An assessment of pediatric residency applicant perceptions of Fit during the virtual interview era

PURPOSE: Residency recruitment events and interviews are widely considered an integral component of the residency match experience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, residency recruitment and interviewing throughout the 2020-2021 academic year were performed virtually, which created challenges for applicants\u27 ability to discern fit to a program. Given this change, it is reasonable to suspect that applicants would be less able to discern program fit. Therefore, this study evaluated how virtual interviews impacted pediatric residency applicants\u27 ability to assess factors contributing to fit and subsequently how applicants assessed their self-perceived fit to their top-ranked programs. METHODS: An online, anonymous survey was distributed to all residency applicants who applied to any specialty at our large academic institution. The survey utilized a 5-point Likert-type scale to evaluate qualities of fit as well as the applicants\u27 self-perceived ability to assess these qualities through a virtual platform. RESULTS: 1,840 surveys were distributed, of which 473 residency applicants responded (25.7% response rate). Among these responses, 81 were pediatric applicants (27.6%). Factors deemed most important in determining fit included how well the residents get along with one another (98.8%), how much the program appeared to care about its trainees (97.5%), and how satisfied residents were with their program (97.5%). Qualities deemed most difficult for applicants to discern included the quality of facilities (18.6%), patient diversity (29.4%), and how well the residents got along with one another (30.2%). When compared to all other residency applicants, pediatric applicants placed more value on whether a program was family-friendly (p = 0.015), the quality of the facilities (p = 0.009), and the on-call system (p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: This study highlights factors that influence pediatric applicants\u27 perception of fit into a program. Unfortunately, many factors deemed most important for pediatric applicants were also among the most difficult to assess virtually. These include resident camaraderie, whether a program cares about its residents, and overall resident satisfaction. Taken together, these findings and the recommendations presented should be considered by all residency program leaders to ensure the successful recruitment of a pediatric residency class

Extending reducer/augmenter theory into the emotion domain: The role of affect in regulating stimulation level

According to reducer/augmenter theory, augmenters are assumed to react to sensory stimuli with enhanced responsiveness, whereas reducers respond to the same stimuli with dampened responsiveness. Due to their generally understimulated condition, reducers are motivated to seek out stronger or more intense forms of sensory stimulation. When emotion is viewed as a source of stimulation, it becomes plausible to hypothesize that reducers and augmenters may differentially utilize their emotions to modulate stimulation level. Results from Study 1 show that, after a period of boredom, reducers chose more frequently than augmenters to participate in an arousing, emotion-induction experiment, even though they believed the experience would involve the induction of negative affect. Reducers also found the initial boredom-induction task to be significantly more boring and less interesting than the augmenters. Study 2 found that reducers were more likely than augmenters to engage in activities that have a higher probability of evoking emotion in their natural, ongoing lives. Reducers also exhibited episodes of stronger affect and more frequently novelty- and sensation-seeking in their ongoing natural lives than augmenters. Implications of these results for reducer/augmenter theory and for understanding the role of emotion in arousal regulation are discussed, and directions for future research are proposed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29640/1/0000729.pd

Accumulation of Intraneuronal beta-Amyloid 42 Peptides Is Associated with Early Changes in Microtubule-Associated Protein 2 in Neurites and Synapses

Pathologic aggregation of beta-amyloid (A beta) peptide and the axonal microtubule-associated protein tau protein are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Evidence supports that A beta peptide accumulation precedes microtubule-related pathology, although the link between A beta and tau remains unclear. We previously provided evidence for early co-localization of A beta 42 peptides and hyperphosphorylated tau within postsynaptic terminals of CA1 dendrites in the hippocampus of AD transgenic mice. Here, we explore the relation between A beta peptide accumulation and the dendritic, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) in the well-characterized amyloid precursor protein Swedish mutant transgenic mouse (Tg2576). We provide evidence that localized intraneuronal accumulation of A beta 42 peptides is spatially associated with reductions of MAP2 in dendrites and postsynaptic compartments of Tg2576 mice at early ages. Our data support that reduction in MAP2 begins at sites of A beta 42 monomer and low molecular weight oligomer (M/LMW) peptide accumulation. Cumulative evidence suggests that accumulation of M/LMW A beta 42 peptides occurs early, before high molecular weight oligomerization and plaque formation. Since synaptic alteration is the best pathologic correlate of cognitive dysfunction in AD, the spatial association of M/LMW A beta peptide accumulation with pathology of MAP2 within neuronal processes and synaptic compartments early in the disease process reinforces the importance of intraneuronal A beta accumulation in AD pathogenesis

Los procesos de cambio y su eficacia en el trabajo remoto del sector bancario de Lima producto del COVID-19 en el 2020

