Office Examination Research Articles

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction! An Examination of Correctional Officers’ Perceptions of Staff–Inmate Boundary Violations and Willingness to Follow Institutional Rules within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

ABSTRACTMost correctional officers adhere to strong organizational norms that emphasize the importance of following rules. Some, however, break the custodial frame and behave inappropriately with inmates. Guided by Robert K. Merton’s social structure and anomie theory, we examined 501 questionnaires collected from correctional officers within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. When correctional officers perceive that their coworkers engage in boundary violations with inmates, job satisfaction is significantly lower. Our novel application of Merton’s framework makes a contribution to the correctional job satisfaction literature and has important implications for the contemporary development and significance of social structure and anomie theory.

Cultural Fragmentation as a Barrier to Interagency Collaboration: A Qualitative Examination of Texas Law Enforcement Officers’ Perceptions

Public management scholars have long speculated on the importance of interagency collaboration among public agencies in the delivery of public services. This study examines barriers to public interagency collaboration in the area of public safety. Interjurisdictional collaboration among law enforcement agencies at all levels has become emblematic of “new governance” models for enhanced public safety delivery. However, such collaborative efforts encounter many challenges. The purpose of this research is to examine the ways in which cultural fragmentation among law enforcement officials constrain interagency collaboration. This study collected information from 45 law enforcement officers and command personnel from 18 different local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in a large metropolitan area in Texas. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and focus groups. Analysis of the data revealed three potential dimensions of cultural fragmentation that impede collaborative efforts between agencies and departments: the agency-type dimension, the rank-segment dimension, and the leadership style dimension. Implications for practice and future research are discussed as well.

Abstract P513: Seasonal Fluctuations of Novel Arterial Stiffness Indexs in Hypertensive Patients

Seasonal fluctuation of blood pressure (BP) is well known and possible relationship is reported between increases of BP and increases of cardiovascular accidents (CVA) in winter. Parameters of arterial stiffness may have seasonal fluctuation but available data are highly limited. Novel arterial stiffness index, Arterial Velocity pulse Index (AVI) and Arterial Pressure volume Index (API), can obtain through usual maneuver of BP measurement, and thus repeated measurement is easy in regular examination in outpatient office. Here, we analyzed seasonal fluctuation of AVI and API in hypertensive patients for 2.5 years (30 months), where the parameters were measured on every visits. Objects are 60 hypertensive patients under stable treatment and continuously visited our outpatient office for 2.5 years. BP, pulse rate (PR), AVI and API was measured using AVE-1500 (Pasesa, Shisei datum, Tokyo, Japan) in sitting position. Six periods were made like January to February, March to April and so on. Every measurements (at least 12 to over 30 per person) were sorted using the six period and averages of the parameters were used for analysis. Obvious seasonal fluctuations in PR (p<0.001) and AVI (p<0.001) and marginal fluctuations in SBP (p=0.055) and API (p=0.067) were confirmed by repeated ANOVA (Figure). SBP, API and PR were decreased in summer as expected, but, unexpectedly, AVI was increased in summer. Coefficient variations were SBP 5.1%, PR 4.8%, AVI 12.5% and API 10.6%. AVI is affected by reflected wave and closely correlated with augmentation index, and high AVI increases cardiac afterload. Decrease of BP and increase of AVI may relate to another CVA risk in summer like ischemic stroke.

The Percolation of Knowledge across Space

We propose an explanation for the negative effect of distance on knowledge flows, based on the fact that firms use their network to acquire new knowledge, and that a firm's network expands over its life-cycle. We build contacts in the network with past patent citations. We then use subsequent citations added by office examiners to identify how existing links influence which inventions firms rely on. We start by showing that knowledge percolates: firms are more likely to rely on patents produced by their contacts, and even by contacts of their contacts, than on similar patents from outside their close network. Building on this fact, we study a dynamic network formation model: it predicts Pareto-distributed innovator sizes, as well as an increasing relationship between an innovator's size and the distance at which it cites. We find these two predictions to hold remarkably well in the data. This implies that small innovators are responsible for most of the effect of distance measured in aggregate.

