The Role of Mock Reviewing Sessions in the National Research Mentoring Network Strategic Empowerment Tailored for Health Equity Investigators: A Randomized Controlled Study.

The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Strategic Empowerment Tailored for Health Equity Investigators (SETH) study evaluates the value of adding Developmental Network to Coaching in the career advancement of diverse Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs). Focused NIH-formatted Mock Reviewing Sessions (MRS) prior to the submission of grants can significantly enhance the scientific merits of an ESI's grant application. We evaluated the most prevalent design, analysis-related factors, and the likelihood of grant submissions and awards associated with going through MRS, using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and logistic regression methods. A total of 62 out of 234 applications went through the MRS. There were 69.4% that pursued R grants, 22.6% career development (K) awards, and 8.0% other grant mechanisms. Comparing applications that underwent MRS versus those that did not (N = 172), 67.7% vs. 38.4% were submitted for funding (i.e., unadjusted difference of 29.3%; OR = 4.8, 95% CI = (2.4, 9.8), p-value < 0.0001). This indicates that, relative to those who did not undergo MRS, ESIs who did, were 4.8 times as likely to submit an application for funding. Also, ESIs in earlier cohorts (1-2) (a period that coincided with the pre COVID-19 era) as compared to those who were recruited at later cohorts (3-4) (i.e., during the peak of COVID-19 period) were 3.8 times as likely to submit grants (p-value < 0.0001). The most prevalent issues that were identified included insufficient statistical design considerations and plans (75%), conceptual framework (28.3%), specific aims (11.7%), evidence of significance (3.3%), and innovation (3.3%). MRS potentially enhances grant submissions for extramural funding and offers constructive feedback allowing for modifications that enhance the scientific merits of research grants.

Randomized Controlled Study to Test the Effectiveness of Developmental Network Coaching in the Career Advancement of Diverse Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs): Implementation Challenges and Lessons Learned.

Introduction: Adding developmental networks (DN) to grant-writing coaching can significantly enhance ESIs' research careers. Herein, we present study design, ESIs' characteristics and encountered challenges/lessons learned and their resolutions when deploying/implementing (a) NCR algorithm(s), (b) recruitment/retention and (c) implementing DN intervention. Methods: Nested Cluster Randomization (NCR) design governs this study implementation. The sample size is 220 ESIs intending to submit an NIH K, R, U, and/or Minority Supplement application(s). Primary outcome: intensity/sustainability of grant submission(s)/funding(s), measured by time to/between application(s). Outcome(s) analyses modes: summaries, Kaplan Meir and Cox proportional hazard models as a function of randomization groups and other predictors of outcomes. Results: In the present study, we recruited two cohorts of ESIs (N = 85): 39% African Americans, 18% Latinx, 18% Whites, 20% Asians and 6% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/other ethnicities; 65% are women; 73% are assistant professors, 4% are Associate Professors and 23% are instructors/scientists/post-doctoral. Participants' disciplines: 32% basic/biomedical, 36% clinical/translational and 32% social/behavioral. Proposal(s) mechanisms: 61% research grants (R series), 31% career development (K series), 7% support of competitive research (SCORE) and 1% National Science Foundation applications. NCR did produce balance in the distribution of ESIs' demographics, sex at birth, ethnicity, professional appointments, background disciplines, and mechanism of sought funding. Lessons learned/challenges: NCR implementation was methodologically challenged during implementation by added constraints (e.g., assigning coaches to the same randomization arm of their participants as well as blinding them to ESIs' randomization group). Recruitment and retention were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic and more progressive and innovative strategies were needed to heighten the visibility and outreach of this program. DN delivery was also affected by the pandemic and monitoring of ESIs' engagement and facilitation of communications interventions were needed. Resolution of these challenges effectively reconfigured NCR algorithms, recruitment/retention plans, and DN intervention delivery. We intend to recruit an additional 135 ESIs focusing on underrepresented scholars from RCMIs, CTSAs, and other programs. COVID-19 rendered this program 100% virtual, with recruitment/retention challenges and substantial disruption of ESIs' research. We may extend the grant writing period, coaching, and Mock Study Section support.

Debunking key assumptions about teams: The role of culture.

