Immigrants in Health Care: Keeping Americans Healthy Through Care and Innovation

Immigrants play an outsized and imperative role in the U.S. health care industry. Combining existing data and profiles of immigrants across the health care spectrum, Immigrants in Health Care: Keeping Americans Healthy Through Care and Innovation, published by The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. (ILC) and the Institute for Immigration Research, a joint venture between George Mason University and The ILC, outlines the impact of the foreign-born in health care as a whole and particularly in three subfields: medicine and medical science, long-term care and nursing. Comprising only 13% of the general population, immigrants are 22% of nursing, psychiatric and home health aides, 28% of physicians and surgeons and 40% of medical scientists in manufacturing research and development. Foreign-born health care workers are critical in meeting the demands of the current health care market, which includes shortages of physicians in rural and inner-city areas, a need for cutting-edge medical technology and an aging and longer-lived population rapidly diversifying in race and ethnicity. Given the necessary innovation and cultural and linguistic skills immigrants bring to health care, the authors recommend creating provisional visas for home care workers, supporting the Professional Access to Health Workforce Integration Act, and investing in and further developing workforce development programs that support and help integrate immigrant health care professionals. (Crystal Ye for The ILC Public Education Institute

Estimating age of spotted and spinner dolphins (Stenella attenuata and Stenella longirostris) from teeth

This paper is an account of preparation and examination techniques and criteria used to estimate age in decalcified and stained tooth thin sections from spinner and spotted dolphins. A dentinal growth layer group (GLG), composed of two thin light and two thicker dark-stained layers, is deposited annually. The GLG component layers are variably visible, but the "ideal" pattern and successive thinning of dentinal GLGs are used as a guide to determine GLG limits. Age-specific thicknesses of dentinal GLGs found in Hawaiian spinner dolphin teeth seem to be applicable to teeth of spotted dolphins and can be used as an aid in locating GLG boundaries. Cementa1 GLGs are composed of a dark-stained and alightly stained layer and usually are deposited at a rate of one per year, but may be deposited every other year or two or three times per year. Two slightly different methods of counting dentinal GLGs are presented, along with guidelines for determining whether dentinal or cementa1 GLG counts provide the best estimate of age for a specimen. (PDF contains 23 pages.

HABILIDADES DE RACIOCÍNIO CRÍTICO DE ALUNOS DE CONTABILIDADE

Educational systems around the world judge student academic performance based upon reading and writing abilities, with evidence of critical thinking playing an essential role. In order to improve business education, a better understanding of students’ critical thinking and communication skill is required. This study aimed at assessing reading, writing, and critical thinking skills of accounting students using validated instruments: (a) Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, (b) Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test, and (c) Flesch Reading Ease (English and Portuguese). Students wrote a short essay that was evaluated for writing quality and critical thinking based on the EW-CTET. Scores provided indications of good writing quality and evidence of high levels of critical thinking. No significant differences (i.e., gender, parenthood, program level, and program stage) of measured reading levels of the written products were found. Elements for improving learners’ performance aligned with their critical thinking skills are discussed along with a deep reflection on how educators would behave as agents of change in the reported scenario. Observed cultural differences in critical thinking related to perception of authority should be examined in further investigations.Sistemas educacionales alrededor del mundo evalúan el desempeño académico de los alumnos con base en habilidades de lectura y redacción, con evidencias sobre el papel esencial del raciocinio crítico. Para mejorar la educación en el área de negocios es necesario mejor entendimiento sobre el raciocinio crítico de los alumnos, así como sobre sus habilidades de comunicación. Esta investigación se centró en la evaluación de habilidades de lectura, redacción y raciocinio crítico de alumnos de contabilidad utilizando instrumentos validados: (a) Cuestionario de Estrategias Motivadoras para Aprendizaje (Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, MSLQ), (b) Prueba Escrita de Raciocinio Crítico de Ennis-Weir (Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test, EW-CTET), y (c) Indicador Flesch de Facilidad de Lectura (Flesch Reading Ease, en Inglés y versión adaptada al Portugués). Los participantes escribieron una pequeña redacción que fue evaluada en términos de calidad de escrita y de raciocinio crítico con base en el EW-CTET. Los resultados mostraron la buena calidad de la escrita e hicieron evidentes los niveles elevados de raciocinio crítico. Diferencias significativas (por ejemplo: género, maternidad / paternidad, nivel de estudios, y nivel en el programa) no fueron observadas en las métricas sobre niveles de facilidad de lectura de los productos escritos generados por los participantes. Elementos para la mejora del desempeño de los participantes alineados con sus habilidades de raciocinio crítico son discutidos juntamente con la reflexión profunda sobre el comportamiento de educadores como agentes de cambio en este escenario. Se sugiere que las diferencias culturales sobre raciocinio crítico observadas en este estudio relacionadas con la percepción de autoridad sean examinadas en futuras investigaciones.Sistemas educacionais ao redor do mundo avaliam o desempenho acadêmico de alunos com base em habilidades de leitura e redação, com evidências sobre o papel essencial do raciocínio crítico. Para aprimorar a educação na área de negócios é necessário melhor entendimento sobre o raciocínio crítico dos alunos, bem como sobre suas habilidades de comunicação. Esta pesquisa focou na avaliação de habilidades de leitura, redação e raciocínio crítico de alunos de contabildiade utilizando instrumentos validados: (a) Questionário de Estratégias Motivadoras para Aprendizagem (Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, MSLQ), (b) Teste Escrito de Raciocínio Crítico de Ennis-Weir (Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test, EW-CTET), e (c) Indicador Flesch de Facilidade de Leitura (Flesch Reading Ease, em Inglês e versão adaptada para o Português). Os participantes escreveram uma pequena redação que foi avaliada em termos de qualidade de escrita e raciocínio crítico com base no EW-CTET. Os resultados trouxeram indicações de boa qualidade de escrita e evidência de níveis elevados de raciocínio crítico. Diferenças significativas (e.g., gênero, maternidade/paternidade, nível de estudos, e estágio no programa) não foram observadas nas métricas sobre níveis de facilidade de leitura dos produtos escritos gerados pelos participantes. Elementos para o aprimoramento de desempenho dos participantes alinhados com suas habilidades de raciocínio crítico são discutidos juntamente com reflexão profunda sobre comportamento de educadores como agentes de mudança neste cenário. Sugere-se que diferenças culturais sobre raciocínio crítico observadas neste estudo relacionadas com a percepção de autoridade sejam examinadas em futuras investigações

