Becoming a medical educator: Motivation, socialisation and navigation

Background: Despite an increasing concern about a future shortage of medical educators, little published research exists on career choices in medical education nor the impact of specific training posts in medical education (e.g. academic registrar/resident positions). Medical educators at all levels, from both medical and non-medical backgrounds, are crucial for the training of medical students, junior doctors and in continuing professional development. We explored the motivations and experiences of junior doctors considering an education career and undertaking a medical education registrar (MER) post. Methods. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with junior doctors and clinicians across Queensland Health. Framework analysis was used to identify themes in the data, based on our defined research questions and the medical education workforce issues prompting the study. We applied socio-cognitive career theory to guide our analysis and to explore the experience of junior doctors in medical education registrar posts as they enter, navigate and fulfil the role. Results: We identified six key themes in the data: motivation for career choice and wanting to provide better education; personal goals, expectations and the need for self-direction; the influence of role models; defining one's identity; support networks and the need for research as a potential barrier to pursuing a career in/with education. We also identified the similarities and differences between the MERs' experiences to develop a composite of an MER's journey through career choice, experience in role and outcomes. Conclusions: There is growing interest from junior doctors in pursuing education pathways in a clinical environment. They want to enhance clinical teaching in the hospitals and become specialists with an interest in education, and have no particular interest in research or academia. This has implications for the recruitment and training of the next generation of clinical educators. © 2014 Bartle and Thistlethwaite; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

The local roots of the participation gap: Inequality and voter turnout

It is generally accepted that the rich are more likely to participate in politics than the poor. It is also generally accepted that the probability than an individual will participate in elections is influenced by the gap between the rich and the poor. There is little agreement, however, about whether inequality across time and space increases or decreases participation. In this paper we examine the impact of inequality across space. We suggest that the impact of inequality depends crucially on whether it is defined in terms of variations between geographical units (‘segregation’) or within geographical units (‘heterogeneity’). Evidence to support this argument is drawn from multi-level British data. Heterogeneity has a mildly positive effect on participation but this effect seems to be outweighed by the negative impact of segregation. The effect of segregation, moreover, is most pronounced among the poorer sections of the population, indicating that geographical isolation among the poor ('ghettoization') leads to lower turnout among these groups

Cauchy's residue theorem for a class of real valued functions

Let $[a,b]$ be an interval in $\mathbb{R}$ and let $F$ be a real valued function defined at the endpoints of $[a,b]$ and with a certain number of discontinuities within $[a,b]$. Having assumed $F$ to be differentiable on a set $[a,b] \backslash E$ to the derivative $f$, where $E$ is a subset of $[a,b]$ at whose points $F$ can take values $\pm \infty$ or not be defined at all, we adopt the convention that $F$ and $f$ are equal to 0 at all points of $E$ and show that $\mathcal{KH-}vt\int_{a}^{b}f=F(b) -F(a)$%, where $\mathcal{KH-}$ $vt$ denotes the total value of the \textit{% Kurzweil-Henstock} integral. The paper ends with a few examples that illustrate the theory.Comment: 6 page

Does iPad use support learning in students aged 9-14 years? A systematic review

This systematic literature review sought to examine whether iPad or other mobile technology use by school students aged 9 to 14 years enhanced academic outcomes. Conducted in March 2019 using the PRISMA statement, the review identified 43 studies published between 2010 and 2019 which specifically addressed the research question. Findings revealed that iPad use for specific school learning areas such as mathematics, English, science, and the like has not consistently enhanced academic outcomes. Some reviewed papers also indicated that teachers were not always employing the technology most effectively. To defend the current extensive classroom use of mobile technology such as iPads, further research employing within-subject designs must be conducted. Such research must assess the efficacy of iPad use for attaining specific content area outcomes against pedagogies which utilise paper reading, handwriting and/or other manipulations of teaching materials. Moreover, teacher professional learning needs to be provided so that when teachers use iPads in classrooms they are able to deploy them in the most appropriate way

Identification and Understanding of Saccharomyces and Oenococcus Interactions in Wine Fermentation

