Adequate Background Research Articles

Training emergency managers for earthquake response: challenges and opportunities

PurposeThis paper aims to highlight the crucial role of decision makers and emergency managers in reducing the unpleasant consequences of disasters.Design/methodology/approachAn attempt has been made to clarify the measures for planning and implementation of training issues in earthquake emergency response for the emergency managers as an essential part at various managerial levels.FindingsThe paper reveals that, although the high‐level managers such as ministers are authoritative bodies for managing the routine problems of the country, in situations such as a “major emergency”, specific knowledge and experience of emergency issues are required for the emergency management to be successful. It also explores the ways and opportunities for achieving successful training programmes for the emergency managers.Research limitations/implicationsThe existing challenges, including the lack of adequate background knowledge and experience in emergency management, insufficient time to train, the inadequacy of the required technical supporting tools, and other related issues, emerge, which need to be identified.Practical implicationsThe research can be practically useful for emergency managers who are involved in response activities in disasters by providing suitable and appropriate recommendations for efficient training.Originality/valueThere are only a few works on training of earthquake emergency managers, especially in developing countries such as Iran.

Recommendations for health reporting: Proposal of a working paper

Objective: Media are a main source of medical information for the public, as well as for decision makers. This scenario demands a good selection of stories and correct medical reporting. Design: Our study aimed to analyze if journalistic guidelines or similar documents were already available and whether they provided satisfactory advice for appropriate communication in the field, and to detail recommendations which could become a reference working document. Methodology: Sources for this paper were obtained from PubMed and from websites (and related links) of organizations known to be working in the area of health reporting. Documents providing recommendations for the activity were analyzed and compared through a scheme including nine macro-categories relevant to the selection, verification and building of the story, considering scientific and journalistic issues. The scheme was derived from the most complete document.We then compiled a comprehensive list of recommendations merging the contents of the documents considered and our professional experience. Results: Nine existing guidelines and similar documents representing the worldwide situation were compared. All the documents examined provided interesting indications. Some of these indications shared the basic principles of mainstream journalism (reliability and independence of sources); others were more specific, such as the understanding of the scientific method and its jargon, the need to avoid extrapolations and to understand the difference between in vitro and animal studies and clinical trials, statistical parameters, and so on. Most of the topics specific for health communication are concepts which can be grasped only with an adequate scientific background and continuing education.The nature and level of the details provided by these documents vary considerably and in most cases can be fully understood only by experienced journalists with a relevant background. Discussion: Our proposal provides a useful tool listing nearly 70 recommendations ranging from the education of journalists, to all the aspects of selection, understanding and translating of medical and drug information deriving from scientific reports. It is intended for a journalist with a biomedical background, and therefore highlights critical issues without providing detailed descriptions. The proposal endeavors to answer to the main criticisms of medical journalism, particularly the use of sources, the verification of clinical value, the need to follow up on the story. Our work focuses on the prerequisite for a medical journalist to acquire the knowledge that enables him to assess the results of pharmacological and medical research in order to accurately and reliably convey his message to a lay reader. The strength of our working paper derives from the preliminary ‘benchmarking’ of existing documents, as suggested in the literature, but even more so from the concerted effort of the authors, who represent the key stakeholders of the system (researchers, academic teachers, medical journalists and publishers). Conclusion: Our work identifies the major issues entailed in correct health reporting, and constitutes a step forward in overcoming existing barriers between scientists and journalists. The aim is to encourage the mediation of ‘public-centred’ information, which limits the false hopes and expectations that may arise due to communication problems between the two worlds.

Physical examination of the potential tissue donor, what do European tissue banks do?

According to the EU Directive 2006/17/EC, European tissue banks are required to perform a physical examination on every potential tissue donor. The directive itself, however, does not specify the content of this examination. The aim of this study was to investigate the current practice of physical examination in European tissue banks. A questionnaire was drawn up and sent to the members of the European Association of Tissue Banks and the European Eye Bank Association. Information was gathered on the type of procurement; the personnel involved (number, educational background and training); the content of physical examination; the problems encountered; and the outcome of the performed physical examinations. Completed questionnaires were received from 32 European tissue banks (response rate of 35%). Of these tissue banks, 73% perform a physical examination. The most frequently encountered problems are the inability to open the mouth due to rigor mortis, the inability to examine the total body surface and the incapacity to palpate the lymph nodes. Tissue banks reject potential donors, based on the results of the physical examination in 5% of cases (median rejection rate). Twenty-seven percent of the responding tissue banks do not perform a physical examination. This was most often due to a lack of adequate educational background and/or a lack of appropriate training.