Las empresas en el Perú sufrieron un duro golpe a su operatividad diaria, debido a la pandemia “COVID-19” originada en Wuhan - China, la cual, trajo consigo un cierre prolongado de actividades en las empresas y confinamiento de personas a nivel mundial. Así, las empresas de diferentes sectores tuvieron que reorganizar sus procesos para poder continuar en funcionamiento. Estos cambios, afectaron en gran parte a los trabajadores del sector bancario, debido a una exposición de alta carga laboral y mayor nivel de estrés, originado en parte por el creciente temor a ser cesados de sus puestos laborales. Por ello, tuvieron que adaptarse a los cambios, teniendo que ser eficientes en sus funciones, que fueron realizadas desde sus hogares, llamado: trabajo remoto. En este sentido, el objetivo de la investigación es determinar la relación que tienen los procesos de cambio y la eficacia en el trabajo remoto. La presente tesis se realizó bajo un enfoque cuantitativo, el cual es avalado por los cuestionarios virtuales realizados; posteriormente, se validan las respuestas en el Software Estadístico para Ciencias Sociales, SPSS. En base a los resultados obtenidos de la muestra estadística realizada, se validó que las variables sí tienen correlación entre sí y, que las empresas realizaron grandes cambios en sus procesos, los cuales, afectaron de manera significativa en los trabajadores. Finalmente, se brindan las recomendaciones necesarias para que en futuras investigaciones se ahonde más sobre el presente tema de investigación.Businesses in Peru suffered a severe blow to their daily operations due to the "COVID-19" pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, which brought with it a prolonged suspension of business activities and the quarantine of people worldwide. As a result, businesses from different sectors had to reorganize their processes to continue operating. These changes greatly affected workers in the banking sector, due to both a higher workload and a higher level of stress, caused in part by the growing fear of being laid off from their jobs. Bank workers had to adapt to sudden changes in business practices, having to remain efficient in their functions, which they performed remotely from their homes (remote work). The objective of this research is to understand the relationship between the change processes and worker efficiency in the Peruvian banking industry. This thesis was carried out using a quantitative approach, which is supported by the virtual questionnaires. The responses were analyzed using the Statistical Software for Social Sciences, SPSS. Based on the results from the statistical analyses, a statistically significant correlation between the change processes and worker efficiency was discovered. When banking businesses made great changes in their processes, the workers felt the effects. Finally, we give advice for further investigations about the COVID-19 and more research.Tesi

Basal mitophagy is widespread in <i>Drosophila</i> but minimally affected by loss of Pink1 or parkin.

The Parkinson's disease factors PINK1 and parkin are strongly implicated in stress-induced mitophagy in vitro, but little is known about their impact on basal mitophagy in vivo. We generated transgenic Drosophila melanogaster expressing fluorescent mitophagy reporters to evaluate the impact of Pink1/parkin mutations on basal mitophagy under physiological conditions. We find that mitophagy is readily detectable and abundant in many tissues, including Parkinson's disease-relevant dopaminergic neurons. However, we did not detect mitolysosomes in flight muscle. Surprisingly, in Pink1 or parkin null flies, we did not observe any substantial impact on basal mitophagy. Because these flies exhibit locomotor defects and dopaminergic neuron loss, our findings raise questions about current assumptions of the pathogenic mechanism associated with the PINK1/parkin pathway. Our findings provide evidence that Pink1 and parkin are not essential for bulk basal mitophagy in Drosophila They also emphasize that mechanisms underpinning basal mitophagy remain largely obscure

Grow Well/Crecer Bien: A Protocol for Research on Infant Feeding Practices in Low-Income Families

Background The prevalence of obesity among children remains high. Given obesity’s significant lifelong consequences, there is great interest in preventing obesity early in life. There is a need to better understand the relation of common infant feeding styles and practices to obesity in infants using longitudinal study designs. There is also an urgent need to understand the role of caregivers other than mothers in feeding. A better understanding of variation in feeding styles and practices can inform the identification of risk groups and the tailoring of interventions to them. Methods In partnership with Early Head Start programs across four counties in southern California, mothers and infants will be enrolled in a two-year longitudinal study collecting survey and anthropometric data. A subsample of mothers and their selected other caregivers will participate in qualitative research involving feeding diaries and dyadic interviews. The results will be used to develop and test an enhanced nutrition education program. Discussion We outline a study methodology to examine feeding styles and practices and their association with early childhood obesity risk and enhance an existing intervention to promote healthy infant feeding and growth among children in low-income families

Replicating Single-Cycle Adenovirus Vectors Generate Amplified Influenza Vaccine Responses

