TMEM161B regulates cerebral cortical gyration, Sonic Hedgehog signaling, and ciliary structure in the developing central nervous system.

Sonic hedgehog signaling regulates processes of embryonic development across multiple tissues, yet factors regulating context-specific Shh signaling remain poorly understood. Exome sequencing of families with polymicrogyria (disordered cortical folding) revealed multiple individuals with biallelic deleterious variants in , which encodes a multi-pass transmembrane protein of unknown function. null mice demonstrated holoprosencephaly, craniofacial midline defects, eye defects, and spinal cord patterning changes consistent with impaired Shh signaling, but were without limb defects, suggesting a CNS-specific role of Tmem161b.

Fostering trust, collaboration, and a culture of continuous quality improvement: A call for transparency in medical school accreditation.

Medical schools provide the foundation for a physician's growth and lifelong learning. They also require a large share of government resources. As such, they should seek opportunities to maintain trust from the public, their students, faculty, universities, regulatory colleges, and each other.

Smoothing the Transition Points in Canadian Medical Education.

In 2010, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, Collège des médecins du Québec, College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada launched the Future of Medical Education in Canada Postgraduate (FMEC PG) Project to examine postgraduate medical education (PGME) in Canada and make recommendations for improvement. One recommendation that emerged concerns the transitions learners experience across the undergraduate medical education-PGME-practice continuum. The FMEC PG, using a thorough process, developed projects to address these often-tumultuous transitions for the learner, aiming to provide support, tools, and standards for the learner's educational journey.

Image-based Metal Artifact Reduction in X-ray Computed Tomography utilizing Local Anatomical Similarity.

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is widely used in radiation therapy treatment planning in recent years. However, metal implants such as dental fillings and hip prostheses can cause severe bright and dark streaking artifacts in reconstructed CT images. These artifacts decrease image contrast and degrade HU accuracy, leading to inaccuracies in target delineation and dose calculation.

Toward Defining the Foundation of the MD Degree: Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency.

Currently, no standard defines the clinical skills that medical students must demonstrate upon graduation. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education bases its standards on required subject matter and student experiences rather than on observable educational outcomes. The absence of such established outcomes for MD graduates contributes to the gap between program directors' expectations and new residents' performance.

Affordances of knowledge translation in medical education: a qualitative exploration of empirical knowledge use among medical educators.

Purpose: Little is known about knowledge translation processes within medical education. Specifically, there is scant research on how and whether faculty incorporate empirical medical education knowledge into their educational practices. The authors use the conceptual framework of affordances to examine factors within the medical education practice environment that influence faculty utilization of empirical knowledge.

Study protocol for a pilot study to explore the determinants of knowledge use in a medical education context.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: While the science of knowledge translation (KT) has been growing steadily for the past decade in relation to understanding processes and actions which are embedded within clinical practice settings, little is known about how empirical knowledge is used within the medical education system. Despite an increase of research in this domain, we know very little about the contribution of this evidence in the development of medical students into effective physicians. This pilot study aims to: provide a synthesis of the evidence for educational strategies within medical education; explore the perceptions and experiences of faculty in undergraduate (UG) medical education in relation to their use of evidence in their educational practices; and illuminate how medical education evidence is formally integrated into a UG medical curriculum.

Integration of community health teaching in the undergraduate medicine curriculum at the University of Toronto.

Background: In 1999, Determinants of Community Health was introduced at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. The course spanned all 4 years of the undergraduate curriculum and focused on addressing individual patient and community needs, prevention and population health, and diverse learning contexts.

Purpose: To demonstrate the value of an integrated, longitudinal approach to the efficiency of delivering a public health curriculum.

In the spirit of Flexner: working toward a collective vision for the future of medical education in Canada.

The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada launched the Future of Medical Education in Canada (FMEC) Project in 2007. The FMEC Project's overarching goal was to comprehensively examine the current state of undergraduate medical education, concentrating on its alignment with current and future societal needs. Like Flexner's work, the FMEC Project used a process of reflection and renewal; unlike Flexner's work, the FMEC Project used multiple techniques to gather information, including literature reviews, key informant interviews, international visits, and a series of consultations with stakeholders and expert groups.

Measuring educational workload: a pilot study of paper-based and PDA tools.

Background: Teaching is an important professional role for most faculty members in academic health sciences centres. Careful delineation of educational workload is needed to foster and reward teaching efforts, and to facilitate equitable allocation of resources.

Aims: To promote recognition in teaching and facilitate equitable resource allocation, we developed, piloted, and qualitatively assessed a tool for delineating the educational workload of pediatric faculty in an academic health sciences centre.

What factors are associated with poor developmental attainment in young Canadian children?

Background: This study was undertaken to determine the association between poor developmental attainment (PDA) and biological, home environment and socio-demographic factors in a population-based sample of Canadian children.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from two cycles (1994/95 and 1996/97) of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth were used. Children aged 1-5 years were included.

Risk markers for poor developmental attainment in young children: results from a longitudinal national survey.

