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Objectives: The selection pressures exerted by pathogens have played important roles in shaping the biology and behavior of animals, including humans. Immune systems recognize and respond to cues of infection or damage by coordinating cellular, humoral, and metabolic shifts that promote recovery. Moreover, animals also possess a repertoire of behavioral tools to help combat the threat of pathogens, often referred to as the behavioral immune system. Recently, researchers have begun to examine how cognitive, affective, and behavioral disease avoidance mechanisms interact with the biological immune system. Methods: The present study explored relationships among individual differences in behavioral immune system activity (e.g., pathogen disgust), shifts in SARS-CoV-2 infection risk (i.e., 7-day case averages), and immune function in a community cohort from McLennan County, Texas, USA (n = 387). Results: Levels of disease concern were not consistently associated with immune markers. However, serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-8, as well as serum killing ability of Escherichia coli, each varied with case counts. Additional analyses found that case counts also predicted changes in stress physiology, but not subjective measures of distress. However, follow-up mediation models did not provide evidence that relationships between case counts and immunological outcomes were mediated through levels of stress. Conclusions: The present project provides initial evidence that markers of immune function may be sensitive to changes in infection risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. This adds to the growing body of research finding relationships among behavioral and biological pathogen management mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The hospitalist model of inpatient care has spread into many hospitals in the United States with over 34,000 physicians, mostly general internists. Less than 4% of hospitalists trained as family doctors. Around 60% of family medicine residency programs (FMRPs) use hospitalists in their teaching model. Despite the swift growth of hospitalists, there are no reports as to medical educators' beliefs regarding hospitalists. The objective of this project was to survey FMRP directors regarding their attitudes and beliefs concerning the hospitalist model. This paper also reports on numbers of recent FMRP graduates entering hospitalist positions. METHODS: All US allopathic FMRP directors were surveyed in October 2013. The survey questions were part of a larger CERA omnibus survey. RESULTS: The response rate was 56.4%. Of 2012/2013 family medicine graduates, 9.2% entered hospitalist positions. FMRPs in the Southern United States, or of the community-based non-affiliated program type, as well as programs with higher percentages of current residents who are international medical graduates produce the most hospitalists. Most program directors did not feel their residents needed different hospital skills training than they are currently being taught. Use of hospitalists was not felt to improve patient care nor interfere with FMRPs influence at their teaching hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Program directors generally felt neutral or positive about hospitalists and did not think this care model had positively or adversely affected their programs. Many family medicine residents are entering hospitalist positions upon graduating. Family medicine as a discipline should continue to study the hospitalist care model and its impact on family medicine training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the numbers of faculty in the family medicine academic workforce. As family medicine continues to advance in the current patient-centered medical home environment, baseline data on family medicine faculty may become important for policy makers and those who try to influence them. This nationwide study describes the types, numbers, and regional location of family medicine academic faculty. METHODS: All US allopathic family medicine residency program and US medical school family medicine department websites were gleaned for information regarding academic faculty. Additionally, programs were contacted via telephone and asked whether any of their faculty were considered part-time. RESULTS: Data were collected from 99% of programs/departments. There are 8,987 people in academic family medicine faculty positions. More than 80% of these are physicians. Over 50% of programs/departments have at least one physician with a doctor of osteopathy degree; 21.9% of faculty are considered part-time. Pharmacists accounted for the highest percentage of part-time faculty. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the most complete census available to date of family medicine faculty in the United States. Such data may be useful in predicting future family medicine faculty workforce needs as the state of primary care medicine continues to evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Scholarly activity in the form of original research presentations is valuable to the discipline of family medicine. Two major venues for family medicine researchers to present their work are the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Annual Spring Conference and the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Annual Meeting. Both of these organizations have seen increasing numbers of submissions and subsequent presentations in recent years. The purpose of this project was to analyze the trend in increasing presentations and document the incidence of duplicate research presentations across these two meetings. METHODS: Numbers of primary authors and coauthors were assessed and compared across meetings from 2009 to 2012. Abstracts from the same author(s) presenting at consecutive meetings were compared for originality. RESULTS: STFM has had a nearly 50% increase in numbers of presentations from 2009 to 2012, and NAPCRG has seen a 17.6% increase. There has been an 88.2% increase in the number of presentation authors and coauthors who present at consecutive meetings during the same time frame. Four duplicate research presentations were found from 2009 through spring of 2012. CONCLUSIONS: Numbers of author and coauthor presenters at STFM and NAPCRG annual meetings have Increased greatly since 2009. Very little duplication of research presentations was found. It appears that, for the most part, presenters at both STFM and NAPCRG are not presenting duplicate research projects. This is even more important now with limited space at meet-ings due to record numbers of presentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an answer to a question of whether antiepileptic drugs affect oral contraceptive effectiveness.

Answers a question on the safety and effectiveness of vaginal misoprostol (Cytotec) for cervical ripening in a term pregnancy. Comparison of misoprostol with other cervical ripening methods; Information on the process of cervical ripening; Recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology regarding the dosage of misoprostol.

A letter is presented in which the authors discuss the benefits of community precepting, through which family physicians can earn upto 20 continuing medical education (CME) credits, and mention the resource TeachingPhysician.org by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine for preceptors.

Background and Objectives: Darker skin pigmentation and aging are known factors influencing the body's ability to synthesize adequate amounts of vitamin D (25OHD). The objective of this study is to determine the 25OHD insufficiency in elderly African American females of low socioeconomic status (SES) in a southern latitude during springtime sun exposure., Methods: Patients >or= 70 years old who did not have disorders that might affect vitamin D and calcium absorption/metabolism were enrolled at a community health center. Serum calcium, 25OHD, and intact parathyroid hormone were measured and repeated 6--8 weeks later. Bone mineral density (BMD) scan results were obtained from clinic records., Results: Most subjects (86.4%) had inadequate 25OHD levels < 32ng/mL, and no clinically significant rise in levels was seen after 6--8 weeks of sun exposure. A quarter of subjects had truly deficient 25OHD levels

Increasing the amount and quality of family medicine research has long been a goal of the specialty. The Future of Family Medicine project endorses the generation of new knowledge and promotes scholarship during residency training. Formal training in the principles of research needs to be initiated early to create the cadre of highly trained researchers that will be required to accomplish this goal. Every family medicine residency graduate should have a working understanding of study design, study conduct, presentation of results, and critical analysis of the medical literature. Teaching these research skills in residency is challenging due to time constraints, funding limitations, varying resident interest, and a relative lack of experienced faculty mentors. This paper reviews the existing literature on teaching research to family medicine residents. Program features consistently associated with successfully promoting resident research include faculty mentors, a formal research curriculum, a forum to present projects, technical assistance, dedicated research time, and funding support.