Investigating Gender Disparities in Internal Medicine Residency Awards

Background: Significant gender disparities persist in career advancement for physicians. Studies have highlighted the lack of female representation in awards from both academic institutions and professional societies; these awards play a role in promotions, making them a fundamental building block of success. Objectives: We aim to explore the gender breakdown among resident awards presented by several Internal Medicine residency programs across the United States in this pilot study. Our ultimate goals are to define disparities in award selection, determine what variables contribute to these disparities, and work to mitigate these variables. Methods/Research: We generated a survey in REDCap to collect retrospective data about resident award selection from academic Internal Medicine residency programs across the country. This survey gathered awards data from 2009-2019 and included variables such as gender breakdown of the program, gender of resident award recipients, and details about how awards are selected. Eight programs completed the survey; these programs were from six different states in various geographic regions. Overall 43.1 percent of residents were female. Across all residency programs and years, there were 51 distinct resident awards with 290 (39.7%) female winners. Of the 51 distinct awards, there were 10 which were awarded to female residents with the same or higher frequency as males; 6 of these mentioned words that have been differentially associated with women in medicine such as “ambulatory,” “community,” “compassion,” and “humanism.” In the 41 awards favoring males, there was only a single mention of the word “compassion,” and no mention of the others. Conclusions/Impact: This data shows a concerning disparity in gender of award winners. In the future we will collect data from more residency programs and perform a thorough investigation of selection mechanisms that may help mitigate bias in order to ultimately propose strategies to reduce these gender disparities.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/sexandgenderhealth/1007/thumbnail.jp

Synthesis, Characterization and Molecular Structures of some Bismuth(III) Complexes with Thiosemicarbazones and Dithiocarbazonic Acid Methylester Derivatives with Activity against Helicobacter Pylori

The reactions of bismuth(III) nitrate pentahydrate and bismuth(III) chloride with heterocyclic thiosemicarbazones and derivatives of dithiocarbazonic acid methylester were used to synthesize the respective bismuth(III) complexes, which could be divided into five groups D-H because of their stoichiometrical properties and their molecular structures. The molecular structure and the near coordination sphere of the bismuth(III) central atom of four representative compounds were determined by single-crystal X-ray studies. Bis[1-azepanyl-4-(2-pyridyl)-2,3-diazapenta-1,3-diene-1-thiolato-N′,N3,S]bismuth(III) nitrate (5) belongs to group D. The two tridentate ligands and the nitrate ion surround the bismuth atom. The best description of the coordination sphere appears to be that of a distorted trigonal dodecahedron with one position occupied by the lone pair of the bismuth atom. Bis[1-azepanyl-4-(2-thienyl)-2,3-diazapenta-1,3-diene-1-thiolato-N3,S]bismuth(III) nitrate (9) is assigned to complex type E. Here, two deprotonated ligand molecules are coordinated to the bismuth(III) central atom as bidentate ligands. The structure of this complex can best be described as a distorted trigonal antiprism with a five-coordinated central atom. The two triangular faces are formed by the atoms S(4), N(6), O(11) and S(3), N(4) and the lone pair of the central atom. The two chelate rings are almost perpendicular to each other. Complex molecules of group F form dimeric units with bichloro-bridged bismuth atoms. The structure of di-μ-chlorobis[1-azepanyl-4-(2-pyridyl)-2,3-diazapenta-1,3-diene-1-thiolato-N′,N3,S-chloro]dibismuth(III) (15) can be described as two six-coordinated bismuth atoms, which are bound together via two bridging chlorine atoms. The two bismuth atoms Bi(1) and Bi(1a) and the two bridging chlorine atoms Cl(2) and Cl(2a) form the Bi2Cl2 plane. The two tridentate ligand molecules coordinate via the same atoms as shown in complex 5. In addition, they form two parallel planes, which are perpendicular to the Bi2Cl2 plane. With regard to the center of the Bi(1)-Bi(2) axis they are central point symmetrical, i.e. one pyridine ring lies above and the other beneath the Bi2Cl2 plane. Bismuth(III) chloride and pyridine-2-carboxaldehydethiosemicarbazone 1 b or 2-acetylpyridine-thiosemicarbazone 1 c form complexes of group G. Three chlorine atoms and a bidentate ligand are coordinated to the bismuth(III) central atom. The bidentate ligand bound to the central atom through the N(3) atom and the sulfur atom of the thioketo group. The structure of 18 is completely different from the structures of the bismuth(III) complexes discussed so far and was therefore assigned to group H. The bismuth central atom is coordinated with two ligands, which are bound in different ways. One of them is deprotonated. This ligand is bound to the central atom via the sulfur atom S(3) of the thiolate group and the N(5) atom. An interaction between the sulfur atom of the thiophene ring and the bismuth atom is not possible.The other ligand molecule is not deprotonated. This ligand is bound to the bismuth(III) cation merely via the sulfur atom S(1) of the thioketo group. The best description of the coordination sphere of the bismuth atom is that of a distorted square bipyramidal polyhedron. The square face is formed by the atoms S(3), N(5), Cl(1), the lone pair and the bismuth atom within. The axial positions are occupied by the atoms S(1) and Cl(2). The bond angle between S(1), Bi(1) and Cl(2) differs by about eight degrees from the value determined for a regular square bipyramidal polyhedron of 180 degrees

