scholarly journals Comparing Vertical and Horizontal Screening Methods for Pharmacy Resident Candidates Before Interviews

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Peeters ◽  
Todd E. Gundram ◽  
Julie A. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Initial Screening ◽  
Component Reliability ◽  
Residency Recruitment ◽  
Actual Selection

Purpose: Prior studies have examined autobiographical screening methods among medical student applicants, and demonstrated halo bias with single-rater scoring; though others have questioned its practical significance. Comparing with traditional vertical screening method, we evaluated a horizontal method for initial screening of Post-Graduate Year-1 (PGY-1) pharmacy practice resident candidate applications prior to interviews. Methods: Our screening rubric for PGY-1 pharmacy residency candidates consisted of eight criteria, each scored using a 5-point Likert scale. During the 2014 residency recruitment season, two single-evaluators (A&B) scored all eight criteria and their scores were summed into total application scores (vertical method). Meanwhile two other evaluators (C&D) each evaluated only two criteria for all applications. The four combined-evaluators (A-D) scores, on two criteria each, were summed together into total application scores (horizontal method). For statistical comparison of single-evaluator and combined-evaluators, inter-component reliabilities were analyzed for each evaluator, while inter-rater consistency was also examined. For practical significance, actual selection differences were reviewed. Results:Forty-six applications were evaluated to determine 24 invitations for on-site interviews. Inter-component reliability differed among evaluatorA, evaluatorB, combined-evaluators A-D (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.74, 0.73, 0.58, respectively; lower better). Among raters, inter-rater consistency was excellent (0.86 by intraclass correlation, p Conclusion: Halo bias was seen with the single-evaluators (vertical method); two interview invitations were negatively impacted. For pharmacy resident screening, a horizontal screening method appears to be rigorous in promoting fairness for applicants. As pharmacy residency applications continue to grow, a fair and time-efficient method of screening seems imperative.   Type: Original Research

Efficacy of three greenhouse screening methods for the identification of physiological resistance to white mold in dry bean

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 755-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Terán ◽  
S P Singh
Keyword(s):  
Phaseolus Vulgaris ◽  
Common Bean ◽  
Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
White Mold ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Post Inoculation ◽  
Dry Bean ◽  
Physiological Resistance ◽  
Nueva Granada

White mold (WM) caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is the most devastating disease of common bean (dry and snap or garden bean) (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in North America. The use of a reliable screening method (SM) in common bean is crucial to improve physiological resistance to WM. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of three SM to identify physiological resistance in dry bean genotypes with different evolutionary origins and levels of resistance. Screening methods tested were: (i) the modified straw test or cut–stem (CSM); (ii) infected bean flower (IFL); and (iii) infected oat seed (IOS). A 195, ICA Bunsi, Othello, and VCW 54 dry bean were tested with the three SM. The experimental design was a split plot in randomized complete blocks with three replications in 2007 and 2008. Two independent inoculations 1 wk apart for each SM were made. The WM reaction was scored at 16, 23, and 33 d post-inoculation (DPI) using a 1 to 9 scale. There were highly significant differences between SM and its interaction with years. The CSM and IFL were the most consistent and highly correlated (r > 0.70, P < 0.01). Interspecific breeding line VCW 54 consistently had the highest WM resistance across years, SM, and evaluation dates, followed by A 195. White mold scores increased with delayed evaluations. Thus, CSM or IFL with disease assessed 33 DPI should be used for identifying common bean genotypes with high levels of physiological resistance to WM.Key words: Common bean, growth habit, race Mesoamerica, race Nueva Granada, Phaseolus vulgaris, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

A New Screening Approach For Fast And Accurate Prediction Of Positive And Negative Urine Cultures By SediMAX Compared With The Standard Urine Culture

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55
Author(s):  
Massimo Pieri ◽  
Flaminia Tomassetti ◽  
Paola Cerini ◽  
Roberta Felicetti ◽  
Lucia Ceccaroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Cell ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Urine Culture ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Bacterial Count ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Urine Sediment ◽  
Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most frequent bacterial infections, and the detection of infection in urine samples is expensive and time-consuming. Also, in laboratories a significant proportion of samples processed yield negative results. For this, screening methods represent an important improvement towards the final UTI diagnosis. SediMAX is an automated microscopy, easier to use in laboratories due to its basic procedure and it is widely used for urine sediment analysis. In our study, we evaluated the performance of SediMAX, applying some screening parameters, compared with the gold standard methods, urine culture, to identify all the positive cases for UTI. We analysed 1185 urine samples from our daily laboratory routine. The basis of our screening model was to establish a cut-off for bacterial count (BACT), as 300 bacteria/µL in order to avoid missing positive cases. However, the sensitivity and the specificity achieved were not enough to identify all UTI infection in urine samples. So, in addition to BACT we have considered other parameters, such as White Blood Cell (WBC), Red Blood Cell (RBC), Yeasts (YEST), Age and Nitrates (NIT). The second screening method reached a sensitivity of 100%, that could be reliably employed in detect of UTIs.

