Considering data on a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for Chinese patients with thyroid diseases who speak Mandarin in China

The current study examined a newly-translated Simplified Chinese version of the Thyroid-Specific Patient-Reported Outcome Short Form (SC ThyPRO-39) among 179 thyroid patients in Mainland China. This study investigated whether the ceiling/floor effect (CFE) is present in responses to the SC ThyPRO-39. The appropriateness of regression modelling strategies for data with and without CFE were considered for a variety of predictor sets, and models were compared among six distributional models. With different predictor sets, the effect of gender and mode of administration (electronic interview versus self-administration) were of particular interest. Results suggested the use of Negative Binomial or Zero-inflated Negative Binomial as modelling strategies to fit the data with significant floor effect. There were also gender and mode effects on the scale scores. Findings indicated that overall, the SC ThyPRO-39 can be used as a patient-reported outcome measure among thyroid patients who speak Mandarin or read Simplified Chinese in China

Recipient of the 2012 Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award

Before turning 30, Winjie Tang Miao was named a hospital president and in 2011, she was tapped to lead the development of the newest hospital in the Texas Health Resources system. Miao’s rise to the top follows her success in previous health care administration leadership roles. Miao oversaw the development of more than $500 million in construction projects and the growth and development of a nationally-recognized breast health program. She is recognized as a “true visionary” with “a strong ability to grow inpatient and outpatient volumes, expand services in the community and advance quality in many areas of the hospital.” Miao is also active in her community and has won several awards, including recognition by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of “25 Healthcare Leaders Under Age 40” in 2011 and one of Modern Healthcare’s “Up and Comers” in 2008. She says some of her most fulfilling work was when she served as a clinic director opening a new medical clinic in an underserved village in Africa. Miao received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and her Master of Healthcare Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Characterisation of charge carrier behaviour in photocatalysis using Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

Photocatalysis is a promising sustainable method to generate solar fuels for the future, as well as having other applications such as water/air purification. However, the performance of photocatalysts is often limited by poor charge carrier dynamics. To improve charge carrier dynamics, it is necessary to characterize and understand charge carrier behavior in photocatalytic systems. This critical review will present Transient Absorption Spectroscopy (TAS) as a useful technique for understanding the behavior of photoexcited charges in semiconductor photocatalysts. The role of TAS amongst other techniques for characterizing charge carrier behavior will be outlined. Basic principles behind TAS will be introduced, and interpretation of TAS spectra and kinetics will be discussed in the context of exemplar literature. It will be demonstrated that TAS is a powerful technique to obtain fundamental understanding of the behavior of photoexcited charges