Search

Detection of myositis autoantibodies (MAs) has utility in both the diagnosis and subtyping of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). Multiplex assays such as the Euroimmun line immunoassay (LIA) have significant limitations in rare diseases like IIM. A retrospective cohort study was performed on positive MA detected on LIA in 171 patients using the manufacturer's recommended cut‐off. Only 16.7% were deemed true positive after clinical correlation. Autoantibody‐specific cut‐offs were created and applied to the original cohort, along with generically applied higher cut‐offs. Positive predictive value (PPV) improved, but there was variable increase in false negatives. False positive MA results are common using LIA, but locally derived cut‐offs can improve performance. Clinicians must be aware of the limitations of LIA, which is the commonest method for MA detection in Australasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the space of four years, the School of Theology at Seattle Pacific University made eight faculty hires. But for various reasons, three of the eight hirees did not prove to be good "mission fits" for the institution. Suspecting that the regrettable outcome of these searches lay not in the persons hired, but in the deficiencies of the hiring process itself, the school thoroughly revamped its method of recruiting new faculty. This essay describes the new method that was devised by the school's three department chairs in consultation with an organizational psychologist, a method implemented for the first time in 2006-2007. It argues that a successful search depends on three things: (a) the articulation of a clear set of criteria for determining what will count as a "good mission fit," (b) the compilation of a variegated array of informative documents, which address the aforementioned criteria, and (c) the utilization of a prearranged search protocol, with a clearly delineated division of labor among the stakeholders and an efficient method of collecting, synthesizing, and reporting all that is learned along the way. The article contends that there are both practical and ethical reasons that a Christian institution of higher education should use such an admittedly expensive and labor-intensive method of faculty recruitment. (Contains 1 table and 8 footnotes.)

Instructors who consider creation of an experiential course in race relations at the university or college level may benefit from information provided in this article. One of the coauthors, a licensed psychologist and pioneer in this type of educational experience, provides insights regarding challenges of the course from an instructor's perspective. In this article, the following are discussed: optimal instructor characteristics, course preparation and promotion, and administration and student considerations.

Key requirements for an experiential, innovative course in race relations, as well as the process followed for university approval and implementation, are described. The course was offered by a licensed clinical psychologist at a university in the "deep South" during the 1970's, a period of heightened racial tensions, and was part of a special program of courses designed for non-majors. The course included readings in race relations, special speakers, small group discussions and interactions, journals kept by each student and discussed with the instructor, a weekend field trip to a historically Black college, and a one-week, live-in stay in the home of a family of another race during the last third of the course. Student feedback received after each course and from a 20 year follow-up study indicated that this experiential course was perceived as the basis of life-long changes in behaviors and attitudes about race relations.

In this observational case study, we analyze how two factors--[i] human-computer interaction (HCI) designs, and [ii] linguistic properties of target word stimuli--affect observed behaviors of a person with aphasia and apraxia of speech using a therapeutic rehabilitation technology autonomously. The contrasting HCI designs display either a static image or an articulation video in response to user activation. The linguistic factors are syllabic constituent typicalities and word frequencies of the lexical stimuli. The data show that the linguistic factors interact with the HCI designs to influence user engagement patterns and word repetition success rates, discernibly and with a degree of predictability. These findings suggest mechanisms for incorporation into adaptive algorithms that can personalize stimulus selection and sequencing to boost engagement with, and effectiveness of, therapeutic apps being used autonomously by individuals with aphasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graduates of the Tennessee Technological University graduate fisheries management program were surveyed and asked five open-ended questions related to their satisfaction with the program, particularly as it has impacted them in their later professional success. Respondents were also asked to suggest improvements in the program. They reported success and satisfaction for the most part, and offered an impressive array of recommendations to make the program more relevant and practical for fisheries biologists entering today's workforce. The three most common recommendations were to include more practical field experience, to address environmental issues more extensively, and to provide more exposure and practice using specific research and data analysis methods.