Using Moore's (1993) theory of transactional distance as a framework, this action research study explored students' perceptions of audiovisual feedback provided via screencasting as a supplement to text-only feedback. A crossover design was employed to ensure that all students experienced both text-only and text-plus-audiovisual feedback and to control for order effects. Student perceptions were measured via an open-ended survey instrument. Students found text-only feedback satisfactory, but they perceived text-plus-audiovisual feedback as more effective for interacting with the instructor, building community, and helping them learn. Students also described text-plus-audiovisual feedback as more "real" and "personal" than text-only feedback. Providing text-plus-audiovisual feedback took twice as long as providing text-only feedback, so it may not be feasible for large classes. Practical applications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

In patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty, oral acetaminophen given preoperatively was equivalent to i.v. acetaminophen administered in the operating suite in controlling pain in the immediate postoperative period. I.V. acetaminophen was not superior to oral acetaminophen in reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to ambulation, time to first dose of as-needed pain medication, length of PACU stay, or total length of hospital stay.

ARV medications, particularly the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, can cause a dose-dependent hepatotoxicity that occurs after several months of exposure and possibly result in increasing the adverse effects of alcohol and obesity. Owing to the overlap of ARV medications, the contribution of each class of drugs toward the observed hepatotoxicity is not entirely clear. Liver biopsies should be considered in patients receiving ARV therapy with elevated LFTs and/or evidence of fatty liver.

HIV/HCV coinfection was associated with intravenous drug use but not with sexual risk factors.

Background: The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) is widely utilized in multiple languages across the world. Despite culture and language variations, research studies from Latin America use the Spanish language HSOPSC validated for Spain and the United States. Yet, these studies fail to report the translation method, cultural adaptation process, and the equivalence assessment strategy. As such, the psychometric properties of the HSOPSC are not well demonstrated for cross-cultural research in Latin America, including Peru. The purpose of this study was to develop a target-language HSOPSC for cross-cultural research in Peru that asks the same questions, in the same manner, with the same intended meaning, as the source instrument. Methods: This study used a mixed-methods approach adapted from the translation guideline recommended by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The 3-phase, 7-step process incorporated translation techniques, pilot testing, cognitive interviews, clinical participant review, and subject matter expert evaluation. Results: The instrument was translated and evaluated in 3 rounds of cognitive interview (CI). There were 37 problem items identified in round 1 (14 clarity, 12 cultural, 11 mixed); and resolved to 4 problems by round 3. The pilot-testing language clarity inter-rater reliability was S-CVI/Avg = 0.97 and S-CVI/UA = 0.86; and S-CVI/Avg = 0.96 and S-CVI/UA = 0.83 for cultural relevance. Subject matter expert agreement in matching items to the correct dimensions was substantially equivalent (Kappa = 0.72). Only 1 of 12 dimensions had a low Kappa (0.39), borderline fair to moderate. The remaining dimensions performed well (7 = almost perfect, 2 = substantial, and 2 = moderate).

Introduction: Transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurement in newborns has been studied extensively in the non-Hispanic population, but its usefulness in the Hispanic population remains unclear. We evaluate the accuracy of TcB measurements in assessing jaundice in Hispanic neonates by using total serum bilirubin (TSB) measurements as the reference standard and determine the TcB level that can be used to identify neonates at risk for clinically significant jaundice (above the 95th percentile).Methods: A total of 192 Hispanic neonates were enrolled. TcB measurements were performed within 30 minutes of obtaining the TSB measurement. The linear relationship between TcB and TSB was measured by using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values by using a TcB level above the 75th percentile to identify neonates with a TSB level above the 95th percentile.Results: TSB ranged from 1.7 to 13.9 mg/dL, with 62% falling below the 75th percentile. TcB correlated well with TSB in Hispanic neonates (r ‫؍‬ 0.87). A TcB level above the 75th percentile detected all infants with a TSB level above the 95th percentile, sensitivity 100%, and specificity 66%.

In 2006, the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health at A.T. Still University (ATSU ASDOH) implemented an intensive community-based education program for its inaugural fourth-year students called the Integrated Community Service Partnerships (ICSP) program. As part of the ICSP program, students spend half of their clinical experience (approximately ninety-ive days) in rotations at four or ive community-based clinics. More than sixty clinics in Arizona and throughout the country serve as rotation sites. ATSU ASDOH conducts focus groups with all fourth-year students prior to graduation for program improvement and research. The purpose of this study was to characterize critical incidents students identiied as instrumental to learning, as well as successes and challenges of the program. Qualitative data from the 2009 and 2010 focus groups were analyzed, including a total of 104 students. The types of critical incidents students chose to describe in the focus groups involved patient factors, contextual factors, and interpersonal factors. While students believed their ICSP program external rotation experiences were fundamental in their clinical and professional development, they also noted challenges associated with this intense communitybased education program.

Astrocytomas are the most common brain tumors of childhood and adolescence. Low-grade astrocytomas (LGAs), in general, have favorable prognosis, but recurrence or progressive disease with dissemination, malignant transformation, and death occur in some cases. Current clinical and pathological measures including age, sex, imaging characteristics, location and size of the tumor, histopathology, and degree of resection cannot predict with certainty which tumors will demonstrate aggressive behavior. The objective of the study is to determine the predictive value of positron emission tomography (PET) and a proliferation index (PI) in identifying high risk LGAs. We reviewed 46 cases ages 5 months to 17 years with low-grade (WHO I-II) astrocytomas. All patients had PET scans utilizing [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and 24 cases had measurements with Ki-67/MIB-1 immunohistochemistry. Review of our data confirmed progressive disease (PD) in 18/46 (39%) of cases with 9/21 (42%) occurring after subtotal resection and 9/25 (36%) after gross total resection. The mortality rate was 5/46 (10.8%). Tumors with FDG hypermetabolism were significantly more likely to demonstrate aggressive behavior and PD. Increased PI values also suggested PD. Progression-free survival and time to progression were significantly longer for patients with hypometabolic scans. Time to progression was significantly longer with lower PI values. Results demonstrate that PET and PI are useful measures in the identification and stratification of high risk LGAs. The ability to identify a subset of progressive LGAs earlier may suggest the need for second-look neurosurgical procedures or more intensified adjuvant treatment that may ultimately improve outcome and survival.