Identifying Prognostic Indicators for Electrical Treeing in Solid Insulation through PD Analysis

This paper presents early results from an experimental study of electrical treeing on commercially available pre-formed silicone samples. A needle-plane test arrangement was set up using hypodermic needles. Partial discharge (PD) data was captured using both the IEC 60270 electrical method and radio frequency (RF) sensors, and visual observations are made using a digital microscope. Features of the PD plot that corresponded to electrical tree growth were assessed, evaluating the similarities and differences of both PD measurement techniques. Three univariate phase distributions were extracted from the partial discharge phase-resolved (PRPD) plot and the first four statistical moments were determined. The implications for automated lifetime prediction of insulation samples due to electrical tree development are discussed

Simulation and Quality in Clinical Education

Abstract Background Simulation-based education (SBE) has become commonplace in healthcare education within hospitals, higher education institutions, the private healthcare sector, and private education providers. The standards and quality of delivery vary across the UK (1), leading to differing degrees of learning for healthcare professionals. This variance in standards makes research into the impact of SBE on the end user (the patient) difficult to measure. Review The delivery of SBE needs to be of a high standard if learning via this pedagogy is to be maximised and benefits to patients accurately assessed. This article aims to summarise the importance of quality within clinical SBE and how it can be achieved and maintained to produce a measurable impact on patient care. The current progress of the implementation of UK national standards for SBE is included to highlight the need for standardisation and guidance to support simulation centres and individuals to benchmark practice and work towards accreditation through quality measurement and monitoring processes. Suggestions are made on how such standards will affect the future of SBE and all those involved. Conclusion There is a clear need for the development of national standards for SBE delivery and for a stepped approach [i.e. minimum, intermediate, and advanced standards] depending on the size, capacity, and frequency of SBE education delivery. Considerable financial outlay will be required to monitor standards effectively. The enhanced use of current and future technologies should be considered with regards to monitoring standards as well as data collection for future research opportunities. Keywords Simulation, quality improvement, educational standard

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting as a uterine cervical mass.

We report a 43-year-old woman who presented with post-coital bleeding. Pelvic examination revealed a uterine cervical mass, which confirmed to be large B cell lymphoma on histopathological examination. Computed tomography showed a primary lesion in the uterine cervix with no lymph node or other extranodal involvement. The patient responded to CHOP (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisolone) chemotherapy regime with no major side effects

An integrated approach to the interpretation of Single Amino Acid Polymorphisms within the framework of CATH and Gene3D

Background: The phenotypic effects of sequence variations in protein-coding regions come about primarily via their effects on the resulting structures, for example by disrupting active sites or affecting structural stability. In order better to understand the mechanisms behind known mutant phenotypes, and predict the effects of novel variations, biologists need tools to gauge the impacts of DNA mutations in terms of their structural manifestation. Although many mutations occur within domains whose structure has been solved, many more occur within genes whose protein products have not been structurally characterized.Results: Here we present 3DSim (3D Structural Implication of Mutations), a database and web application facilitating the localization and visualization of single amino acid polymorphisms (SAAPs) mapped to protein structures even where the structure of the protein of interest is unknown. The server displays information on 6514 point mutations, 4865 of them known to be associated with disease. These polymorphisms are drawn from SAAPdb, which aggregates data from various sources including dbSNP and several pathogenic mutation databases. While the SAAPdb interface displays mutations on known structures, 3DSim projects mutations onto known sequence domains in Gene3D. This resource contains sequences annotated with domains predicted to belong to structural families in the CATH database. Mappings between domain sequences in Gene3D and known structures in CATH are obtained using a MUSCLE alignment. 1210 three-dimensional structures corresponding to CATH structural domains are currently included in 3DSim; these domains are distributed across 396 CATH superfamilies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the distribution of mutations in structural space.Conclusion: The server is publicly available at http://3DSim.bioinfo.cnio.es/. In addition, the database containing the mapping between SAAPdb, Gene3D and CATH is available on request and most of the functionality is available through programmatic web service access

Space-for-time substitutions in climate change ecology and evolution

In an epoch of rapid environmental change, understanding and predicting how biodiversity will respond to a changing climate is an urgent challenge. Since we seldom have sufficient long-term biological data to use the past to anticipate the future, spatial climate–biotic relationships are often used as a proxy for predicting biotic responses to climate change over time. These ‘space-for-time substitutions’ (SFTS) have become near ubiquitous in global change biology, but with different subfields largely developing methods in isolation. We review how climate-focussed SFTS are used in four subfields of ecology and evolution, each focussed on a different type of biotic variable – population phenotypes, population genotypes, species' distributions, and ecological communities. We then examine the similarities and differences between subfields in terms of methods, limitations and opportunities. While SFTS are used for a wide range of applications, two main approaches are applied across the four subfields: spatial in situ gradient methods and transplant experiments. We find that SFTS methods share common limitations relating to (i) the causality of identified spatial climate–biotic relationships and (ii) the transferability of these relationships, i.e. whether climate–biotic relationships observed over space are equivalent to those occurring over time. Moreover, despite widespread application of SFTS in climate change research, key assumptions remain largely untested. We highlight opportunities to enhance the robustness of SFTS by addressing key assumptions and limitations, with a particular emphasis on where approaches could be shared between the four subfields

Using Learning Space to Enhance Translational Learning Through OSCEs

Aim: To highlight how Learning Space can be utilised to enhance student feedback and support the translation of theory into practice. Objectives: • Explore how LS can be used to enhance student feedback • Recognise how LS can strengthen quality assurance mechanisms • Identify how LS can support academic roles in assessment • Consider how simulated practice can be linked to academic assessment Summary: This presentation will focus on how LS has enhanced education for PGDip Advanced Clinical Practice students, allowing them to translate what is learned in the clinical skills suite, into their clinical practice. Historically, OSCE marks have been recorded on paper assessment forms, double checked by the course team in terms of the calculated percentage, and students given generic feedback as well as a copy of their hand written assessment forms. OSCEs were not video recorded meaning the examiner’s word was final. Feedback from simulated patients was often ignored as this did not count towards overall marks, but provided insight on how the “patient” felt during the consultation. Feedback forms were archived with little review by faculty after the event. The use of LS has significantly transformed this process, making the whole method of assessment totally transparent for students. OSCEs are now videoed and following the event, students have access to their consultation. Alongside the video, they can see their completed typed assessment forms from both faculty and simulated patients, view how they performed in relation to others in their cohort and track their progress over time. From a faculty perspective, inter-rater reliability can be checked at the press of a button, as can SP performance. Marks from the entire cohort can be viewed on one screen, offering the opportunity to see where perhaps teaching needs to be strengthened or marking criteria needs adjusting for future use. Linking the OSCEs with a reflective assignment has allowed students to scrutinise their performance in detail, utilising data from LS to support their critique. This triangulation of student experience, video playback, comprehensive feedback, academic reflection and ranking within the cohort provides a supportive and fertile environment to initiate changes that can be sustained in practice. This has been supported by feedback from clinical managers as well as students. While it is recognised that further research is required in order to quantify the translational learning that has taken place, this is a positive step towards bridging the theory-practice gap. References McGaghie, W.C. et al (2014) A critical review of simulation-based mastery learning with translational outcomes Med Educ. 2014;48(4):375-85. Ali, F. and Manokore, V (2016). Translation of knowledge and skills from controlled learning environment to clinical practice International Journal of Nursing Education, 09749349, Jan-Mar2016, Vol. 8, Issue