. Participants completed a questionnaire, including Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) to assess sexual dysfunction and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 depression screen, and underwent a standardized physical exam, with vaginal swabs collected for wet mount and culture. Logistic regression assessed the relationship between sexual dysfunction and clinical diagnosis. Results We enrolled 161 women, aged 18–80 years (median = 36), presenting with vulvovaginal complaints. Median symptom duration was 24 months; 131 women (81%) reported chronic symptoms (≥12 months). By PHQ-9, 28 (17%) women met depression criteria. In the month prior to assessment, 86 (53%) women experienced sexual dysfunction. Women were primarily diagnosed with vaginitis (n = 46, 29%), vestibulodynia/vulvitis (n = 70; 43%), lichen planus or lichen sclerosus (n = 24; 15%). Controlling for age, sexual dysfunction did not correlate with chronic symptoms (IRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.50–1.48), depression (IRR 1.24; 95% CI 0.59, 2.58), or presence of any of the three main diagnoses (IRR 1.16, 95% CI 0.47, 2.88). Discussion Sexual dysfunction is present in over half of women presenting to a vulvovaginitis referral clinic, more than twice the rate in the wider population. PMID:25259664

  18. Ethical issues in instructions to authors of journals in oral-craniomaxillofacial/facial plastic surgery and related specialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitak-Arnnop, Poramate; Bauer, Ute; Dhanuthai, Kittipong; Brückner, Martin; Herve, Christian; Meningaud, Jean-Paul; Hemprich, Alexander

    2010-12-01

    Ethical standards of biomedical publications are associated with editorial leadership, such as contents of instructions to authors and journal's mechanisms for research and publication ethics. To compare ethical issues in the guidelines for authors in oral-craniomaxillofacial/facial plastic surgery (OCM-FPS) journals with those in plastic surgery and otorhinolaryngology/head and neck surgery (ORL-HNS) journals, and to evaluate the relationship between journal's impact factor (IF) and ethical issues in the instructions to authors. This study used a cross-sectional study design. The predictor variables were journal's specialty and IF. The outcome variable was the presence of seven ethical issues in the online versions of journal's instructions to authors in October 2009. We included only journals with identifiable IF for 2008, published in English, French, German and Thai. Appropriate descriptive and univariate statistics were computed for all study variables. The level of statistical significance was set at Pjournals: seven OCM-FPS (14.6%), 14 plastic surgery (29.2%) and 27 ORL-HNS (56.2%) journals. Only four journals (8.3%) mentioned all ethical issues in their guidelines for authors. Neither journal's specialty nor IF was linked to completeness of the ethical requirements. The results of this study suggest that ethical issues in the instructions to authors of most IF-indexed journals in OCM-FPS, plastic surgery and ORL-HNS are incomplete, regardless of specialty and IF. There is room for substantial improvement to uphold scientific integrity of these surgical specialties. Copyright © 2010 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The Cladophora glomerata Enriched by Biosorption Process in Cr(III) Improves Viability, and Reduces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Equine Metabolic Syndrome Derived Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells (ASCs) and Their Extracellular Vesicles (MV’s)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marycz, Krzysztof; Marędziak, Monika; Weiss, Christine

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated in vitro effects of freshwater alga Cladophora glomerata water extract enriched during a biosorption process in Cr(III) trivalent chromium and chromium picolinate on adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal stem cells (ASCs) and extracellular microvesicles (MVs) in equine metabolic syndrome-affected horses. Chemical characterisation of natural Cladophora glomerata was performed with special emphasis on: vitamin C, vitamin E, total phenols, fatty acids, free and protein-bound amino acids as well as measured Cr in algal biomass. To examine the influence of Cladophora glomerata water extracts, in vitro viability, oxidative stress factor accumulation, apoptosis, inflammatory response, biogenesis of mitochondria, autophagy in ASCs of EMS and secretory activity manifested by MV release were investigated. For this purpose, various methods of molecular biology and microscopic observations (i.e., immunofluorescence staining, SEM, TEM, FIB observations, mRNA and microRNA expression by RT-qPCR) were applied. The extract of Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III) ions reduced apoptosis and inflammation in ASCs of EMS horses through improvement of mitochondrial dynamics, decreasing of PDK4 expression and reduction of endoplastic reticulum stress. Moreover, it was found, that Cladophora glomerata and Cr(III) induce antioxidative protection coming from enhanced SOD activity Therefore, Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III) ions might become an interesting future therapeutic agent in the pharmacological treatment of EMS horses. PMID:29292726

  20. The Cladophora glomerata Enriched by Biosorption Process in Cr(III Improves Viability, and Reduces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Equine Metabolic Syndrome Derived Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells (ASCs and Their Extracellular Vesicles (MV’s

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Marycz

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated in vitro effects of freshwater alga Cladophora glomerata water extract enriched during a biosorption process in Cr(III trivalent chromium and chromium picolinate on adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal stem cells (ASCs and extracellular microvesicles (MVs in equine metabolic syndrome-affected horses. Chemical characterisation of natural Cladophora glomerata was performed with special emphasis on: vitamin C, vitamin E, total phenols, fatty acids, free and protein-bound amino acids as well as measured Cr in algal biomass. To examine the influence of Cladophora glomerata water extracts, in vitro viability, oxidative stress factor accumulation, apoptosis, inflammatory response, biogenesis of mitochondria, autophagy in ASCs of EMS and secretory activity manifested by MV release were investigated. For this purpose, various methods of molecular biology and microscopic observations (i.e., immunofluorescence staining, SEM, TEM, FIB observations, mRNA and microRNA expression by RT-qPCR were applied. The extract of Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III ions reduced apoptosis and inflammation in ASCs of EMS horses through improvement of mitochondrial dynamics, decreasing of PDK4 expression and reduction of endoplastic reticulum stress. Moreover, it was found, that Cladophora glomerata and Cr(III induce antioxidative protection coming from enhanced SOD activity Therefore, Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III ions might become an interesting future therapeutic agent in the pharmacological treatment of EMS horses.

  1. Title - EFARS - Conference (Uninvited)

    OpenAIRE

    Lohrey, MC; Lawrence, AS

    2016-01-01

    Abstract - EFARS - Conference (Uninvited) "Notes" - EFARS - Conference (Uninvited) In preparation (Publication status) Yes, full paperYes, abstract onlyNo (Peer reviewed?) "Add a comment" - EFARS - Conference - Uninvited

  2. Gender awareness among physicians – the effect of specialty and gender. A study of teachers at a Swedish medical school

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamberg Katarina

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An important goal for medical education today is professional development including gender equality and awareness of gender issues. Are medical teachers prepared for this task? We investigated gender awareness among physician teachers, expressed as their attitudes towards the role of gender in professional relationships, and how it varied with physician gender and specialty. We discuss how this might be related to the gender climate and sex segregation in different specialties. Method Questionnaires were sent to all 468 specialists in the clinical departments and in family medicine, who were engaged in educating medical students at a Swedish university. They were asked to rate, on visual analogue scales, the importance of physician and patient gender in consultation, of preceptor and student gender in clinical tutoring and of physician gender in other professional encounters. Differences between family physicians, surgical, and non-surgical hospital doctors, and between women and men were estimated by chi-2 tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results The response rate was 65 %. There were differences between specialty groups in all investigated areas mainly due to disparities among men. The odds for a male family physician to assess gender important were three times higher, and for a male non-surgical doctor two times higher when compared to a male surgical doctor. Female teachers assessed gender important to a higher degree than men. Among women there were no significant differences between specialty groups. Conclusions There was an interaction between physician teachers' gender and specialty as to whether they identified gender as important in professional relationships. Male physicians, especially from the surgical group, assessed gender important to a significantly lower degree than female physicians. Physicians' degree of gender awareness may, as one of many factors, affect working climate and the

  3. Cybertherapy 2004: Using Interactive Media in Training and Therapeutic Interventions

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Wiederhold, B. K

    2005-01-01

    ... concerning conceptual matters and future possibilities. I am happy to report that after 9 years, we have progressed to a three-day conference, accompanied by a full day of pre-conference workshops on specialty topics...