Revisiting the bulge-halo conspiracy I: Dependence on galaxy properties and halo mass

We carry out a systematic investigation of the total mass density profile of massive (Mstar>2e11 Msun) early-type galaxies and its dependence on galactic properties and host halo mass with the aid of a variety of lensing/dynamical data and large mock galaxy catalogs. The latter are produced via semi-empirical models that, by design, are based on just a few basic input assumptions. Galaxies, with measured stellar masses, effective radii and S\'{e}rsic indices, are assigned, via abundance matching relations, host dark matter halos characterized by a typical LCDM profile. Our main results are as follows: (i) In line with observational evidence, our semi-empirical models naturally predict that the total, mass-weighted density slope at the effective radius gamma' is not universal, steepening for more compact and/or massive galaxies, but flattening with increasing host halo mass. (ii) Models characterized by a Salpeter or variable initial mass function and uncontracted dark matter profiles are in good agreement with the data, while a Chabrier initial mass function and/or adiabatic contractions/expansions of the dark matter halos are highly disfavored. (iii) Currently available data on the mass density profiles of very massive galaxies (Mstar>1e12 Msun), with Mhalo>3e14 Msun, favor instead models with a stellar profile flatter than a S\'{e}rsic one in the very inner regions (r<3-5 kpc), and a cored NFW or Einasto dark matter profile with median halo concentration a factor of ~2 or <1.3, respectively, higher than those typically predicted by N-body numerical simulations.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, 3 Appendices (with an extra 7 figures). ApJ, accepted. Main results in Figures 3, 5, 6,

IM with Her: Fostering Career Advancement of Female Internal Medicine Residents

Background: Despite the rising number of matriculating female medical students, a gender gap favoring men exists in multiple arenas within academic medicine. Prior studies suggest that gender-specifc professional networking groups increase the likelihood of women attaining leadership positions. Objectives: Our goal was to create a multidisciplinary group with a flat hierarchy within the Internal Medicine Department in order to foster mentorship, sponsorship, allyship, and scholarship to ultimately improve professional advancement opportunities for female internal medicine residents. Methods/Research: A group named “IM with Her” was created at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in July 2018. IM with Her is composed of internal medicine residents and faculty of all genders. The group has hosted monthly onehour conferences called “Monday Mentors” that pair a resident with a faculty member to host a discussion surrounding a topic of their choosing related to adversity and disparity faced by female physicians. Additionally, the group has held periodic evening sessions discussing topics such as salary and contract negotiation. Conclusions/Impact: The IM with Her group has made significant progress toward its goals. The pairing of a resident and faculty member for Monday Mentors discussions allows for one-on-one mentorship regarding both personal and professional topics. These sessions also provide dedicated time for networking amongst residents and faculty, facilitating sponsorship and allyship. Additionally, the sessions often lead to further initiatives spearheaded by IM with Her members including scholarly projects and examinations of institutional policies (for example those surrounding sexual harassment and lactation room accessibility). In the future, IM with Her will focus on continuing to foster mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship, on advancing research related to gender disparities in medicine, and on developing institutional changes.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/sexandgenderhealth/1008/thumbnail.jp

