The Allocation of a Prize (R)

Consider agents who undertake costly effort to produce stochastic outputs observable by a principal. The principal can award a prize deterministically to the agent with the highest output, or to all of them with probabilities that are proportional to their outputs. We show that, if there is suf cient dipersion in agents ' skills relative to the noise on output, then the proportional prize will on average elicit more output from the agents than the deterministic prize. Indeed, assuming agents know each others ' skills (the complete information case), this result holds when any Nash selection, under the proportional prize, is compared with any individually rational strategy selection under the deterministic prize. When there is incomplete information, the same result obtains but now we must restrict to Nash selections for both prizes. We also compute the optimal scheme — among a natural class of probabilistic schemes — for awarding the prize, namely that which elicits maximal effort from the agents for the least prize. In general the optimal scheme is a monotonic step function which lies "between" the proportional and the deterministic schemes. When the competition is over small fractional increments (a case that commonly arises in the presence of strong contestants whose base levels of production are high), the optimal scheme awards the prize according to the "log of the odds", where the odds are based on the proportional scheme

Are Commonly Used Resident Measurements Associated with Procedural Skills in Internal Medicine Residency Training?

BACKGROUND: Acquisition of competence in performing a variety of procedures is essential during Internal Medicine (IM) residency training. PURPOSES: Determine the rate of procedural complications by IM residents; determine whether there was a correlation between having 1 or more complications and institutional procedural certification status or attending ratings of resident procedural skill competence on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) monthly evaluation form (ABIM-MEF). Assess if an association exists between procedural complications and in-training examination and ABIM board certification scores. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all procedure log sheets, procedural certification status, ABIM-MEF procedural skills ratings, in-training exam and certifying examination (ABIM-CE) scores from the period 1990–1999 for IM residency program graduates from a training program. RESULTS: Among 69 graduates, 2,212 monthly procedure log sheets and 2,475 ABIM-MEFs were reviewed. The overall complication rate was 2.3/1,000 procedures (95% CI: 1.4–3.1/1,000 procedure). With the exception of procedural certification status as judged by institutional faculty, there was no association between our resident measurements and procedural complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the need for a resident procedural competence certification system based on direct observation. Our data support the ABIM’s action to remove resident procedural competence from the monthly ABIM-MEF ratings

A Study of the Development of Skill in Learning to Operate the Hollerith Card-Punching Machine

In this study the writer served as both subject and experimenter. Previous to this experiment the writer had had 110 experience in punching Hollerith cards. The data used for punching were coded prior to the actual punching- of the cards. The 80-column card was used. There were sixteen 30-minute periods throughout a period of five weeks. With two unavoidable exceptions the practice periods were held each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4:00 P.M

Procedural Competency Training during Diagnostic Radiology Residency: Time to Go beyond “See One, Do One, Teach One”!

Objectives: Achieving procedural competency during diagnostic radiology residency can impact the radiologist\u27s future independent practice after graduation, especially in a private practice setting. However, standardized procedure competency training within most radiology residency programs is lacking, and overall procedural skills are still mainly acquired by the traditional “see one, do one, teach one” methodology. We report the development of a simple standardized procedural training protocol that can easily be adopted by residency programs currently lacking any form of structured procedural training. Materials and Methods: An ad hoc resident procedural competency committee was created in our radiology residency program. A procedural certification protocol was developed by the committee which was composed of attending radiologists from the involved divisions and two chief residents. A road map to achieve procedural competency certification status was finalized. The protocol was then implemented through online commercial software. Results: Our procedural certification protocol took effect in September 2014. We reviewed all resident records from September 2014 to December 2016. Eighteen residents of various levels of training participated in our training protocol. About 72% became certified in paracentesis, 11% in thoracentesis, 83% in feeding tube placement, 55% in lumbar puncture/myelogram, and 77% in tunneled catheter removal. Conclusions: Our single-center experience demonstrates that a simple to adopt structured approach to procedural competency training is feasible and effective. Our “certified” radiology residents were deemed capable of performing those procedures under indirect supervision. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Patient care, Medical knowledge, and Systems-based practice

Girls' 4-H Club

The 4-H club girl of 1927 has much to be thankful for of which her Puritan sister of yesteryear did not even dream. She enjoys all the comforts of a modern home equipped with water system, electric light ·and other conveniences. The rural mail carrier, the telephone and the automobile have overcome the isolation of rural life and now the radio has opened up a new world of possibilities.</p

Lost in Translation

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; While reading the Hebrew Bible, it is possible for modern readers to misunderstand the original Hebrew meanings of the English translations. Common words such as ‘heart’, ‘mind’, ‘soul’ (נפש) and ‘spirit’ (רוח) are often misinterpreted to have English connotations that were not used in the Hebrew Bible. For instance, the biblical Hebrew words (לבב ,לב and לבח), frequently translated as ‘heart’ had connotations that could be argued to correspond more accurately to the English definition of the word ‘mind.’ Conversely, the biblical Hebrew word (לב or לב), generally interpreted as ‘mind,’ is perhaps better understood in relation to the modern understanding of the heart as one's emotional centre. Also, as opposed to the non-physical modern notion of an immortal ‘soul’, biblical authors and their intended audiences understood it in relation to the physical. Furthermore, ‘spirit’ meant the energy and character of oneself and had divine connotations as associated with the breath or divine essence of YHWH. Therefore, in order to appropriately understand the Hebrew Bible, the fallibility of translation must be recognized.&#x0D;  &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; </jats:p