  4. Inflammasome components ASC and AIM2 modulate the acute phase of biomaterial implant-induced foreign body responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christo, Susan N.; Diener, Kerrilyn R.; Manavis, Jim; Grimbaldeston, Michele A.; Bachhuka, Akash; Vasilev, Krasimir; Hayball, John D.

    2016-01-01

    Detailing the inflammatory mechanisms of biomaterial-implant induced foreign body responses (FBR) has implications for revealing targetable pathways that may reduce leukocyte activation and fibrotic encapsulation of the implant. We have adapted a model of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) bead injection to perform an assessment of the mechanistic role of the ASC-dependent inflammasome in this process. We first demonstrate that ASC−/− mice subjected to PMMA bead injections had reduced cell infiltration and altered collagen deposition, suggesting a role for the inflammasome in the FBR. We next investigated the NLRP3 and AIM2 sensors because of their known contributions in recognising damaged and apoptotic cells. We found that NLRP3 was dispensable for the fibrotic encapsulation; however AIM2 expression influenced leukocyte infiltration and controlled collagen deposition, suggesting a previously unexplored link between AIM2 and biomaterial-induced FBR. PMID:26860464

  5. AINSE's 40th anniversary conference. Conference handbook

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    Highlights of 40 years of activity of the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) were the main focus of this conference. Topics covered include nuclear physics, plasma physics, radiation chemistry, radiation biology, neutron diffraction, nuclear techniques of analysis and other relevant aspects of nuclear science and technology. The conference handbook contains the summaries of the 78 papers and posters presented and the list of participants

  6. 78 FR 10608 - David Grant United States Air Force Medical Center Specialty Care Travel Reimbursement...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-14

    ... principle of the TRICARE program and the Military Health System (MHS) business design is that MTFs have... identified specialties. There will also be quarterly tracking of marketing initiatives to measure their...

  7. Consumer interest in specialty beers in three European markets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donadini, G; Fumi, M D; Kordialik-Bogacka, E; Maggi, L; Lambri, M; Sckokai, P

    2016-07-01

    This study explores the quality perception of specialty beers (SBs) in Italy, Spain and Poland. Five-hundred and fifty mainstream beer consumers were enrolled in this study (two-hundred and thirty Italians, one hundred and sixty Poles and Spaniards respectively). The authors adopted a conjoint rating experiment in which the respondents were given forty SB profiles to evaluate. Each profile was described on six attributes (malt type, adjuncts, alternative source of sugars, characterizing ingredients, sensory characteristics, and retail price) varied at different levels and were asked to state his/her preference for each profile on a 9-point scale of interest. The results of this study showed that the ideal SB: (1) for the aggregate Polish panel is brewed from malted wheat, raw wheat, honey, and tropical fruits, is alcoholic and is priced below 2.00 Euros; (2) for the aggregate Italian panel consists of a beer brewed from malted wheat, maize, honey, and vanilla, is blonde and costs a maximum of 2.00 Euros; (3) for the aggregate Spanish panel is brewed from malted wheat, rye or maize, vanilla, is fruity and is priced below 2.00 Euros. The heterogeneity of interest in specialty beers observed in the three countries under test requires for the adaptation of a SB specifically to each culture in which it is sold. In this process of customization, brewers must take into account that gender modulates the effect of culture on consumer interest in SB sensory characteristics and ingredient formulation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Influência da embalagem de atmosfera modificada e do tratamento com cálcio na cinética de degradação de ácido ascórbico e perda de massa em goiabas (Psidium guajava L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YAMASHITA Fábio

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Goiabas de mesa (var. Pedro Sato no estádio verde maturo foram armazenadas a 8°C (85-95% UR por 49 dias. Uma parte das amostras foi tratada com solução de cloreto de cálcio 2% (p/v e o restante permaneceu sem tratamento. Posteriormente, foram embaladas individualmente em dois tipos de embalagem de atmosfera modificada (CryovacÒ PD-900 e CryovacÒ PD-961. Goiabas sem embalagem e não tratadas com cálcio, mantidas à mesma temperatura de 8°C serviram como controle. Foram realizadas análises de perda de massa, acidez titulável, teores de sólidos solúveis totais e ácido ascórbico. Os frutos embalados apresentaram taxas de perda de massa menores que os sem embalagem (p<0,05. Os frutos tratados com cálcio não apresentaram diferença na taxa de degradação de ácido ascórbico em relação aos não tratados e os frutos embalados com PD-900 apresentaram retenção de ácido ascórbico maior. Após 4 semanas, as goiabas sem embalagem apresentaram-se impróprias para consumo, devido ao murchamento e ataque de fungos, enquanto que as embaladas estavam em bom estado. Após a sexta semana, apenas os frutos embalados com PD-900 sem tratamento com cálcio estavam próprios para consumo. A embalagem de atmosfera modificada reduziu a perda de massa e ácido ascórbico e prolongou a vida-de-prateleira do produto. O emprego de cálcio não afetou as características analisadas.

  9. Crisis or Conference! Master List for Conference Planners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Tony

    This conference organizer's guide contains 42 lists of ideas, reminders, things to check, and questions to ask when a person is planning an event such as a conference, workshop, or training session. Written from a British point of view, the guide is organized into four parts in chronological order: preplanning, planning, onsite, and…

  10. Medical Imaging Field of Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Identification of Specialties within the Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grey, Michael L.

    2009-01-01

    This study was conducted to determine if specialty areas are emerging in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) profession due to advancements made in the medical sciences, imaging technology, and clinical applications used in MRI that would require new developments in education/training programs and national registry examinations. In this…

  11. The impact of intensivists' base specialty of training on care process and outcomes of critically ill trauma patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsushima, Kazuhide; Goldwasser, Eleanor R; Schaefer, Eric W; Armen, Scott B; Indeck, Matthew C

    2013-09-01

    The care of the critically ill trauma patients is provided by intensivists with various base specialties of training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of intensivists' base specialty of training on the disparity of care process and patient outcome. We performed a retrospective review of an institutional trauma registry at an academic level 1 trauma center. Two intensive care unit teams staffed by either board-certified surgery or anesthesiology intensivists were assigned to manage critically ill trauma patients. Both teams provided care, collaborating with a trauma surgeon in house. We compared patient characteristics, care processes, and outcomes between surgery and anesthesiology groups using Wilcoxon tests or chi-square tests, as appropriate. We identified a total of 620 patients. Patient baseline characteristics including age, sex, transfer status, injury type, injury severity score, and Glasgow coma scale were similar between groups. We found no significant difference in care processes and outcomes between groups. In a logistic regression model, intensivists' base specialty of training was not a significant factor for mortality (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% confidence interval; 0.79-2.80; P = 0.22) and major complication (odds ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-1.67; P = 0.63). Intensive care unit teams collaborating with trauma surgeons had minimal disparity of care processes and similar patient outcomes regardless of intensivists' base specialty of training. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Optimizing the pre-referral workup for gastroenterology and hepatology specialty care: consensus using the Delphi method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Chanda K; Boscardin, Christy K; Gleason, Nathaniel; Collado, Don; Terdiman, Jonathan; Terrault, Norah A; Gonzales, Ralph

