Email scams are becoming more and more difficult to spot.  Hackers replicate genuine email traffic, posing as genuine suppliers providing invoices that appear genuine.  It is often only when the supplier chases on payment, which as far as...

European Commission aims to level the playing field between suppliers and large customers by introducing recommendations on unfair trade practices The European Commission recently adopted a Communication encouraging EU Member States to look at ways ...

On 29 September 2016, the French Competition Authority (l’Autorité de la concurrence - the “Autorité”) imposed a fine of EUR 2.4 million on 37 model agencies and their main trade association, the SYNAM, in relation to...

The ICO has launched a public consultation on its new draft data sharing code of practice. The consultation period ends on 9 September 2019. It is an update of the previous code, to align it with GDPR so as to address transparency, lawful bases for ...

The FCA has published its interim report in relation to its market study into how general insurance firms charge their customers for home and motor insurance (Interim Report). The FCA has provisionally found that the market is not working well for ...

Introduction The Italian Competition Authority (“ICA”) has recently adopted a harsh approach imposing quite significant fines on those operators who accept direct debit payments only to the extent that their customers are holders of an ...

On 13 December 2019, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a revised Export Control and Sanctions Enforcement Policy for Business Organizations (Revised EC/S Policy),1 clarifying its prior guidance on voluntary self-disclosure requirements fo...

  The Singapore office of global legal practice Eversheds Sutherland today announced the appointment of Gerard Ng as a partner in the Banking and Financial Services Practice group. With over 20 years of experience, Gerard is a specialist in len...

Key Points • The self-dealing rule does not extend to a sale by a receiver to a party in which the mortgagee has an interest. • Although the duties of a receiver and a mortgagee are similar as to the Property, a receiver, unlike a mortgage...

ATLANTA (AP) — Ricardo Allen didn't budge when Georgia was one of the first states to open businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta Falcons safety...

The NBA is taking small steps toward a return to normalcy

The bags should be placed a good distance from the walls. The roof must be leak proof and the room must be well ventilated. When the coffee is to be transported from the farm to the market the bags must be protected from dust and rain and the farmer should use trucks that have tarpaulin covers, writes Michael J Ssali

Steven Broad is Executive Director, TRAFFIC, the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network

The post COVID-19 & Human Health Risks Linked to Wildlife Trade Practices appeared first on Inter Press Service.

This publication provides essential information on the planning, implementation, and management of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools, particularly for small and isolated rural settlements in Mongolia.

This publication provides essential information on the planning, implementation, and management of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools, particularly for small and isolated rural settlements in Mongolia.

Google has put the algorithm it used to achieve quantum supremacy to work. It generated verifiably random numbers, which could be used one day in encryption or lotteries

Vampire bats are social creatures that build relationships through grooming and food-sharing, but when they feel ill, they self-isolate and call out for contact far less

Vampire bats are social creatures that build relationships through grooming and food-sharing, but when they feel ill, they self-isolate and call out for contact far less