Head-to-head comparisons of conventional influenza vaccines with ade- novirus (Ad) gene-based vaccines demonstrated that these viral vectors can mediate more potent protection against influenza virus infection in animal models. In most cases, Ad vaccines are engineered to be replication-defective (RD-Ad) vectors. In contrast, replication-competent Ad (RC-Ad) vaccines are markedly more potent but risk causing adenovirus diseases in vaccine recipients and health care workers. To harness antigen gene replication but avoid production of infectious virions, we de- veloped “single-cycle” adenovirus (SC-Ad) vectors. Previous work demonstrated that SC-Ads amplify transgene expression 100-fold and produce markedly stronger and more persistent immune responses than RD-Ad vectors in Syrian hamsters and rhe- sus macaques. To test them as potential vaccines, we engineered RD and SC ver- sions of adenovirus serotype 6 (Ad6) to express the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. We show here that it takes approximately 33 times less SC-Ad6 than RD-Ad6 to produce equal amounts of HA antigen in vitro. SC-Ad pro- duced markedly higher HA binding and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers than RD-Ad in Syrian hamsters. SC-Ad-vaccinated cotton rats had markedly lower influ- enza titers than RD-Ad-vaccinated animals after challenge with influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. These data suggest that SC-Ads may be more potent vaccine platforms than conventional RD-Ad vectors and may have utility as “needle-free” mucosal vaccines

The Climate-system Historical Forecast Project: providing open access to seasonal forecast ensembles from centers around the globe

Fil: Tompkins, Adrian M.. The Abdus Salam; ItaliaFil: Ortiz de Zarate, Maria Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera; Argentina. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Saurral, Ramiro Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera; Argentina. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Vera, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera; Argentina. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Saulo, Andrea Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Ministerio de Defensa. Secretaria de Planeamiento. Servicio Meteorológico Nacional; ArgentinaFil: Merryfield, William J.. Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis; CanadáFil: Sigmond, Michael. Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis; CanadáFil: Lee, Woo Sung. Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis; CanadáFil: Baehr, Johanna. Universitat Hamburg; AlemaniaFil: Braun, Alain. Météo-France; FranciaFil: Amy Butler. National Ocean And Atmospheric Administration; Estados UnidosFil: Déqué, Michel. Météo-France; FranciaFil: Doblas Reyes, Francisco J.. Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats; España. Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion; EspañaFil: Gordon, Margaret. Met Office; Reino UnidoFil: Scaife, Adam A.. University of Exeter; Reino UnidoFil: Yukiko Imada. Japan Meteorological Agency. Meteorological Research Institute. Climate Research Department; JapónFil: Masayoshi Ishii. Japan Meteorological Agency. Meteorological Research Institute. Climate Research Department; JapónFil: Tomoaki Ose. Japan Meteorological Agency. Meteorological Research Institute. Climate Research Department; JapónFil: Kirtman, Ben. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Kumar, Arun. National Ocean And Atmospheric Administration; Estados UnidosFil: Müller, Wolfgang A.. Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie; AlemaniaFil: Pirani, Anna. Université Paris-Saclay; FranciaFil: Stockdale, Tim. European Centre for Medium-Range Weather; Reino UnidoFil: Rixen, Michel. World Meteorological Organization. World Climate Research Programme; SuizaFil: Yasuda, Tamaki. Japan Meteorological Agency. Climate Prediction Division; Japó

Is the grass greener on the other side?

Consumer xenocentrism, the belief that the foreign is preferred over the local, is a relatively new construct in the broader country of origin literature. We extend the study of consumer xenocen- trism to Paraguay (South America), an often bypassed and un- derstudied emerging market. Through a purposive survey of 397 middle- and upper-class Paraguayans in 2022, we uncover the existence of consumer xenocentrism and model its relationship to product judgment of regional powers (Argentina and Brazil) and economic superpowers (China and the United States). Our results indicate a positive and significant relationship between Paraguayan consumer xenocentrism and product judgments of Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, but not for China. Mana- gerial and public policy implications of our findings are discussed

Replicating Single-Cycle Adenovirus Vectors Generate Amplified Influenza Vaccine Responses

Head-to-head comparisons of conventional influenza vaccines with adenovirus (Ad) gene-based vaccines demonstrated that these viral vectors can mediate more potent protection against influenza virus infection in animal models. In most cases, Ad vaccines are engineered to be replication-defective (RD-Ad) vectors. In contrast, replication-competent Ad (RC-Ad) vaccines are markedly more potent but risk causing adenovirus diseases in vaccine recipients and health care workers. To harness antigen gene replication but avoid production of infectious virions, we developed “single-cycle” adenovirus (SC-Ad) vectors. Previous work demonstrated that SC-Ads amplify transgene expression 100-fold and produce markedly stronger and more persistent immune responses than RD-Ad vectors in Syrian hamsters and rhesus macaques. To test them as potential vaccines, we engineered RD and SC versions of adenovirus serotype 6 (Ad6) to express the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. We show here that it takes approximately 33 times less SC-Ad6 than RD-Ad6 to produce equal amounts of HA antigen in vitro. SC-Ad produced markedly higher HA binding and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers than RD-Ad in Syrian hamsters. SC-Ad-vaccinated cotton rats had markedly lower influenza titers than RD-Ad-vaccinated animals after challenge with influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. These data suggest that SC-Ads may be more potent vaccine platforms than conventional RD-Ad vectors and may have utility as “needle-free” mucosal vaccines