982 research outputs found

    Factors That Influence Medical Student Selection of an Emergency Medicine Residency Program: Implications for Training Programs

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    Objectives:  An understanding of student decision‐making when selecting an emergency medicine (EM) training program is essential for program directors as they enter interview season. To build upon preexisting knowledge, a survey was created to identify and prioritize the factors influencing candidate decision‐making of U.S. medical graduates. Methods:  This was a cross‐sectional, multi‐institutional study that anonymously surveyed U.S. allopathic applicants to EM training programs. It took place in the 3‐week period between the 2011 National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) rank list submission deadline and the announcement of match results. Results:  Of 1,525 invitations to participate, 870 candidates (57%) completed the survey. Overall, 96% of respondents stated that both geographic location and individual program characteristics were important to decision‐making, with approximately equal numbers favoring location when compared to those who favored program characteristics. The most important factors in this regard were preference for a particular geographic location (74.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 72% to 78%) and to be close to spouse, significant other, or family (59.7%, 95% CI = 56% to 63%). Factors pertaining to geographic location tend to be out of the control of the program leadership. The most important program factors include the interview experience (48.9%, 95% CI = 46% to 52%), personal experience with the residents (48.5%, 95% CI = 45% to 52%), and academic reputation (44.9%, 95% CI = 42% to 48%). Unlike location, individual program factors are often either directly or somewhat under the control of the program leadership. Several other factors were ranked as the most important factor a disproportionate number of times, including a rotation in that emergency department (ED), orientation (academic vs. community), and duration of training (3‐year vs. 4‐year programs). For a subset of applicants, these factors had particular importance in overall decision‐making. Conclusions:  The vast majority of applicants to EM residency programs employed a balance of geographic location factors with individual program factors in selecting a residency program. Specific program characteristics represent the greatest opportunity to maximize the success of the immediate interview experience/season, while others provide potential for strategic planning over time. A working knowledge of these results empowers program directors to make informed decisions while providing an appreciation for the limitations in attracting applicants.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91198/1/ACEM_1323_sm_DataSupplementS1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91198/2/j.1553-2712.2012.01323.x.pd

    Schwartz - Zippelov teorem i neke njegove primjene

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    U ovom radu izložen je rezultat poznat pod nazivom Schwartz - Zippelova lema ili Schwartz - Zippelov teorem. Tema rada pripada pretežno algebri, ali ima značajne primjene u drugim matematičkim područjima kao što je na primjer teorija algoritama, te kombinatorika. Rad se sastoji od tri poglavlja. U uvodu je ukratko opisana tema i cilj rada. Prvo poglavlje sadrži kratku povijest nastanka teorema, različite oblike rezultata pojedinih autora, te kratki opis pojmova korištenih u samom radu. Drugo poglavlje sastoji se od iskaza i dokaza Schwartz - Zippelovog teorema, a u trećem poglavlju izložene su neke primjene tog teorema na probleme koji se mogu svesti na testiranje jednakosti polinoma. Takvi su, primjerice, problem postojanja savršenog sparivanja u grafu i ispitivanje svojstva asocijativnosti u grupoidu. Uz svaku primjenu navedeni su i prikladni primjeri.In this diploma thesis we present the result usually called the Schwartz-Zippel lemma or the Schwartz-Zippel theorem. The nature of this theorem is basically algebraic, but it has significant applications in other areas of mathematics, such as the theory of algorithms and combinatorial theory. The thesis consists of three chapters. The main theme and objective are briefly described in the introduction. The first chapter contains a short history of the theorem’s origins, various forms of the main results by different authors and some comments of basic concepts related to this topic. The statement and a proof of the Schwartz-Zippel theorem are given in the second chapter, together with the general outline of its applications. The third and final chapter consists of some applications to problems which can be reduced to polynomial identity testing, including the existence of a perfect matching in a graph and testing of the associativity property in a groupoi

    Holonomy from wrapped branes

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    Compactifications of M-theory on manifolds with reduced holonomy arise as the local eleven-dimensional description of D6-branes wrapped on supersymmetric cycles in manifolds of lower dimension with a different holonomy group. Whenever the isometry group SU(2) is present, eight-dimensional gauged supergravity is a natural arena for such investigations. In this paper we use this approach and review the eleven dimensional description of D6-branes wrapped on coassociative 4-cycles, on deformed 3-cycles inside Calabi-Yau threefolds and on Kahler 4-cycles.Comment: 1+8 pages, Latex. Proceedings of the Leuven workshop, 2002. v2: Corrected typos in equations (4)-(8

    Longitudinal analysis on parasite diversity in honeybee colonies: new taxa, high frequency of mixed infections and seasonal patterns of variation