Title: ER Practices Key to Helping Those Addicted to Painkillers: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 4/28/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the faculty mentoring practices in seven dental schools in the U.S. A 34-item survey was administered electronically to dental faculty members of all ranks, tracks, and job categories in seven dental schools using faculty listservs. Survey questions addressed current mentoring practices in which the faculty members were involved; their perceptions of those mentoring practices; their perceived characteristics of an ideal mentoring program, mentor, and mentee; perceived best practices; and respondents’ demographics. The survey was conducted from October 2017 to February 2018. A total of 154 surveys were completed (response rate 22%). Over 58% (90/154) of the respondents reported receiving no mentoring; 31.9% (49/154) said they received informal mentoring; and 9.7% (15/154) received formal mentoring. Of the 64 respondents who received mentoring, both formal and informal, 92.2% (59/64) were full-time faculty, and 7.8% (5/64) were part-time faculty (p=0.001). Approximately 39% of the respondents indicated that their mentoring program was not overseen by anyone and that participation was voluntary. The top three perceived benefits of mentoring were increased overall professional development, development of a career plan, and increased professional networks. The three most important characteristics of an ideal mentoring program for the respondents were a program based on the needs of the mentee, a mentor who has the desire to help the mentee, and a mentee who is eager to learn. The results of this study showed a very low level of formal or informal faculty mentoring programs in the dental schools surveyed. Future studies are needed to determine best practices and strategies to expand and enhance mentoring of faculty members.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine strength of muscles involved with instrumentation (scaling) by dental hygienists and the additive effects of cellular (mobile) phone usage, as indicated by measurements of muscular force generation.Methods: A convenience sample of licensed dental hygienists currently in clinical practice (n=16) and an equal number of individuals not currently using devices/tools repetitively for work (n=16), agreed to participate in this pilot study. All participants completed a modified cell phone usage questionnaire to determine their use pattern and frequency. Upon completion of the questionnaire, participants' force production in six muscle groups was measured using a hand-held dynamometer. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.Results: A total of 16 licensed dental hygienists (n=16) and 16 participants with no history of using tools/devices repetitively for work (n=16), comprised the experimental and control groups, repectively. The control group generated greater muscle force than the experimental group for the abductor pollicis longus (p=0.045). Significant differences were identified when comparing the low mobile phone users in the experimental group to the control group for the flexor pollicis brevis (p=0.031), abductor pollicis longus (p=0.031), and flexor digitorum (p=0.006), with the control group demonstrating higher muscle force. Years in clinical practice and mobile phone use was shown to have a significant effect on muscular force generation for the flexor pollicis brevis (F=3.645, df=3, p=0.020) and flexor digitorum (F=3.560, df=3, p=0.022); subjects who practiced dental hygiene the longest produced the least amount of muscle force.Conclusion: Results from this pilot study indicate there are no significant additive effects of cell phone use and dental hygiene practice on finger muscles used for instrumentation. However, results indicate that dental hygiene practice demonstrated significant effects on muscular strength as compared to individuals who do not use tools/devices repetitively for work. The small sample size may have impacted results and the study should be repeated with a larger sample.

Purpose: Untreated and poorly controlled diabetes causes increased levels of blood glucose associated with poor periodontal disease outcomes. Dental hygienists can play a significant role in screening patients for diabetes mellitus, leading to referral and early diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers faced by clinical dental hygienists regarding diabetes risk assessment and screenings.Methods: A mixed method design was used with a convenience sample of dental hygienists in clinical practice (n=316). A 32 item, electronic survey was validated at item-level, and participants were recruited through multiple dental hygiene Facebook groups. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The survey also included two open-ended attitude questions that were interpreted using thematic analysis to pinpoint common patterns within the data.Results: Dental hygienists had high knowledge scores regarding diabetes and oral health, although many were unaware of their states' specific statutes and regulations for screening practices. Nearly all (95.9%), were likely to educate and refer patients (82%), although fewer than half (40.9%), were likely to perform chairside screening for diabetes. Emergent themes for barriers to screening were time, money, patient acceptance/willingness, lack of education, not having the proper tools, and states' rules and regulations.Conclusion: Despite high knowledge scores regarding diabetes and oral health, there is a gap in regards to dental hygienists' willingness to perform diabetes screenings in a clinical setting. Dental hygienists should be capable of integrating chairside diabetes screening practices into the process of care with proper training.

Background:

Facilitation is an effective approach for helping practices implement sustainable evidence-based practice improvements. Few studies examine the facilitation infrastructure and support needed for large-scale dissemination and implementation initiatives.

The number of onsite clinical microbiology laboratories in hospitals is decreasing, likely related to the business model for laboratory consolidation and labor shortages, and this impacts a variety of clinical practices, including that of banking isolates for clinical or epidemiologic purposes. To determine the impact of these trends, infectious disease (ID) physicians were surveyed regarding their perceptions of offsite services. Clinical microbiology practices for retention of clinical isolates for future use were also determined. Surveys were sent to members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s (IDSA) Emerging Infections Network (EIN). The EIN is a sentinel network of ID physicians who care for adult and/or pediatric patients in North America and who are members of IDSA. The response rate was 763 (45%) of 1,680 potential respondents. Five hundred forty (81%) respondents reported interacting with the clinical microbiology laboratory. Eighty-six percent of respondents thought an onsite laboratory very important for timely diagnostic reporting and ongoing communication with the clinical microbiologist. Thirty-five percent practiced in institutions where the core microbiology laboratory has been moved offsite, and an additional 7% (n = 38) reported that movement of core laboratory functions offsite was being considered. The respondents reported that only 24% of laboratories banked all isolates, with the majority saving isolates for less than 30 days. Based on these results, the trend toward centralized core laboratories negatively impacts the practice of ID physicians, potentially delays effective implementation of prompt and targeted care for patients with serious infections, and similarly adversely impacts infection control epidemiologic investigations.