Scholars have argued that if psychologists are to gain a true understanding of human behavior, culture should be central to research and theory. The research on teams is an area where better integration between the mainstream and cross-cultural literatures is critically needed, given the increasing prevalence of multicultural teams. The purpose of this article is therefore to demonstrate how research focused on culture's influence on teams advances current mainstream theoretical understanding of team effectiveness. Guided by widely accepted frameworks of team effectiveness (Ilgen, Hollenbeck, Johnson, & Jundt, 2005) and culture (Giorgi, Lockwood, & Glynn, 2015), we extract several key assumptions from the mainstream literature that have also been examined within the cross-cultural literature. Through a process of comparing and contrasting, we determined which components of current models are upheld and debunked when seeking to generalize these models to other cultural contexts outside of North America. Although we found some consistent results across the two literatures, most of our analyses reveal there are important boundary conditions surrounding common team effectiveness assumptions when culture is considered. By anchoring our analyses around fundamental aspects of teams, including how they form, function, and finish, we then revised these assumptions according to the integration of the teams and cross-cultural literatures. Taken together, we provide a rich foundation for future research, and facilitate a more nuanced understanding of human behavior within the team context. (PsycINFO Database Record

Team training in obstetrics: A multi-level evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: Obstetric complications and adverse patient events are often preventable. Teamwork and situational awareness (SA) can improve detection and coordination of critical obstetric (OB) emergencies, subsequently improving decision making and patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a team training intervention in improving learning and transfer of teamwork, SA, decision making, and cognitive bias as well as patient outcomes in OB. METHOD: An adapted TeamSTEPPS training program was delivered to OB clinicians. Training targeted communication, mutual support, situation monitoring, leadership, SA, and cognitive bias. We conducted a repeated measures multilevel evaluation of the training using Kirkpatrick's (1994) framework of training evaluation to determine impact on trainee reactions, learning, transfer, and results. Data were collected using surveys, situational judgment tests (SJTs), observations, and patient chart reviews. RESULTS: Participants perceived the training as useful. Additionally, participants acquired knowledge of communication strategies, though knowledge of other team competencies did not significantly improve nor did self-reported teamwork on the unit. Although SJT decision accuracy did not significantly improve for all scenarios, results of behavioral observation suggest that decision accuracy significantly improved on the job, and there was a marginally significant reduction in babies' hospital length of stay. DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that the training intervention was partially effective, but more work needs to be done to determine the conditions under which training is most effective, and the ways in which to sustain improvements. Future research is needed to confirm its generalizability to additional OB units and departments.

To join or not to join: an investigation of individual facilitators and inhibitors of medical faculty participation in interdisciplinary research teams.

Interdisciplinary research (IDR) teams are an important mechanism for facilitating medical breakthroughs. This study investigates the role of individual-level predictors of the choice to join a new IDR team at a major medical institution. We collected survey data from a sample of 233 faculty members who were given the opportunity to participate in IDR teams that had recently formed around a wide range of medical topic areas. Our results suggest that even under supportive organizational conditions, some medical experts were more likely to participate than others. Specifically, basic and translational researchers, associate professors, and faculty with distinctive topic area expertise and with more experience collaborating across departmental boundaries participated at a greater rate than their peers. Our findings have implications for research, practice, and policy focused on overcoming the challenges of drawing together diverse medical experts into IDR teams with the potential to advance knowledge to prevent, cure, and treat complex medical conditions.

Prevalencia de hipertensión arterial y dislipidemias en escolares y adolescentes en Valera Estado Trujillo-Venezuela / Prevalence of arterial hypertensión and dislipidemia in children and teenagers from Valera-Estado Trujillo-Venezuela

El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar la prevalencia de hipertensión arterial y dislipidemias en escolares y adolescentes en Valera. Se diseñó un estudio descriptivo, en 157 escolares y 180 adolescentes, entre marzo y julio de 2005. Se calcularon medidas de tendencia central y dispersión, “t” de Student y test de Mann-Whitney para comparar los estadísticos de resumen. No se detectó hipertensión entre escolares, 3 presentaron hipercolesterolemia e hipertrigliceridemia para una prevalencia de 1,9 por ciento. Se detectaron 2 adolescentes masculinos con hipertensión diastólica, para una prevalencia de 2,5 por ciento, 2 adolescentes hipercolesterolémicos y 6 hipertrigliceridémicos (prevalencias de 1,1 por ciento y 3,3 por ciento respectivamente). Se evidenció un aumento progresivo de la presión arterial con la edad y dimorfismo sexual en los valores de lípidos séricos