Feasibility and safety of surgical wound remote follow-up by smart phone in appendectomy: A pilot study.

IntroductionThe objective of the present study is to assess the safety and feasibility of the use of telemedicine-based services for surgical wound care and to measure patient satisfaction with telemedicine-based follow-up.Material and methods24 patients were included, they were provided with a corporate mail address. On day 7 after surgery patients sent, via email, an image of their surgical wound together with a completed questionnaire in order to obtain an early diagnosis. Two independent physicians studied this information and the histologic analysis of the specimen. On day 8, all patients underwent face-to-face office examination by a third physician and all of them completed a satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the study.ResultsThe use of telemedicine-based services showed a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 91.6%, a positive predictive value of 75% and a negative predictive value of 100%.Degree of concordance between the two physicians, as regards the necessity of face-to-face follow-up yielded a kappa coefficient of 0.42 (standard error 0.25 and confidence interval 95% (0.92–0.08), which means a moderate agreement between the two evaluations.94% of patients were satisfied with telemedicine-based follow-up and 93% showed their preference for this procedure over conventional methods.ConclusionsThe telemedicine-based follow-up, has proven to be feasible and safe for the evaluation of early postoperative complications. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the procedure. Telemedicine-based follow-up could become standard practice with the development of a specific mobile application.

Usefulness of office examination with narrow band imaging for the diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and follow-up of premalignant lesions.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of narrow band imaging (NBI) examination in the office for the diagnosis and follow-up of upper airway premalignant and malignant lesions. Four hundred eighty lesions were evaluated with white light endoscopy (WLE) and NBI before a biopsy/excision. Additionally, 151 premalignant lesions were followed up without proven biopsy. Carcinoma-free survival was calculated. The learning curve was analyzed. Overall, the accuracy improved from 74.1% with WLE to 88.9% with NBI, being relevant in all anatomic subsites. The accuracy of NBI increased significantly with increasing experience (area under the curve [AUC] >0.9). After a follow-up of 25 months, 14 of 151 lesions (9.3%) converted into carcinoma. The 4-year carcinoma-free survival rate was 86.4%. The 4-year carcinoma-free survival rate differed significantly between lesions classified as benign/mild dysplasia versus those presenting as moderate/severe dysplasia (88.9% vs 73.5%; P = .018). The NBI provided a greater accuracy than WLE and showed promising usefulness for the follow-up of premalignant lesions.

The Neurologic Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (NANO) scale: a tool to assess neurologic function for integration into the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria.

The Macdonald criteria and the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria define radiologic parameters to classify therapeutic outcome among patients with malignant glioma and specify that clinical status must be incorporated and prioritized for overall assessment. But neither provides specific parameters to do so. We hypothesized that a standardized metric to measure neurologic function will permit more effective overall response assessment in neuro-oncology. An international group of physicians including neurologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and neurosurgeons with expertise in neuro-oncology drafted the Neurologic Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (NANO) scale as an objective and quantifiable metric of neurologic function evaluable during a routine office examination. The scale was subsequently tested in a multicenter study to determine its overall reliability, inter-observer variability, and feasibility. The NANO scale is a quantifiable evaluation of 9 relevant neurologic domains based on direct observation and testing conducted during routine office visits. The score defines overall response criteria. A prospective, multinational study noted a >90% inter-observer agreement rate with kappa statistic ranging from 0.35 to 0.83 (fair to almost perfect agreement), and a median assessment time of 4 minutes (interquartile range, 3-5). The NANO scale provides an objective clinician-reported outcome of neurologic function with high inter-observer agreement. It is designed to combine with radiographic assessment to provide an overall assessment of outcome for neuro-oncology patients in clinical trials and in daily practice. Furthermore, it complements existing patient-reported outcomes and cognition testing to combine for a global clinical outcome assessment of well-being among brain tumor patients.

