The Role of Core Clerkship Procedural Experience in the Specialty Decision Making Process of Fourth Year Medical Students.

Background: The 3rd year of medical school is the most influential year in a student\u27s specialty decision making process. We aim to identify the key features of 3rd year clerkships that influenced specialty decision making and compare the clerkship and procedural experiences between students choosing surgical-based residencies (SBR) and non-surgical-based residencies (NSBR). Methods: A single institution electronic survey was conducted of medical students who have completed all third-year clerkships. Results: Sixty medical students responded (response rate 41%): 23 were interested in an SBR. Differences in clerkship experiences were noted between the SBR and NSBR groups regarding type of cases (p = 0.0347), work hours (p = 0.0205), opportunities for procedures (p = 0.0004). No significant difference was noted in volume of procedures perform during clerkships. The SBR group felt procedural skill development was more important before residency (p = 0.0048). Conclusions: There is notable differences between SBR and NSBR students in terms of what parts of the 3rd year clerkships influence their career decision. The amount of procedures performed during clerkships did not correlate with students that choose a SBR or NSBR

Impacts of Tailwater on the Design of Several Stilling Basins in the USA

The dissipation of excess energy from flows exiting a spillway is often needed to prevent or reduce to acceptable levels conceivable negative impacts to the downstream channel, spillway, and dam (e.g., erosion, undermining). The optimization of a hydraulic jump type stilling basin using general purpose published design methodologies (i.e., USBR, SAF, etc.) for a project can be challenging, as these methodologies may not account for all site specific conditions and structure formulations by designers. Also, it is not often clear to a designer as to which flow rates (and corresponding flood events) will have the greatest influence on the basin geometry and features (i.e., jump formation location and stability). This can be further obscured for projects where a high tailwater condition is predicted during flood events. This paper presents several recent dam rehabilitation projects where a high tailwater impacted the designs of the stilling basins. Each project features a different spillway, chute, and basin configuration. An overview of each site and summary of key challenges encountered during the design of the spillways and stilling basins is included. In addition, a discussion of which design methods were selected, why they were selected, and additional measures that were taken to address the uncertainties at the site is included. This documentation of unique site conditions and design methodologies for stilling basins is intended to show the importance of collaboration between the designer and the owner in selecting a design approach for a specific situation

Effect Of The Catch Position On Power Characteristics In Snatch Derivatives

This study investigates precipitation delivery using the first detailed radar measurements of the vertical structure of precipitation obtained in the tropical Andes of southern Peru and Bolivia. A vertically pointing 24.1 GHz Micro Rain Radar in Cusco, Peru (3,350 m asl, August 2014-February 2015) and La Paz, Bolivia (3,440 m asl, October 2015-February 2017) provided continuous 1-min profiles of reflectivity and Doppler velocity during the respective time periods. Additional datasets collected include thermodynamic profiles from rawinsonde releases, hourly observations of various meteorological variables, and backward air trajectories from the NOAA HYSPLIT model. The vertically-pointing radar time-height data reveal a bimodal diurnal cycle in precipitation with cellular convection predominant in the afternoon and stratiform precipitation predominant overnight. Backward air trajectories for two stratiform case studies indicate that low-level flow originated in the Amazon basin three days prior to the events. Median melting layer heights were above the altitude of nearby glacier termini (~5,000 m) approximately 17% of the time in Cusco and 30% of the time in La Paz, indicating that some precipitation is falling as rain rather than snow on nearby glacier surfaces. Melting layer heights were highest in La Paz during the 2015-16 El Niño (47% above 5,000 m)

Regulation of dickkopf-1(Dkk-1) promoter sequences under various growth conditions

"The goal of this study was to determine what region of the Dkk-1 promoter was required for expression of the Dkk-1 gene under different growth conditions. Dkk-1 promoter activity was analyzed in NIH3T3 cell lines stably transfected with luciferase vectors containing 1068, 535, and 228 bp of Dkk-1 upstream sequence that were growing, confluent, serum starved and during the cell cycle. Dkk-1 promoter activity was also analyzed in the cell lines treated with the inhibitors aphidicolin, methotrexate, and U0126. In general, we found that Dkk-1 promoter activity is higher in a growing cell population than in a nondividing population. The 1068 Dkk-1 promoter construct does not appear to change dramatically during the cell cycle nor is it sensitive to an S phase inhibitor or U0126. Methotrexate treatment was found to decrease promoter activity. A sequence region between 1068 and 535 appears to be important for regulation of Dkk-1 promoter activity."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

