Prévalence des accommodements pour l’examen d’aptitude du Conseil médical du Canada, partie I, 2013-2021

Introduction: Previous articles have highlighted the laborious process of acquiring disability accommodations in medical education. We endeavoured to characterize the trends of test accommodations on the MCCQE Part I. Methods: Data was obtained from the Medical Council of Canada on the number of applicants who attained test accommodations on the MCCQE Part I between 2013 and 2021. The number of test takers for the same period was obtained from the Medical Council of Canada’s Annual Technical Reports; this data was not publicly available for 2013, 2014, or 2021. Prevalence rates and graphs were produced. Results: The number of test takers who attained test accommodations ranged from 35 to 126 between 2013 and 2021. The percentage of test takers who attained test accommodations ranged from 0.89% to 2.01% between 2015 and 2020. Per correspondence with the Medical Council of Canada, no applicant who provided all required documentation was denied test accommodations during this period. Discussion: The number and rate of test takers attaining test accommodations on the MCCQE Part I have increased substantially during this period. It is unclear whether this increase is due to greater rates of students with disabilities, or a reduction in stigma around using test accommodations.Introduction : Des articles publiés antérieurement ont mis en évidence le processus laborieux d’obtention d’accommodements pour les personnes handicapées dans le cadre de la formation en médecine. Nous explorons les tendances en matière d’accommodements pour l’examen d’aptitude du Conseil médical du Canada (EACMC), partie I. Méthodes : Le Conseil médical du Canada nous a communiqué le nombre de candidats qui ont obtenu des accommodements pour l’EACMC, partie I, entre 2013 et 2021. Le nombre de candidats ayant passé l’examen au cours de la même période a été obtenu en consultant les rapports techniques annuels du Conseil médical du Canada; les données pour 2013, 2014 et 2021 n’étaient pas accessibles au public. Nous présentons des taux de prévalence et des graphiques. Résultats : Le nombre de candidats ayant bénéficié d’accommodements a varié de 35 à 126 entre 2013 et 2021. Le pourcentage de ces candidats a varié de 0,89 % à 2,01 % entre 2015 et 2020. Selon la correspondance du Conseil médical du Canada, aucun candidat ayant fourni les documents requis ne s’est vu refuser l’accommodement d’examen au cours de cette période. Discussion : Le nombre et le taux de candidats bénéficiant d’accommodements pour l’EACMC, partie I, ont considérablement augmenté au cours de la période visée. On ne sait pas si cette hausse est due à une augmentation du nombre d’étudiants handicapés ou à une réduction de la stigmatisation liée au recours aux accommodements d’examen

Is There Madness in the Method? Researching Flexibility in the Education of Adults

This paper explores the process of formulating research questions for an ongoing empirical study of conceptions of flexibility and lifelong learning in the context of further education in the UK. The process is represented in three parallel versions: an algorithmic tale, a tale of improvisations and a reflexive tale

Description of the Earliest Fossil Penguin from South America and First Paleogene Vertebrate Locality of Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina

We report the discovery of the first vertebrate from the Paleogene of Tierra del Fuego (Isla Grande), Argentina, in southernmost South America. The specimen consists of parts of an associated pelvic girdle and limb that are identified as belonging to the penguin stem clade (Aves: Pansphenisciformes). The specimen, from an exposure of the Leticia Formation (late middle Eocene), is the earliest known penguin (pansphenisciform) from South America. It is more than 20 million years older than the earliest previously recorded South American penguins (from the late Oligocene–early Miocene) and, thus, almost doubles their known record on the continent. A detailed description of the new specimen and a discussion of its implications for the understanding of penguin morphological evolution are provided. The new specimen and other fossil penguins do not currently point to the origin of extant, or crown clade, penguin lineages (Spheniscidae), by the Eocene, only to the divergence of the penguin stem lineage from its sister taxon by this time. The new fossil has several morphologies that differ from all extant penguins but are shared with other fossil penguin taxa, suggesting they may be outside Spheniscidae. However, in a discussion of the current status of penguin systematics, we suggest the urgent need for comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of fossil and extant penguins to clarify the timing and pattern of penguin diversification. The specimen was recovered from a newly identified fossil vertebrate locality, an exposure of the Eocene Leticia Formation at Punta Torcida on the Atlantic shore of southeastern Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The new locality is introduced, and a brief geologic description is made, highlighting the potential of the shallow marine sediments of the Leticia Formation for contributing to our knowledge of the Paleogene vertebrate fossil record of Tierra del Fuego, and of southern South America, generallyFil: Clarke, Julia. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Olivero, Eduardo Bernardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Puerta, Pablo. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; Argentin

Comparing Travel Behavior and Opportunities to Increase Transportation Sustainability in Small Cities, Towns and Rural Communities