    2016-02-01

    Specialty care referrals have doubled in the last decade. Optimization of the pre-referral workup by a primary care doctor can lead to a more efficient first specialty visit with the patient. Guidance regarding pre-referral laboratory testing is a first step towards improving the specialty referral process. Our aim was to establish consensus regarding appropriate pre-referral workup for common gastrointestinal and liver conditions. The Delphi method was used to establish local consensus for recommending certain laboratory tests prior to specialty referral for 13 clinical conditions. Seven conditions from The University of Michigan outpatient referral guidelines were used as a baseline. An expert panel of three PCPs and nine gastroenterologists from three academic hospitals participated in three iterative rounds of electronic surveys. Each panellist ranked each test using a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). Local panellists could recommend additional tests for the initial diagnoses, and also recommended additional diagnoses needing guidelines: iron deficiency anaemia, abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, fatty liver disease, liver mass and cirrhosis. Consensus was defined as ≥70% of experts scoring ≥4 (agree or strongly agree). Applying Delphi methodology to extrapolate externally developed referral guidelines for local implementation resulted in considerable modifications. For some conditions, many tests from the external group were eliminated by the local group (abdominal bloating; iron deficiency anaemia; irritable bowel syndrome). In contrast, for chronic diarrhoea, abnormal liver enzymes and viral hepatitis, all/most original tests were retained with additional tests added. For liver mass, fatty liver disease and cirrhosis, there was high concordance among the panel with few tests added or eliminated. Consideration of externally developed referral guidelines using a consensus-building process leads to significant local

  13. Conference summaries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    This volume contains conference summaries of the 28. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association, and the 9. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. Topics of discussion include: power reactors; fuel cycles; nuclear power and public understanding; future trends; applications of nuclear technology; CANDU reactors; operational enhancements; design of small reactors; accident behaviour in fuel channels; fuel storage and waste management; reactor commissioning/decommissioning; nuclear safety experiments and modelling; the next generation reactors; advances in nuclear engineering education in Canada; safety of small reactors; current position and improvements of fuel channels; current issues in nuclear safety; and radiation applications - medical and industrial

  14. INFORMATIVE SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE FROM MATHEMATICS AS A WAY OF PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION OF TEACHING STUDENTS IT SPECIALTIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyudmyla Shishko

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The current state of formation of mathematical knowledge in universities insufficiently focused on their further use in professional activities. Students not formed the ability to apply mathematical knowledge to study general professional and special disciplines. In this article: –\tconsidered features of formation of a professional orientation of teaching mathematics using structured content multimedia information system for educational purposes (MISEP; –\tfound psychologo-pedagogical features of teaching mathematics of students IT specialties; –\tconsidered methodical aspects of MISEP in teaching the course "Discrete Mathematics" for students of IT specialties

  15. International Cryocooler Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Cryocoolers 13

    2005-01-01

    This is the 13th volume in the conference series. Over the years the International Cryocoolers Conference has become the preeminent worldwide conference for the presentation of the latest developments and test experiences with cryocoolers. The typical applications of this technology include cooling space and terrestrial infrared focal plane arrays, space x-ray detectors, medical applications, and a growing number of high-temperature super-capacitor applications.

  16. Medical Informatics Specialty in the Developed English-Speaking Countries: The Terminology Comparative Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobryn, Nadia

    2015-01-01

    The article studies the development process of medical informatics specialty terminology as the ground for further research into foreign countries' experience, including the Canadian one, of specialists' professional training in the field of MI. The study determines the origin and chief stages of the formation and development of the medical…

  17. Fibroblast growth factor 21 improves insulin sensitivity and synergizes with insulin in human adipose stem cell-derived (hASC adipocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darwin V Lee

    Full Text Available Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21 has evolved as a major metabolic regulator, the pharmacological administration of which causes weight loss, insulin sensitivity and glucose control in rodents and humans. To understand the molecular mechanisms by which FGF21 exerts its metabolic effects, we developed a human in vitro model of adipocytes to examine crosstalk between FGF21 and insulin signaling. Human adipose stem cell-derived (hASC adipocytes were acutely treated with FGF21 alone, insulin alone, or in combination. Insulin signaling under these conditions was assessed by measuring tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor (InsR, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1, and serine 473 phosphorylation of Akt, followed by a functional assay using 14C-2-deoxyglucose [14C]-2DG to measure glucose uptake in these cells. FGF21 alone caused a modest increase of glucose uptake, but treatment with FGF21 in combination with insulin had a synergistic effect on glucose uptake in these cells. The presence of FGF21 also effectively lowered the insulin concentration required to achieve the same level of glucose uptake compared to the absence of FGF21 by 10-fold. This acute effect of FGF21 on insulin signaling was not due to IR, IGF-1R, or IRS-1 activation. Moreover, we observed a substantial increase in basal S473-Akt phosphorylation by FGF21 alone, in contrast to the minimal shift in basal glucose uptake. Taken together, our data demonstrate that acute co-treatment of hASC-adipocytes with FGF21 and insulin can result in a synergistic improvement in glucose uptake. These effects were shown to occur at or downstream of Akt, or separate from the canonical insulin signaling pathway.

  18. 75 FR 52989 - Specialty Minerals, Inc., Franklin, VA; Notice of Negative Determination Regarding Application...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-74,057] Specialty Minerals, Inc., Franklin, VA; Notice of Negative Determination Regarding Application for Reconsideration By applications dated July 9, 2010 and July 16, 2010 (filed by a company official and a worker, respectively...

  19. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 7: energy savings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 6 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of energy savings. (Topic 7). One item was in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for it

  20. Dentistry's oldest specialty: orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, Raymond

    2009-01-01

    The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) has 15,500 members worldwide and is the oldest and largest of the recognized dental specialties. A strategic planning process has identified six key challenges, and this article describes the progress that is being made in the areas of (a) consumer education, (b) volunteer leadership development, (c) recruitment and retention of orthodontic educators, (d) relationships with ADA and other healthcare organizations, (e) the AAO's role in international orthodontics, and (f) advocacy. The AAO is working for freedom of choice in dental healthcare providers; fee-for-service dental care; orthodontic insurance coverage as a benefit of employment, with direct reimbursement as the preferred plan; self-referred access to specialists; private and public funding that promote quality orthodontic care; and the retention of tax deductibility of dental healthcare benefits, including orthodontic care.

  1. Contingent Valuation Analysis of an Otolaryngology and Ophthalmology Emergency Department: The Value of Acute Specialty Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naunheim, Matthew R; Kozin, Elliot D; Sethi, Rosh K; Ota, H G; Gray, Stacey T; Shrime, Mark G

    2017-03-01

    Specialty emergency departments (EDs) provide a unique mechanism of health care delivery, but the value that they add to the medical system is not known. Evaluation of patient preferences to determine value can have a direct impact on resource allocation and direct-to-specialist care. To assess the feasibility of contingent valuation (CV) methodology using a willingness-to-pay (WTP) survey to evaluate specialty emergency services, in the context of an ophthalmology- and otolaryngology-specific ED. Contingent valuation analysis of a standalone otolaryngology and ophthalmology ED. Participants were English-speaking adults presenting to a dedicated otolaryngology and ophthalmology ED. The WTP questions were assessed using a payment card format, with reference to an alternative modality of treatment (ie, general ED), and were analyzed with multivariate regression. Validated WTP survey administered from October 14, 2014, through October 1, 2015. Sociodemographic data, level of distress, referral data, income, and WTP. A total of 327 of 423 (77.3%) ED patients responded to the WTP survey, with 116 ophthalmology and 211 otolaryngology patients included (52.3% female; mean [range] age, 46 [18-90] years). The most common reason for seeking care at this facility was a reputation for specialty care for both ear, nose, and throat (80 [37.9%]) and ophthalmology (43 [37.1%]). Mean WTP for specialty-specific ED services was $377 for ophthalmology patients, and $321 for otolaryngology patients ($340 overall; 95% CI, $294 to $386), without significant difference between groups (absolute difference, $56; 95% CI, $-156 to $43). Self-reported level of distress was higher among ear, nose, and throat vs ophthalmology patients (absolute difference, 0.47 on a Likert scale of 1-7; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.84). Neither level of distress, income, nor demographic characteristics influenced WTP, but patients with higher estimates of total visit cost were more likely to have higher WTP (β coefficient