Objective: To evaluate social and environmental determinants of poor developmental attainment among preschool children by means of longitudinal data from a population-based sample of Canadian children.

Design: Secondary analysis of data from cycles 1 (1994-1995) and 2 (1996-1997) of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth using a cohort design with 2-year follow-up.

Participants: A total of 4987 children aged 1 to 5 years at baseline, whose biological mother completed risk factor information and who were included in both cycles.

Exploring the gap between knowledge and behavior: a qualitative study of clinician action following an educational intervention.

Purpose: Many medical education interventions improve clinicians' knowledge but fail to change behavior. The authors exposed this knowledge-behavior gap through standardized clinical interactions, thus allowing in-depth exploration of the contributing factors.

Method: A typical evidence-based educational intervention in one clinical domain (early signs of autism) was administered to family medicine residents at the University of Toronto in 2001-02, and change in knowledge was assessed through a multiple-choice test.

Sexual selection promotes hybridization between Pecos pupfish, Cyprinodon pecosensis and sheepshead minnow, C. variegatus.

Rapid and extensive genetic introgression has occurred between Pecos pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis) and sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) in the wild. We studied both female mate choice and male-male competition for mates among C. pecosensis, C.

Culture and physician-patient communication: a qualitative exploration of residents' experiences and attitudes.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that communication plays a central role in effective clinical care. To facilitate effective instruction in this domain, this study seeks to understand how pediatric residents approach the challenge of cross-cultural communication.

Methods: A convenience sample of 29 pediatric residents participated in five focus groups that were jointly facilitated by a clinical and a process expert.

Peripheral nerve injuries and repair in the upper extremity.

Peripheral nerve injuries are commonly seen as a result of domestic, industrial, or military trauma. Sharp objects usually cause these nerve injuries. When assessing these injuries, it is important to evaluate each nerves' motor and sensory function.

Lifetime patterns of contraception and their relationship to unintended pregnancies.

Background: For the past 30 years many effective methods of contraception have been available, yet unintended pregnancy rates still range from 30% to 50% in many populations. We examined patterns of women's contraceptive use throughout their lives and relate them to unintended pregnancy.

Methods: A total of 396 women aged 18 to 50 years chosen by convenience sampling from a family practice residency office were interviewed in a cross-sectional study about their history of using and changing contraception, and whether they believed they became pregnant while using a method of contraception.

The Experience of Leader-Led Peer Supervision: Genetic Counselors' Perspectives.

As we proceed through our professional lives, it is essential that we challengeourselves in order to continue to develop our genetic counseling skills. Conferences, workshops,post-graduate courses, journal clubs, and involvement in professional organizations havebecome the traditional methods of continuing education for post-graduate geneticcounselors. While these forums address the need to stay updated on scientific orinformation-based topics, there is little available to counselors to promote growth incounseling skills.

An adipogenic cofactor bound by the differentiation domain of PPARgamma.

Ligand activation of the nuclear receptor PPARgamma induces adipogenesis and increases insulin sensitivity, while activation of other PPAR isoforms (-alpha and -delta) induces little or no fat cell differentiation. Expression and activation of chimeras formed between PPARgamma and PPARdelta in fibroblasts has allowed us to localize a major domain of PPARgamma responsible for adipogenesis to the N-terminal 138 amino acids, a region with AF-1 transcriptional activity. Using this region of PPARgamma as bait, we have used a yeast two-hybrid screen to clone a novel protein, termed PGC-2, containing a partial SCAN domain.

Biochemical analysis of p120/130: a protein-tyrosine kinase substrate restricted to T and myeloid cells.

T cell activation is mediated by a cascade of intracellular events involving protein-tyrosine kinases and their substrates. p56(lck) and p59(fyn) are protein-tyrosine kinases that associate with CD4/CD8 and the TCRzeta/CD3 complex, respectively. We previously reported the appearance of a protein doublet at 120 and 130 kDa that preferentially associates with p59(fyn) and undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation upon receptor ligation.

Attitudes toward the prenatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis: factors in decision making among affected families.

The objective of this study was to explore psychosocial factors underlying decisions about use of prenatal diagnosis for cystic fibrosis (CF), among parents of affected children. Anonymous survey questionnaires, supplemented by voluntary interviews, were used at 12 CF centers in six New England states, for a consecutive sample of families of minor children visiting CF centers during a 4-mo period. In all, 227 (71%) of 318 families responded.

Attitudes toward abortion among parents of children with cystic fibrosis.

Background: DNA prenatal diagnosis for cystic fibrosis (CF) has been available for parents of affected children since late 1985.

Methods: Using anonymous questionnaires, we surveyed 395 parents of children with CF at 12 New England CF centers with regard to 12 maternal or family situations and 11 fetal characteristics; 271 (68%) responded.

Results: The majority supported legal abortion in the first trimester for all 23 situations; 58% would abort for severe mental retardation (MR), 40% would abort for a genetic disorder leading to death before age five years, 41% for a child bedridden for life, 35% for moderate MR, 20% for CF and 17% for a severe incurable disorder starting at age 40 years.