Gender in Engineering Departments: Are There Gender Differences in Interruptions of Academic Job Talks?

We use a case study of job talks in five engineering departments to analyze the under-studied area of gendered barriers to finalists for faculty positions. We focus on one segment of the interview day of short-listed candidates invited to campus: the “job talk”, when candidates present their original research to the academic department. We analyze video recordings of 119 job talks across five engineering departments at two Research 1 universities. Specifically, we analyze whether there are differences by gender or by years of post-Ph.D. experience in the number of interruptions, follow-up questions, and total questions that job candidates receive. We find that, compared to men, women receive more follow-up questions and more total questions. Moreover, a higher proportion of women’s talk time is taken up by the audience asking questions. Further, the number of questions is correlated with the job candidate’s statements and actions that reveal he or she is rushing to present their slides and complete the talk. We argue that women candidates face more interruptions and often have less time to bring their talk to a compelling conclusion, which is connected to the phenomenon of “stricter standards” of competence demanded by evaluators of short-listed women applying for a masculine-typed job. We conclude with policy recommendations

Determining the Health Utility of Urinary Incontinence in Women

Objective The goal of this study was to define the utility of urinary incontinence in women using the Standard Gamble, the gold standard method for determining health state utilities, based on a diagnosis obtained from multichannel urodynamic testing, the gold standard in clinical diagnosis. Background Health state utility values are important in many areas of medical research. The values are used in cost-utility analysis, decision analysis and health related quality of life studies. To date, studies that have estimated the utility of urinary incontinence in women have relied on values from generic health related quality of life questionnaires such as the ED-5Q and Health Utilities Index or from expert opinion. The utility of urinary incontinence in these studies appears to be unintuitivelylow, at 0.71 to 0.82, with perfect health represented by 1.0. The utility of health states that are much more debilitating, for example cancer (0.82), is higher than urinary incontinence. These studies have relied on patient self-diagnosis of incontinence. Additionally, they have considered all types of urinary incontinence together. Intuitively, one would think that quality of life would be affected differently with different types (stress, urge, mixed) and differing severity of incontinence. Methods All adult female patients who underwent urodynamic testing at Brigham and Women’s Hospital were prospectively recruited. Diagnosis of type of incontinence was made by attending physician interpretation of the urodynamic study. No exclusion criteria. Patients completed three validated questionnaires: Sandvik Severity Index - A validated two question symptom specific instrument to evaluate urinary incontinence EQ-5D -A five-domain generic quality of life questionnaire. Answers are converted into a utility value. Visual Analog Scale - Vertical line from 0 (worst imaginable health) to 100 (best imaginable health). Patient rates own perception of health on line. The Standard Gamble technique was used in a standard format to determine each patient’s utility value for their health state. Patient is asked to choose between life in current health state and varying risks of immediate painless death. Gold Standard method to determine patients utility preference for their health state. Results This pilot study of 28 patients demonstrated a significant difference in utility value derived from the Standard Gamble and the generic health-related quality of life instruments. There were 21 patients with stress urinary incontinence, 6 patients with urge urinary incontinence and 1 patient with mixed urinary incontinence. Mean Sandvik score was higher in Urge Incontinence subgroup. Mean Utility from Standard Gamble was lower in Urge Incontinence group. Sandvik scores were moderately correlated with EQ-5D, SG and VAS utilities. Conclusions Utility scores derived from Standard Gamble were significantly higher than those derived from generic health related quality of life instruments. Utility scores derived from EQ-5D and VAS were similar tothose previously reported in the literature. Current utility values over-estimate the degree of bother of urinary incontinence. Researchers should consider using higher utility values for urinary incontinence in future cost utility and quality of life studies