  2. What should a fellow-in-training expect at national cardiovascular conferences? The interventional cardiology fellows' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiramijyan, Sarkis; Didier, Romain; Koifman, Edward; Negi, Smita I

    It has become challenging for cardiovascular fellows-in-training (FIT) to determine which national cardiovascular conference (NCC) to attend given the broad range of meetings and the breadth of information offered. The aim of this study was to report our own experiences of the utility and individual strengths of the NCCs and to further understand the interventional cardiology (IC) FITs' viewpoint regarding the benefits of the individual NCCs. A survey was formulated with questions and scenarios regarding topics deemed to be of highest importance for an IC-FIT. The survey emphasized experiences regarding the utility and benefits of the NCCs, time management, optimization of acquired education, and specific interests in clinical and research topics. The completely anonymous survey was sent via an email format to a total of 234, majority of IC (fourth and fifth years) and a minority of general (third year), FITs. A completed survey response was received from 131 of the fellows (56%). The results demonstrated that the IC-FITs endorsed that the small, focused sub-specialty interventional meetings vs. the large society general meetings were more beneficial in regard to the didactic education offered. In addition, the IC-FITs indicated that pre-planning for the meetings is the most beneficial approach in optimizing one's education and that the caliber of expert faculty, case-based and live-case presentations are among the most important aspects of the meetings. Interventional cardiology FITs prefer the small sub-specialty interventional meetings over the large society general NCCs in regard to the benefits of didactic learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Imaging Algorithms for Evaluating Suspected Rotator Cuff Disease: Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Consensus Conference Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobson, Jon A.; Benson, Carol B.; Bancroft, Laura W.; Bedi, Asheesh; McShane, John M.; Miller, Theodore T.; Parker, Laurence; Smith, Jay; Steinbach, Lynne S.; Teefey, Sharlene A.; Thiele, Ralf G.; Tuite, Michael J.; Wise, James N.; Yamaguchi, Ken

    2013-01-01

    The Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound convened a panel of specialists from a variety of medical disciplines to reach a consensus about the recommended imaging evaluation of painful shoulders with clinically suspected rotator cuff disease. The panel met in Chicago, Ill, on October 18 and 19, 2011, and created this consensus statement regarding the roles of radiography, ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), CT arthrography, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and MR arthrography. The consensus panel consisted of two co-moderators, a facilitator, a statistician and health care economist, and 10 physicians who have specialty expertise in shoulder pain evaluation and/or treatment. Of the 13 physicians on the panel, nine were radiologists who were chosen to represent a broad range of skill sets in diagnostic imaging, different practice types (private and academic), and different geographical regions of the United States. Five of the radiologists routinely performed musculoskeletal US as part of their practice and four did not. There was also one representative from each of the following clinical specialties: rheumatology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedic surgery, and nonoperative sports medicine. The goal of this conference was to construct several algorithms with which to guide the imaging evaluation of suspected rotator cuff disease in patients with a native rotator cuff, patients with a repaired rotator cuff, and patients who have undergone shoulder replacement. The panel hopes that these recommendations will lead to greater uniformity in rotator cuff imaging and more cost-effective care for patients suspected of having rotator cuff abnormality. © RSNA, 2013 PMID:23401583

  4. Conference handbook. Seventh Conference on Nuclear Science and Engineering in Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    The Australian Nuclear Association (ANA) inaugurated a series of biennial national conferences in 1995 to be held in alternate years to the series of international Pacific Basin Nuclear Conferences, of which the ANA hosted the Ninth in the series in Sydney in May 1994 and the Fifteenth in Sydney in 2006. The main objective of these national conferences is to present information on important aspects of the peaceful uses of nuclear science and engineering in Australia and to place this information in a world context and in a readily understood form. These conferences have the general title of Nuclear Science and Engineering in Australia and have consisted mainly of papers invited from leading experts in areas of topical interest in nuclear science and technology supported by contributed poster papers. This seventh conference in 2007 has the special theme A Nuclear Future and also includes papers by invited speakers and contributed posters

  5. Integration of outpatient infectious diseases clinic pharmacy services and specialty pharmacy services for patients with HIV infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Elise M; Gerzenshtein, Lana

    2016-06-01

    The integration of specialty pharmacy services and existing outpatient clinical pharmacy services within an infectious diseases (ID) clinic to optimize the care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is described. The management of HIV-infected patients is a highly specialized area of practice, often requiring use of complex medication regimens for reduction of HIV-associated morbidity and mortality prophylaxis and treatment of opportunistic infections, and prevention of HIV transmission. To maximize the effectiveness and safety of treatment with antiretroviral agents and associated pharmacotherapies, an interdisciplinary team is often involved in patient care. At Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine (NM), the outpatient ID clinic has long worked with an interdisciplinary care team including physicians, clinical pharmacists, nurses, and social workers to care for patients with HIV infection. In April 2014, specialty pharmacy services for patients with HIV infection were added to the NM ID clinic's care model to help maintain continuity of care and enhance patient follow-up. The care model includes well-defined roles for clinical pharmacists, pharmacy residents and students on rotation, and licensed pharmacy technicians. Specialty pharmacy services, including medication education, prescription fulfillment, assistance with medication access (e.g., navigation of financial assistance programs, completion of prior-authorization requests), and treatment monitoring, allow for closed-loop medication management of the HIV-infected patient population. Integration of specialty pharmacy services with the interdisciplinary care provided in the outpatient NM ID clinic has enhanced continuity of care for patients with HIV infection in terms of prescription filling, medication counseling, and adherence monitoring. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Architecture of conference control functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kausar, Nadia; Crowcroft, Jon

    1999-11-01

    Conference control is an integral part in many-to-many communications that is used to manage and co-ordinate multiple users in conferences. There are different types of conferences which require different types of control. Some of the features of conference control may be user invoked while others are for internal management of a conference. In recent years, ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) have standardized two main models of conferencing, each system providing a set of conference control functionalities that are not easily provided in the other one. This paper analyzes the main activities appropriate for different types of conferences and presents an architecture for conference control called GCCP (Generic Conference Control Protocol). GCCP interworks different types of conferencing and provides a set of conference control functions that can be invoked by users directly. As an example of interworking, interoperation of IETF's SIP and ITU's H.323 call control functions have been examined here. This paper shows that a careful analysis of a conferencing architecture can provide a set of control functions essential for any group communication model that can be extensible if needed.

  7. [Supply and demand of medical specialists in the health facilities of the Ministry of Health: national, regional and by type of specialty gaps].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zevallos, Leslie; Pastor, Reyna; Moscoso, Betsy

    2011-06-01

    To characterize the supply, demand and the gap of medical specialists in facilities of the Ministry of Health of Peru (MINSA) at the national, regional and specialty type levels. Observational, descriptive study through which we calculated the supply of medical specialists using secondary sources of MINSA. The analysis of the demand for medical specialists was based on two methodologies: the need for specialists according to the guidelines of classification of the health facilities and according to the epidemiological and demographic profile. The arithmetic difference between the estimated demand and the supply was the procedure used to calculate the gap of medical specialists. The Ministry of Health has a total supply at the national level of 6,074 medical specialists of which 61.5% belong to the clinical specialties, 33.2% to the surgical specialties, 4.9% specialities related to aid to diagnosis and treatment and 0.4% to public health specialties. According to the categorization guideline there is a total demand of 11,176 medical specialists and according to the epidemiological and demographic profile of 11,738. The national estimated gaps found are similar in both methods, although they differ widely across regions and by type of specialty. At the regional level, the gaps are greater in Loreto, Piura, Puno and Madre de Dios when estimating the defficit in relation to the supply. Regarding the speciality, the gap is greater in the four basic specialties: gynecology and obstetrics, pediatrics, internal medicine and general surgery. There is a waid gap between supply and demand of medical specialists at the national and regional levels, as a whole representing approximately 45% of the current offer, regardless of the estimation method.

