ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the self-reported confidence and preparedness of final year undergraduate students in undertaking a range of clinical procedures.Methods A questionnaire was distributed to final year dental students at Cardiff University, six months prior to graduation. Respondents rated their confidence in undertaking 39 clinical procedures using a 5-point scale (1 = can undertake on own with confidence, 5 = unable to undertake). Students also responded yes/no to experiencing four difficulties and to three statements about general preparedness.Results 71% (N = 51) responded of which 55% (N = 28) were female. Over half reported being 'anxious that the supervisor was not helping enough' (57%) and 'relying heavily on supervisor for help' (53%). Eighty percent 'felt unprepared for the clinical work presented' and gender differences were most notable here (male: 65% N = 33; females: 93% N = 47). Mean confidence scores were calculated for each clinical procedure (1 = lowest; 5 = highest). Confidence was highest in performing 'simple scale' and 'fissure sealant' (mean-score = 5). Lowest scores were reported for 'surgical extractions involving a flap (mean-score = 2.28)', 'simple surgical procedures' (mean-score = 2.58) and the 'design/fit/adjustment of orthodontic appliances' (mean-score = 2.88).Conclusions As expected complex procedures that were least practised scored the lowest in overall mean confidence. Gender differences were noted in self-reported confidence for carrying out treatment unsupervised and feeling unprepared for clinical work.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Education, Dental , Students, Dental , Adult , Dentistry , Dentists , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The adhesion molecule BEN/SC1/DM-GRASP (BEN) is a marker in the developing chicken nervous system that is also expressed on the surface of embryonic and adult hematopoietic cells such as immature thymocytes, myeloid progenitors, and erythroid progenitors. F84.1 and KG-CAM, two monoclonal antibodies to rat neuronal glycoproteins with similarity to BEN, cross-react with an antigen on rat hematopoietic progenitors, but F84.1 only also recognizes human blood cell progenitors. We have defined the antigen recognized by F84.1 as the hematopoietic cell antigen (HCA). HCA expression was detected on 40% to 70% of CD34+ fetal and adult bone marrow cells and mobilized peripheral blood cells. Precursor cell activity for long-term in vitro bone marrow cell culture was confined to the subset of CD34+ cells that coexpress HCA. HCA is expressed by the most primitive subsets of CD34+ cells, including all rhodamine 123(lo), Thy-1+, and CD38(-/lo) CD34+ adult bone marrow cells. HCA was also detected on myeloid progenitors but not on early B-cell progenitors. We also describe here the cloning and characterization of cDNAs encoding two variants of the human HCA antigen (huHCA-1 and huHCA-2) and of a cDNA clone encoding rat HCA (raHCA). The deduced amino acid sequences of huHCA and raHCA are homologous to that of chicken BEN. Recombinant proteins produced from either human or rat HCA cDNAs were recognized by F84.1, whereas rat HCA but not human HCA was recognized by antirat KG-CAM. Expression of either form of huHCA in CHO cells conferred homophilic adhesion that could be competed with soluble recombinant huHCA-Fc. The molecular cloning of HCA and the availability of recombinant HCA should permit further evaluation of its role in human and rodent hematopoiesis.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Surface/isolation & purification , Bone Marrow Cells , Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal , Hematopoietic Stem Cells/immunology , Adult , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology , Antigens, CD , Antigens, CD34/analysis , Antigens, Surface/biosynthesis , Antigens, Surface/genetics , Bone Marrow/embryology , Chickens , Cloning, Molecular , Consensus Sequence , DNA, Complementary/genetics , Fetal Proteins/biosynthesis , Fetal Proteins/genetics , Fetal Proteins/isolation & purification , Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental , Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Nerve Tissue Proteins/biosynthesis , Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics , Nerve Tissue Proteins/isolation & purification , Neurons/immunology , Neurons/metabolism , Organ Specificity , Rats , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/immunology , Sequence Homology, Amino Acid , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a M(r)38,000 cysteine-rich peptide, the synthesis and secretion of which are selectively induced by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). The relationship of CTGF to TGF-beta action on fibroblastic cells is not well understood. TGF-beta has the unique ability to stimulate the growth of normal fibroblasts in soft agar, a property of transformed cells. We have investigated whether CTGF can substitute for TGF-beta or whether CTGF action is essential for TGF-beta to stimulate anchorage-independent growth (AIG) of NRK fibroblasts. Our studies demonstrate that CTGF cannot induce AIG of NRK fibroblasts. However, CTGF synthesis and action are essential for the TGF-beta-induced AIG of NRK fibroblasts. Anti-CTGF antibodies specifically block TGF-beta-induced AIG but have no effect on platelet-derived growth factor or epidermal growth factor-induced growth in monolayer cultures and do not cross-react with platelet-derived growth factor or TGF-beta. Clones of NRK fibroblasts that express an antisense CTGF gene (NRK-ASCTGF), which blocks the expression of the endogenous CTGF gene, do not respond to TGF-beta in the AIG assay. The growth and morphology of the cells (NRK-ASCTGF) in monolayer culture are unaltered from the parent NRK cell line. The addition of recombinant CTGF to the NRK-ASCTGF clones in the presence of TGF-beta restores the AIG response of the cells. These studies demonstrate that the TGF-beta stimulation of NRK fibroblast AIG is dependent on events induced via the synergistic action of CTGF-dependent and CTGF-independent signaling pathways.