scholarly journals Therapeutic Potential of CUDC-907 (Fimepinostat) for Hepatocarcinoma Treatment Revealed by Tumor Spheroids-based Drug Screening

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Liao ◽  
Wanren Yang ◽  
Yue Zhang ◽  
Fanhong Zeng ◽  
Jiecheng Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Lines ◽  
Drug Screening ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Spheroid Culture ◽  
3D Print ◽  
Culture Plate ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. However, most of the new anti-cancer agents screened by traditional drug screening methods fail in the clinic because of lack of efficacy. One of the reasons for this dilemma is that the two-dimensional (2D) culture cancer cell lines could not represent the in vivo cancer cells well. Fortunately, the development of a three-dimensional (3D) culture technique helps in this problem. Methods: The high-throughput spheroid culture plate was fabricated by using 3D print technique and agarose. 4 hepatocarcinoma (HCC) cell lines were 3D cultured to screen 19 small molecular agents based on the spheroid culture plate. 3D cultured primary HCC cells and tumor-bearing mice model were established to verify the candidate anti-hepatocarcinoma agent. Cell function experiments and western blotting were conducted to explore the anti-hepatocarcinoma mechanism of the candidate agent. Results: Based on the previous study, we established an in vitro 3D drug screening method by using our invented spheroid culture device and found that CUDC-907 can serve as a potent anti-hepatocarcinoma agent. The study data show that CUDC-907 (fimepinostat), a novel dual acting inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and histone deacetylase (HDAC), has potent inhibitory effects on HCC cell lines and primary HCC cells in vitro, Animal studies have shown that CUDC-907 can also suppress HCC cells in vivo. Furthermore, we investigated the antitumor mechanism of CUDC-907 in HCC cells. We found that it inhibits the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and downregulates the expression of c-Myc, leading to the suppression of HCC cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CUDC-907 can be a candidate anti-HCC drug, and the 3D in vitro drug screening method based on our novel spheroid culture device is promising for drug screening.

scholarly journals Time and Motion Study of Influenza Diagnostic Testing in a Community Pharmacy

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Klepser ◽  
Allison Dering-Anderson ◽  
Jacqueline Morse ◽  
Michael Klepser ◽  
Stephanie Klepser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Time And Motion Study ◽  
Time And Motion ◽  
Motion Study ◽  
Time Required

Background: It has been shown that use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) is able to reduce costs and improve the prescribing practice of antivirals (i.e. oseltamivir) among patients with influenza-like illnesses (ILIs). Using existing Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA)-waived RDTs and collaborative practice agreements, similar to those used to allow pharmacists to administer vaccines, it is possible for patients to seek point-of-care treatment for influenza or flu-like symptoms at a local pharmacy. Following a review of the patient's symptoms by a trained pharmacist, the qualified patient is offered an RDT to determine if the influenza virus is the cause of the symptoms. Based on the results of the RDT, the patient is provided with the appropriate treatment as defined by an approved practice agreement. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating an RDT for influenza into community pharmacy practice. Methods: This time and motion study was conducted at three community pharmacy locations, and a total of eight simulated patient visits were completed utilizing a standardized patient. In addition to determining a total time of the encounter, each simulation was divided into nine timed sub-categories. For data analysis, the time spent in each of the nine sub-categories was assigned to the pharmacist, pharmacy technician, or patient. Time and motion methodologies were used to estimate the total time required to provide the RDT service, to determine the amount of active time required of the pharmacist and pharmacy technician, and to evaluate the ability of the staff to provide the service within its existing workflow. Results: The average total time to complete the entire patient encounter for an influenza assessment utilizing an RDT was 35.5 minutes (± 3.1 minutes). On average, the pharmacist spent 9.4 minutes (± 3 minutes) per encounter or about 26.5% of the entire encounter. When the pharmacy technician collected the vital signs, the pharmacist-required time was reduced to 4.95 minutes (± 2.7 minutes), which was about a 48% reduction. Conclusions: The results indicate that an RDT program for influenza assessment required no more than a modest amount of pharmacist time and could be successfully incorporated into regular workflow with little to no disruption of other activities. As such, this approach to influenza management may be a feasible service for community pharmacies to offer patients. This was especially true if the pharmacy had well-trained technicians on staff that could support the service with collection of patient histories and vital signs.   Type: Original Research

scholarly journals Research on the Unstable Branch Screening Method for Power System With High-Proportion Wind Power