  8. Variables associated with the performance of Centers for Dental Specialties in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortellazzi, Karine Laura; Balbino, Edna Cesar; Guerra, Luciane Miranda; Vazquez, Fabiana de Lima; Bulgareli, Jaqueline Vilela; Ambrosano, Glaucia Maria Bovi; Pereira, Antonio Carlos; Mialhe, Fábio Luiz

    2014-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Centers for Dental Specialties (CDS) in the country and associations with sociodemographic indicators of the municipalities, structural variables of services and primary health care organization in the years 2004-2009. The study used secondary data from procedures performed in the CDS to the specialties of periodontics, endodontics, surgery and primary care. Bivariate analysis by χ2 test was used to test the association between the dependent variable (performance of the CDS) with the independents. Then, Poisson regression analysis was performed. With regard to the overall achievement of targets, it was observed that the majority of CDS (69.25%) performance was considered poor/regular. The independent factors associated with poor/regular performance of CDS were: municipalities belonging to the Northeast, South and Southeast regions, with lower Human Development Index (HDI), lower population density, and reduced time to deployment. HDI and population density are important for the performance of the CDS in Brazil. Similarly, the peculiarities related to less populated areas as well as regional location and time of service implementation CDS should be taken into account in the planning of these services.

  9. The demand for ambulatory mental health services from specialty providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horgan, C M

    1986-01-01

    A two-part model is used to examine the demand for ambulatory mental health services in the specialty sector. In the first equation, the probability of having a mental health visit is estimated. In the second part of the model, variations in levels of use expressed in terms of visits and expenditures are examined in turn, with each of these equations conditional on positive utilization of mental health services. In the second part of the model, users are additionally grouped into those with and without out-of-pocket payment for services. This specification accounts for special characteristics regarding the utilization of ambulatory mental health services: (1) a large part of the population does not use these services; (2) of those who use services, the distribution of use is highly skewed; and (3) a large number of users have zero out-of-pocket expenditures. Cost-sharing does indeed matter in the demand for ambulatory mental health services from specialty providers; however, the decision to use mental health services is affected by the level of cost-sharing to a lesser degree than is the decision regarding the level of use of services. The results also show that price is only one of several important factors in determining the demand for services. The lack of significance of family income and of being female is notable. Evidence is presented for the existence of bandwagon effects. The importance of Medicaid in the probability of use equations is noted. PMID:3721874

  10. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 13: earth sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 12 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of earth sciences. (Topic 13). Four items were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  11. 75 FR 6377 - Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc.; Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 2985-006] Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc.; Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment February 2, 2010. In accordance... lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii...

  12. Young Geophysicists: `Know How' Tips to Nourish Them from Lectures and Seminars to Field Work and Conferences (Geology and Geophysics Department, Novosibirsk State University, GGD, NSU).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakhmenkulova, I. F.

    2016-12-01

    How to nourish young brilliant geophysicists? Here are the tips: We teach them as physicists (at the Department of Physics, together with students majoring in physics). Students have special facilities in field work, using most modern geophysical equipment. They can participate in real projects on applied geophysics during their studies. They attend special seminars and conferences for both young professionals and full-fledged scientists. Their English Language Program is focused on geophysical terminology. There are four specialties at Geology and Geophysics Department of Novosibirsk State University: Geophysics, Geochemistry, Geology, and Geochemistry of Oil and Gas. However, the curriculum for geophysicists is absolutely different from other specialties. Mathematics, physics and laboratory work are given at the Department of Physics (together with students majoring in physics). All the necessary geological subjects are also studied (including field work). During all period of their study the students work part time at many geophysical institutions. The equipment is both traditional and most modern, created at the Institute of Oil and Gas Geophysics. The students present the result of their field work and laboratory experiments in many seminars and conferences. For example, there is a traditional annual conference in Shira, Khakassia, for young professionals. Every year the Seminar in Geodynamics, Geophysics and Geomechanics is held in the Altay Mountains (Denisova Cave Camp). This Seminar was organized by the late Sergey Goldin, the Director of the Institute of Geophysics, the Head of the Chair of Geophysics, a Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In July 2016 this Seminar was devoted to 80's birth anniversary of Sergey Goldin. Several students of geophysics presented the results of their work there. Next year the seminar is supposed to be international. A special attention is given to the English course lasting for 5 years. The students learn general

  13. International Conference on Nuclear Security: Enhancing Global Efforts. Summary of an International Conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    The International Conference on Nuclear Security: Enhancing Global Efforts was organized by the IAEA and held in Vienna on 1-5 July 2013. The conference was organized in cooperation with the following organizations and initiatives: the European Union; the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT); the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL); the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM); the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI); the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE); the Partnership for Global Security; the Police Community of the Americas (AMERIPOL); the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI); the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS); the World Nuclear Association (WNA); and the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI). A total of 34 ministers participated in the ministerial session of the conference. Altogether, the conference attracted more than 1300 registered participants from 125 IAEA Member States and 21 organizations. The aim of the conference was to review the international community's experience and achievements to date in strengthening nuclear security, to enhance the understanding of current approaches to nuclear security worldwide and identify trends, and to provide a global forum for ministers, policymakers and senior officials to formulate views on future directions and priorities for nuclear security. This book contains the President's Summary of the conference and a summary of the ministerial session, the full text of the ministerial declaration adopted by the conference and summaries of the main conference sessions. The attached CD-ROM contains the full conference programme, the list of conference participants, the national statements from the ministerial session and a selection of papers

  14. Immunostaining of p16INK4a/Ki-67 and L1 Capsid Protein on Liquid-based Cytology Specimens Obtained from ASC-H and LSIL-H Cases

    OpenAIRE

    Byun, Seung Won; Lee, Ahwon; Kim, Suyeon; Choi, Yeong Jin; Lee, Youn Soo; Park, Jong Sup

    2013-01-01

    Background: Atypical squamous cell cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) and low-grade intraepithelial lesion cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL-H) are ambiguous diagnostic entities for the prediction of high-grade cervical lesion. Objective and reproducible tests for predicting high-grade cervical lesions are needed to reduce unnecessary colposcopic referrals or follow-ups. Objective: We aimed to identify an adequate set of adjunctive ...

  15. AINSE`s 40th anniversary conference. Conference handbook

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-12-31

    Highlights of 40 years of activity of the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) were the main focus of this conference. Topics covered include nuclear physics, plasma physics, radiation chemistry, radiation biology, neutron diffraction, nuclear techniques of analysis and other relevant aspects of nuclear science and technology. The conference handbook contains the summaries of the 78 papers and posters presented and the list of participants

  16. Veterans Affairs general surgery service: the last bastion of integrated specialty care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poteet, Stephen; Tarpley, Margaret; Tarpley, John L; Pearson, A Scott

    2011-11-01

    In a time of increasing specialization, academic training institutions provide a compartmentalized learning environment that often does not reflect the broad clinical experience of general surgery practice. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of the Veterans Affairs (VA) general surgery surgical experience to both index Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements and as a unique integrated model in which residents provide concurrent care of multiple specialty patients. Institutional review board approval was obtained for retrospective analysis of electronic medical records involving all surgical cases performed by the general surgery service from 2005 to 2009 at the Nashville VA. Over a 5-year span general surgery residents spent an average of 5 months on the VA general surgery service, which includes a postgraduate year (PGY)-5, PGY-3, and 2 PGY-1 residents. Surgeries involved the following specialties: surgical oncology, endocrine, colorectal, hepatobiliary, transplant, gastrointestinal laparoscopy, and elective and emergency general surgery. The surgeries were categorized according to ACGME index requirements. A total of 2,956 surgeries were performed during the 5-year period from 2005 through 2009. Residents participated in an average of 246 surgeries during their experience at the VA; approximately 50 cases are completed during the chief year. On the VA surgery service alone, 100% of the ACGME requirement was met for the following categories: endocrine (8 cases); skin, soft tissue, and breast (33 cases); alimentary tract (78 cases); and abdominal (88 cases). Approximately 50% of the ACGME requirement was met for liver, pancreas, and basic laparoscopic categories. The VA hospital provides an authentic, broad-based, general surgery training experience that integrates complex surgical patients simultaneously. Opportunities for this level of comprehensive care are decreasing or absent in many general surgery training