Determination of iron in seawater by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry: A comparative study

Two methods available for direct determination of total Fe in seawater at low concentration level have been examined: electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) and electrothermal atomization laser excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry (ETA-LEAFS). In a first part, we have optimized experimental conditions of ETAAS (electrothermal program, matrix chemical modification) for the determination of Fe in seawater by minimizing the chemical interference effects and the magnitude of the simultaneous background absorption signal. By using the best experimental conditions, a detection limit of 80 ng L −1 (20 μL, 3 σ) for total Fe concentration was obtained by ETAAS. Using similar experimental conditions (electrothermal program, chemical modification), we have optimized experimental conditions for the determination of Fe by LEAFS. The selected experimental conditions for ETA-LEAFS: excitation wavelength (296.69 nm), noise attenuation and adequate background correction led to a detection limit (3 σ) of 3 ng L −1 (i.e. 54 pM) for total Fe concentration with the use a 20 μL seawater sample. For the two methods, concentration values obtained for the analysis of Fe in a NASS-5 (0.2 μg L −1) seawater sample were in good agreement with the certified values.

Marketing Channels Effectiveness in Iran: an Overview

Marketing plays very important role in corporate sectors. The result of this study shows that dealers, wholesalers and retailers of electronic home appliances and the individual group of customers are concerned, the researcher presents the research results for each group separately and then for total market.The findings obtained from the analysis of information (Data) regarding the dealers of durable electronic home appliances are as follows:1. Employees employed by dealers do not have adequate technical background while dealers have sound experience in the field of marketing and distribution. This is a strong point here.2. Pricing system does not have any uniformity and rationale. Pricing system varies with the manufacturer, dealer or with the syndicate of dealer. This eventually affects the marketing of products.3. Dealers guess the demand only through the customers and their choices/tastes/needs.4. Manufacturers choose the dealers by appraising their financial status and this makes the market more monopolistic than competitive.

Food animal medicine in crisis

JAVMA, Vol 235, No. 4, August 15, 2009 A dearth of veterinary professionals are engaged in food animal medicine. According to the AVMA’s 2008 market research statistics, 10,736 (13.5%) AVMA members, reporting practice type by species category, were in practices related to food animal medicine. This void was originally acknowledged as many as 20 years ago, but until recently, it has undergone little scrutiny regarding origins and possible resolutions. Recent events have heightened political, public, and professional awareness of the threat of global bioterrorism and resulted in > 30 published manuscripts and reports addressing the scarcity of veterinarians interested in food animal medicine. Reports published by organizations such as the AAVMC have identified potential causes for these shortages, including a skewed focus in the veterinary curriculum, challenges in recruitment, lack of mentorship while a veterinary medical student and after graduation, and insufficient remuneration and retention. Although all of the aforementioned causes are important for creating the void, solutions are lacking because the professional purpose of FAVs has become increasingly diverse. Indeed, a review of the literature reveals that veterinary medicine has a lack of FAVs that has been compounded by an identity crisis in FAVs within the veterinary profession. The identity crisis stems from inconsistent terms, including food supply veterinarians, food systems veterinarians, and veterinarians in food animal production medicine, used to describe FAVs. Such inconsistencies dilute attempts to fill the FAV void and render such attempts ineffectual because the void or voids veterinary colleges are trying to fill have yet to be clearly defined. The information provided here is intended to include a brief history of the foundations of veterinary medicine, its primary obligations, and societal forces that have expanded these obligations, which are necessary to provide an adequate background for understanding the problems facing the veterinary profession. In addition, it is intended to explore many of the challenges contributing to the void in FAVs and proposed changes in veterinary medical education and outreach. Finally, I hope to define the contributors to the FAV identity crisis within veterinary medicine and the resulting need for a new taxonomy of veterinary scientists who are able to adapt veterinary education for the future. Food animal medicine in crisis