Why weak patents? Testing the examiner ignorance hypothesis

There is a widespread impression, reflected in recent legislation, that US Patent Office examiners issue many patents of dubious validity, and are insufficiently informed to distinguish these from other valid applications. We address this issue using related application outcomes at the European Patent Office as indicators for patent weakness. We create a proxy for potentially citable prior art using latent semantic analysis of US patent documents, and use this to construct a measure of examiner search effort. We find that US examiners tend to devote more search effort to weaker patents, implying that they can identify a substantial portion of the weak patents that they issue. Why the patent system fails to make better use of examiners' ability to identify weak patents is a question that merits further investigation.

Shame in Medical Education: A Randomized Study of the Acquisition of Intimate Examination Skills and Its Effect on Subsequent Performance

ABSTRACTTheory: Although medical students are exposed to a variety of emotions, the impact of emotions on learning has received little attention so far. Shame-provoking intimate examinations are among the most memorable events for students. Their emotions, however, are rarely addressed during training, potentially leading to withdrawal and avoidance and, consequently, performance deficits. However, emotions of negative valance such as shame may be particularly valuable for learning, as they might prompt mental rehearsal. We investigated the effect of shame on learning from the perspective of cognitive load theory. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that (a) training modality determines state shame, (b) state shame directly affects the quality of a clinical breast examination as one example of a shame-provoking exam, and (c) students who experience shame during training outperform those who just discuss the emotion during subsequent performance assessments. Method: Forty-nine advanced medical students participated in a randomized controlled, single-blinded study. After a basic, low-fidelity breast examination training, students were randomized to further practice either on a high-fidelity mannequin including a discussion of their emotions or by examining a standardized patient's real breasts. Last, all students conducted a breast examination in a simulated doctor's office. Dependent variables were measures of outcome and process quality and of situational shame. Results: Students training with a standardized patient experienced more shame during training (p < .001, d = 2.19), spent more time with the patient (p = .005, d = 0.89), and documented more breast lumps (p = .026, d = 0.65) than those training on a mannequin. Shame interacted with training modality, F(1, 45) = 21.484, p < .001, η2 = 0.323, and differences in performance positively correlated to decline in state shame (r = .335, p = .022). Conclusions: Students experiencing state shame during training do reenact their training and process germane load—in other words, learn. Furthermore, altering simulation modality offers a possibility for educators to adjust the affective component of training to their objectives.

JOB STRESS AMONG POLICE OFFICERS IN MANSOURA CITY, EGYPT

Introduction: Police officers experience frequent and ongoing stressors in their work.Exposure to violence, suffering, and death is inherent to their profession. Aim of work: To describe the level of job stress, risk factors, and coping strategies adopted to reduce it in police officers in Mansoura city, Egypt. Materials and methods: Police officers completed a self-administered questionnaire covering the socioeconomic and occupational data, occupational stress index scale and coping inventory for stressful situations. Results: A high average total Occupational Stress Index (OSI) score (133.7)was found with role overload having the highest subscale mean (20.9). The significant factors associated with level of stress were rank of officers, nature and sector of work, shift work, smoking and other habits. Coping strategies to overcome stress were mainly task-oriented. Conclusion: Pre-employment and periodic medical examination and psychological assessment of officers is required together with implementation of stress management program and counseling. Further large scale multicenter research is recommended.

Realtime National Health Insurance Scheme (RNHIS): Means To Achieve Health for All

E-health, tele-medicine, and informatics are terms prominent in the health sector nowadays; Real-time Health Insurance should be among. The laudable program, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) introduced in Nigeria can only be effective and efficient with the introduction of dynamic and integrated online NHIS system. Data were gathered through document examination, internet and interview of NHIS desk officers, health record officers, and NHIS accountant in two of our tertiary hospitals. Data were analysed and graphs were drawn to show current status. Software Engineering architecture for its development for better system was introduced. From the data analysed, it was found that none of the current Nigeria HMOs, Health Facilities (HFs) and NHIS headquarters is fully computerised and networked which is making the current system epileptic. People on transit and rural areas are not adequately catered for. Therefore, a workable Real-time Health Insurance Scheme will help people on transit and bridge urban-rural health divide.