  17. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 3: thermal fluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 10 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of thermal fluids. (Topic 3). From these, 4 papers were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  18. The B Cell Response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Cattle following Sequential Vaccination with Multiple Serotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Clare F J; Carr, B Veronica; Kotecha, Abhay; van den Born, Erwin; Stuart, David I; Hammond, John A; Charleston, Bryan

    2017-05-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a highly contagious viral disease. Antibodies are pivotal in providing protection against FMDV infection. Serological protection against one FMDV serotype does not confer interserotype protection. However, some historical data have shown that interserotype protection can be induced following sequential FMDV challenge with multiple FMDV serotypes. In this study, we have investigated the kinetics of the FMDV-specific antibody-secreting cell (ASC) response following homologous and heterologous inactivated FMDV vaccination regimes. We have demonstrated that the kinetics of the B cell response are similar for all four FMDV serotypes tested following a homologous FMDV vaccination regime. When a heterologous vaccination regime was used with the sequential inoculation of three different inactivated FMDV serotypes (O, A, and Asia1 serotypes) a B cell response to FMDV SAT1 and serotype C was induced. The studies also revealed that the local lymphoid tissue had detectable FMDV-specific ASCs in the absence of circulating FMDV-specific ASCs, indicating the presence of short-lived ASCs, a hallmark of a T-independent 2 (TI-2) antigenic response to inactivated FMDV capsid. IMPORTANCE We have demonstrated the development of intraserotype response following a sequential vaccination regime of four different FMDV serotypes. We have found indication of short-lived ASCs in the local lymphoid tissue, further evidence of a TI-2 response to FMDV. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  19. Evaluation of HIV testing recommendations in specialty guidelines for the management of HIV indicator conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lord, E; Stockdale, A J; Malek, R

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: European guidelines recommend HIV testing for individuals presenting with indicator conditions (ICs) including AIDS-defining conditions (ADCs). The extent to which non-HIV specialty guidelines recommend HIV testing in ICs and ADCs is unknown. Our aim was to pilot a methodology in the UK...... are piloting methods to engage with guideline development groups to ensure that patients diagnosed with ICs/ADCs are tested for HIV. We then plan to apply our methodology in other European settings as part of the Optimising Testing and Linkage to Care for HIV across Europe (OptTEST) project....... to review specialty guidelines and ascertain if HIV was discussed and testing recommended. METHODS: UK and European HIV testing guidelines were reviewed to produce a list of 25 ADCs and 49 ICs. UK guidelines for these conditions were identified from searches of the websites of specialist societies...

  20. Joint US/German Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Gulledge, Thomas; Jones, Albert

    1993-01-01

    This proceedings volume contains selected and refereed contributions that were presented at the conference on "Recent Developments and New Perspectives of Operations Research in the Area of Production Planning and Control" in Hagen/Germany, 25. - 26. June 1992. This conference was organized with the cooperation of the FernuniversiHit Hagen and was jointly hosted by the "Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Operations Research (DGOR)" and the "Manufacturing Special Interest Group of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA-SIGMA)". For the organization of the conference we received generous financial support from the sponsors listed at the end of this volume. We wish to express our appreciation to all supporters for their contributions. This conference was the successor of the JOInt ORSA/DGOR-conference in Gaithersburg/Maryland, USA, on the 30. and 31. July 1991. Both OR-societies committed themselves in 1989 to host joint conferences on special topics of interest from the field of operations research. This goal ...

  1. 20. AINSE plasma science and technology conference. Conference handbook

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The 20th AINSE plasma science and technology conference was held at Flinders University of South Australia on 13-14 February 1995. Topics under discussion included plasma physics studies, current status of rotamak devices, plasma processing and material studies. The handbook contains the conference program, 54 abstracts and a list of participants

  2. 20. AINSE plasma science and technology conference. Conference handbook

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-12-31

    The 20th AINSE plasma science and technology conference was held at Flinders University of South Australia on 13-14 February 1995. Topics under discussion included plasma physics studies, current status of rotamak devices, plasma processing and material studies. The handbook contains the conference program, 54 abstracts and a list of participants.

  3. Conference summaries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    This volume contains conference summaries of the international conference on radioactive waste management of the Canadian Nuclear Society. Topics of discussion include: storage and disposal; hydrogeology and geochemistry; transportation; buffers and backfill; public attitudes; tailings; site investigations and geomechanics; concrete; economics; licensing; matrix materials and container design; durability of fuel; biosphere modelling; radioactive waste processing; and, future options

  4. INFCE plenary conference documents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    This document consists of the reports to the First INFCE Plenary Conference (November 1978) by the Working Groups a Plenary Conference of its actions and decisions, the Communique of the Final INFCE Plenary Conference (February 1980), and a list of all documents in the IAEA depository for INFCE

  5. Lipid components and oxidative status of selected specialty oils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Madawala, S. R.

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Many vegetable oils are marketed as specialty oils because of their retained flavors, tastes and distinct characteristics. Specialty oil samples which were commercially produced and retailed were purchased from local superstores in Reading, UK, and Uppsala, Sweden and profiled for detailed lipid composition and oxidative status. These oil samples include: almond, hazelnut, walnut, macadamia nut, argan, avocado, grape seed, roasted sesame, rice bran, cold pressed, organic and cold pressed, warm pressed and refined rapeseed oils. The levels of PV were quite low (0.5-1.3mEq O₂/kg but AV and Rancimat values at 100 °C (except for rapeseed oils varied considerably at (0.5-15.5 and (4.2-37.0 h respectively. Macadamia nut oil was found to be the most stable oil followed by argan oil, while walnut oil was the least stable. Among the specialty oils, macadamia nut oil had the lowest (4% and walnut oil had the highest (71% level of total PUFA. The organic cold pressed rapeseed oil had considerably lower PUFA (27% compared with other rapeseed oils (28- 35%. In all the samples, α- and γ- tocopherols were the major tocopherols; nut oils had generally lower levels. Total sterols ranged from 889 to 15,106 μg/g oil. The major sterols were β-sitosterol (61-85% and campesterol (6-20%. Argan oil contained schottenol (35% and spinasterol (32%. Compared with literature values, no marked differences were observed among the differently processed, organically grown or cold pressed rapeseed oils and other specialty oils in this study.

    Muchos aceites vegetales se venden como aceites especiales debido a su flavor, gusto y características distintas. Muestras de aceites especiales de almendra, avellana, nuez, nuez de macadamia, argán, aguacate, semillas de uva, de sésamo tostadas, salvado de arroz, y aceites orgánico de semillas de colza prensado en frío y, prensado caliente, y refinados que se producen y comercializan al por menor, se obtuvieron en

  6. Designing Scientific Academic Conferences as a Learning Environment: How to Stimulate Active Learning at Academic Conferences?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Verbeke, Johan

    2015-01-01

    conference design and an appropriate learning environment are available. The overall conference design, however, is a crucial aspect in the learning of the participants and deserves special attention from conference organizers. Method: I have organized around 15 carefully designed conferences (and attended...... architecture, arts and design) and on the way knowledge sharing and knowledge development was stimulated at these events. These conferences included less traditional conference designs, collective learning and explicit sharing of understanding between participants. Results: Collaboration in small groups...... for discussing and learning makes a huge difference in sharing and developing new knowledge. This paper aims to highlight the importance and raise awareness of different methods of stimulating the construction of knowledge by conference participants. I hope it will inspire future conference organizers and help...