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    To evaluate the influence that parasites have on the losses of Apis mellifera it is essential to monitor their presence in the colonies over time. Here we analysed the occurrence of nosematids, trypanosomatids and neogregarines in five homogeneous colonies for up to 21 months until they collapsed. The study, which combined the use of several molecular markers with the application of a massive parallel sequencing technology, provided valuable insights into the epidemiology of these parasites: (I) it enabled the detection of parasite species rarely reported in honeybees (Nosema thomsoni, Crithidia bombi, Crithidia acanthocephali) and the identification of two novel taxa; (II) it revealed the existence of a high rate of co-infections (80% of the samples harboured more than one parasite species); (III) it uncovered an identical pattern of seasonal variation for nosematids and trypanosomatids, that was different from that of neogregarines; (IV) it showed that there were no significant differences in the fraction of positive samples, nor in the levels of species diversity, between interior and exterior bees; and (V) it unveiled that the variation in the number of parasite species was not directly linked with the failure of the colonies

    Probabilistic reframing for cost-sensitive regression

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    © ACM, 2014. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of ACM for your personal use. Not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in ACM Transactions on Knowledge Discovery from Data (TKDD), VOL. 8, ISS. 4, (October 2014) http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/2641758Common-day applications of predictive models usually involve the full use of the available contextual information. When the operating context changes, one may fine-tune the by-default (incontextual) prediction or may even abstain from predicting a value (a reject). Global reframing solutions, where the same function is applied to adapt the estimated outputs to a new cost context, are possible solutions here. An alternative approach, which has not been studied in a comprehensive way for regression in the knowledge discovery and data mining literature, is the use of a local (e.g., probabilistic) reframing approach, where decisions are made according to the estimated output and a reliability, confidence, or probability estimation. In this article, we advocate for a simple two-parameter (mean and variance) approach, working with a normal conditional probability density. Given the conditional mean produced by any regression technique, we develop lightweight “enrichment” methods that produce good estimates of the conditional variance, which are used by the probabilistic (local) reframing methods. We apply these methods to some very common families of costsensitive problems, such as optimal predictions in (auction) bids, asymmetric loss scenarios, and rejection rules.This work was supported by the MEC/MINECO projects CONSOLIDER-INGENIO CSD2007-00022 and TIN 2010-21062-C02-02, and TIN 2013-45732-C4-1-P and GVA projects PROMETEO/2008/051 and PROMETEO2011/052. Finally, part of this work was motivated by the REFRAME project (http://www.reframe-d2k.org) granted by the European Coordinated Research on Long-term Challenges in Information and Communication Sciences & Technologies ERA-Net (CHIST-ERA) and funded by Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad in Spain (PCIN-2013-037).Hernández Orallo, J. (2014). Probabilistic reframing for cost-sensitive regression. ACM Transactions on Knowledge Discovery from Data. 8(4):1-55. https://doi.org/10.1145/2641758S15584G. Bansal, A. Sinha, and H. Zhao. 2008. 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    Systemic Effects Induced by Hyperoxia in a Preclinical Model of Intra-abdominal Sepsis

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    Supplemental oxygen is a supportive treatment in patients with sepsis to balance tissue oxygen delivery and demand in the tissues. However, hyperoxia may induce some pathological effects. We sought to assess organ damage associated with hyperoxia and its correlation with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a preclinical model of intra-abdominal sepsis. For this purpose, sepsis was induced in male, Sprague-Dawley rats by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). We randomly assigned experimental animals to three groups: control (healthy animals), septic (CLP), and sham-septic (surgical intervention without CLP). At 18 h after CLP, septic (n = 39), sham-septic (n = 16), and healthy (n = 24) animals were placed within a sealed Plexiglas cage and randomly distributed into four groups for continuous treatment with 21%, 40%, 60%, or 100% oxygen for 24 h. At the end of the experimental period, we evaluated serum levels of cytokines, organ damage biomarkers, histological examination of brain and lung tissue, and ROS production in each surviving animal. We found that high oxygen concentrations increased IL-6 and biomarkers of organ damage levels in septic animals, although no relevant histopathological lung or brain damage was observed. Healthy rats had an increase in IL-6 and aspartate aminotransferase at high oxygen concentration. IL-6 levels, but not ROS levels, are correlated with markers of organ damage. In our study, the use of high oxygen concentrations in a clinically relevant model of intra-abdominal sepsis was associated with enhanced inflammation and organ damage. These findings were unrelated to ROS release into circulation. Hyperoxia could exacerbate sepsis-induced inflammation, and it could be by itself detrimental. Our study highlights the need of developing safer thresholds for oxygen therapy
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