Monthly Archives: March 2014

GovWatch: Amtrack, porn on state computers and spending dimes to make nickels

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Amtrak has decided giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars in wine, cheese and champagne wasnt enough. The U.S. taxpayer-subsidized railroad is now giving free rides to itinerant writers.

Two dozen writers will be selected starting this month for the #AmtrakResidency program. Each will get a private sleeper car on a round-trip, long-distance route to work on their craft in an inspiring environment.

Writer Jessica Gross offered this advice to Amtraks blog: Dont be too ambitious with what you plan to get done: Allow for time spent gazing out the window, letting ideas work themselves out in your mind. Its that kind of deep thinking that the train is particularly good for, and that can be more difficult to achieve in the interstices of busy day-to-day life.

Amtrak asked for $2.6 billion in federal support this year, and has long struggled to turn a profit. An inspector generals report last year noted the system loses tens of millions of dollars a year on food and beverage service, including free food provided to passengers on some routes.

Sexy Babe on state computer

State officials quickly removed a pornographic video titled Sexy Babe that was found on an Ohio Department of Natural Resources website.

The Columbus Dispatch reported about the video after the newspaper was contacted by a reader. It was on a page where companies can upload large files such as maps that are used as data for tracking more than 100,000 wells permitted since 1980.

Turns out anyone could upload files to the site. In addition to two porn videos there were music files and other non-official-looking files, the Dispatch reported.

State officials took down the materials and began requiring credentials to upload stuff to the site, the newspaper reported.

Spending dimes to make nickels

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GovWatch: Amtrack, porn on state computers and spending dimes to make nickels

'Transcendence': Johnny Depp Sci-Fi Thriller Is A Technological Cautionary Tale [Trailer + Pictures]

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Depp undergoes an eerie cyber transformation in 'Transcendence.'

The full-length trailer has been released for the upcoming Johnny Depp sci-fi thriller, Transcendence. Directed by Wally Pfister ('Inception,' 'The Dark Knight'), the film pushes the boundaries of human innovation to bring us a chilling look at the potentially destructive power of technology. Depp stars as a scientist whose brain is uploaded to a supercomputer upon his death.

In His First Sci-Fi Role, Johnny Depp Plays A Genius Scientist On The Verge Of Breakthrough.

Will Caster (Depp) is a computer scientist at the forefront of artificial intelligence research before he is taken out by an anti-technology activist. Determined not to die, the scientist and his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) rush to find a way to upload his consciousness so that he can communicate even beyond the grave. However, not everybody is certain of what will happen if they succeed, especially as Carter's mind begins to evolve and become more powerful than he could have ever dreamed.

Watch The Full 'Transcendence' Trailer:

Pfister's unnerving thriller explores a future of science without boundaries and the untold effect that merging robotics with human emotional intelligence can have upon mankind. Having played a pirate, a mad hatter, a chocolatier and a chameleon, Transcendence will see Depp transformed into a highly intelligent computer in his first high-profile science fiction role alongside Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy and Paul Bettany.

Caster's Mind Is Uploaded To A Supercomputer Before His Death.

Even by watching the trailer, we get a real flavour of 2010's critically-lauded Inception, the surreal sci-fi film for which Pfister worked as a cinematographer. The same jaw-dropping digital effects are used for full impact in Transcendence, which combines a philosophical and intelligent plotline with state-of-the-art CGI and futuristic scenes.

Caster's Former Colleagues Watch With Horror & Fascination As His Power Exceeds Imagination.

Transcendence will be released on the 17th April in the USA and on the 25th April in the UK.

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'Transcendence': Johnny Depp Sci-Fi Thriller Is A Technological Cautionary Tale [Trailer + Pictures]

Stigmata of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Stanford Medicine 25) – Video

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Stigmata of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Stanford Medicine 25)
This Stanford Medicine 25 video was created in conjunction with Stanford #39;s AIM lab teaching the examination of the spleen. The Stanford Medicine 25 is a Stan...

