A comparative study of the public relations programs and policies in schools and businesses

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Curated Collections for Educators: Eight Key Papers about Feedback in Medical Education

Feedback is an essential part of learning, growth, and academic success. Junior faculty members are often unfamiliar with the grounding literature that defines feedback. Many times they receive little education on providing and receiving feedback, resulting in unhelpful "feedback" for both learners and program leadership alike. This article aims to summarize eight key papers on feedback, to outline relevant information for emerging clinician educators, and identify ways to use these resources for the faculty development. In order to generate a list of key papers that describes the importance and significance of feedback, the authors conducted a consensus-building process to identify the top papers. In August and September, 2018, the 2018-2019 Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator program discussed the topic of feedback in medical education. A number of papers on the topic was highlighted. This list of papers was further augmented using the suggestions and expertise of guest experts who are leaders in the field of medical education and feedback. The authors also used social media to conduct an open call on Twitter for important papers regarding feedback (utilizing #meded, #Feedback hashtags). Via this process, a list of 88 key papers was identified on the topic of feedback in medical education. After compiling these papers, the authorship group engaged in a modified Delphi approach to build consensus on the top eight papers on feedback. These papers were deemed essential by the authors and have been summarized with respect to their relevance to junior faculty members and to faculty developers. In this manuscript, we present eight key papers addressing feedback in medical education with discussions and applications for junior faculty members and faculty developers. This list of articles that can serve to help junior clinician educators grow in their ability to give effective feedback and also serve as resources upon which senior faculty can design the faculty development sessions

Moving from evidence-based medicine to evidence-based health.

While evidence-based medicine (EBM) has advanced medical practice, the health care system has been inconsistent in translating EBM into improvements in health. Disparities in health and health care play out through patients' limited ability to incorporate the advances of EBM into their daily lives. Assisting patients to self-manage their chronic conditions and paying attention to unhealthy community factors could be added to EBM to create a broader paradigm of evidence-based health. A perspective of evidence-based health may encourage physicians to consider their role in upstream efforts to combat socially patterned chronic disease

Bench-to-bedside review: A brief history of clinical acid–base

The history of assessing the acid–base equilibrium and associated disorders is intertwined with the evolution of the definition of an acid. In the 1950s clinical chemists combined the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation and the Bronsted–Lowry definition of an acid to produce the current bicarbonate ion-centred approach to metabolic acid–base disorders. Stewart repackaged pre-1950 ideas of acid–base in the late 1970s, including the Van Slyke definition of an acid. Stewart also used laws of physical chemistry to produce a new acid–base approach. This approach, using the strong ion difference (particularly the sodium chloride difference) and the concentration of weak acids (particularly albumin), pushes bicarbonate into a minor role as an acid–base indicator rather than as an important mechanism. The Stewart approach may offer new insights into acid–base disorders and therapies

Bacterial rotary export ATPases are allosterically regulated by the nucleotide second messenger cyclic-di-GMP

The widespread second messenger molecule cyclic di-GMP (cdG) regulates the transition from motile and virulent lifestyles to sessile, biofilm-forming ones in a wide range of bacteria. Many pathogenic and commensal bacterial-host interactions are known to be controlled by cdG signaling. Although the biochemistry of cyclic dinucleotide metabolism is well understood, much remains to be discovered about the downstream signaling pathways that induce bacterial responses upon cdG binding. As part of our ongoing research into the role of cdG signaling in plant-associated Pseudomonas species, we carried out an affinity capture screen for cdG binding proteins in the model organism Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25. The flagella export AAA+ ATPase FliI was identified as a result of this screen and subsequently shown to bind specifically to the cdG molecule, with a KD in the low micromolar range. The interaction between FliI and cdG appears to be very widespread. In addition to FliI homologs from diverse bacterial species, high affinity binding was also observed for the type III secretion system homolog HrcN and the type VI ATPase ClpB2. The addition of cdG was shown to inhibit FliI and HrcN ATPase activity in vitro. Finally, a combination of site-specific mutagenesis, mass spectrometry, and in silico analysis was used to predict that cdG binds to FliI in a pocket of highly conserved residues at the interface between two FliI subunits. Our results suggest a novel, fundamental role for cdG in controlling the function of multiple important bacterial export pathways, through direct allosteric control of export ATPase proteins

Modulation and lack of cross-talk between signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 and suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 in insulin and growth hormone signaling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Objective: To examine the role of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 5 and suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3 in the cross-talk between growth hormone and insulin (INS) signaling in fat cells. Research Methods and Procedures: Fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were exposed to INS, growth hormone (GH), or both of these growth factors, and the activation of STAT5 proteins and mitogen-activated protein kinase was examined using phospho-specific antibodies. The induction of SOCS-3 mRNA was assessed by Northern blot analysis. INS-stimulated glucose transport was also measured. Results: We observed that GH, not INS, induced STAT5 activation in adipocytes in a manner that was independent of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation or new protein synthesis. GH strongly induced SOCS-3 mRNA expression, whereas INS had a much less potent effect on SOCS-3 mRNA expression. Because SOCS-3 has been implicated in the attenuation of GH and INS signaling, we examined the cross-talk between these signaling pathways. GH pretreatment of adipocytes inhibited GH signaling. Similarly, INS pretreatment inhibited INS signaling. However, INS did not block the GH-induced activation of STAT5, and GH did not block the INS induction of ERK activity or of increased glucose uptake. We observed that neither new protein synthesis nor activation of ERKs 1 and 2 were required for the inhibition of GH signaling. Discussion: These results demonstrate that blocking the induction of the SOCS-3 protein has no effect on the attenuation of GH signaling and support recent studies suggesting that SOCS proteins have additional functions. In addition, these studies demonstrate that GH-induced SOCS-3 expression is insufficient to inhibit INS-induced glucose uptake in adipocytes. Copyright © 2006 NAASO

The End of the Rainbow: What Can We Say About the Extragalactic Sub-Megahertz Radio Sky?