  7. Second international conference on isotopes. Conference proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hardy, C J [ed.

    1997-10-01

    The Second International Conference on Isotopes (2ICI) was hosted by the Australian Nuclear Association in Sydney, NSW, Australia. The Theme of the Second Conference: Isotopes for Industry, Health and a Better Environment recognizes that isotopes have been used in these fields successfully for many years and offer prospects for increasing use in the future. The worldwide interest in the use of research reactors and accelerators and in applications of stable and radioactive isotopes, isotopic techniques and radiation in industry, agriculture, medicine, environmental studies and research in general, was considered. Other radiation issues including radiation protection and safety were also addressed. International and national overviews and subject reviews invited from leading experts were included to introduce the program of technical sessions. The invited papers were supported by contributions accepted from participants for oral and poster presentation. A Technical Exhibition was held in association with the Conference. This volume contains the full text or extended abstracts of papers number 61- to number 114

  8. Publication rate of studies presented at veterinary anaesthesia specialty meetings during the years 2003-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieser, Marilies; Braun, Christina; Moens, Yves

    2016-03-01

    To assess publication rates, factors predicting publication, and discrepancies between conference abstracts and subsequent full-text publications of abstracts from the veterinary meetings of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists and the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists from 2003 to 2008. Retrospective cohort study. A total of 607 abstracts were identified and a database search (Scopus, PubMed, CAB) was conducted to identify matching publications. Authors of nonmatching abstracts were contacted to participate in a confidential online survey. Risk ratios were used to assess factors predicting publication and these were tested for significance (p publication rate was 63.3% and the mean (± SD) time to publication was 25 ± 19 months. Factors significantly associated with subsequent full publication (i.e. publication of a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal) were continent of origin (North America), study design (experimental studies), specialty (analgesia) and the presence of a source of funding. The principal reasons why studies remained unpublished were lack of time and responsibility lying with co-authors. Minor changes compared with the original abstract were found in 71.6% of all publications. Major changes were noted in 34.6% and the outcome of the study changed in 7.6%. These data suggest that some of the abstracts reported preliminary findings. Therefore, caution is warranted when quoting abstracts as references in scientific publications. To date, major veterinary journals have not issued recommendations in their author guidelines addressing the use of abstracts as a reference. The authors propose the inclusion of such a statement in author guidelines. © 2015 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia.

  9. Threats, protests greet conference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struck, D

    1994-09-04

    In preparation for the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, Egypt has deployed 14,000 police to protect participants from threatened violence. The Vatican has joined forces with Muslim fundamentalists to condemn the conference as a vehicle for imposing Western ideals, particularly abortion, on Third world countries. In addition, the opposition is raising the specter of a descent of homosexuals onto Cairo and Muslim fundamentalists have threatened to murder Western representatives. A suit filed by Islamic lawyers, aimed at stopping the conference, failed. Sudan and Saudi Arabia plan to boycott the conference, and it remains uncertain whether Libya will be represented. Conference organizers have not been deterred by the threats and note that the controversy has drawn public attention to the central issues under debate.

  10. Evaluation of the influence exerted by different dental specialty backgrounds and measuring instrument reproducibility on esthetic aspects of maxillary implant-supported single crown.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaidya, Samriddhi; Ho, Yu Lau Elaine; Hao, Jie; Lang, Niklaus P; Mattheos, Nikos

    2015-03-01

    To evaluate the influence exerted by different dental specialty backgrounds as well as the validity and reproducibility of the Pink Esthetic Score/White Esthetic Score (PES/WES) and the modified Implant Crown Aesthetic Index (mod-ICAI) on the assessment of esthetic aspects of maxillary implants supported single-tooth prosthesis. A total of fourteen examiners (Two orthodontists, two prosthodontists, two oral surgeons, two periodontists, two dental technicians, two dental assistants, and two postgraduate students in Implant Dentistry evaluated 20 photographs of single-implant-supported crowns and five photographs of unrestored teeth of esthetic zone in a two part study. The examiners assessed the photographs with each index (Pink Esthetic Score/White Esthetic Score and modified Implant Crown Aesthetic Index), twice with a week's interval. Orders of photographs were rearranged in the second assessment. Kruskal-Wallis test results showed significant differences among all the six specialties (P ≤ 0.001). DAs and periodontists had significantly better ratings than other specialties with both indices. Prosthodontists had the lowest mean rank scores regardless of the index. Interobserver agreement was also lowest between the two prosthodontists (4-28%), rest of the groups had low-to-moderate agreement (20-80%) when limited allowance was accepted. With mod-ICAI, more interobserver agreement was noted within the specialty group than with PES/WES. The PES/WES and the modified ICAI can be reliable estimates of esthetic outcomes. The assessor degree of specialization affected the esthetic evaluation with both the PES/WES and the modified ICAI. DAs and periodontists were identified to provide more favorable ratings than other specialties while prosthodontists were most critical in this study. With modified ICAI, more interobserver agreement within specialty resulted. The interexaminer agreement may be increased if more tolerance of 1-2 points is considered. © 2014 John Wiley

  11. Are new medical students' specialty preferences gendered? Related motivational factors at a Dutch medical school.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tongeren-Alers, M.L.G. van; Esch, M. van der; Verdonk, P.; Johansson, E.; Hamberg, K.; Lagro-Janssen, T.

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Female students currently outnumber male students in most medical schools. Some medical specialties are highly gender segregated. Therefore, it is interesting to know whether medical students have early specialization preferences based on their gender. Consequently, we like to know

  12. Index to conference titles; selected conferences cited in the ERDA data base 1972--1977

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardin, N.E.; McGinnis, D.H.

    1977-08-01

    This publication cites energy-related conferences, meetings, symposia, and congresses within the programmatic interests of the Energy Research and Development Administration. It supplements and overlaps Index to Conferences Assigned CONF-Numbers by the Technical Information Center, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (TID-4045), citing conferences held since January 1, 1972, and assigned a number in the CONF report number series. The Index contains two computer-produced listings, a KWIC (Key-Word-In-Context) index of the conference location and title and a listing numerically arranged by CONF number and providing location, date, and title information for each conference

  13. Conference proceedings ISES 2014

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Janne Winther; Peerstrup Ahrendt, Line; Malmkvist, Jens

    The 10th Internatinal Equitation Science Conference is held i Denmark from August 6th - 9th 2014. This book of proceedings contaions abstracts of 35 oral and 57 poster presentations within the conference themes Equine Stress, Learning and Training as well as free papers.......The 10th Internatinal Equitation Science Conference is held i Denmark from August 6th - 9th 2014. This book of proceedings contaions abstracts of 35 oral and 57 poster presentations within the conference themes Equine Stress, Learning and Training as well as free papers....