Understanding Health Utilities in Women with Urinary Incontinence

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the health utility of UI in women as derived from the EQ-5D with the gold standard, the Standard Gamble. The secondary aim of this study was to compare health utility values of affected patients to healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Clinical diagnosis was categorized as normal, stress, mixed or urge urinary incontinence. Healthy controls were read a scenario for stress or mixed UI. All subjects completed the Sandvik Severity Index (SSI), EQ-5D, and Standard Gamble (SG) conversation. Results: 50 healthy controls and 119 affected subjects were recruited. The mean utility value for incontinence varied based on method: EQ-5D (0.78 + 0.17) and SG (0.85 + 0.20). There was a significant difference between utility scores derived from SG and EQ-5D (p=0.0004). This significant difference was maintained in the subset of women with SUI: EQ-5D (0.81 + 0.16), SG (0.87 + 0.18), p=0.028; but not in women with MUI or UUI. When comparing healthy controls to women with SUI, there were significant differences in the utility values derived by SG (0.76 + 0.26 vs. 0.87 + 0.18, p=0.07) but not by EQ-5D. When comparing healthy controls to women with MUI, there was also a significant difference in the utility derived by SG (0.92 + 0.10 vs. 0.75 + 0.21, p=0.01) but not by EQ-5D. SSI scores moderately correlated with SG utility values and strongly correlated with EQ-5D utility values. Logistic regression analysis showed that utility values were unaffected by age and menopausal status. Conclusion: This study suggests that using the EQ-5D to quantify the utility of UI may over-estimate the degree of bother when compared to SG assessment. This is important because the SG process more closely approximates the decision to undergo surgery. Relying on the EQ-5D to assess health utilities in women with UI may not be valid

Vaccination with recombinant Brugia malayi cystatin proteins alters worm migration, homing and final niche selection following a subcutaneous challenge of Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) with B. malayi infective larvae.

BACKGROUND: Cysteine protease inhibitors of Brugia malayi have been ascribed to be involved in parasite development as well as to immunomodulate the host\u27s immune response. In Onchocerca volvulus, Onchocystatin has been shown to induce partial protection in the mouse diffusion chamber vaccination model. In the present study we investigated the impact of vaccination with recombinant Bm-CPI-1 and Bm-CPI-2 proteins on protection against a subcutaneous challenge of B. malayi third stage larvae in gerbils. FINDINGS: Vaccination with E. coli derived recombinant B. malayi cysteine protease inhibitors (Bm-CPI-1 or -2) did not confer protection against B. malayi L3 challenge infection in gerbils but altered the homing of a significant number of adult worms from the lymphatics to the heart and lungs. CONCLUSION: Bm-CPI vaccination-induced alteration in worm migration is consistent with our previous observations in gerbils vaccinated with B. pahangi excretory-secretory (ES) proteins, which resulted in delayed migration of the L3s and altered the final location of adult worms. Similar observations have also been made in dogs vaccinated with Ancylostoma caninum proteins; an increased number of worms were recovered in the colon and not the expected small intestine. A change in the final niche was also reported in immune versus non-immune hosts of two other gut dwelling nematodes. Vaccination induced alteration of the parasite\u27s final homing might be a rare or a common phenomenon, which unfortunately is rarely recorded. The reason for the alteration in the final niche selection by adult nematode worms following vaccination is unknown and necessitates further investigation

Adoptionen von Kindern aus Sri Lanka im Kanton St. Gallen 1973-2002

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Vaccination with a genetically modified Brugia malayi cysteine protease inhibitor-2 reduces adult parasite numbers and affects the fertility of female worms following a subcutaneous challenge of Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) with B. malayi infective larvae.

Vaccination of Mongolian gerbils with Brugia malayi cysteine protease inhibitor-2 in which the amino acid Asn66 was mutated to Lys66 (Bm-CPI-2M) resulted in reduced parasite numbers of 48.6% and 48.0% at 42 and 90 days p.i. with B. malayi L3s. Fertility of female worms was also affected at 90 days p.i. In vitro killing of L3s observed in the presence of gerbil peritoneal exudate cells and anti-Bm-CPI-2M sera suggests antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity as a putative protective mechanism. These observations suggest that Bm-CPI-2M is a promising prophylactic and anti-fecundity vaccine candidate

Proximal tibial replacement in revision knee arthroplasty for non-oncologic indications.

Proximal tibial metaphyseal bone loss compromises the alignment and fixation of components during revision total knee arthroplasty. In massive, segmental defects with loss of collateral ligamentous support and lack of bone to support the use of prosthetic augments or metaphyseal cones or sleeves, a hinged proximal tibial replacement or a so-called megaprosthesis should be available. While proximal tibial replacement is the reconstructive method of choice in the setting of bone tumor resection, applications in non-oncologic joint arthroplasty are rare and may offer an opportunity for limb salvage in dire clinical scenarios with massive proximal tibial bone loss. This report reviews 6 cases of proximal tibial replacement