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Tang ◽  
Xiaoqing Wei ◽  
Yuhan Guo ◽  
Junfeng Qi ◽  
Jiarui Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power System ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Simulation Analysis ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Prediction Method ◽  
Stability Margin ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Unstable Branch ◽  
Oscillation Characteristics

The sooner the system instability is predicted and the unstable branches are screened, the timelier emergency control can be implemented for a wind power system. In this paper, aiming at the problem that the existing unstable branch screening methods are lack prejudgment, an unstable branch screening method for power system with high-proportion wind power is proposed. Firstly, the equivalent external characteristics model of the wind farm was deduced. And based on this, the out-of-step oscillation characteristics of the power system with high proportion wind power was analyzed. Secondly, based on the oscillation characteristics, line weak-connection index (LWcI) was proposed to quantify the stability margin of a branch. Then an instability prediction method and an unstable branch screening method were proposed based on LWcI and voltage phase angle difference. Finally, the rapidity and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified through the simulation analysis of IEEE-118 system.

scholarly journals Generating Property-Matched Decoy Molecules Using Deep Learning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fergus Imrie ◽  
Anthony R. Bradley ◽  
Charlotte M. Deane
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Method Development ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Additional Risk ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Screening Performance ◽  
And Training ◽  
Virtual Screening Performance

An essential step in the development of virtual screening methods is the use of established sets of actives and decoys for benchmarking and training. However, the decoy molecules in commonly used sets are biased meaning that methods often exploit these biases to separate actives and decoys, rather than learning how to perform molecular recognition. This fundamental issue prevents generalisation and hinders virtual screening method development. We have developed a deep learning method (DeepCoy) that generates decoys to a user’s preferred specification in order to remove such biases or construct sets with a defined bias. We validated DeepCoy using two established benchmarks, DUD-E and DEKOIS 2.0. For all DUD-E targets and 80 of the 81 DEKOIS 2.0 targets, our generated decoy molecules more closely matched the active molecules’ physicochemical properties while introducing no discernible additional risk of false negatives. The DeepCoy decoys improved the Deviation from Optimal Embedding (DOE) score by an average of 81% and 66%, respectively, decreasing from 0.163 to 0.032 for DUD-E and from 0.109 to 0.038 for DEKOIS 2.0. Further, the generated decoys are harder to distinguish than the original decoy molecules via docking with Autodock Vina, with virtual screening performance falling from an AUC ROC of 0.71 to 0.63. The code is available at https://github.com/oxpig/DeepCoy. Generated molecules can be downloaded from http://opig.stats.ox.ac.uk/resources.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Characterization of Heterogeneous Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from 14 Cities in China

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 3642-3649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjia Sun ◽  
Hongbin Chen ◽  
Yudong Liu ◽  
Chunjiang Zhao ◽  
Wright W. Nichols ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Population Analysis ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Brain Heart Infusion ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Screening Cascade

ABSTRACT The prevalence of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) among 1,012 vancomycin-susceptible methicillin (meticillin)-resistant S. aureus isolates collected from 14 cities in China from 2005 to 2007 was 13 to 16%, as determined by a combination of (i) measurement by the modified population analysis profile-area under the curve method (PAP-AUC) and (ii) estimation from the measured sensitivity and specificity of a screening method. Two hundred isolates from blood were chosen as a subset for measurement of the sensitivities and the specificities of several previously described screening methods by using the results of PAP-AUC as the reference. During this testing, one isolate was found to be a vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strain so was not used in the evaluation of the screening tests. Of the other 199 isolates, 26 (13.1%) were hVISA, as assessed by PAP-AUC. A screening cascade of culturing the isolates on brain heart infusion agar containing teicoplanin (5 mg/liter) and then subjecting the positive isolates to a macro-Etest method was applied to the 812 non-blood isolates, yielding 149 positive results. From these results and by adjusting for sensitivity (0.423) and specificity (0.861), the prevalence was estimated to be 15.7%. The precision of that estimate was assessed by reapplying the screening cascade to 120 randomly selected isolates from the 812 non-blood isolates and simultaneously determining their heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate susceptibility status by PAP-AUC. Because PAP-AUC is impractical for use with large numbers of isolates, the screening-based estimation method is useful as a first approximation of the prevalence of hVISA. Of the 27 VISA or hVISA isolates from blood, 22.2% and 74.1% were staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec types II and III, respectively, while 77.8% and 22.2% were agr type 1 and agr type 2, respectively; the MIC ranges were 0.5 to 4 mg/liter for vancomycin and 0.25 to 1 mg/liter for daptomycin.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasound in Correlation to Alkaline Phosphatase Levels in Patients with Biliary Obstructions