ABSTRACTBackground:Coaching can improve the quality of care in primary-level birth facilities and promote birth attendant adherence to essential birth practices (EBPs) that reduce maternal and perinatal mortality. The intensity of coaching needed to promote and sustain behavior change is unknown. We investigated the relationship between coaching intensity, EBP adherence, and maternal and perinatal health outcomes using data from the BetterBirth Trial, which assessed the impact of a complex, coaching-based implementation of the World Health Organization's Safe Childbirth Checklist in Uttar Pradesh, India.Methods:For each birth, we defined multiple coaching intensity metrics, including coaching frequency (coaching visits per month), cumulative coaching (total coaching visits accrued during the intervention), and scheduling adherence (coaching delivered as scheduled). We considered coaching delivered at both facility and birth attendant levels. We assessed the association between coaching intensity and birth attendant adherence to 18 EBPs and with maternal and perinatal health outcomes using regression models.Results:Coaching frequency was associated with modestly increased EBP adherence. Delivering 6 coaching visits per month to facilities was associated with adherence to 1.3 additional EBPs (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.6, 1.9). High-frequency coaching delivered with high coverage among birth attendants was associated with greater improvements: providing 70% of birth attendants at a facility with at least 1 visit per month was associated with adherence to 2.0 additional EBPs (95% CI=1.0, 2.9). Neither cumulative coaching nor scheduling adherence was associated with EBP adherence. Coaching was generally not associated with health outcomes, possibly due to the small magnitude of association between coaching and EBP adherence.Conclusions:Frequent coaching may promote behavior change, especially if delivered with high coverage among birth attendants. However, the effects of coaching were modest and did not persist over time, suggesting that future coaching-based interventions should explore providing frequent coaching for longer periods.

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common lifelong metabolic condition with serious associated comorbidities. Evidence points to a delay in diagnosis and inconsistency in the information provided to women with PCOS.AimTo capture women’s experiences of how PCOS is diagnosed and managed in UK general practice.Design and settingThis was a mixed-methods study with an online questionnaire survey and semi-structured telephone interviews with a subset of responders.MethodAn online survey to elicit women’s experiences of general practice PCOS care was promoted by charities and BBC Radio Leicester. The survey was accessible online between January 2018 and November 2018. A subset of responders undertook a semi-structured telephone interview to provide more in-depth data.ResultsA total of 323 women completed the survey (average age 35.4 years) and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 women. There were five key themes identified through the survey responses. Participants described a variable lag time from presentation to PCOS diagnosis, with a median of 6–12 months. Many had experienced mental health problems associated with their PCOS symptoms, but had not discussed these with the GP. Many were unable to recall any discussion about associated comorbidities with the GP. Some differences were identified between the experiences of women from white British backgrounds and those from other ethnic backgrounds.ConclusionFrom the experiences of the women in this study, it appears that PCOS in general practice is not viewed as a long-term condition with an increased risk of comorbidities including mental health problems. Further research should explore GPs’ awareness of comorbidities and the differences in PCOS care experienced by women from different ethnic backgrounds.

PURPOSE

Most real-world studies on anticoagulants have been based on health insurance databases or performed in secondary care. The aim of this study was to compare safety and effectiveness between patients treated with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in a general practice setting.

PURPOSE

General practitioners (GPs) are part of the US physician workforce, but little is known about who they are, what they do, and how they differ from family physicians (FPs). We describe self-identified GPs and compare them with board-certified FPs.

Background:

Historically, some chiropractors have been critical of vaccination, and this has been the subject of recent media attention in Canada. We explored the association between media attention and public dissemination of vaccination information on Canadian chiropractors’ websites.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

It is currently not completely clear how well radiologists perform in evaluating large-vessel occlusion on CTA in acute ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential factors associated with diagnostic error.