The Galactic disc is opaque to radio waves from extragalactic sources with frequencies nu less than ~3 MHz. However, radio waves with kHz, Hz, and even lower frequencies may propagate through the intergalactic medium (IGM). I argue that the presence of these waves can be inferred by using the Universe as our detector. I discuss possible sub-MHz sources and set new non-trivial upper limits on the energy density of sub-MHz radio waves in galaxy clusters and the average cosmic background. Limits based on five effects are considered: (1) changes in the expansion of the Universe from the radiation energy density (2) heating of the IGM by free-free absorption; (3) radiation pressure squeezing of IGM clouds by external radio waves; (4) synchrotron heating of electrons in clusters; and (5) Inverse Compton upscattering of sub-MHz radio photons. Any sub-MHz background must have an energy density much smaller than the CMB at frequencies below 1 MHz. The free-free absorption bounds from the Lyman-alpha forest are potentially the strongest, but are highly dependent on the properties of sub-MHz radio scattering in the IGM. I estimate an upper limit of 6 * 10^4 L_sun Mpc^-3 for the emissivity within Lyman-alpha forest clouds in the frequency range 5 - 200 Hz. The sub-MHz energy density in the Coma cluster is constrained to be less than ~10^-15 erg cm^-3. At present, none of the limits is strong enough to rule out a maximal T_b = 10^12 K sub-MHz synchrotron background, but other sources may be constrained with a better knowledge of sub-MHz radio propagation in the IGM.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS, 4 figures, 20 pages

Multidimensional analysis of the frequencies and rates of cytokine secretion from single cells by quantitative microengraving

The large diversity of cells that comprise the human immune system requires methods that can resolve the individual contributions of specific subsets to an immunological response. Microengraving is process that uses a dense, elastomeric array of microwells to generate microarrays of proteins secreted from large numbers of individual live cells ([similar]10⁴–10⁵ cells/assay). In this paper, we describe an approach based on this technology to quantify the rates of secretion from single immune cells. Numerical simulations of the microengraving process indicated an operating regime between 30 min–4 h that permits quantitative analysis of the rates of secretion. Through experimental validation, we demonstrate that microengraving can provide quantitative measurements of both the frequencies and the distribution in rates of secretion for up to four cytokines simultaneously released from individual viable primary immune cells. The experimental limits of detection ranged from 0.5 to 4 molecules/s for IL-6, IL-17, IFNγ, IL-2, and TNFα. These multidimensional measures resolve the number and intensities of responses by cells exposed to stimuli with greater sensitivity than single-parameter assays for cytokine release. We show that cells from different donors exhibit distinct responses based on both the frequency and magnitude of cytokine secretion when stimulated under different activating conditions. Primary T cells with specific profiles of secretion can also be recovered after microengraving for subsequent expansion in vitro. These examples demonstrate the utility of quantitative, multidimensional profiles of single cells for analyzing the diversity and dynamics of immune responses in vitro and for identifying rare cells from clinical samples.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U.S.) (Award no. 5U19AI050864-07)National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U.S.) (Award no. F32AI651003)National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U.S.) (Award no. U19AI070352)National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U.S.) (Award no. U19AI046130)National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U.S.) (Award no. P01AI045757)National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U.S.) (Jacob Javits Merit Award (NS2427))Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Texaco- Mangelsdorf Career Development Professor

Bench-to-bedside review: Chloride in critical illness

Chloride is the principal anion in the extracellular fluid and is the second main contributor to plasma tonicity. Its concentration is frequently abnormal in intensive care unit patients, often as a consequence of fluid therapy. Yet chloride has received less attention than any other ion in the critical care literature. New insights into its physiological roles have emerged together with progress in understanding the structures and functions of chloride channels. In clinical practice, interest in a physicochemical approach to acid-base physiology has directed renewed attention to chloride as a major determinant of acid-base status. It has also indirectly helped to generate interest in other possible effects of disorders of chloraemia. The present review summarizes key aspects of chloride physiology, including its channels, as well as the clinical relevance of disorders of chloraemia. The paper also highlights current knowledge on the impact of different types of intravenous fluids on chloride concentration and the potential effects of such changes on organ physiology. Finally, the review examines the potential intensive care unit practice implications of a better understanding of chloride

CMB-S4 Science Book, First Edition

This book lays out the scientific goals to be addressed by the next-generation ground-based cosmic microwave background experiment, CMB-S4, envisioned to consist of dedicated telescopes at the South Pole, the high Chilean Atacama plateau and possibly a northern hemisphere site, all equipped with new superconducting cameras. CMB-S4 will dramatically advance cosmological studies by crossing critical thresholds in the search for the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves, in the determination of the number and masses of the neutrinos, in the search for evidence of new light relics, in constraining the nature of dark energy, and in testing general relativity on large scales