By: Stanford Medicine 25

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Stigmata of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Stanford Medicine 25) - Video

Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for March 18, 2014

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Mar-2014

Contact: Megan Hanks mhanks@acponline.org 215-351-2656 American College of Physicians

1. Evidence does not support guidelines on fatty acid consumption to reduce coronary risk

Current evidence does not support nutritional guidelines that advocate high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine. For cardiovascular health, nutritional guidelines generally encourage low consumption of saturated fats, high consumption of w-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and avoidance of trans fats. However, uncertainties in available evidence have contributed to the considerable variation in international guidelines about optimum amounts and types of fatty acids people should consume. Further complicating data interpretation, earlier analyses have generally not assessed the consistency between studies that rely on dietary self-report and biomarker measures of fatty acids in relation to coronary disease. Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from long-term prospective observational studies of a broad range of both dietary and biomarker fatty acid measures in coronary disease. They also examined associations with coronary outcomes in randomized trials of fatty acid supplementation. The researchers' findings did not support cardiovascular guidelines that promote high consumption of long-chain w-3 and w-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and reduced consumption of total saturated fatty acids. They also found that supplementation did not statistically significantly reduce the risk for coronary outcomes.

Note: The URL will go live at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 17 and can be included in news stories. For an embargoed PDF, please contact Megan Hanks or Angela Collom. The lead author, Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury, may be contacted directly at RC436@medschl.cam.ac.uk.

2. Patients co-infected with HIV and HCV more likely to suffer liver decompensation

Despite treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART), patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) have higher rates of liver decompensation than patients with HCV alone, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Up to 30 percent of patients with HIV also are often co-infected with HCV and HCV-related liver complications are an important cause of morbidity in co-infected patients. It has been suggested that ART slows HCV-associated liver fibrosis. However, whether rates of hepatic decompensation and other severe liver events in co-infected patients receiving ART are similar to those with HCV only remains unclear. Veterans Affairs researchers compared health records for 4,280 patients co-infected with HIV and HCV who initiated ART with those of 6,079 veterans with HCV only to compare hepatic decompensation rates. Co-infected patients that had HIV RNA levels less than 1,000 copies/ML had a lower rate of hepatic decompensation than those with a lesser degree of HIV suppression. However, the rate was still higher than that of patients with HCV alone. Higher rates of decompensation were seen in co-infected patients receiving ART who had baseline advanced liver fibrosis, severe anemia, diabetes, and were of nonblack race.

Note: The URL will go live at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 17 and can be included in news stories. For an embargoed PDF, please contact Megan Hanks or Angela Collom. To interview the lead author, please contact Steve Graff at Stephen.Graff@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-349-5653.

3. Pneumonia coding practices may skew hospital performance outcomes

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Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for March 18, 2014

National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Releasing Medical School Match Day 2014 Results March 21, 2014

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Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) March 18, 2014

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) will announce the 2014 Main Residency Match results for more than 17, 000 United States allopathic medical school seniors and 16,000 other applicants on Friday, March 21, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Match Day is an annual rite of passage for U.S. medical school students and other applicants, a day when they learn at which U.S. residency programs they will train for the next three to seven years.

Its an exciting and life-changing day for young physicians, said Mona M. Signer, executive director of the NRMP. She added, We are pleased to be able to share in this defining moment in their careers.

Early in their final year of medical school, U. S. senior students apply to the residency programs at which they would like to train. Directors of those programs review applications and invite candidates for interviews, typically in the fall and early winter. Once the interview period is over, applicants and program directors submit rank order lists to the NRMP. Program directors rank applicants in order of preference, and applicants compile their lists based on their preferred medical specialty and the location of the training programs.

In 2013, 40,335 applicants vied for positions, and the NRMP reported that about 94% of U. S. seniors matched to first-year positions. Students and graduates of international medical schools, osteopathic (D.O. degree) schools, and Canadian candidates also participate in the Main Residency Match.

For more information and data on this years Match results, please visit the NRMP website after 1:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 21, or contact your local medical school for details on their Match Day ceremonies.

The NRMP Match The Match uses a computerized mathematical algorithm to align the preferences of applicants with the preferences of residency program directors in order to fill training positions available at U.S. teaching hospitals. Research on the NRMP algorithm was a basis for awarding The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2012.

