In search of work/life balance: trainee perspectives on part-time obstetrics and gynaecology specialist training

BACKGROUND: Part-time training (PTT) is accessed by approximately 10% of Australian obstetrics and gynaecology trainees, a small but increasing minority which reflects the growing demand for improved work/life balance amongst the Australian medical workforce. This survey reports the attitudes and experiences of both full-time and part-time trainees to PTT. METHODS: An email-based anonymous survey was sent to all Australian obstetrics and gynaecology trainees in April 2009, collecting demographic and training status data, data on personal experiences of PTT and/or trainees, and attitudes towards PTT. RESULTS: 105 responses were received (20% response rate). These indicated strong support (90%) from both full-time (FT) and part-time (PT) trainees for the availability of PTT. PT trainees were significantly more likely than FT trainees to be female with children. Improved morale was seen as a particular advantage of PTT; decreased continuity of care as a disadvantage. CONCLUSIONS: Although limited by poor response rate, both PT and FT Australian obstetric trainees were supportive of part-time training. Both groups recognised important advantages and disadvantages of this mode of training. Currently, part-time training is accessed primarily by female trainees with family responsibilities, with many more trainees considering part-time training than the number that access it

A Mixed Method Study Focusing on Adult Dyslexic Higher Education Students and their Experiences with Anxiety and Coping

A Mixed Method Study Focusing on Adult Dyslexic Higher Education Students and their Experiences with Anxiety and Coping. Background Adult students with dyslexia can apply for support for their cognitive needs but may also experience anxiety, which less is understood. This thesis aims to test the hypothesis that adult dyslexic learners in higher education (HE) have a higher prevalence of academic and social anxiety than their non-dyslexic peers and will explore the wider emotional consequences of studying with dyslexia and the ways in which adults with dyslexia cope both cognitively and emotionally. Methods The study utilised a mixed method approach and was in two stages. Stage one involved a survey of HE students with dyslexia (N = 102) and without identified dyslexia (N = 72). Students completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory measuring academic and social anxiety. Stage two used an exploratory approach to investigate emotional consequences of studying with dyslexia and types of coping strategies used through the method of semi-structured interviews with 20 dyslexic students. Results The results for stage one revealed a statistically significant effect for academic anxiety, but not for social anxiety. The main findings for stage two showed that: (1) Students’ emotional consequences of studying with dyslexia were characterised by a mixture of negative and positive emotional responses, yet negative responses were more frequently used in response to questions about academic tasks than positive responses; (2) Participants had a lot less to say with regards to coping emotionally, than coping cognitively. However, coping emotionally identified a mixture of coping methods including avoidance; through to participating in exercise; and developing mental resilience. Conclusions Dyslexic students in higher education show anxiety levels that are well above what is shown by students without learning difficulties. The implications of this for practice and for the dyslexia practitioner is that the delivery of strategies to deal with the negative emotional consequences of studying with dyslexia and ways of overcoming avoidance on academic tasks should be seen as just as important, if not more so, than the teaching of interventions to deal with cognitive difficulties associated with dyslexia

High Throughput Screening of Clopidogrel Resistance Using Microfluidic Technology

The pre-treatment of patients with clopidogrel before primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to lower the risk of complications that could lead to heart attack or stroke during the procedure. However, the proper administration of clopidogrel requires the measurement of the patient’s drug resistance due to its inherent variation across the population. Approximately 1.1 million PCIs were performed in the US alone in 2008. As the patient population is becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of clopidogrel treatment prior to PCI, there is an ever-expanding market potential for clopidogrel resistance screening devices. As most of the existing devices utilize traditional test-tube-scale bench-top technology that usually sets limitations on the throughput and applicability of the test itself, the market demands a device that not only minimizes the cost per test but also produces consistent and comprehensive results. In this report, guided by the innovation map, we are able to link soft lithography in combination with micro-patterning technology to the customer’s requirements, and come up with a higher-throughput system that meets the market demand. Our system consists of two parts: the chip and the device. We focus our design effort primarily on the chip, in which micro-channel layout, dry reagent dissolution, reagent mixing and reservoir volume design are carefully worked out. On the other hand, the design of the device is discussed briefly, but production is assumed to be outsourced. With the cost estimates from suppliers and the assumed expected market share to be 50%, the net present value is computed to be about 45 million, indicating a lucrative return to investors