Screening for Patent Quality: Examination, Fees, and the Courts

We develop an integrated framework to study how governments can improve the quality of patent screening. We focus on four key policy instruments: patent office examination, pre- and post-grant fees, and challenges in the courts. We show that there are important complementarities among these instruments, and identify conditions under which they can be used to achieve either partial or complete screening. We simulate the model to study the welfare effects of different policy reforms. We show that intensifying patent office examination, frontloading patent fees and capping litigation costs all generate welfare gains, while replacing examination with a pure registration system reduces welfare.

Canadian Inventors of U.S. Patents: An Empirical Study for the Canadian Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

In January 2016, the Canadian Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (the “Ministry”) commissioned this study to gain insight into technological innovation in Canada through the lens of the United States (“U.S.”) patent system. Comprehensive patent data of the sort required to make direct measurements of the Canadian patent system is not yet available in a form that lends itself to direct analysis, in particular patent data and metadata available as bulk downloads. In lieu of this, we use two massive data sets that we have assembled: (1) a dataset containing detailed information about patent prosecution in the U.S. from 1976 to the present, and (2) a dataset containing all federal U.S. patent litigations from 2000 to 2014 that resulted in a published opinion or order. We parsed these two datasets to derive a data subset containing all U.S. patents having at least one Canadian inventor (“Canadian-Contribution” or “CanCon” patents). The detailed information in the CanCon data subset has allowed direct analysis of such variables as inventor nationality (e.g., Canadian), numbers of inventors, application and issuance years, technology areas, assignees, prosecuting United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) examiners, prosecuting attorneys, and/or prosecuting law firms. We constructed a comprehensive patent citation graph of all post-1975 patents, and used this graph to determine patent importance within this network using eigenfactor centrality methods. The results of our analyses offer new insights into the inventive behavior of Canadians and owners of patents that co-invent with Canadians. For example, in total there are 170,067 U.S. patents having at least one Canadian inventor. The mean importance of these patents is 1.133, which means that CanCon patents are, on average, 13% more important than the mean importance for all U.S. patents, which is 1.00. By comparison, the mean importance of all U.S. patents having at least one foreign inventor is 0.95, or of slightly below average importance. The technological fields having the largest numbers of CanCon patents tend to involve telecommunications, computers and computer software, pharmaceuticals, molecular biology, chemistry, land vehicles, and the design of furnishings. With respect to patents litigated in U.S. federal courts, CanCon patents are less likely to be the subject of a federal lawsuit, and, those CanCon patents that are litigated tend to be of lower importance than the average for litigated patents.

Analysis of the psychometric characteristics of the experimental psychological methods for examination of the law enforcement officers