About NRMP The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) is a private, non-profit organization established in 1952 at the request of medical students to provide an orderly and fair mechanism for matching the preferences of applicants for U.S. residency positions with the preferences of residency program directors. In addition to the Main Residency Match, the NRMP conducts Fellowship Matches for more than 50 subspecialties through its Specialties Matching Service (SMS). For more information, contact NRMP at 1-866-653-NRMP (6767) or visit nrmp.org. For interviews, please email cherbert(at)nrmp(dot)org.

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National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Releasing Medical School Match Day 2014 Results March 21, 2014

Concerns about HPat medical school entrance exam need to be urgently addressed

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A report in this newspaper that the medical school entrance examination, the HPat, is being investigated amid claims that students had prior knowledge of some of the questions that appeared in the exam is disturbing.

While there is no suggestion of any impropriety on the part of students or the course provider, it is claimed as many as 700 students who attended two-day courses run by a company called MedEntry were coached through a large number of questions, up to 10 of which appeared in the Hpat exam held earlier this month.

The Australian Council for Educational Research (Acer), which administers the HPat test used in Ireland, said it is concerned at the claim and is now conducting a full investigation.

Introduced here in 2009, HPat is seen as a mechanism to widen the number of students eligible to apply for an undergraduate medical degree here. It effectively lowers the Leaving Certificate points threshold; points from the Leaving are now combined with those from the HPat to produce an overall score from which the Central Applications Office then makes offers of places to students.

While kept under regular review by educationalists here, a formal review of the examination is due to be carried out later this year by academics at University College Cork to decide whether to retain the test or not. In this context it is interesting to note there has been a decline in the numbers sitting the aptitude test, dropping from around 3,000 students in 2012 to just over 2,500 candidates this year. It would be wise for those tasked with deciding on the HPats future to undertake research among applicants to establish why this decline has occurred.

The 2012 report of the National Research Group Evaluating Revised Entry Mechanisms to Medicine found that candidates who repeated the HPat were likely to improve their score with the largest improvement seen in a section devoted to non verbal-reasoning. The review subsequently recommended that the scores be redistributed for all three sections with the aim of reducing t he impact of repeating the test.

There can be no question mark over the integrity of any test which helps to determine entry to a university in the State. The Minister for Education must ask the Higher Education Authority to investigate the process of entry to medical schools in Irish universities as a matter of urgency.

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Concerns about HPat medical school entrance exam need to be urgently addressed

KU Medical School wins accreditation; concern cited over main training building, diversity

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Topeka The Kansas University Medical School won re-accreditation despite concerns voiced by KU officials to legislators that lack of funding for a $75 million health education building could have jeopardized accreditation. Even so, the need for a new building remains a concern going forward, officials said.

KU announced Monday that it received full accreditation for the next eight years, which is the longest period possible.

But the schools accreditors, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), cited the school for noncompliance in two areas and said the school must show progress in six other areas by Aug. 1, 2015.

And one of those areas that the school must show progress in is improving its training facilities at the Kansas City, Kan., campus.

During the 2014 legislative session, KU officials have told legislators that without assistance in building a new $75 million health education building, the school faced accreditation problems.

On Monday, Douglas Girod, executive vice chancellor of the KU Medical Center, said the school was surprised it wasnt cited for an inadequate training building at the Kansas City campus after LCME visited the schools campuses in October 2013.

Based on comments from LCME visitors last fall, we anticipated a citation for lack of facilities appropriate for our curriculum, Girod said. We are fortunate they didnt issue a citation, but the accreditors made it clear this is an area that needs immediate attention.

The LCME said we are still in compliance, but that we need to fix the problem, Girod said. In August 2015, they wont be satisfied with were working on it. We need to show real progress on our building project in the next 17 months.

According to the LCME findings, students and faculty express dissatisfaction with the current state of facilities, including inadequate seating, particularly in the first-year lecture hall and the number of small-group classrooms that limit the schools ability to fully incorporate active learning on the Kansas City campus.

Girod said school officials are continuing discussions with Gov. Sam Brownback and the Legislature about the importance of the new building.

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KU Medical School wins accreditation; concern cited over main training building, diversity