The vast majority of travel behavior and sustainable transportation research has focused on urban areas. A rural perspective is lacking. This paper aims to dive deeper into understanding how people travel and their perceptions and opinions about various components of travel in a majority rural state. By speaking directly with Vermonters through in-person interviews, uniquely personal points of view were discovered and analyzed to find commonalities and differences between urban, suburban, and rural Vermonters. Questions on day-to-day challenges of traveling, suggestions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, responses to fuel prices, and opinions on electric vehicles were asked. Some key findings were illuminated over the interview and analysis processes. Rural areas struggle most with traveling long distances to reach services, while urban areas are more concerned with traffic, opinions on EV ownership were consistent across the state, with people being likely to consider owning an EV if costs of ownership were to decrease. These interviews highlighted additional questions that need to be answered so that states can develop practical and effective policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in rural areas. Further in-depth surveys are recommended coming out of this study so that a more complete picture of potential behavioral shifts can be attained. A reduction in GHG emissions is paramount to the world’s survival and this research will add to the body of knowledge in a historically understudied population so that we can work more closely with small and rural communities to help combat climate change through widespread emission reduction

Helicobacter pylori Biofilm Confers Antibiotic Tolerance in Part via A Protein-Dependent Mechanism

Helicobacter pylori, a WHO class I carcinogen, is one of the most successful human pathogens colonizing the stomach of over 4.4 billion of the world’s population. Antibiotic therapy represents the best solution but poor response rates have hampered the elimination of H. pylori. A growing body of evidence suggests that H. pylori forms biofilms, but the role of this growth mode in infection remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that H. pylori cells within a biofilm are tolerant to multiple antibiotics in a manner that depends partially on extracellular proteins. Biofilm-forming cells were tolerant to multiple antibiotics that target distinct pathways, including amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and tetracycline. Furthermore, this tolerance was significantly dampened following proteinase K treatment. These data suggest that H. pylori adapts its phenotype during biofilm growth resulting in decreased antibiotic susceptibility but this tolerance can be partially ameliorated by extracellular protease treatment.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthPeer Reviewe

Cartographical Imaginations: Spatiality, Adult Education and Lifelong Learning

This symposium explores the significance of space and spatiality for research in adult education and lifelong learning. Drawing on recent theorising in the social sciences, we examine empirically and theoretically questions of space, place and power in adult education

Innovation in 2G Quantum Technologies, a Patent Landscape Study

Patent filings can be a proxy for the intention to exploit research and development activities, and thus are a signal of the innovation process. The present study shows that the number of patent filings for second- generation quantum metrology and sensing devices is still small but has recently started to grow. It also reveals that a large proportion of the patent filings in this field originate from academia, suggesting that these researchers still account for most of the innovative activity in this sector. However there is some evidence that international industry- academia collaboration is becoming a vehicle for innovation directions in these future and emerging technologies. The present study constitutes an instantaneous snapshot of the state of innovation at the time of the research. We provide all necessary materials, search strategy, datasets, and methods to enable third parties to carry out subsequent analyses at their own convenience

Accuracy of non-invasive prenatal testing using cell-free DNA for detection of Down, Edwards and Patau syndromes : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To measure test accuracy of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for Down, Edwards and Patau syndromes using cell-free fetal DNA and identify factors affecting accuracy. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies. Data sources: PubMed, Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase and the Cochrane Library published from 1997 to 9 February 2015, followed by weekly autoalerts until 1 April 2015. Eligibility: Criteria for selecting studies English language journal articles describing case–control studies with ≥15 trisomy cases or cohort studies with ≥50 pregnant women who had been given NIPT and a reference standard. Results: 41, 37 and 30 studies of 2012 publications retrieved were included in the review for Down, Edwards and Patau syndromes. Quality appraisal identified high risk of bias in included studies, funnel plots showed evidence of publication bias. Pooled sensitivity was 99.3% (95% CI 98.9% to 99.6%) for Down, 97.4% (95.8% to 98.4%) for Edwards, and 97.4% (86.1% to 99.6%) for Patau syndrome. The pooled specificity was 99.9% (99.9% to 100%) for all three trisomies. In 100 000 pregnancies in the general obstetric population we would expect 417, 89 and 40 cases of Downs, Edwards and Patau syndromes to be detected by NIPT, with 94, 154 and 42 false positive results. Sensitivity was lower in twin than singleton pregnancies, reduced by 9% for Down, 28% for Edwards and 22% for Patau syndrome. Pooled sensitivity was also lower in the first trimester of pregnancy, in studies in the general obstetric population, and in cohort studies with consecutive enrolment. Conclusions: NIPT using cell-free fetal DNA has very high sensitivity and specificity for Down syndrome, with slightly lower sensitivity for Edwards and Patau syndrome. However, it is not 100% accurate and should not be used as a final diagnosis for positive cases