72 research outputs found

    Perceptions of Specialties and Primary Care Careers: Findings from West Virginia Medical Student and Resident Focus Groups

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    The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of how perceptions of practicing specific medical specialties contribute to career decisions. Participants included medical students and residents from training programs in West Virginia. Focus groups were conducted between September 2013 and February 2015. Thematic content analysis of focus group interviews was used to identify phrases indicating perceptions of person- versus technique-oriented personality medical specialties. “Self-focused” and “other-focused” themes emerged within person-oriented comments. Factors affecting “self”, including work/life balance and salary and practice environment, made certain specialties more appealing. Technique-oriented comments included working in a hospital setting, performing technical procedures, and solving immediate problems as opposed to long-term management. Technique-oriented comments from students emphasized learning about disease, and resident comments emphasized treatment as their primary focus. The majority of participants’ comments suggested that a strong patient-doctor relationship and continuity of care are rewarding components of primary care and more compatible with person-oriented personalities. Participants selecting person-oriented specialties viewed rural practice locations more favorably, especially the opportunity to become an integral part of a community. Participants selecting technique-oriented specialties preferred limited interactions with patients and stated that problem-solving and learning about disease states were the most appealing aspects of practicing medicine

    Perceptions of Specialties and Primary Care Careers: Findings from West Virginia Medical Student and Resident Focus Groups

    Get PDF
    The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of how perceptions of practicing specific medical specialties contribute to career decisions. Participants included medical students and residents from training programs in West Virginia. Focus groups were conducted between September 2013 and February 2015. Thematic content analysis of focus group interviews was used to identify phrases indicating perceptions of person- versus technique-oriented personality medical specialties. “Self-focused” and “other-focused” themes emerged within person-oriented comments. Factors affecting “self”, including work/life balance and salary and practice environment, made certain specialties more appealing. Technique-oriented comments included working in a hospital setting, performing technical procedures, and solving immediate problems as opposed to long-term management. Technique-oriented comments from students emphasized learning about disease, and resident comments emphasized treatment as their primary focus. The majority of participants’ comments suggested that a strong patient-doctor relationship and continuity of care are rewarding components of primary care and more compatible with person-oriented personalities. Participants selecting person-oriented specialties viewed rural practice locations more favorably, especially the opportunity to become an integral part of a community. Participants selecting technique-oriented specialties preferred limited interactions with patients and stated that problem-solving and learning about disease states were the most appealing aspects of practicing medicine

    Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans metabolism: from genome sequence to industrial applications

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans </it>is a major participant in consortia of microorganisms used for the industrial recovery of copper (bioleaching or biomining). It is a chemolithoautrophic, γ-proteobacterium using energy from the oxidation of iron- and sulfur-containing minerals for growth. It thrives at extremely low pH (pH 1–2) and fixes both carbon and nitrogen from the atmosphere. It solubilizes copper and other metals from rocks and plays an important role in nutrient and metal biogeochemical cycling in acid environments. The lack of a well-developed system for genetic manipulation has prevented thorough exploration of its physiology. Also, confusion has been caused by prior metabolic models constructed based upon the examination of multiple, and sometimes distantly related, strains of the microorganism.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The genome of the type strain <it>A. ferrooxidans </it>ATCC 23270 was sequenced and annotated to identify general features and provide a framework for <it>in silico </it>metabolic reconstruction. Earlier models of iron and sulfur oxidation, biofilm formation, quorum sensing, inorganic ion uptake, and amino acid metabolism are confirmed and extended. Initial models are presented for central carbon metabolism, anaerobic metabolism (including sulfur reduction, hydrogen metabolism and nitrogen fixation), stress responses, DNA repair, and metal and toxic compound fluxes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Bioinformatics analysis provides a valuable platform for gene discovery and functional prediction that helps explain the activity of <it>A. ferrooxidans </it>in industrial bioleaching and its role as a primary producer in acidic environments. An analysis of the genome of the type strain provides a coherent view of its gene content and metabolic potential.</p

    Identifying an indoor air exposure limit for formaldehyde considering both irritation and cancer hazards

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    Formaldehyde is a well-studied chemical and effects from inhalation exposures have been extensively characterized in numerous controlled studies with human volunteers, including asthmatics and other sensitive individuals, which provide a rich database on exposure concentrations that can reliably produce the symptoms of sensory irritation. Although individuals can differ in their sensitivity to odor and eye irritation, the majority of authoritative reviews of the formaldehyde literature have concluded that an air concentration of 0.3 ppm will provide protection from eye irritation for virtually everyone. A weight of evidence-based formaldehyde exposure limit of 0.1 ppm (100 ppb) is recommended as an indoor air level for all individuals for odor detection and sensory irritation. It has recently been suggested by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) that formaldehyde is causally associated with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and leukemia. This has led US EPA to conclude that irritation is not the most sensitive toxic endpoint and that carcinogenicity should dictate how to establish exposure limits for formaldehyde. In this review, a number of lines of reasoning and substantial scientific evidence are described and discussed, which leads to a conclusion that neither point of contact nor systemic effects of any type, including NPC or leukemia, are causally associated with exposure to formaldehyde. This conclusion supports the view that the equivocal epidemiology studies that suggest otherwise are almost certainly flawed by identified or yet to be unidentified confounding variables. Thus, this assessment concludes that a formaldehyde indoor air limit of 0.1 ppm should protect even particularly susceptible individuals from both irritation effects and any potential cancer hazard

    Aging and pharmacology

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    Geriatric Pharmacology

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    Chapter Outline: Epidemiology of drug use in the elderly -- Pharmacokinetics in the elderly -- Drug therapy and pharmacodynamics -- Drug-disease interactions -- Guidelines for geriatric prescribing

    Power Asymmetries in Tourism Distribution Channels

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    This paper takes a strategic contingencies theory perspective to understanding the power asymmetries that arise between tourism organizations in tourism distribution networks in the exchange of critical resources. After addressing the sources of these power asymmetries, we suggest strategies by which less powerful organizations can influence these power asymmetries and capture a greater share of the value network by managing their exchange relationships. By using intraorganizational strategies less powerful organizations in interorganizational networks can gain greater power in exchange relationships. We illustrate applications of our proposed strategies in the context of the convention and meetings industry
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