2020 ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
OJS Admin
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Bile Duct ◽  
Common Bile Duct ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Biliary Tract Disease ◽  
Initial Screening ◽  
Abdominal Ultrasonography ◽  
The Common ◽  
Tract Disease

Abdominal Ultrasonography (USG) is an appropriate initial screening method for detection of biliary tract disease the consultants sometimes encounter patients who only have findings of dilatation of the Common Bile Duct (CBD) on US without specic biliary symptoms or jaundice.

scholarly journals Perioperative Nutritional Screening Tools Are Not Associated with Poor Outcomes After Musculoskeletal Trauma

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1136-1136
Author(s):  
Aspen Miller ◽  
John Davison ◽  
Nathan Hendrickson ◽  
Erin Wilson ◽  
Natalie Glass ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Screening Tool ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Complication Rates ◽  
Nutritional Screening ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Poor Outcomes ◽  
Musculoskeletal Trauma

Abstract Objectives Malnutrition is predictive of poor outcomes after trauma. Side effects of both pain and narcotics often limit postoperative dietary intake increasing nutritional deficiencies and limiting wound healing. The purpose of this study was to compare the predictive ability of a dietician nutritional evaluation and a patient reported nutritional screening tool for post-operative complications after musculoskeletal trauma. Methods Adults with operative pelvis or long bone fractures were prospectively enrolled in a single-blinded RCT and included in this analysis. Subjects were evaluated with the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) survey at baseline. Dietician Nutritional Assessment Screening (NAS) was performed for patients ≥65 years with low Albumin or Vitamin D, or admitted to the ICU. Complication analysis included subjects having minimum 6-month follow-up and/or ≥1 complication within six months. Spearman's Correlation was used to evaluate agreement between screening methods. Comparison using X analysis was done of complications between pre-operative assignment of malnutrition for each screening tool. Results Agreement of NAS and self-reported PG-SGA for 265 subjects demonstrated a weak correlation of rho = 0.23, P = 0.0002. Neither screening method had significant correlation for rates of non-union, mortality, medical, or surgical complications between designations of malnutrition (all P &gt; .05). Among study subjects, incidence of those having a medical or surgical complication not screened by a dietician was 31.3% and 37.7% respectively. Conclusions Results indicate inconsistency in methods for assigning malnutrition in trauma population. Additionally, designation of malnutrition by either method was not associated with post-operative complication rates. The high incidence of those with a complication who were not evaluated by a dietician during initial hospitalization (1/3rd) support the need to develop better methods for screening malnutrition after trauma. Funding Sources American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Board of Specialty Societies Quality and Patient Safety Action Fund.

scholarly journals Cervical Cancer Screening Programs in Europe: The Transition Towards HPV Vaccination and Population-Based HPV Testing

Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Chrysostomou ◽  
Dora Stylianou ◽  
Anastasia Constantinidou ◽  
Leondios Kostrikis
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Cervical Cancer Screening ◽  
Hpv Vaccination ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Hpv Testing ◽  
Screening Programs

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequently occurring cancer in women around the world and can affect them during their reproductive years. Since the development of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test, screening has been essential in identifying cervical cancer at a treatable stage. With the identification of the human papillomavirus (HPV) as the causative agent of essentially all cervical cancer cases, HPV molecular screening tests and HPV vaccines for primary prevention against the virus have been developed. Accordingly, comparative studies were designed to assess the performance of cervical cancer screening methods in order to devise the best screening strategy possible. This review critically assesses the current cervical cancer screening methods as well as the implementation of HPV vaccination in Europe. The most recent European Guidelines and recommendations for organized population-based programs with HPV testing as the primary screening method are also presented. Lastly, the current landscape of cervical cancer screening programs is assessed for both European Union member states and some associated countries, in regard to the transition towards population-based screening programs with primary HPV testing.

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