Transfer of toxic substances from feed to food

The title may raise questions about definitions of the terms used. The more obvious ones are: 1) What is transfer? 2) How to define toxic; and 3) How to define feed or food. A more underlying question is how to measure the substances we are interested in. The (often) chemical methods used, are not always sensitive or specific enough. Sometimes, biologically based methods are used which detect a biological response, but seldom identify the compound responsible for that. Transfer is often not quantified in absolute terms but expressed in concentrations in feed and food. Mass balance between intake and excretion are quite rare as a steady state situation of residues in the animal is sometimes not obtained. Toxicity is mostly dependent on the concentration of the substance involved and even substances presumed to be innocent. Feed does certainly include the materials provided to the animal but also include the soil in which they walk and graze? Animals will consume some of the soil and it might contain considerable amounts of unwanted substances. Food certainly includes meat, milk and eggs and probably liver and kidney. But does also include intestine, spleen, testicles or even bone? Analytical methods may give wrong results if not applied properly and with adequate background knowledge. The recent episode of melamine in milk powder has been a very tragic wake-up call in this respect. Based on 35 years of carry-over studies with farm animals and data from the literature, a number of these points will be discussed.

Southern hemisphere tropical cyclone intensity forecast methods used at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Part I: control forecasts based on climatology and persistence

The development of a simple statistical tropical cyclone (TC) intensity forecast model is described. The primary purpose of this model, called southern hemisphere five-day statistical typhoon intensity forecast scheme (SH ST5D), is to provide a skill/no-skill control forecast for verifying other TC intensity forecasts. However, it also provides useful and always-available forecasts of TC intensity in the southern hemisphere. The model is created by fitting an optimal combination of factors related to climatology and persistence (or CLIPER) using multiple linear regression. These CLIPER factors are determined from the best track tropical cyclone dataset produced by the United States of America’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) in the years 1980-2002. In 2004 the SH ST5D model became part of the operational suite of tropical cyclone intensity guidance run at JTWC. The forecasts from the model since that time have outperformed both climatology (i.e. a constant 65 knots or 33 ms -1 forecast) and the persistence of initial conditions in a statistically significant manner in independent testing during 2004-2007. This documentation is provided to promote the use of this model’s output and provide adequate background for the development of similar models.

Quartz Crystal Microbalance as a Sensor to Characterize Macromolecular Assembly Dynamics

The quartz crystal microbalance sensor has a resonant frequency f and a quality factor Q which can be used to probe the properties of nanometer thick film loads. A recent review by Arnau (2008) has discussed many of the considerations necessary to accurately probe for these properties. To avoid needless duplication but to still provide an adequate background for the new user, we briefly outline the basic measurement methodologies and analytical techniques that were covered in the review. Details will be provided on some specific perspectives of the authors. For example, the special precautions necessary when dealing with soft films (polymeric and biological) under liquid are overviewed. To illustrate applications of the QCM technique, simple bilayer and vesicle behaviors are discussed, along with the structural transformation resulting from protein adsorption onto an intact vesicle adlayer. The amphipathic α‐helical (AH) peptide interaction is given as a particular example. Lastly, we summarize a top‐down approach to functionalize a surface with a cell membrane and to study its interaction with proteins.

The mental health clinic: a new model

The role of psychiatrists into public mental health clinics has been hampered by a perceived restriction of the psychiatrist's role to prescribing and sign-ing forms, limiting opportunities to engage in the kind of integrated care that attracted many physicians to this specialty. We propose a revision of the current model in a direction that maximizes the expertise of this specialist as well as other clinicians in the health care team. The basic unit would consist of a psychiatrist (with adequate background both in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy), an internist and four clinical psychotherapists, who may provide evidence-based treatment after the initial evaluation of the psychiatrist. Its functioning would emphasize repeated assessments, sequential combination of treatments, and close coordination of team members. Re-invigorating the role of the psychiatrist in the context of a team in which role assignments are clear could result in better outcomes and enhanced recruitment of psychiatrists into the public sector.

Computational complexity: a conceptual perspective

This book is rooted in the thesis that complexity theory is extremely rich in conceptual content, and that this contents should be explicitly communicated in expositions and courses on the subject. The desire to provide a corresponding textbook is indeed the motivation for writing the current book and its main governing principle.The book offers a conceptual perspective on complexity theory, and the presentation is designed to highlight this perspective. It is intended mainly for students that wish to learn complexity theory and for educators that intend to teach a course on complexity theory. The book is also intended to promote interest in complexity theory and make it acccessible to general readers with adequate background (which is mainly being comfortable with abstract discussions, definitions and proofs). We expect most readers to have a basic knowledge of algorithms, or at least be fairly comfortable with the notion of an algorithm.The book focuses on several sub-areas of complexity theory (including, e.g., pseudorandomness and probabilistic proof systems). In each case, the exposition starts from the intuitive questions addresses by the sub-area, as embodied in the concepts that it studies. The exposition discusses the fundamental importance of these questions, the choices made in the actual formulation of these questions and notions, the approaches that underly the answers, and the ideas that are embedded in these answers. Our view is that these (\non-technical) aspects are the core of the field, and the presentation attempts to re ect this view.

