Mentoring at the University of Pennsylvania: Results of a Faculty Survey

BACKGROUND: Research suggests mentoring is related to career satisfaction and success. Most studies have focused on junior faculty. OBJECTIVE: To explore multiple aspects of mentoring at an academic medical center in relation to faculty rank, track, and gender. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mail survey in mid-2003. PARTICIPANTS: Faculty members, 1,432, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine MEASUREMENTS: Self-administered survey developed from existing instruments and stakeholders. RESULTS: Response rate was 73% (n = 1,046). Most (92%) assistant and half (48%) of associate professors had a mentor. Assistant professors in the tenure track were most likely to have a mentor (98%). At both ranks, the faculty was given more types of advice than types of opportunities. Satisfaction with mentoring was correlated with the number of types of mentoring received (r = .48 and .53, P < .0001), job satisfaction (r = .44 and .31, P < .0001), meeting frequency (r = .53 and .61, P < .0001), and expectation of leaving the University within 5 years (Spearman r = −.19 and −.18, P < .0001), at the assistant and associate rank, respectively. Significant predictors of higher overall job satisfaction were associate rank [Odds ratio (OR) = 2.04, CI = 1.29–3.21], the 10-point mentoring satisfaction rating (OR = 1.27, CI = 1.17–1.35), and number of mentors (OR = 1.60, CI = 1.20–2.07). CONCLUSIONS: Having a mentor, or preferably, multiple mentors is strongly related to satisfaction with mentoring and overall job satisfaction. Surprisingly, few differences were related to gender. Mentoring of clinician–educators, research track faculty, and senior faculty, and the use of multiple mentors require specific attention of academic leadership and further study

Biodiversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in South America: A Review

Identification of species is crucial in understanding how diversity changes affect ecosystemic processes. Particularly, soil microbial are key factors of ecosystemic functioning .Among soil microbes, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, phylum Glomeromycota) are worldwide distributed and form symbiotic associations with almost 80% of the vascular plants of the earth, except for one species, Geosiphon pyriformis, which associates with the cyanobacteria Nostoc. AMF comprise around 300 morphologically defined or 350–1000 molecularly defined taxa. Since AMF associate with aboveground community, their occurrence and composition can influence ecosystemic processes either through affecting plant community composition and thus its processes rates, or soil microbial communities, which are directly involved in nutrient cycling. Soil microorganisms are considered a potentially suitable target for studying regional and local effects on diversity. The symbiosis with AMF not only increases nutrient uptake by the plant of mainly phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in exchange for plant-assimilated carbon (C), but also improves the tolerance of plants to various biotic and abiotic stresses such as pathogens, salinity, and drought

Examination of the solubility of hydrogen in molten aluminium

26.00; Translated from Czech. (Hutn. Listy 1989 v. 44(4) p. 269-277)Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:9023.19(VR-Trans--4379)T / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Attitudes and Behaviors of Physical Activity in Children with Cerebral Palsy: Findings from PLAY Questionnaire

To investigate the domains of physical activity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare these findings to typically developed (TD) children. Methods: A cross-sectional study design. Responses of the four domains in Play Lifestyle and Activity in Youth (PLAY) questionnaire were descriptively analyzed and compared between children with CP (GMFCS I-II) and TD children. Results: Fifty-three children with CP (N = 53, 36 males and 17 females, age of 8.4 &plusmn; 1.7 years) and 58 TD children (N = 58, 34 males and 24 females, age of 7.6 &plusmn; 1.4 years) participated in this study. In analyses of daily behavior, reported participation in weekly (adaptive) physical education (PE) and sports were more frequent in children with CP (0.6 &plusmn; 0.5 days per week) compared to TD children (0.4 &plusmn; 0.6 days per week, p = 0.040). Outside play time including free play, organized (adaptive) sports and recess were higher in children with CP (2.7 &plusmn; 0.8 days per week) than TD children (2.4 &plusmn; 0.7 days per week, p = 0.022). About motivation/attitudes, a higher proportion of TD children feel sad if they are not able to play sports during the day (74.1%) compared to children with CP (48.7%, p &lt; 0.001). Conclusion: Physical activity level was comparable between children with CP and age-matched TD children, while TD children showed higher scores in knowledge and understanding, motivation/attitudes, and physical competence

Methods of measuring hydrogen content in molten aluminium and its alloys

Translated from Czech. (Slevarenstvi 1988 v. 36(3) p. 99-101)Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:9022.0602(BISI-NF-Trans--447)T / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo