Intramural Grant Program to Promote Research Activity Among Early-Career Faculty Members.

PROBLEM: Early grant support for junior faculty members appears to positively influence their career trajectory. The authors sought to determine whether provision of grant support that enables early-career faculty members to conduct clinical, basic science, or educational research improves their academic success and enhances retention. APPROACH: The authors compared career development and retention among 30 Cohn Fellowship recipients and 31 nonrecipients who participated in the same mentoring program. An award of $20,000 to the fellowship recipients ensured protected time for research for 1 year. Academic productivity of both groups was monitored for 6 years. OUTCOMES: The authors found statistically significant differences between the 2 groups regarding research funding and scholarly productivity. The Cohn Fellowship recipients received a total of $14.7 million in external funding vs $3.7 million for nonrecipients, reflecting mean funding of $588,116 and $196,658 per person, respectively ( P < .01). Recipients published a total of 174 peer-reviewed articles vs 26 for nonrecipients, reflecting a mean of 7 and 1 per person, respectively ( P < .01). Recipients gave a total of 268 presentations vs 25 for nonrecipients, with a mean of 11 and 1 per person, respectively ( P < .01). Furthermore, 8 of the 25 recipients who stayed at Rush University (32%) were promoted to associate professor compared with 2 of the 19 (11%) nonrecipients ( P = .15). A majority of the Cohn Fellows (25; 83%) stayed at Rush University during the study compared with 61% of nonrecipients ( P = .06). These findings suggest that even small amounts of research support received early in a career can benefit the faculty and the university as a whole. NEXT STEPS: We plan to continue gathering data to increase sample size and analyze outcomes for specific variables (e.g., time, rank, gender, promotion, retention).

A Faculty Development Model that Promotes Success of Early Career Faculty in Academic Medicine.

INTRODUCTION: Medical school offices of faculty development aim to facilitate the academic growth of junior faculty by fostering independent research, enhancing teaching skills, and bolstering career opportunities. The Rush Research Mentoring Program aims to achieve this goal at Rush University medical center by offering a broad resource armamentarium and creating an environment that fosters productive relationships between mentees and mentors. This article describes the program's structure, evaluation, outcomes, and the university vision for its future. METHODS: The program's contributions to the overall success of the University were measured by scholarly productivity, intramural and extramural funding, junior faculty retention, and mentee satisfaction with the program from its inception in 2006 until 2018. RESULTS: Over 12 years, mentees have collectively received 639 grants. Of the 130 mentees who have completed the 5-year program and transitioned to program alumni, 65% have been retained as faculty members, with 40% receiving promotions to associate professor and 5% to full professor. Mentees report frequent use of the available resources and high satisfaction with the program. DISCUSSION: We anticipate that structured mentoring programs with institutionally supported professional development activities and strategic mentor-mentee partnerships can be successfully adopted at similar academic medical centers.

Bilingual Text4Walking Food Service Employee Intervention Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Half of all adults in the United States do not meet the level of recommended aerobic physical activity. Physical activity interventions are now being conducted in the workplace. Accessible technology, in the form of widespread usage of cell phones and text messaging, is available for promoting physical activity. OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study, which was conducted in the workplace, were to determine (1) the feasibility of implementing a bilingual 12-week Text4Walking intervention and (2) the effect of the Text4Walking intervention on change in physical activity and health status in a food service employee population. METHODS: Before conducting the study reported here, the Text4Walking research team developed a database of motivational physical activity text messages in English. Because Hispanic or Latino adults compose one-quarter of all adults employed in the food service industry, the Text4Walking team translated the physical activity text messages into Spanish. This pilot study was guided by the Physical Activity Health Promotion Framework and used a 1-group 12-week pre- and posttest design with food service employees who self-reported as being sedentary. The aim of the study was to increase the number of daily steps over the baseline by 3000 steps. Three physical activity text messages were delivered weekly. In addition, participants received 3 motivational calls during the study. RESULTS: SPSS version 19.0 and R 3.0 were used to perform the data analysis. There were 33 employees who participated in the study (57.6% female), with a mean age of 43.7 years (SD 8.4). The study included 11 Hispanic or Latino participants, 8 of whom requested that the study be delivered in Spanish. There was a 100% retention rate in the study. At baseline, the participants walked 102 (SD 138) minutes/day (per self-report). This rate increased significantly (P=.008) to 182 (SD 219) minutes/day over the course of the study. The participants had a baseline mean of 10,416 (SD 5097) steps, which also increased significantly (P=.017) to 12,540 (SD 5149). They significantly improved their performance on their aerobic fitness test (P<.001). The participants had a baseline mean systolic blood pressure of 120 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 76 mm Hg, a mean body mass index of 29.29 kg/m2, and a mean waist circumference of 36.95 inches, without significant changes seen at 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: We were able to conduct a motivational physical activity text messaging intervention within the workplace setting. Both physical activity and aerobic fitness improved. However, at baseline, participants were more active than they perceived themselves to be. Although there is insufficient evidence to draw strong conclusions about the study findings, it would be useful to test this physical activity text messaging intervention in a sedentary sample within a larger workplace intervention study trial conducted over a longer time frame.

Bilingual Text Messaging Translation: Translating Text Messages From English Into Spanish for the Text4Walking Program.

BACKGROUND: Hispanic adults in the United States are at particular risk for diabetes and inadequate blood pressure control. Physical activity improves these health problems; however Hispanic adults also have a low rate of recommended aerobic physical activity. To address improving physical inactivity, one area of rapidly growing technology that can be utilized is text messaging (short message service, SMS). A physical activity research team, Text4Walking, had previously developed an initial database of motivational physical activity text messages in English that could be used for physical activity text messaging interventions. However, the team needed to translate these existing English physical activity text messages into Spanish in order to have culturally meaningful and useful text messages for those adults within the Hispanic population who would prefer to receive text messages in Spanish. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate a database of English motivational physical activity messages into Spanish and review these text messages with a group of Spanish speaking adults to inform the use of these text messages in an intervention study. METHODS: The consent form and study documents, including the existing English physical activity text messages, were translated from English into Spanish, and received translation certification as well as Institutional Review Board approval. The translated text messages were placed into PowerPoint, accompanied by a set of culturally appropriate photos depicting barriers to walking, as well as walking scenarios. At the focus group, eligibility criteria for this study included being an adult between 30 to 65 years old who spoke Spanish as their primary language. After a general group introduction, participants were placed into smaller groups of two or three. Each small group was asked to review a segment of the translated text messages for accuracy and meaningfulness. After the break out, the group was brought back together to review the text messages. RESULTS: A translation confirmation group met at a church site in an urban community with a large population of Hispanics. Spanish speaking adults (N=8), with a mean age of 40 (SD 6.3), participated in the study. Participants were engaged in the group and viewed the text messages as culturally appropriate. They also thought that text messages could motivate them to walk more. Twenty-two new text messages were added to the original database of 246 translated text messages. While the text messages were generally understood, specific word preferences were seen related to personal preference, dialect, and level of formality which resulted in minor revisions to four text messages. CONCLUSIONS: The English text messages were successfully translated into Spanish by a bilingual research staff and reviewed by Hispanic participants in order to inform the use of these text messages for future intervention studies. These Spanish text messages were recently used in a Text4Walking intervention study.

Efficient simultaneous reverse Monte Carlo modeling of pair-distribution functions and extended x-ray-absorption fine structure spectra of crystalline disordered materials.

An efficient implementation of simultaneous reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) modeling of pair distribution function (PDF) and EXAFS spectra is reported. This implementation is an extension of the technique established by Krayzman et al. [J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 867 (2009)] in the sense that it enables simultaneous real-space fitting of x-ray PDF with accurate treatment of Q-dependence of the scattering cross-sections and EXAFS with multiple photoelectron scattering included. The extension also allows for atom swaps during EXAFS fits thereby enabling modeling the effects of chemical disorder, such as migrating atoms and vacancies. Significant acceleration of EXAFS computation is achieved via discretization of effective path lengths and subsequent reduction of operation counts. The validity and accuracy of the approach is illustrated on small atomic clusters and on 5500-9000 atom models of bcc-Fe and α-Fe(2)O(3). The accuracy gains of combined simultaneous EXAFS and PDF fits are pointed out against PDF-only and EXAFS-only RMC fits. Our modeling approach may be widely used in PDF and EXAFS based investigations of disordered materials.

Molecular dynamics simulations of H2 adsorption in tetramethyl ammonium lithium phthalocyanine crystalline structures.

Tetramethyl ammonium lithium phthalocyanine is explored as a potential material for storage of molecular hydrogen. Density functional theory calculations are used to investigate the molecular structure and the dimer conformation. Additional scans performed to determine the interactions of a H2 molecule located at various distances from the molecular sites are used to generate a simple force field including dipole-induced-dipole interactions. This force field is employed in molecular dynamics simulations to calculate adsorption isotherms at various pressures. The regions of strongest adsorption are quantified as functions of temperature, pressure, and separation between molecules in the adsorbent phase, and compared to the regions of strongest binding energy as given by the proposed force field. It is found that the total adsorption could not be predicted only from the spatial distribution of the strongest binding energies; the available volume is the other contributing factor even if the volume includes regions of much lower binding energy. The results suggest that the complex anion is primarily involved in the adsorption process with molecular hydrogen, whereas the cation serves to provide access for hydrogen adsorption in both sides of the anion molecular plane, and spacing between the planes.

Hydrogen sorption on palladium-doped sepiolite-derived carbon nanofibers.

The hydrogen sorption behavior of novel Pd-doped sepiolite-derived carbon nanofibers (SDCNs) was investigated. Two chemical doping methods of ethanol/toluene reduction and a polyol process were applied to control Pd(0) formation in the SDCNs at different Pd doping levels. Hydrogen storage capacity was observed to vary depending on the Pd particle size and doping amount as the Pd particle surface area and the carbon Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area change with them, suggesting the existence of an optimum Pd doping level at each doping method for the best hydrogen storage capacity. Among the samples prepared using the polyol method at different Pd amounts, the maximum hydrogen uptake of about 0.41 wt % was obtained at 298 K and 90 bar for the 5 wt % Pd-doped SDCN that has a relatively high Pd particle surface area and carbon BET surface area. Samples prepared using the ethanol/toluene reduction method exhibited a higher hydrogen uptake of about 0.59 wt % at lower Pd doping levels (3 wt % Pd) due to a smaller Pd particle size and relatively high carbon BET surface area. The hydrogen desorption behavior investigated by differential scanning calorimeter exhibited that a higher amount of hydrogen desorbed at around 860 K from the Pd-doped SDCNs compared to that from the undoped SDCN. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis suggested that some of the weak chemisorbed hydrogen changes to a normal covalent bond during the heating and effuses at around 860 K.