Time Resolved Experiments at the Frankfurt 14 GHz ECR Ion Source

To investigate the basic production processes of highly charged ions and combined phenomena of an ECRIS plasma (e. g. influence of secondary electrons and plasma instabilities) time resolved experiments have been carried out at the Frankfurt 14 GHz ECRIS [1] (see also the contributions to this workshop by O. Hohn et al. and V. Mironov et al.). We report time resolved measurements of the extracted ion currents by pulsing the biased disk voltage [2]. The measurements have shown that the extracted ion currents respond too fast to explain the "biased disk effect" (i. e. the intensity increase of highly charged ions) by enhanced ion breeding. Furthermore the influence of the pulsed biased disk on plasma instabilities has been investigated. It has also been shown that this method can be used to extract pulsed ion beams from an ECRIS

The detection of lubricating oil viscosity changes in gearbox transmission systems driven by sensorless variable speed drives using electrical supply parameters

Lubrication oil plays a decisive role to maintain a reliable and efficient operation of gear transmissions. Many offline methods have been developed to monitor the quality of lubricating oils. This work focus on developing a novel online method to diagnose oil degradation based on the measurements from power supply system to the gearbox. Experimental studies based on an 10kW industrial gearbox fed by a sensorless variable speed drive (VSD) shows that measurable changes in both static power and dynamic behaviour are different with lube oils tested. Therefore, it is feasible to use the static power feature to indicate viscosity changes at low and moderate operating speeds. In the meantime, the dynamic feature can separate viscosity changes for all different tested cases

Neural oscillations and connectivity characterizing the state of tonic experimental pain in humans

Pain is a complex phenomenon that is served by neural oscillations and connectivity involving different brain areas and frequencies. Here, we aimed to systematically and comprehensively assess the pattern of neural oscillations and connectivity characterizing the state of tonic experimental pain in humans. To this end, we applied 10-min heat pain stimuli consecutively to the right and left hand of 39 healthy participants and recorded electroencephalography. We systematically analyzed global and local measures of oscillatory brain activity, connectivity, and graph theory-based network measures during tonic pain and compared them to a nonpainful control condition. Local measures showed suppressions of oscillatory activity at alpha frequencies together with stronger connectivity at alpha and beta frequencies in sensorimotor areas during tonic pain. Furthermore, sensorimotor areas contralateral to stimulation showed significantly increased connectivity to a common area in the medial prefrontal cortex at alpha frequencies. Together, these observations indicate that the state of tonic experimental pain is associated with a sensorimotor-prefrontal network connected at alpha frequencies. These findings represent a step further toward understanding the brain mechanisms underlying long-lasting pain states in health and disease

Distinct patterns of brain activity mediate perceptual and motor and autonomic responses to noxious stimuli

Pain is a complex phenomenon involving perceptual, motor, and autonomic responses, but how the brain translates noxious stimuli into these different dimensions of pain is unclear. Here, we assessed perceptual, motor, and autonomic responses to brief noxious heat stimuli and recorded brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) in humans. Multilevel mediation analysis reveals that each pain dimension is subserved by a distinct pattern of EEG responses and, conversely, that each EEG response differentially contributes to the different dimensions of pain. In particular, the translation of noxious stimuli into autonomic and motor responses involved the earliest N1 wave, whereas pain perception was mediated by later N2 and P2 waves. Gamma oscillations mediated motor responses rather than pain perception. These findings represent progress towards a mechanistic understanding of the brain processes translating noxious stimuli into pain and suggest that perceptual, motor, and autonomic dimensions of pain are partially independent rather than serial processes

Occult axillary node metastases in breast cancer: their detection and prognostic significance.

Although the presence of axillary node metastases in breast cancer is a key prognostic indicator and may influence treatment decisions, a significant proportion of patients diagnosed as axillary node negative (ANN) using standard histopathological techniques may have occult nodal metastases (OMs). A combination of limited step-sectioning (4 x 100 microns intervals) and immunohistochemical staining (with cytokeratin (MNF.116) and MUC1 (BC2) antibodies) was used to detect OM in a retrospective series of 208 ANN patients. OMs were found in 53 patients (25%), and both step-sectioning and immunohistochemical detection significantly improved detection (P < 0.05). Detection using BC2 (25%) was superior to MNF.116 (18%) and haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) (8%). OMs were found in 51 patients using only the first and deepest sectioning levels and BC2 staining. OMs were more frequently found in lobular (38%) than ductal carcinoma (25%), and more frequently in women less than 50 years (41%) than in older women (19%). Univariate overall and disease-free survival analyses showed that the presence, size and number of OM had prognostic significance as did tumour size (disease-free only) and histological and nuclear grade (P > 0.05). Cox multivariate proportional hazard regression analyses showed that the presence and increasing size of OMs were significantly associated with poorer disease-free survival, independently of other prognostic factors (P < 0.05). However there was not a significant independent association of the presence of occult metastases with overall survival (P = 0.11). These findings have important implications with regard to selection of ANN patients for adjuvant therapy