Background As a number of local documents requires continuous improvement of psychodi-agnostic work, one of the main activities of the Internal Affairs Agencies psychi-atric service is an active clinical examination, the timely detection of law en-forcement officers employees with neuropsychological instability, tendency to aggression and other forms of deviant behavior. Methods The aim of the study was the selection of additional experimental psychological techniques to conduct psychological examinations of law enforcement officers. As on objective of a study evaluation of reliability, validity and discriminative level of psychological tests has been chosen. The object of study was a group of the randomly selected representatives of almost all the major police professions, consisting of 348 respondents of the male gender in the age from 21 to 48 years old. Given the fact that the screening psychological evaluation of law enforce-ment officers during periodic psychiatric examinations is usually carried out un-der time constraints and the urgency to form an opinion immediately after the end of testing, nonprojective psychological techniques have been chosen for test-ing. These techniques, according to the scientific literature, proved their effective-ness and, in addition, are characterized by a small volume of questions and sim-plicity (largely - the dichotomous scales). Moreover, it does not require a lot of time to handle them: a methodology «Aggressive behavior» (E. P Ilyin, P. O. Ko-valev, 2001), the test «Аnxiety-Rigidity- Extravertebral» (D. Moudsli, 2002), the test «IPC-Fragebogen» (H. Levenson, 1986), the test is «MS PTSD» (NM Keane, 2001). Results Tests reliability was investigated by determining the consistency of their results by calculating the L. Cronbach’s coefficient α and Guttman method of splitting in half; discriminative level was determined by calculating the ratio; construct validi-ty was investigated by the exploratory factor analysis conduction. The factor loadings equal to or greater than 0,3 were considered to be sufficient, provided that the other factor loadings per item tend to zero; the criterion validity was in-vestigated by calculating the dichotomous correlation coefficient φ, and the statis-tical significance of the coefficient was determined by the distribution tables χ2 with one degree of freedom.The data achieved makes it possible to assert that law enforcement officers contingent discriminative level (δ-Ferguson = 0,88 ± 0,1) and the criterion validi-ty (φ≥0,225; r≤3E-05) of all the techniques of scales are high enough. Reliability of «Aggressive behavior» methodology is estimated as high only in relation to the general level of diagnosis of incontinence (α-Cronbach = 0,78; Guttman split-half = 0,763), whereas the reliability and construct validity of its individual scales are insufficient. Taking into account the high level of criteria validity and discrimina-tive level of this test, it is possible to talk about whether it should be used only as an indicator of the overall level of incontinence of internal affairs body employ-ees.«MS PTSD» has revealed a high level of reliability, and discriminative valid-ity (α-Cronbach = 0,67; Guttman split-half = 0,63; δ-Ferguson = 0,984), which allows to recommend its use in the process of psycho-diagnostic survey of law enforcement officers.The level of reliability and construct validity of methods «IPC-Fragebogen» and «ARE» was insufficient (α-Kronbaha≤0,5; Guttman split-half≤0,5), indicat-ing that they cannot be used in the process of psychological examinations of law enforcement officers. Conclusion Notwithstanding that several diagnostic instruments have proven themselves in long use in other professional contingents, an important conclusion has been ob-tained as a result of the work that the existing practice of these practices intro-duction into the activity of departmental psychological and psychiatric services without holding their quality evaluation and analysis of testing during the exami-nation of law enforcement officers should be considered unacceptable. On the contrary, the use of any psycho-diagnostic tools must be carried out only after a reasonable proof of the adequacy of their contingent’s psychometric characteris-tics, gender, socio-psychological, and, possibly, regional particularities.

Does canal wall down mastoidectomy benefit syndromic children with congenital aural stenosis?

ObjectivesTo determine whether a canal wall down mastoidectomy can provide long-term benefit for children with aural stenosis. MethodsRetrospective case series of children with congenital aural stenosis having undergone a canal wall down mastoidectomy over a twelve-year period at a tertiary children's hospital. ResultsData from thirteen children who underwent a total of twenty canal wall down mastoidectomies for aural stenosis were reviewed. The mean age at surgery was 7.1 years (range, 3.3–12.3 years). All patients had genetic syndromes including Trisomy 21 (n = 7), Trisomy 21 and Pierre Robin sequence (n = 1), Angelmann (n = 1), Cri-du-chat (n = 1), Branchio-oto-renal syndrome (n = 1), Spina bifida (n = 1) and Nager syndrome (n = 1). Seven (54%) children underwent bilateral canal wall down mastoidectomies. All thirteen ears that could not be visualized preoperatively had improved ease of office examination following surgery. Only one patient required revision surgery and all canals were patent at the last clinic visit. The mean follow-up was 4.9 years. There were no cases of facial nerve injury or cerebrospinal fluid leak. ConclusionSyndromic children with congenital aural stenosis with poorly pneumatized mastoids may benefit from canal wall down mastoidectomy to improve ease of office examinations.

Uterine fluid lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme activity profile