Winemakers are now more frequently choosing to inoculate yeast and bacteria together in a co-inoculation strategy to achieve faster, more efficient fermentations. However, this can be potentially problematic due to yeast-lactic acid bacteria (LAB) incompatibility that can result in stuck fermentations. This PhD thesis examined yeast-LAB compatibility using commercially available strains in co-inoculated fermentations to further understand the complexities of yeast-LAB interactions in wine. Commercial yeast-LAB pairs (72 in total) were initially screened in a synthetic juice to determine compatible (yeast and LAB able to complete alcoholic and malolactic fermentation) and incompatible (LAB unable to complete malolactic fermentation) pairs. The 72 yeast-LAB pairs were ranked based on fermentation performance, with additional in-depth analysis of the top four and bottom four pairs in a Shiraz juice. Fermentation kinetics and a number of fermentation relevant compounds were measured to elucidate reasons for differences in LAB fermentation performance. This experiment revealed differences in concentrations of H2S, esters and succinic acid between yeast-alone control fermentations and yeast-LAB co-inoculated fermentations. In parallel with these studies, a yeast quantitative trait loci (QTL) library was used to determine yeast specific traits that could impact LAB fermentation ability. A QTL was identified which spanned a genomic region containing the gene SSU1, known to encode a sulfite exporter (Ssu1p). Follow-up work using hemizygote strains revealed that yeast with SSU1 haploinsufficiency allowed LAB to perform malolactic fermentation faster than when co-inoculated with wild-type yeast. Considering the difference in H2S production and the influence of SSU1, a final experiment was performed to assess yeast and LAB sulfur pathway gene regulation in response to co-inoculation. Quantitative PCR was used to study metabolic links to yeast-LAB compatibility, as well as measurement of glutathione and H2S. This work involved RNA extraction from mixed yeast-LAB fermentation samples and measurements of H2S and glutathione over time. When assessing genes involved in sulfur metabolism, differences were observed between yeast only and yeast-LAB fermentations. There were also differences between yeast strains. Additionally, it was observed that there were higher concentrations of glutathione in co-inoculations compared to yeast-only fermentations. Intriguingly, there was a lack of correlation between H2S production and CYS3, CYS4, MET5 and MET10 gene expression. Overall the studies carried out in this thesis have highlighted the complexity of yeast-LAB interactions in wine fermentation. This work has provided a starting point for future work investigating yeast-LAB compatibility and the potential role of sulfur in compatibility outcomes.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 202

Effect of shade on animal welfare, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in large pens of beef cattle fed a beta agonist in a commercial feedlot

Citation: Hagenmaier, J. A., Reinhardt, C. D., Bartle, S. J., & Thomson, D. U. (2016). Effect of shade on animal welfare, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in large pens of beef cattle fed a beta agonist in a commercial feedlot. Journal of Animal Science, 94(12), 5064-5076. doi:10.2527/jas2016-0935Feedlot cattle (n = 1,395; BW = 568 +/- 43 kg) were used to evaluate the effects of shade on animal welfare, growth performance, and carcass quality during the summer of 2013 in a Kansas commercial feedlot. Seven lots of predominately black steers and heifers (4 and 3, respectively) visually determined to be approaching the final mo on feed were identified, randomly gate-sorted, and allocated to pens located across the feed alley from each other to receive 1 of 2 treatments: 1) Shade (mean shade area = 1.5 m(2)/animal) or 2) No shade. Shade was provided using a 13-ounce polyethylene fabric and pens were oriented northwest to southeast. The mean starting date was June 13 and the mean days on feed for lots while on the study was 38 d. Cattle were fed a 77.67% DM steam-flaked corn-based diet and had ad libitum access to water throughout the duration of the trial. Zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZIL) was included in the finishing ration at an inclusion rate of 8.3 mg/kg of DM for the last 20 d on feed with a 3 d withdrawal period. Pen floor temperatures (PFT) were measured using an infrared thermometer and prevalence of cattle open-mouth breathing (OMB) was recorded on a pen basis. In addition to shade treatment, the effect of temperature humidity index (THI) on PFT and OMB was analyzed by classifying days as either "Alert" (THI 79). On the day of slaughter, pens within a replicate were kept separate through all stages of the marketing channel from loading at the feedlot until stunning at the plant. Pen served as the experimental unit for all measurements. There was a THI x shade treatment interaction for PFT and OMB (P 0.05). Heat stress, a significant animal welfare concern and cause of reduced performance in feedlot cattle during the final phase of the feeding period, was alleviated in shaded cattle and illustrates the importance of shade provision as 1 tool to protect the welfare and increase feed consumption in large pens of feedlot cattle during hot summer months

Evaluating and modelling Hanabi-playing agents

Agent modelling involves considering how other agents will behave, in order to influence your own actions. In this paper, we explore the use of agent modelling in the hidden-information, collaborative card game Hanabi. We implement a number of rule-based agents, both from the literature and of our own devising, in addition to an Information Set-Monte Carlo Tree Search (IS-MCTS) agent. We observe poor results from IS-MCTS, so construct a new, predictor version that uses a model of the agents with which it is paired. We observe a significant improvement in game-playing strength from this agent in comparison to IS-MCTS, resulting from its consideration of what the other agents in a game would do. In addition, we create a flawed rule-based agent to highlight the predictor's capabilities with such an agent