Basic concepts of advanced MRI techniques

An overview is given of magnetic resonance (MR) techniques sensitized to diffusion, flow, magnetization transfer effect, and local field inhomogeneities induced by physiological changes, that can be viewed, in the clinical practice, as advanced because of their challenging implementation and interpretation. These techniques are known as diffusion-weighted, perfusion, magnetization transfer, functional MRI and MR spectroscopy. An important issue is that they can provide quantitative estimates of structural and functional characteristics that are below the voxel resolution. This review does not deal with the basic concepts of the MR physics and the description of the available acquisition and postprocessing methods, but hopefully provides an adequate background to readers and hence facilitate the understanding of the following clinical contributions.

Computational complexity

This book is rooted in the thesis that complexity theory is extremely rich in conceptual content, and that this contents should be explicitly communicated in expositions and courses on the subject. The desire to provide a corresponding textbook is indeed the motivation for writing the current book and its main governing principle. The book offers a conceptual perspective on complexity theory, and the presentation is designed to highlight this perspective. It is intended mainly for students that wish to learn complexity theory and for educators that intend to teach a course on complexity theory. The book is also intended to promote interest in complexity theory and make it acccessible to general readers with adequate background (which is mainly being comfortable with abstract discussions, definitions and proofs). We expect most readers to have a basic knowledge of algorithms, or at least be fairly comfortable with the notion of an algorithm. The book focuses on several sub-areas of complexity theory (including, e.g., pseudorandomness and probabilistic proof systems). In each case, the exposition starts from the intuitive questions addresses by the sub-area, as embodied in the concepts that it studies. The exposition discusses the fundamental importance of these questions, the choices made in the actual formulation of these questions and notions, the approaches that underly the answers, and the ideas that are embedded in these answers. Our view is that these (\non-technical") aspects are the core of the field, and the presentation attempts to re ect this view.

Metagenomics and the niche concept

The metagenomics approach has revolutionised the fields of bacterial diversity, ecology and evolution, as well as derived applications like bioremediation and obtaining bioproducts. A further associated conceptual change has also occurred since in the metagenomics methodology the species is no longer the unit of study, but rather partial genome arrangements or even isolated genes. In spite of this, concepts coming from ecological and evolutionary fields traditionally centred on the species, like the concept of niche, are still being applied without further revision. A reformulation of the niche concept is necessary to deal with the new operative and epistemological challenges posed by the metagenomics approach. To contribute to this end, I review past and present uses of the niche concept in ecology and in microbiological studies, showing that a new, updated definition need to be used in the context of the metagenomics. Finally, I give some insights into a more adequate conceptual background for the utilisation of the niche concept in metagenomic studies. In particular, I raise the necessity of including the microbial genetic background as another variable into the niche space.

Surgery of inferior vena cava associated malignant tumor lesions

Tumor lesions of the inferior vena cava (IVC) can originate from the vein or can develop by malignant tumor infiltration from the surrounding tissue. In this context, particular attention should be paid to tumor lesions with pegs into or within the IVC. The aim of this series of a single surgical center was to analyze the perioperative management, the individual-specific and -adapted surgical technique, as well as the outcome including prognostic considerations in IVC-associated malignant tumor lesions. Over a 6-year time period, all consecutive patients with IVC-associated malignant tumor lesions and their patient- and finding-specific characteristics were registered, data and parameters of the diagnostic and therapeutic management were documented, and both the short- and long-term outcomes (complication rate, perioperative morbidity/mortality, tumor recurrence rate, survival) were assessed with periodic follow-up investigations. Overall, 12 patients were enrolled in the study from 1/1/2001-31/12/2006:6 primary IVC-tumors (leiomyosarcomas, 50%) and 6 secondary IVC-tumors (2 retroperitoneal tumor lesions, 16.7%, 3 renal cell carcinomas 25% and 1 carcinoma of the adrenal gland, 8.3%). 4 of the secondary tumors had pegs into the IVC. The RO resection rate was 83%. The perioperative morbidity was 33%; whereas, the hospital mortality was 8.3% (n = 1). Surgical reconstruction of IVC was achieved in each case (100%). There was a mean postoperative observation period of 20 months (range, 1-58 months). Complete follow-up documentation was obtained for all of the patients (100%). Three patients experienced recurrent tumor growth (27.5% out of n = 11). While the overall mortality through the follow up observation period was 27.5%, the tumor-specific mortality was 16%. The primary surgical aim is RO resection to provide a long-term outcome with no tumor recurrence including the reconstruction of the IVC based on a reasonable risk-to-benefit ratio. The favorable outcome of this case series demonstrates that IVC-associated tumor lesions can be approached if there is an appropriate expertise of the surgical team, a sufficient perioperative management and an adequate financial background with a reasonable survival rate. The variable prognosis of the various tumor lesions depends on tumor entity, stage, resection status and individual risk factors.