Effect of androgen treatment during foetal and/or neonatal life on ovarian function in prepubertal and adult rats

We investigated the effects of different windows of testosterone propionate (TP) treatment during foetal and neonatal life in female rats to determine whether and when excess androgen exposure would cause disruption of adult reproductive function. Animals were killed prepubertally at d25 and as adults at d90. Plasma samples were taken for hormone analysis and ovaries serial sectioned for morphometric analyses. In prepubertal animals, only foetal+postnatal and late postnatal TP resulted in increased body weights, and an increase in transitory, but reduced antral follicle numbers without affecting total follicle populations. Treatment with TP during both foetal+postnatal life resulted in the development of streak ovaries with activated follicles containing oocytes that only progressed to a small antral (smA) stage and inactive uteri. TP exposure during foetal or late postnatal life had no effect upon adult reproductive function or the total follicle population, although there was a reduction in the primordial follicle pool. In contrast, TP treatment during full postnatal life (d1-25) resulted in anovulation in adults (d90). These animals were heavier, had a greater ovarian stromal compartment, no differences in follicle thecal cell area, but reduced numbers of anti-Mullerian hormone-positive smA follicles when compared with controls. Significantly reduced uterine weights lead reduced follicle oestradiol production. These results support the concept that androgen programming of adult female reproductive function occurs only during specific time windows in foetal and neonatal life with implications for the development of polycystic ovary syndrome in women

Virtual Advocacy: Lived Experience Takes Center Stage During and After Pandemic

COVID-19 forced a significant change for participants of the Disability Policy Seminar (DPS) typically held annually in Washington, D.C. The DPS is a policy event that both informs its participants about current policy and supports attendees visiting Capitol Hill to meet with legislators. In 2020, the DPS event, which took place during the early phase of the pandemic, was shifted from “on the Hill” to “across the screen”. Through the various lenses of an autistic self-advocate, a mother of a child with a developmental disability, and faculty of a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) program, this paper describes the ways in which the nature of our collaborative advocacy effort, from Hill visits to co-authorship, was shaped by changes instituted in response to COVID-19. The authors collectively explored the experience, benefit, and lasting impact of engaging in virtual advocacy from an emancipatory perspective, which highlights the voices of self-advocates and family members of people with developmental disabilities. Benefits of virtual include: 1) minimizing the physical challenges involved for persons with disabilities (particularly those with mobility issues, those who utilize durable medical equipment, and those whose disabilities make transportation challenging); 2) increasing visibility by allowing elected representatives a view into constituents’ homes; and 3) enhancing engagement for participants with different learning styles and those who communicate with support. We conclude with lessons learned within the context of a global public health emergency about how to support authentic collaboration between various stakeholders

The Forum: Spring 2008

Spring 2008 journal of the Honors Program at the University of North Dakota. The issue includes stories, poems, essays and art by undergraduate students.https://commons.und.edu/und-books/1061/thumbnail.jp

College Algebra (ABAC)

This Grants Collection for College Algebra was created under a Round Ten ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process. Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: Linked Syllabus Initial Proposal Final Reporthttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/mathematics-collections/1036/thumbnail.jp

Statistics (ABAC)

This Grants Collection for Statistics was created under a Round Ten ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process. Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: Linked Syllabus Initial Proposal Final Reporthttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/mathematics-collections/1037/thumbnail.jp

Sipping Tea and Sharing Kōrero: Reflections on ‘Activating Collectivity: Aroha and Power’

Over literal and metaphorical cups of tea, the organising crew of ‘Activating Collectivity: Aroha and Power’ reflect on what went into planning and shaping the conference and what was gained from it. In doing so, they invite readers to grab a cup and join in the reflective process