Learning Outcomes and Educational Effectiveness of Social Media as a Continuing Professional Development Intervention for Practicing Surgeons: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis.

Objective: The objective of this systematic review was to assess the learning outcomes and educational effectiveness of social media as a continuing professional development intervention for surgeons in practice.

Background: Social media has the potential to improve global access to educational resources and collaborative networking. However, the learning outcomes and educational effectiveness of social media as a continuing professional development (CPD) intervention are yet to be summarized.

Educational Effectiveness of Telementoring as a Continuing Professional Development Intervention for Surgeons in Practice: A Systematic Review.

Objective: We performed a systematic review to determine the educational effectiveness of telementoring as a continuing professional development (CPD) intervention for surgeons in practice.

Background: Surgeons can mentor their peers in remote locations using videoconferencing communication, referred to as telementoring.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE and included studies assessing the educational effectiveness of telementoring interventions used by surgeons in practice.

Learning Outcomes and Educational Effectiveness of E-Learning as a Continuing Professional Development Intervention for Practicing Surgeons and Proceduralists: A Systematic Review.

Background: Electronic learning (e-Learning) has become a prevalent mode of delivering medical education. We aimed to determine the learning outcomes and educational effectiveness of e-Learning as a continuing professional development (CPD) intervention for practicing surgeons and proceduralists.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE databases and included studies reporting learning outcomes of e-learning CPD interventions for practicing surgeons and physicians performing technical procedures.

A BAFF/APRIL-dependent TLR3-stimulated pathway enhances the capacity of rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts to induce AID expression and Ig class-switching in B cells.

Objectives: To dissect the role of toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling and B cell survival/proliferating factors in the crosstalk between rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASF) and B cells.

Methods: RASF, rheumatoid arthritis dermal fibroblasts (RADF) and osteoarthritis synovial fibroblasts (OASF) were analysed for the expression of B cell survival/proliferating factors BAFF and APRIL in resting conditions and upon stimulation with TLR2/TLR3/TLR4 ligands. Unswitched IgD+ B cells were co-cultured with RASF/OASF/RADF in the presence/absence of TLR ligands and with/without BAFF/APRIL blocking antibodies.

Chromosomes 6 and 18 induce neoplastic suppression in epithelial ovarian cancer cells.

Metaphase comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) studies indicate that chromosomes 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15 and 18 are frequently deleted in primary ovarian cancers (OCs). Therefore we used microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT) to establish the functional effects of transferring normal copies of these chromosomes into 2 epithelial OC cell lines (TOV112D and TOV21G). The in vitro neoplastic phenotype (measured as anchorage dependent and independent growth and invasion) was compared between recipient OC cell lines and multiple MMCT hybrids.

Shoulder dystocia with and without brachial plexus injury: experience from three centers.

This article compares the maneuvers used to relieve shoulder dystocia (SD) at three centers and discerns risk factors for brachial plexus injury (BPI) following SD. Retrospectively SD managed at three tertiary centers was identified and charts reviewed. Unconditional logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for BPI.

C-terminal SRC kinase controls acute inflammation and granulocyte adhesion.

To establish whether the widely expressed regulator of Src family kinases Csk contributes to the control of acute inflammation in vivo, we inactivated csk in granulocytes by conditional mutagenesis (Cre/loxP). Mutant mice (Csk-GEcre) developed acute multifocal inflammation in skin and lung. Animals were protected from the disease in a microbiologically controlled environment, but remained hypersensitive to LPS-induced shock.

Redirection of B cell responsiveness by transforming growth factor beta receptor.

The multifunctional transforming growth factor beta receptor (TbetaR) ligand pair plays a central role in the regulation of lymphocyte homeostasis and prevention of autoimmunity. Although the mechanisms underlying the induction of transcriptional modulators by TbetaR have been studied in considerable detail, relatively little is known about the regulatory pathways targeted. To shed light on the mechanisms involved in negative regulation of B cell responses we identified TbetaR-dependent transcriptome changes by comparative gene expression profiling of normal and TbetaR-deficient primary B cells.

Granulocyte function in grancalcin-deficient mice.

Grancalcin, one of the penta-EF-hand Ca(2+) binding proteins, is expressed at high levels in polymorphonuclear granulocytes (neutrophils). EF-hand proteins are implicated in the regulation of diverse processes including cell migration, apoptosis, and mobilization of neutrophil effector functions. To determine the role of grancalcin in vivo, we inactivated the gene encoding grancalcin (Gca) in embryonic stem cells and generated grancalcin-deficient mice.

A randomized, double-blind, multicenter, parallel group study to compare relative efficacies of the topical gels 3% erythromycin/5% benzoyl peroxide and 0.025% tretinoin/erythromycin 4% in the treatment of moderate acne vulgaris of the face.

Background: Combination treatments for acne vulgaris, such as Benzamycin (3% erythromycin/5% benzoyl peroxide) and Stievamycin (0.025% tretinoin/erythromycin 4%), reduce bacterial growth, which contributes to the inflammatory lesions typical of adolescent acne, and also decrease the epidermal cell compaction which may form the characteristic noninflammatory comedone. Both agents contain erythromycin to reduce the growth of Propionibacterium acnes in skin.