Prevalence of Chronic Widespread Pain and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Young Korean Adults

Objectives: There have been many epidemiological studies on chronic widespread pain [CWP] and chronic fatigue syndrome [CFS] in the general population or samples ascertained from clinical sources, but such studies have not been reported in similarly aged young people. It may be helpful to report in which homogenous group CWP and CFS are more prevalent for future research about the pathogenesis of these illnesses. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of CWP and CFS in Korean university freshmen.Methods: Those who participated in the freshmen orientation of a large Korean university in March 2006 were evaluated for the prevalence of CWP and CFS. Interviews were conducted by trained personnel with adequate medical background using a questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, smoking, CWP, and fatigue.Results: Among the 1,644 freshmen interviewed, 815 participants [49.6%] were men and 829 participants [50.4%] were women. There were five cases of CWP [0.3%]; three of the cases were...

Model-based design of experiments for parameter precision: State of the art

Due to the wide use and key importance of mathematical models in process engineering, experiment design is becoming an essential tool for the rapid building and validation of these mechanistic models. Several experiment design techniques have been developed in the past and applied successfully to a wide range of systems. This paper is focused on the so-called model-based design of experiments (DOE) and aims at presenting an up-to-date state of the art in this important field. In order to provide an adequate and thorough background to this technique, a detailed description of the key elements of a model identification procedure (the model itself, the experiment, the statistical tools, etc.) and the major steps of a model-building strategy are introduced before focusing on the experiment design for parameter precision, which is the topic of this survey. An overview and critical analysis of the state of the art in this sector are proposed. The main contributions to model-based experiment design procedures in terms of novel criteria, mathematical formulations and numerical implementations are highlighted. A list of the most recent applications of these techniques in various fields (from chemical kinetics to biological modelling) is then presented highlighting the key role of model-based DOE in the process engineering area.

Parents Can Get Expert Advice on Treatment of ADHD

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & Research NewsFull AccessParents Can Get Expert Advice on Treatment of ADHDJun YanJun YanSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:2 Nov 2007https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.42.21.0002The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and APA have issued a new medication guide for parents and guardians of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).The guide contains an overview of the symptoms and neurological basis of the disorder and detailed explanations about the types, effectiveness, and side effects of ADHD medications. The guide also covers possible comorbidities, psychosocial and behavioral interventions for the disorder, and other resources such as readings for parents and children.The guide's safety section addresses many parents' concerns about the side effects and risks of ADHD medications and summarizes clinical evidence in an easy-to-understand format. The guide is available in English and Spanish.At the press conference to announce the guide's release, Adelaide Robb, M.D., a child psychiatrist at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., commented that this guide will be helpful to psychiatrists because it gives parents a better picture of ADHD symptoms and the effects of treatment, so that when children are referred to a psychiatrist, the parents can educate themselves and are better prepared to ask questions. She pointed out that the guide is also informative to adolescents and young adults who are diagnosed with ADHD and are seeing psychiatrists for the first time.“Most ADHD patients are seen and evaluated by primary care providers,” Read Sulik, M.D., medical director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at St. Cloud Hospital's Behavioral Health Services in Minnesota, said at the press conference. An average visit is so short that most primary care providers have little time to provide adequate education and background information to parents and patients. “This guide provides a tool to assist the providers in engaging the parents and empowering [them] with consistent and sound information about ADHD and treatment options,” he said.“Millions of American children and adolescents live with ADHD,” said Thomas Anders, M.D., AACAP president. “The ADHD medication guide is a user-friendly resource that will help parents make informed decisions for their children.”“Medication Guide for Treating ADHD” is posted at<www.parentsmedguide.org/pmg_adhd.html>.▪ ISSUES NewArchived