Participant assessment of a reduction in tracking in high school social studies

The tracking controversy revolves around the issues: (1) how to organize students for academic achievement, and (2) how to provide an equitable curricular organization. Tracking proponents claim that the system facilitates academic achievement; opponents claim that it is inequitable. Courts have ruled tracking to be illegal (Hobson v.Hansen. 1967), but have been more lenient as time has passed since the Brown (1954) decision. The traditional theory of tracking holds that the practice facilitates academic achievement for all groups. The divergent theory holds that tracking affects different groups differently. Most researchers find that tracking slightly benefits the high-ability group and penalizes the low-ability group (Rosenbaum, 1976; Gamoran, 1987; Oakes, 1982,1985). Slavin (1990) found there was no achievement gain or loss for tracking at the high school level. Braddock and Slavin (1992) found negative effects of grouping for all students. Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Salisbury, North Carolina, attempted to reduce tracking by eliminating the accelerated track in the high school social studies curriculum for the 1991 -92 school year

A Mixed Methods Study Evaluating The Impact Of A Redesigned Biology Course On Students And Faculty

Community colleges serve a diverse student population and enroll about half of all college matriculating students (Zeindenberg, 2008). Therefore, it is important that careful attention is given to the manner in which those students are taught and their unique learning needs. This study explores a course redesign effort in a non-majors biology course at South City Community College. With the support of a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Principles of Biology course (Bio-110) was redesigned using a backward course design framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), a gaming simulation platform, BioBeyond, and supplemental Open Educational Resources (OER). Using a mixed methods approach, this study compared the performance of students who took Bio-110 in the redesigned and non-redesigned format to determine if the strategies implemented did lead to improved student outcomes. Additionally, this study analyzed if the Biology faculty’s pedagogy changed based on their experiences during the redesign process. The results indicated that students were more successful in the non-redesigned course in Spring 2017, and there was no significant difference in success between students who took the redesigned and non-redesigned course in the Fall 2017 or Spring 2018 semesters. Furthermore, students were more successful in the non-redesigned course taught by part-time faculty. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with Biology faculty members that participated in the course redesign were conducted. They revealed that their pedagogy did change after their experience, and four themes emerged that centered on curriculum alignment, learning outcomes, assessment, and use of technology in the classroom. Collectively, results from this study provided useful information for community college stakeholders regarding the impact of intentional redesign efforts on both students and faculty

Margarita de Sossa, Sixteenth-Century Puebla de los Ángeles, New Spain (Mexico)

Margarita de Sossa’s freedom journey was defiant and entrepreneurial. In her early twenties, still enslaved in Portugal, she took possession of her body; after refusing to endure her owner’s sexual demands, he sold her, and she was transported to Mexico. There, she purchased her freedom with money earned as a healer and then conducted an enviable business as an innkeeper. Sossa’s biography provides striking insights into how she conceptualized freedom in terms that included – but was not limited to – legal manumission. Her transatlantic biography offers a rare insight into the life of a free black woman (and former slave) in late sixteenth-century Puebla, who sought to establish various degrees of freedom for herself. Whether she was refusing to acquiesce to an abusive owner, embracing entrepreneurship, marrying, purchasing her own slave property, or later using the courts to petition for divorce. Sossa continued to advocate on her own behalf. Her biography shows that obtaining legal manumission was not always equivalent to independence and autonomy, particularly if married to an abusive husband, or if financial successes inspired the envy of neighbors

Aerial radiological survey of the United States Department of Energy's Battelle Nuclear Science Facility, West Jefferson, Ohio, date of survey: May 1977

An aerial radiological survey to measure terrestrial gamma radiation was carried out over the United States Department of Energy's Battelle Nuclear Science Facility located in West Jefferson, Ohio. Gamma ray data were collected over a 5.5 km/sup 2/ area centered on the facility by flying east-west lines spaced 61 m apart. Processed data indicated that on-site radioactivity was primarily due to radionuclides currently being processed due to the hot lab operations. Off-site data showed the radioactivity to be due to naturally occurring background radiation consistent with variations due to geologic base terrain and land use of similar areas