Low-Temperature Phase Transitions in a Soluble Oligoacene and Their Effect on Device Performance and Stability

The use of organic semiconductors in high-performance organic field-effect transistors requires a thorough understanding of the effects that processing conditions, thermal, and bias-stress history have on device operation. Here, we evaluate the temperature dependence of the electrical properties of transistors fabricated with 2,8-difluoro-5,11-bis(triethylsilylethynyl)anthradithiophene, a material that has attracted much attention recently due to its exceptional electrical properties. We have discovered a phase transition at T = 205 K and discuss its implications on device performance and stability. We examined the impact of this low-temperature phase transition on the thermodynamic, electrical, and structural properties of both single crystals and thin films of this material. Our results show that while the changes to the crystal structure are reversible, the induced thermal stress yields irreversible degradation of the devices

The Halo Mass of Optically Luminous Quasars at z ,F≈ ,F1-2 Measured via Gravitational Deflection of the Cosmic Microwave Background

© 2019. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.We measure the average deflection of cosmic microwave background photons by quasars at 〈Z〉= 1.7. Our sample is selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to cover the redshift range 0.9 ≤z≤2.2 with absolute i-band magnitudes of M i ≤-24 (K-corrected to z = 2). A stack of nearly 200,000 targets reveals an 8δ detection of Planck's estimate of the lensing convergence toward the quasars. We fit the signal with a model comprising a Navarro-Frenk-White density profile and a two-halo term accounting for correlated large-scale structure, which dominates the observed signal. The best-fitting model is described by an average halo mass log 10 (M h h -1 M)12.6 ±0.2 = and linear bias b=2.7±0.3 at 〈Z 〉= 1.7, in excellent agreement with clustering studies. We also report a hint, at a 90% confidence level, of a correlation between the convergence amplitude and luminosity, indicating that quasars brighter than Mi≲ -26 reside in halos of typical mass M h ≈ 10 13 h -1 M, scaling roughly as M h ∞ L opt 3/4 at M i ≲-24 mag, in good agreement with physically motivated quasar demography models. Although we acknowledge that this luminosity dependence is a marginal result, the observed Mh-L opt relationship could be interpreted as a reflection of the cutoff in the distribution of black hole accretion rates toward high Eddington ratios: the weak trend of Mh with Lopt observed at low luminosity becomes stronger for the most powerful quasars, which tend to be accreting close to the Eddington limit.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

The Diversity and Variability of Star Formation Histories in Models of Galaxy Evolution

Understanding the variability of galaxy star formation histories (SFHs) across a range of timescales provides insight into the underlying physical processes that regulate star formation within galaxies. We compile the SFHs of galaxies at $z=0$ from an extensive set of models, ranging from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations (Illustris, IllustrisTNG, Mufasa, Simba, EAGLE), zoom simulations (FIRE-2, g14, and Marvel/Justice League), semi-analytic models (Santa Cruz SAM) and empirical models (UniverseMachine), and quantify the variability of these SFHs on different timescales using the power spectral density (PSD) formalism. We find that the PSDs are well described by broken power-laws, and variability on long timescales ($\gtrsim1$ Gyr) accounts for most of the power in galaxy SFHs. Most hydrodynamical models show increased variability on shorter timescales ($\lesssim300$ Myr) with decreasing stellar mass. Quenching can induce $\sim0.4-1$ dex of additional power on timescales $>1$ Gyr. The dark matter accretion histories of galaxies have remarkably self-similar PSDs and are coherent with the in-situ star formation on timescales $>3$ Gyr. There is considerable diversity among the different models in their (i) power due to SFR variability at a given timescale, (ii) amount of correlation with adjacent timescales (PSD slope), (iii) evolution of median PSDs with stellar mass, and (iv) presence and locations of breaks in the PSDs. The PSD framework is a useful space to study the SFHs of galaxies since model predictions vary widely. Observational constraints in this space will help constrain the relative strengths of the physical processes responsible for this variability.Comment: 31 pages, 17 figures (+ appendix). Resubmitted to MNRAS after responding to referee's comments. Comments are welcome