Objective The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the lactate dehydrogenase (LD) isoenzyme activity profile in uterine fluid, and transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) in the detection of endometrial cancer in women with postmenopausal bleeding. Patients and methods A total of 200 postmenopausal women with one or more episodes of vaginal bleeding were included in the study after signing informed consent. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. Patients with recent endometrial sampling, current hormone replacement therapy, uterine fluid collection at TVS, or clinical signs of endometritis were excluded from the study. The TVS and uterine fluid sampling for the LD isoenzyme analysis were carried out as office examinations. Endometrial thickness was classified as greater than 5 mm or less than 5 mm on TVS. The LD isoenzyme activity profile was described as normal or abnormal. The LD isoenzyme profile was subsequently related to histopathological diagnosis. Patients with endometrial thickness greater than 5 mm on TVS were evaluated with diagnostic curettage, and those with endometrial thickness less than 5 mm were evaluated with office endometrial biopsy. Results Endometrial carcinoma was found in 18 out of 200 patients (9%). In total, 162 (81%) were found to have endometrium greater than 5-mm thickness on TVS. The LD isoenzyme activity profile was abnormal for 38 (19%) patients. Histopathological diagnosis revealed 18 cases with endometrial cancer and 20 cases with no malignancy. The LD isoenzyme activity profile has 100% sensitivity, 90.1% specificity, 45.4% positive predictive value, 100% negative predictive value, and 88.6% accuracy. TVS for 200 postmenopausal women showed that 162 cases had endometrial thickness greater than 5 mm (81%); 18 of them were diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma (9%) and the remaining 144 cases were diagnosed with benign endometrial pathology (72%); 38 cases had endometrial thickness less than 5 mm (19%) and all of them showed no malignancy (P=0.201). The LD profile showed 38 abnormal results (19%); 18 cases of them diagnosed as endometrial carcinoma (9%) and the remaining 20 cases had benign endometrial pathology (10%). The LD profile showed 162 normal results, all of which had no malignancy (P=0.000*). Conclusion LD isoenzyme profile of uterine fluid could be added as a diagnostic tool for endometrial carcinoma of postmenopausal women. It is a reliable and easy, and is highly tolerable for the patients. At the same time, it can be applied as an office technique. LD isoenzyme profile of uterine fluid could be used as a second step after TVS at a cutoff point of 5 mm, which has proved to be highly reliable. The use of these two methods can reduce the need for curettage and hysteroscopy.

Realtime National Health Insurance Scheme (RNHIS) : Means to Achieve Health for all

E-health, tele-medicine, and informatics are terms prominent in the health sector nowadays; Real-time Health Insurance should be among. The laudable program, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) introduced in Nigeria can only be effective and efficient with the introduction of dynamic and integrated online NHIS system. Data were gathered through document examination, internet and interview of NHIS desk officers, health record officers, and NHIS accountant in two of our tertiary hospitals. Data were analysed and graphs were drawn to show current status. Software Engineering architecture for its development for better system was introduced. From the data analysed, it was found that none of the current Nigeria HMOs, Health Facilities (HFs) and NHIS headquarters is fully computerised and networked which is making the current system epileptic. People on transit and rural areas are not adequately catered for. Therefore, a workable Real-time Health Insurance Scheme will help people on transit and bridge urban-rural health divide.

The Office Software Learning and Examination System Design Based on Fragmented Learning Idea

Fragmented learning is that through the segmentation of learning content or learning time, make learners can use the fragmented time for learning fragmentated content, have the characteristics of time flexibility, learning targeted and high learning efficiency. Based on the fragmented learning ideas, combined with the teaching idea of micro class and interactive teaching, comprehensive utilization of flash animation design software, .NET development platform, VSTO technology, multimedia development technology and so on, design and develop a system integrated with learning, practice and examination of the Office software, which is not only conducive to the effective and personalized learning of students, but also conducive to the understanding the students’ situation of teachers, and liberate teachers from the heavy labor of mechanical, focus on promoting the formation of students’ knowledge system.

第9回特許庁審査官との意見交換会

第9回特許庁審査官との意見交換会

Doing ‘dirty work’: Stigma and esteem in the private security industry

This article draws upon two different ethnographic studies – one based in Sweden, the other in the United Kingdom – to explore how private security officers working in a stigmatized industry construct and repair their self-esteem. Whereas the concept of ‘dirty work’ (Hughes, 1951) has been applied to public police officers, an examination of private security officers as dirty workers remains undeveloped. Along with describing instances of taint designation and management, we find that the occupational culture of security officers enhances self-esteem by infusing security work with a sense of purpose. As members of a tainted occupation, security officers employ a range of strategies to deflect scorn and reframe their work as important and necessary.