  14. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 Ameliorates Escherichia coli-Induced Inflammation and Cell Damage via Attenuation of ASC-Independent NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qiong; Liu, Ming-Chao; Yang, Jun; Wang, Jiu-Feng; Zhu, Yao-Hong

    2016-02-15

    Escherichia coli is a major environmental pathogen causing bovine mastitis, which leads to mammary tissue damage and cell death. We explored the effects of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 on ameliorating E. coli-induced inflammation and cell damage in primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). Increased Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), NOD1, and NOD2 mRNA expression was observed following E. coli challenge, but this increase was attenuated by L. rhamnosus GR-1 pretreatment. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses revealed that L. rhamnosus GR-1 pretreatment decreased the E. coli-induced increases in the expression of the NOD-like receptor family member pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) and the serine protease caspase 1. However, expression of the adaptor protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC, encoded by the Pycard gene) was decreased during E. coli infection, even with L. rhamnosus GR-1 pretreatment. Pretreatment with L. rhamnosus GR-1 counteracted the E. coli-induced increases in interleukin-1β (IL-1β), -6, -8, and -18 and tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA expression but upregulated IL-10 mRNA expression. Our data indicate that L. rhamnosus GR-1 reduces the adhesion of E. coli to BMECs, subsequently ameliorating E. coli-induced disruption of cellular morphology and ultrastructure and limiting detrimental inflammatory responses, partly via promoting TLR2 and NOD1 synergism and attenuating ASC-independent NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Although the residual pathogenic activity of L. rhamnosus, the dosage regimen, and the means of probiotic supplementation in cattle remain undefined, our data enhance our understanding of the mechanism of action of this candidate probiotic, allowing for development of specific probiotic-based therapies and strategies for preventing pathogenic infection of the bovine mammary gland. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  15. Conference summaries of the Canadian Nuclear Association 30. annual conference, and the Canadian Nuclear Society 11. annual conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    This volume contains conference summaries for the 30. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association, and the 11. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. Topics of discussion include: energy needs and challenges facing the Canadian nuclear industry; the environment and nuclear power; the problems of maintaining and developing industrial capacity; the challenges of the 1990's; programmes and issues for the 1990's; thermalhydraulics; reactor physics and fuel management; nuclear safety; small reactors; fuel behaviour; energy production and the environment; computer applications; nuclear systems; fusion; materials handling; and, reactor components

  16. Specialty Training's Organizational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC): development of a questionnaire in a Delphi study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bank, Lindsay; Jippes, Mariëlle; van Luijk, Scheltus; den Rooyen, Corry; Scherpbier, Albert; Scheele, Fedde

    2015-08-05

    In postgraduate medical education (PGME), programs have been restructured according to competency-based frameworks. The scale and implications of these adjustments justify a comprehensive implementation plan. Organizational Readiness for Change (ORC) is seen as a critical precursor for a successful implementation of change initiatives. Though, ORC in health care settings is mostly assessed in small scale settings and in relation to new policies and practices rather than educational change. Therefore our aim with this work was to develop an instrument to asses Specialty Training's Organizational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC). A Delphi procedure was conducted to examine the applicability of a preliminary questionnaire in PGME, which was based on existing instruments designed for business and health care organizations. The 41 panellists (19 trainees and 22 supervisors from 6 specialties) from four different countries who were confronted with an apparent curriculum change, or would be in the near future, were asked to rate the relevance of a 89-item web-based questionnaire with regard to changes in specialty training on a 5-point Likert scale. Furthermore, they were invited to make qualitative comments on the items. In two rounds the 89-item preliminary questionnaire was reduced to 44 items. Items were either removed, kept, adapted or added based on individual item scores and qualitative comments. In the absence of a gold standard, this Delphi procedure was considered complete when the overall questionnaire rating exceeded 4.0 (scale 0-5). The overall item score reached 4.1 in the second round, meeting our criteria for completion of this Delphi procedure. This Delphi study describes the initial validating step in the development of an instrument to asses Specialty Training's Organisational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC). Since ORC is measured on various subscales and presented as such, its strength lies in analysing these subscales. The latter makes

  17. Implementation and quality assessment of a pharmacy services call center for outpatient pharmacies and specialty pharmacy services in an academic health system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rim, Matthew H; Thomas, Karen C; Chandramouli, Jane; Barrus, Stephanie A; Nickman, Nancy A

    2018-05-15

    The implementation and quality assessment of a pharmacy services call center (PSCC) for outpatient pharmacies and specialty pharmacy services within an academic health system are described. Prolonged wait times in outpatient pharmacies or hold times on the phone affect the ability of pharmacies to capture and retain prescriptions. To support outpatient pharmacy operations and improve quality, a PSCC was developed to centralize handling of all outpatient and specialty pharmacy calls. The purpose of the PSCC was to improve the quality of pharmacy telephone services by (1) decreasing the call abandonment rate, (2) improving the speed of answer, (3) increasing first-call resolution, (4) centralizing all specialty pharmacy and prior authorization calls, (5) increasing labor efficiency and pharmacy capacities, (6) implementing a quality evaluation program, and (7) improving workplace satisfaction and retention of outpatient pharmacy staff. The PSCC centralized pharmacy calls from 9 pharmacy locations, 2 outpatient clinics, and a specialty pharmacy. Since implementation, the PSCC has achieved and maintained program goals, including improved abandonment rate, speed of answer, and first-call resolution. A centralized 24-7 support line for specialty pharmacy patients was also successfully established. A quality calibration program was implemented to ensure service quality and excellent patient experience. Additional ongoing evaluations measure the impact of the PSCC on improving workplace satisfaction and retention of outpatient pharmacy staff. The design and implementation of the PSCC have significantly improved the health system's patient experiences, efficiency, and quality. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. CERN automatic audio-conference service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sierra Moral, Rodrigo

    2010-01-01

    Scientists from all over the world need to collaborate with CERN on a daily basis. They must be able to communicate effectively on their joint projects at any time; as a result telephone conferences have become indispensable and widely used. Managed by 6 operators, CERN already has more than 20000 hours and 5700 audio-conferences per year. However, the traditional telephone based audio-conference system needed to be modernized in three ways. Firstly, to provide the participants with more autonomy in the organization of their conferences; secondly, to eliminate the constraints of manual intervention by operators; and thirdly, to integrate the audio-conferences into a collaborative working framework. The large number, and hence cost, of the conferences prohibited externalization and so the CERN telecommunications team drew up a specification to implement a new system. It was decided to use a new commercial collaborative audio-conference solution based on the SIP protocol. The system was tested as the first European pilot and several improvements (such as billing, security, redundancy...) were implemented based on CERN's recommendations. The new automatic conference system has been operational since the second half of 2006. It is very popular for the users and has doubled the number of conferences in the past two years.

  19. CERN automatic audio-conference service

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sierra Moral, Rodrigo, E-mail: Rodrigo.Sierra@cern.c [CERN, IT Department 1211 Geneva-23 (Switzerland)

    2010-04-01

    Scientists from all over the world need to collaborate with CERN on a daily basis. They must be able to communicate effectively on their joint projects at any time; as a result telephone conferences have become indispensable and widely used. Managed by 6 operators, CERN already has more than 20000 hours and 5700 audio-conferences per year. However, the traditional telephone based audio-conference system needed to be modernized in three ways. Firstly, to provide the participants with more autonomy in the organization of their conferences; secondly, to eliminate the constraints of manual intervention by operators; and thirdly, to integrate the audio-conferences into a collaborative working framework. The large number, and hence cost, of the conferences prohibited externalization and so the CERN telecommunications team drew up a specification to implement a new system. It was decided to use a new commercial collaborative audio-conference solution based on the SIP protocol. The system was tested as the first European pilot and several improvements (such as billing, security, redundancy...) were implemented based on CERN's recommendations. The new automatic conference system has been operational since the second half of 2006. It is very popular for the users and has doubled the number of conferences in the past two years.

  20. CERN automatic audio-conference service

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sierra Moral, Rodrigo

    2010-04-01

    Scientists from all over the world need to collaborate with CERN on a daily basis. They must be able to communicate effectively on their joint projects at any time; as a result telephone conferences have become indispensable and widely used. Managed by 6 operators, CERN already has more than 20000 hours and 5700 audio-conferences per year. However, the traditional telephone based audio-conference system needed to be modernized in three ways. Firstly, to provide the participants with more autonomy in the organization of their conferences; secondly, to eliminate the constraints of manual intervention by operators; and thirdly, to integrate the audio-conferences into a collaborative working framework. The large number, and hence cost, of the conferences prohibited externalization and so the CERN telecommunications team drew up a specification to implement a new system. It was decided to use a new commercial collaborative audio-conference solution based on the SIP protocol. The system was tested as the first European pilot and several improvements (such as billing, security, redundancy...) were implemented based on CERN's recommendations. The new automatic conference system has been operational since the second half of 2006. It is very popular for the users and has doubled the number of conferences in the past two years.