The objective of the research was to determine the prevalence of arterial hypertension and dislipidemia in children and teenagers in Valera. A descriptive study was designed, in 157 children and 180 teenagers, between March and July, 2005. Central tendency and dispersion measures were calculated and Student “t” and Mann-Whitney test were used to compare summary statistics. Hypertension was not detected in children but 3 presented hypercholesterolemia and hipertrigliceridemia (prevalence 1,9 percent). Two teenagers were detected with diastolic hypertension (prevalence 2,5 percent), 2 hypercholesterolemia and 6 hipertrigliceridemia (prevalence 1,1 percent and 3,3 percent). There was demonstrated a progressive increase of the arterial pressure by the age, and sexual dimorphism in lipids plasma patterns

Pepsinógenos séricos para detectar cáncer gástrico en Costa Rica / Serum pepsinogen in screening for gastric cancer in Costa Rica

Las concentraciones de pepsinógenos (PG) I y II en suero, reflejan el estado funcional y morfológico de la mucosa gástrica. En este estudio se determinaron los puntos de corte óptimos de los niveles séricos de PGI, PGII y de la razón PGI/PGII, para identificar a las personas con alto riesgo de cáncer gástrico en una población de alto riesgo en Costa Rica. La población en estudio estaba formada por 338 personas sin cáncer gástrico y por 20 pacientes con cáncer gástrico. Los niveles de PGI y el valor de PGI/PGII fueron significativamente más bajos en las personas con cáncer gástrico que en los controles. Los puntos de corte óptimos para la detección de cáncer gástrico fueron de PGI ¾ 2,5. Usando estos puntos de corte la sensibilidad y especificidad fueron de 90 y 64 por ciento. Las concentraciones bajas de PGI y valores bajos de PGI/PGII indican alto riesgo de presentar un cáncer gástrico. El tamizaje por medio de pepsinógenos es simple y relativamente barato, sin embargo el beneficio real de esta prueba debe determinarse en el impacto sobre las tasas de mortalidad por cáncer gástrico

Pepsinógenos séricos para detectar cáncer gástrico en Costa Rica / Serum pepsinogen in screening for gastric cancer in Costa Rica

Las concentraciones de pepsinógenos (PG) I y II en suero, reflejan el estado funcional y morfológico de la mucosa gástrica. En este estudio se determinaron los puntos de corte óptimos de los niveles séricos de PGI, PGII y de la razón PGI/PGII, para identificar a las personas con alto riesgo de cáncer gástrico en una población de alto riesgo en Costa Rica. La población en estudio estaba formada por 338 personas sin cáncer gástrico y por 20 pacientes con cáncer gástrico. Los niveles de PGI y el valor de PGI/PGII fueron significativamente más bajos en las personas con cáncer gástrico que en los controles. Los puntos de corte óptimos para la detección de cáncer gástrico fueron de PGI 2,5. Usando estos puntos de corte la sensibilidad y especificidad fueron de 90 y 64 por ciento. Las concentraciones bajas de PGI y valores bajos de PGI/PGII indican alto riesgo de presentar un cáncer gástrico. El tamizaje por medio de pepsinógenos es simple y relativamente barato, sin embargo el beneficio real de esta prueba debe determinarse en el impacto sobre las tasas de mortalidad por cáncer gástrico (AU)

Incidencia del Mycoplasma genital en la consulta de fertilidad / Occurence of genital Mycoplasma in fertility consultation

Se realiza un estudio en 77 pacientes provenientes de la Consulta de Esterilidad para determinar la incidencia de la infección genital por mycoplasma en nuestro medio hospitalario y su responsabilidad en los problemas de fertilidad. A cada paciente se le tomaron muestras de vagina y del endocervical y se sembraron en cultivos especiales para ello. Los resultados obtenidos se compararon con un grupo de 38 pacientes con fertilidad comprobada, obteniéndose un alto porcentaje de cultivos positivos: 64,94%. El ureplasma urealiticum fue el género que más se aisló. De importancia es su localización endocervical; las pacientes con cultivos positivos para mycoplasma genital se trataron con doxiciclina según esquema presentado; las parejas también fueron tratadas. Observamos un alto índice de embarazos comprobados por clínica, gonadotropina y ecosonograma. Nuestra estadística se comparó con la de otros autores y observamos resultados similares. Siempre que se realice un plan de estudio para pacientes de las Consultas de Fertilidad, debe tomarse en cuenta la investigación del mycoplasma genital y tratarlo si se encuentra positivo