Optimal trapping wavelengths of Cs2_2 molecules in an optical lattice

The present paper aims at finding optimal parameters for trapping of Cs$_2$ molecules in optical lattices, with the perspective of creating a quantum degenerate gas of ground-state molecules. We have calculated dynamic polarizabilities of Cs$_2$ molecules subject to an oscillating electric field, using accurate potential curves and electronic transition dipole moments. We show that for some particular wavelengths of the optical lattice, called "magic wavelengths", the polarizability of the ground-state molecules is equal to the one of a Feshbach molecule. As the creation of the sample of ground-state molecules relies on an adiabatic population transfer from weakly-bound molecules created on a Feshbach resonance, such a coincidence ensures that both the initial and final states are favorably trapped by the lattice light, allowing optimized transfer in agreement with the experimental observation

Prenatal and perinatal risk factors for eating disorders in women: A population cohort study

Objective: The fetal programming model hypothesizes that developmental programming in utero and in early life induces adaptations that predetermine the adult phenotype. This study investigated whether prenatal/perinatal complications are associated with lifetime eating disorders in women. Method: Participants included 46,373 adult women enrolled in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (den norske Mor & barn-undersøkelsen [MoBa]). MoBa mothers and their mothers (MoBa grandmothers) were the focus of the current study. MoBa mothers with lifetime eating disorders were compared to a referent group. Results: MoBa mothers who weighed more at birth (birth weight, adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–1.19) or were born large-for-gestational-age (adjusted OR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.27–1.52) were more likely to develop binge-eating disorder in later life. MoBa mothers who weighed less at birth were more likely to develop anorexia nervosa (birth weight, adjusted OR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.81–0.95). Bulimia nervosa and purging disorder (PD) were not significantly predicted by the prenatal and perinatal factors examined. Discussion: Results of this study, which include the first known investigation of prenatal and perinatal factors in binge-eating disorder and PD, suggest that fetal programming may be relevant to the development of anorexia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. Future genetically informative research is needed to help disentangle whether these associations are a function of genetic influences or a true environmental fetal programming effect

Influences of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic plume on air quality in the northern Alpine region

A series of major eruptions of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland started on 14 April 2010 and continued until the end of May 2010. The volcanic emissions moved over nearly the whole of Europe and were observed first on 16 April 2010 in Southern Germany with different remote sensing systems from the ground and space. Enhanced PM10 and SO2 concentrations were detected on 17 April at mountain stations (Zugspitze/Schneefernerhaus and Schauinsland) as well as in Innsbruck by in situ measurement devices. On 19 April intensive vertical mixing and advection along with clear-sky conditions facilitated the entrainment of volcanic material down to the ground. The subsequent formation of a stably stratified lower atmosphere with limited mixing near the ground during the evening of 19 April led to an additional enhancement of near-surface particle concentrations. Consequently, on 19 April and 20 April exceedances of the daily threshold value for particulate matter (PM10) were reported at nearly all monitoring stations of the North Alpine foothills as well as at mountain and valley stations in the northern Alps. The chemical analyses of ambient PM10 at monitoring stations of the North Alpine foothills yielded elevated Titanium concentrations on 19/20 April which prove the presence of volcanic plume material. Following this result the PM10 threshold exceedances are also associated with the volcanic plume. The entrainment of the volcanic plume material mainly affected the concentrations of coarse particles (>1 μm) – interpreted as volcanic ash – and ultrafine particles (<100 nm), while the concentrations of accumulation mode aerosol (0.1–1 μm) were not changed significantly. With regard to the occurrence of ultrafine particles, it is concluded that their formation was triggered by high sulphuric acid concentrations which are necessarily generated by the photochemical processes in a plume rich in sulphur dioxide under high solar irradiance. It became evident that during the course of several days, the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic emissions influenced the near-surface atmosphere and thus the ambient air quality. Although the volcanic plume contributed to the overall exposure of the population of the northern Alpine region on two days, only minor effects on the exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms can be expected