Subtle skills: Using objective structured clinical examinations to assess gastroenterology fellow performance in system based practice milestones.

Background: System based practice (SBP) milestones require trainees to effectively navigate the larger health care system for optimal patient care. In gastroenterology training programs, the assessment of SBP is difficult due to high volume, high acuity inpatient care, as well as inconsistent direct supervision. Nevertheless, structured assessment is required for training programs.

Occupational exposure to silica in construction workers: a literature-based exposure database.

We created an exposure database of respirable crystalline silica levels in the construction industry from the literature. We extracted silica and dust exposure levels in publications reporting silica exposure levels or quantitative evaluations of control effectiveness published in or after 1990. The database contains 6118 records (2858 of respirable crystalline silica) extracted from 115 sources, summarizing 11,845 measurements.

Efficacy of surface sampling methods for different types of beryllium compounds.

The objective of the research work was to evaluate the efficiency of three different sampling methods (Ghost Wipe™, micro-vacuum, and ChemTest®) in the recovery of Be dust by assessing: (1) four Be compounds (beryllium acetate, beryllium chloride, beryllium oxide and beryllium aluminium), (2) three different surfaces (polystyrene, glass and aluminium) and (3) inter-operator variation. The three sampling methods were also tested on site in a laboratory of a dental school for validation purposes. The Ghost Wipe™ method showed recovery ranging from 43.

Beryllium aerosol characteristics in the magnesium and aluminum transformation industry in Quebec: a comparison of four different sampling methodologies.

To examine the influence of the sampling method on beryllium (Be) exposure assessment, a study was conducted in foundries and smelters to contrast the performance of five different dust sampling devices. Six sampling surveys were conducted in four different settings, and both personal and fixed station samples were collected using the following sampling heads: IOM samplers (inhalable dust), 35-mm plastic cassettes (total dust), aluminum SKC cyclones (respirable dust), 8-stage Sierra cascade impactors, and 12-stage MOUDI impactors. In total, beryllium concentrations were determined for 66/68 inhalable dust samples, 62/62 total dust samples, 56/57 respirable dust samples, 54/64 8-stage Sierra samples, and 19/25 12-stage MOUDI samples.

Beryllium decontamination with different solvents on different structures.

The objective of the present work was to estimate the efficiency of moistened wipes in removing beryllium with different solutions including Citranox, Alconox, NaCl 5%, Resolve, and Ledizolv on various types of surfaces such as unpainted metal, wood frames, painted metal, concrete, painted concrete, and Plexiglas from three different occupational settings. Of the three plants that were investigated, only surfaces in the aluminium smelter were decontaminated down to the clearance reference level of 0.2 microg 100 cm(-2), with all the solvents used.