Evaluation of Faculty Mentoring Practices in Seven U.S. Dental Schools

The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to examine the faculty mentoring practices in seven dental schools in the U.S. A 34‐item survey was administered electronically to dental faculty members of all ranks, tracks, and job categories in seven dental schools using faculty listservs. Survey questions addressed current mentoring practices in which the faculty members were involved; their perceptions of those mentoring practices; their perceived characteristics of an ideal mentoring program, mentor, and mentee; perceived best practices; and respondents’ demographics. The survey was conducted from October 2017 to February 2018. A total of 154 surveys were completed (response rate 22%). Over 58% (90/154) of the respondents reported receiving no mentoring; 31.9% (49/154) said they received informal mentoring; and 9.7% (15/154) received formal mentoring. Of the 64 respondents who received mentoring, both formal and informal, 92.2% (59/64) were full‐time faculty, and 7.8% (5/64) were part‐time faculty (p=0.001). Approximately 39% of the respondents indicated that their mentoring program was not overseen by anyone and that participation was voluntary. The top three perceived benefits of mentoring were increased overall professional development, development of a career plan, and increased professional networks. The three most important characteristics of an ideal mentoring program for the respondents were a program based on the needs of the mentee, a mentor who has the desire to help the mentee, and a mentee who is eager to learn. The results of this study showed a very low level of formal or informal faculty mentoring programs in the dental schools surveyed. Future studies are needed to determine best practices and strategies to expand and enhance mentoring of faculty members

Design of implantable microstrip antenna for communication with medical implants

A b stra c t-T h e o b je c tiv e o f th is p a p e r is to d e sig n a m ic r o s tr ip p a tc h a n te n n a f o r c o m m u n ic a tio n w ith m e d ic a l im p la n ts in th e 402-405-MHz M e d ic a l I m p la n t C o m m u n ic a tio n s S e rv ice s b a n d . Micros trip a n te n n a d e sig n p a r a m e te r s a r e e v a lu a te d u s in g th e fin ite -d iffe re n c e tim e -d o m a in m e th o d , a n d a r e c o m p a re d to m e a s u re d re su lts . T h e effects o f s h a p e , le n g th , size, lo c a tio n o f feed p o in t a n d g ro u n d p o in t, s u b s tr a te a n d s u p e r s tr a te m a te ria ls , a n d th e ir th ic k n e sse s a r e e v a lu a te d . A n e x te n siv e s tu d y o f th e p e r fo r m a n c e o f th e a n te n n a s to c h a n g e s in th e s e p a r a m e te r s w as u n d e r ta k e n . T h e re su lts o f th is p a p e r p ro v id e g u id a n c e in th e d e sig n o f im p la n ta b le microstrip a n te n n a s . In d e x Term s-B io c o m p a tib le a n te n n a , M e d ic a l I m p la n t C o m m u n ic a tio n s S e rv ice s (M IC S ), m ic ro s tr ip , p a c e m a k e r a n te n n a , w ire le ss c o m m u n ic a tio n . I. I n t r o d u c t io n r ■ 1 RADITIONAL wireless communication techniques for M air-to-air communication are improving and expanding at a phenomenal rate. Less traditional wireless communication systems may include air-to-subsurface or subsurface-to-subsurface transmission paths where the antennas are "embedded" in lossy material. Designing antennas for embedded applications is extremely challenging because of reduced antenna efficiency, impact of the environment on the antenna, the need to reduce antenna size, and the very strong effect of multipath losses. In addition to the current needs for embedded antennas, the expansion of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and wireless communication systems, which are expected to play a dominant role in next-generation technologies, will add dramat ically to the applications for embedded antennas. Ultra-small devices (e.g., small enough to be injected into a human vein) and the desire to communicate with them, will inevitably lead to the need for miniaturized antennas embedded in lossy environments. This paper provides a better understanding of microstrip antennas embedded in lossy environments. The examples and sizes are typical of those that could be used for a cardiac pacemaker or similar-sized implantable device, but the observations and trends can be scaled to smaller devices and higher frequencies as needed. A general theory of embedded antennas demonstrates their unique constraints and design considerations. Coaxial antennas, wire antennas, and arrays embedded in various lossy materials have been previously studied. Nevertheless, several types of antennas have been used or proposed for a variety of embedded wireless communication applications. Inductive antennas (coils of wire around a dielec tric or ferrite core) have been successfully used for biomedical telemetry [20]-[23], although data rates are low, and size/weight and biocompatibility issues plague the coil-wound devices. For cardiac telemetry, a dipole The objective of this paper is to evaluate microstrip config urations for potential use for communication with medical im plant devices. Microstrip designs were chosen because of their huge flexibility in design, conformability, and shape. Methods to reduce the size of the antenna by adding ground pins [thus converting the antenna to a shaped planar inverted F antenna (PIFA)], using high dielectric substrate materials, and spiraling the conductor shape (planar helix) are applied. Both uniform and nonuniform superstrate materials are evaluated. The antennas are designed to operate in the 402-405-MH/ band approved by the Federal Communication Com mission (FCC) for Medical Implant Communication

HOW BIM COMPATIBLE ESTIMATING SOFTWARE IS ADOPTED IN THE AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

ABSTRACT Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been widely accepted as an advanced technique and can be applied throughout the project lifecycle including design, construction, Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S), maintenance, and demolition. Estimating software is a significant management tool for project development; and currently there are two main categories: one type is BIM compatible, and the other type is non BIM compatible. There are very few research or investigation on the currently status of using BIM compatible estimating software in the Australian construction industry, and it is not clear how the functionalities of the BIM compatible software are utilized by the estimators. Therefore in this research, an extensive literature review was firstly carried out and used as basis for further investigation. An industrial survey was then carried out to find out the current status of adopting BIM compatible software in the Australian construction industry.It is found that industrial professionals have not prepared well for the adoption of the BIM compatible estimating software, and the users' demand of BIM compatible estimating functions are very low. The factors that may affect the BIM compatible estimating software adoptions have been discussed. In practice, it is not necessary to adopt BIM compatible estimating software unless the project tenders are mainly operated on BIM models. The estimating software adoptions are more dependent on the project design and organizational development strategies than any other factors

The Trusted Computing Exemplar Project

project, which is producing an openly distributed worked example of how high assurance trusted computing components can be built. The TCX project encompasses four related activities: Creation of a prototype framework for rapid high assurance system development; Development of a reference-implementation trusted computing component; Evaluation of the component for high assurance; and Open dissemination of results related to the first three activities. The project’s open development methodology will provide widespread availability of key high assurance enabling technologies and ensure transfer of knowledge and capabilities for trusted computing to the next generation of developers, evaluators and educators. I

Design of a novel MRI compatible manipulator for image guided prostate interventions

Abstract—This paper reports a novel remotely actuated manipulator for access to prostate tissue under magnetic resonance imaging guidance (APT-MRI) device, designed for use in a standard high-field MRI scanner. The device provides three-dimensional MRI guided needle placement with millimeter accuracy under physician control. Procedures enabled by this device include MRI guided needle biopsy, fiducial marker placements, and therapy delivery. Its compact size allows for use in both standard cylindrical and open configuration MRI scanners. Preliminary in vivo canine experiments and first clinical trials are reported. Index Terms—Biomedical imaging, cancer, magnetic resonance imaging, medical diagnosis, medical treatment. I