Giving voters what they want? Party orientation perceptions and preferences in the British electorate

Some of the most important propositions in the political marketing literature hinge on assumptions about the electorate. In particular, voters are presumed to react in different ways to different orientations or postures. Yet there are theoretical reasons for questioning some of these assumptions, and certainly they have seldom been empirically tested. Here, we focus on one prominent example of political marketing research: Lees-Marshment’s orientations’ model. We investigate how the public reacts to product and market orientation, whether they see a trade-off between the two (a point in dispute among political marketing scholars), and whether partisans differ from non-partisan voters by being more inclined to value product over market orientation. Evidence from two mass sample surveys of the British public (both conducted online by YouGov) demonstrates important heterogeneity within the electorate, casts doubt on the core assumptions underlying some political marketing arguments and raises broader questions about what voters are looking for in a party

A Survey of Dry Processed Corn Particle Size and Fecal Starch in Midwestern U.S. Feedlots

Optimizing grain processing practices in cattle feeding operations is critical to reaching maximum feed utilization efficiency. An increased degree of grain processing has consistently shown improved dry matter and starch digestibility; however, it exists with conflicting results on improving performance in finishing cattle. These inconsistencies are likely due to diet composition, such as roughage and co-product level, that could offset the effects of reduced particle size on rate of fermentation thus reducing the risk of digestive dysfunction. Finishing diets are commonly formulated with processed grain to increase utilization of starch and improve animal performance. Processing methods including steam-flaking, grinding, or dry-rolling improve total tract starch digestibility compared with that of whole grain. When dry-rolling corn for finishing cattle, recommendations often suggest that grain be coarsely processed, or cracked to prevent production of an excessive quantity of fine material that could potentially result in an increased rate of fermentation, reduced rumen pH, and digestive disturbances. However, previous research has reported that inclusion of dried distillers grains in finishing diets may influence optimal grain processing method. Grinding corn to a finer particle size when the grain is fed in combination with distillers grains may result in improved total tract starch utilization without causing reduced ruminal pH and digestive disturbances. The objective of this survey was to provide the feedlot industry with an indication of average particle size distribution from current manufacturing practices of dry processed corn, fecal starch content, and co-product and roughage inclusion levels in Midwestern feedlots

Pathologies of acute interstitial pneumonia in feedlot cattle

Citation: Valles, J. A., Apley, M. D., Reinhardt, C. D., Bartle, S. J., & Thomson, D. U. (2016). Pathologies of acute interstitial pneumonia in feedlot cattle. American Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 11(1), 1-7. doi:10.3844/ajavsp.2016.1.7Acute Interstitial Pneumonia (AIP) is a costly issue that affects feedlot cattle. Research has yet to elucidate the etiology of AIP; therefore a case-control study was conducted to evaluate possible management and physiological factors that contribute to AIP in feedlot cattle. The experiment was conducted during the summer of 2011 in a commercial feedyard in Kansas. Animals exhibiting clinical signs of AIP and a control animal from the same pen were selected for ante-mortem examination. Post-mortem AIP cases were also selected for additional examination. Ante-mortem measurements included rumen gas cap hydrogen sulfide and pH, rectal temperature and body weight. Post-mortem examination added histological examination of lung tissue. Rectal temperature was greater in the AIP cattle (40.6±0.16°C) than controls (39.7±0.16°C; p0.10). Post-mortem rumen pH values were 6.3±0.4 and 5.7±0.6 for AIP and control cattle, respectively. Histological evaluation of lung samples showed that bronchiolitis was present in about 90% of the cattle affected with AIP. About 75% of the cattle with AIP also had bronchopneumonia. No relationships between feed intake patterns, or serum amylase or lipase levels were noted between treatments (p>0.20). This study generally confirms that AIP tends to occur more in heifers relative to steers, occurs in cattle at heavier weights or later in the feeding period and tends to be associated pathologically with bronchio’ litis and bronchopneumonia. The lack of differences in rumen measures and the feed intake data between AIP and control cattle suggest that feed intake patterns and rumen fermentation may not impact AIP in feedlot cattle and that it may be more directly related to bronchiolitis/bronchopneumonia due to chronic irritation or infection. © 2016 Jose A. Valles, Michael D. Apley, Chris D. Reinhardt, Steven J. Bartle and Daniel U. Thomson