Sharing Our Wealth

This issue of the Journal includes articles describing evaluations of 2 national train-the-trainer programs developed and implemented by University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) faculty members and their colleagues from other institutions. While the contents of the programs are distinct (cultural competence and tobacco cessation) the findings provide important lessons and implications for American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and our members. There are several key similarities in the 2 content areas developed and shared in these programs. First, while most schools likely would acknowledge both areas to be germane and important to pharmacy students and pharmacy practice, not many schools would likely have a great depth of faculty expertise to use in developing materials for integration in required or elective courses. Pharmacy school accreditation standards, which were under revision as these train-the-trainer programs were designed, delivered, and evaluated, place greater emphasis on both content areas. Equipping students to work with an increasingly diverse workforce and patient population is spoken to directly in Standards 2007.1 Tobacco cessation would be included broadly in the 2004 CAPE Outcomes as part of the public health curricular content receiving more emphasis in current standards.2 Evaluation data from both projects suggest that Drs. Assemi and Corelli and their teams approached their efforts in a way that met faculty needs and expectations. High quality, evidence-based materials provided adequate background on the topics covered. Resources in the form of slide sets, cases, and other active-learning exercises were provided to those trained. Web-based resources and important reference materials were compiled and made accessible. All of this increased the likelihood that these projects would meet their ultimate objectives of expanding the coverage of this content in curricula across the country. Most participants declared their ability and intent to incorporate the material into courses upon their return to their campuses. The work of these faculty leaders is to be commended and AACP is pleased to have played a role, albeit a small one, in helping these faculty members with their projects. For the tobacco cessation program, UCSF faculty requested a letter of support from AACP which facilitated their efforts to secure funding from the National Institutes of Health. In this letter, AACP pledged support to facilitate communication regarding the programs through various channels. That assistance was easy to provide and would be offered to other initiatives promoting shared curricula. In fact, AACP is also working with Dr. Bruce Berger from Auburn University on yet another train-the-trainer program, in this case, in the area of motivational interviewing. The expanding role of pharmacists necessitates coverage of a dizzying and diverse array of content and new skills. Identifying the mechanism to decrease the burden and redundancy of preparing these materials is increasingly important in this era of rapid expansion of colleges and schools and persistent faculty shortages. Excellent teaching can be supported through the exchange of peer-reviewed teaching resources within pharmacy education and across the other health education disciplines. Networking opportunities beyond the live course offer great potential for continuous curricular innovation and collaboration in scholarly activities. AACP has slowly worked to develop a system for sharing curricular resources using the Association's web site to organize materials that have been developed in a variety of different projects. Other organizations, including the Association of American Medical Colleges, have embarked on projects to make quality teaching resources available to faculty members. The Health Education Assets Library offers a model and potentially a platform for sharing relevant course resources. The Council of Faculties considered a resolution in 2006 urging AACP to expand activity to make curricular resources accessible, but the suggestion generated concern among some faculty members and was defeated. Concerns about quality were voiced; additionally concern was expressed that faculty positions could be jeopardized if content in a particular discipline was readily accessible. In light of the current shortage of qualified faculty members and increasing numbers of new pharmacy schools, this issue should be revisited. The evaluations from participants in the UCSF train-the-trainer programs suggest that there are areas where sharing teaching resources makes sense and is valued by participating faculty. Standard 26 holds all schools responsible for attending to the continuous professional development of faculty and preceptors.1 These programs offer one avenue for very productive faculty development that yields benefits to the faculty member, students, the institution and ultimately society.

Imaging techniques for the vulnerable coronary plaque

The goal of this article is to illustrate the main invasive and noninvasive diagnostic modalities to image the vulnerable coronary plaque, which is responsible for acute coronary syndrome. The main epidemiologic and histological issues are briefly discussed in order to provide an adequate background. Comprehensive coronary atherosclerosis imaging should involve visualization of the entire coronary artery tree and plaque characterization, including three-dimensional morphology, relationship with the lumen, composition, vascular remodelling and presence of inflammation. No single technique provides such a comprehensive description, and no available modality extensively identifies the vulnerable plaque. In particular, we describe multislice computed tomography, which at present seems to be the most promising noninvasive tool for an exhaustive image-based quantification of coronary atherosclerosis.