Effective doses for common paediatric diagnostic general radiography examinations at a major Australian paediatric hospital and the communication of associated radiation risks.

Introduction: Health professionals in paediatric medical imaging are routinely required to communicate radiation risks to carers and patients. Effective dose alone cannot be used to specify and communicate the radiation risk for an individual as risks are dependent on many factors including age and patient sex. In this study, we estimated typical effective doses for 20 commonly performed paediatric general radiography examinations using the weight-based imaging protocols employed at a major Australian specialist paediatric hospital.

Developing Situation Awareness in Simulation Prebriefing.

Background: Prebriefing before simulation is a recommended practice that increases learner satisfaction and improves performance. Promoting situation awareness through prebriefing facilitates optimal learning outcomes.

Method: Endsley's Model of Situation Awareness is applied to the cognitive work of nursing practice that occurs during the prebriefing phase of simulation.

Development of a competency framework for quality improvement in family medicine: a qualitative study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive framework of quality improvement competencies for use in continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing medical education (CME) for European general practice/family medicine physicians (GPs/FDs).

Methods: The study was carried out in three phases: literature review, consensus development panels, and Delphi technique. An initial competencies framework was developed from an extensive literature review focusing on literature in English from 2000 to 2011 and addressing quality improvement competencies for general practitioners in continuous education programs.

Helicobacter hepaticus--induced liver tumor promotion is associated with increased serum bile acid and a persistent microbial-induced immune response.

Chronic microbial infection influences cancer progression, but the mechanisms that link them remain unclear. Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a nuclear receptor that regulates enzymes involved in endobiotic and xenobiotic metabolism. CAR activation is a mechanism of xenobiotic tumor promotion; however, the effects of chronic microbial infection on tumor promotion have not been studied in the context of CAR function.

Lack of commensal flora in Helicobacter pylori-infected INS-GAS mice reduces gastritis and delays intraepithelial neoplasia.

Background & Aims: Transgenic FVB/N insulin-gastrin (INS-GAS) mice have high circulating gastrin levels, and develop spontaneous atrophic gastritis and gastrointestinal intraepithelial neoplasia (GIN) with 80% prevalence 6 months after Helicobacter pylori infection. GIN is associated with gastric atrophy and achlorhydria, predisposing mice to nonhelicobacter microbiota overgrowth. We determined if germfree INS-GAS mice spontaneously develop GIN and if H pylori accelerates GIN in gnotobiotic INS-GAS mice.