bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Student Attitudes to Cooperative Learning in Undergraduate Veterinary Medicine
Authors: Dale Vicki H.M. , Nasir Lubna , Sullivan Martin 
Published: January 2008

Rationale for the study – Recent studies have demonstrated that collaborative or cooperative learning (CL) provides students and teachers with a variety of advantages over traditional instructional methods. To explore the possibility of introducing CL into the veterinary undergraduate curriculum on a larger scale—to facilitate the development of professional competencies—a cooperative learning assignment (CLA) was introduced into the fourth year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS) degree course at the University of Glasgow. An evaluation was carried out as a basis for optimizing subsequent CL activities in the undergraduate course. Methodology – Evaluation of student attitudes to the CLA was conducted using pre- and post-task questionnaires and a focus-group discussion involving student representatives from several of the small groups. Quantitative questionnaire data were imported into SPSS and a statistical test was used to identify any significant shifts in student attitudes. Results and conclusions – Analysis of the quantitative questionnaire results indicates that students—who regarded themselves generally as team players rather than competing individuals—had few concerns before or after the CLA. There were some significant shifts (negative and positive) in response to some of the questions, but generally the results were encouraging. However, a number of issues emerged from the focus-group discussion with regards to the administration of CL and matching students’ expectations to their experiences. In particular, students need to be adequately informed at the outset about the CL process and about how it will be assessed, have access to the required facilities, and be comfortable with learning different skills sets from those their peers are learning. Staff facilitators require adequate guidance on what they are expected to contribute to the CL process.
Delay in Final Publication Following Abstract Presentation: American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting
Authors: Dyson Doris H. , Sparling Stephanie C. 
Published: January 2008

Rationale for the study – A review of abstracts presented at nine annual meetings of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists was undertaken to determine the average time to publication and the differences found between conference abstracts and final publications. Concerns about and advantages of using such abstracts in our teaching are considered. Methodology – Conference proceedings during the years 1990 through 1999 were considered. Key word and author searches using two common search engines were carried out to find whether abstracts presented had been published. The original article or its abstract was reviewed for consistency with the conference abstract. Results – Of 283 abstracts examined, 73.5% were published in journals as full articles. The overall delay (±SD) in publication was 24.3 ± 21.0 months. Common reasons for not publishing included too little time, more interest in carrying out the work than in writing it up, and other more demanding tasks. Authors indicated the intention of completing a submission on approximately 10% of the unpublished abstracts. The final articles reviewed showed major differences in key aspects from the abstract presented in 7% of the cases. In half of these cases, clinical action could have been affected by a change in emphasis of the conclusions. Conclusions – Because of the delay in publication of research, peer review of standardized abstracts should be encouraged. This material can be used to introduce students to new drugs, techniques, and results that may not otherwise become available until after their graduation. However, caution must be exercised in using this information, both because significant differences were noted in final publications and because unpublished research may be poorly interpreted at the time of presentation. This study emphasizes the value of critical review and lifelong learning in our careers.
Undergraduate Veterinary Education at University College Dublin: A Time of Change
Authors: Doherty Michael L. , Jones Boyd R. 
Published: January 2008

The final-year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (MVB) class of 2005 were the first cohort of students to complete the new curriculum at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin (UCD). The new curriculum is a fundamental departure from the traditional curriculum that had served the veterinary profession in Ireland over many years. The change was not a precipitate action but the outcome of a prolonged and thorough examination of the realities of veterinary medicine, its science and its art, in the first decade of a new millennium. Over recent decades, rapid and fundamental changes have been witnessed in the economic, cultural, and ethical environment in which the veterinary profession operates, and these changes, coupled with the “information explosion,” dictated an examination of the educational paradigm. The new curriculum exposes the first-year class to veterinary information technology and problem-based learning (PBL). In the second year, students are instructed in clinical examination, history taking, and client communication skills, in addition to further exposure to PBL. The third and fourth years are now systems-based, with coordinated input from microbiologists, parasitologists, pathologists, and clinicians in teaching each body system. The first lecture-free final year in the 104-year history of veterinary education in Ireland consists of clinical rotations and a four-week elective pursued within the faculty or at other recognized institutions. Students must also complete a minimum of 24 weeks’ extramural studies (EMS). Critically, the development and assessment of all courses in the new undergraduate degree program has been driven by carefully thought out learning outcomes. The new curriculum will provide graduates with the essential knowledge and skills required for entry into the veterinary profession. Society expects these qualities from veterinarians in the interests of the communities they serve during their professional careers. In addition, the curriculum should foster the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, instill the desire and ability to work in teams, and develop life skills. It is hoped that the academic innovations will arouse the intellectual curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning that future graduates will require if they are to retain the confidence of the society in which they work in the future.
A Status Report of Veterinary Education in Ethiopia: Perceived Needs, Past History, Recent Changes, and Current and Future Concerns
Authors: Mayen Friederike 
Published: January 2008

Ethiopia, which owns the most important livestock resources in Africa, opened its first faculty of veterinary medicine in 1979. In 2003, in response to a government mandate to increase the number of veterinarians, four new veterinary faculties were founded, but these facilities still have very limited resources. Currently, quality standards and controls for veterinary studies are not established in Ethiopia, and the country does not have any type of veterinary council or oversight body to establish such standards or the essential evaluation and credentialing procedures. The veterinary degree, as currently obtained in Ethiopia, is not internationally recognized. A second specific concern for veterinary education in Ethiopia is that it is not well adapted to the special needs of the country. Clearly, quality control of veterinary education needs to be established, and teaching methods and materials need to be adapted to the special needs of the country. So far, the veterinary faculty in Ethiopia has been more interested in partnerships with universities from developed countries than in partnerships and cooperation with other African universities. In 2002, after six years of cooperation with a German university, the Veterinary Faculty at Addis Ababa started its own post-graduate program, with some key contributions from foreign instructors and some foreign funding. While this has been a service to Ethiopian veterinary medicine, the cooperation of the Ethiopian veterinary schools with African universities must also be strengthened. Overall, the good efforts to date in Ethiopian veterinary medicine have only barely scratched the surface of its critical needs. In order to meet Ethiopia's needs for both a reliable and high-quality veterinary education and a trustworthy animal disease surveillance mechanism, it is important that veterinary education in Ethiopia be improved.
Workload, Study Methods, and Motivation of Students within a BVSc Program
Authors: Parkinson Tim J. , Gilling Marg , Suddaby Gordon T. 
Published: January 2008

The workloads, study methods, and motivation of students in a five-year BVSc program were studied using questionnaires and focus groups. Students in each year of the program were asked, on three occasions over an academic year, to record details of their out-of-class study time for each course they were taking and to record the study methods they used, how they prioritized their time between subjects, and how they allocated time to study and leisure activities. Mean response rates were 57% (range: 43–85%). Overall mean out-of-class study time ranged from 19 hours per week in Year 2 to 28 hours per week in Year 4. Study time was related to the level of interest the student had in the subject, the demands of assessments, and the number of subjects being studied. Study methods were related to students’ perceptions of the requirements of the subject as well as to their interest in it. Reliance on memorization and the use of set study materials were the predominant methods for courses with low interest scores, whereas higher interest was associated with a broad range of study methods. Leisure time was ring-fenced, especially when workloads were high. Students’ motivation was high when they were studying subjects that were new or were seen as relevant to clinical practice; when working with animals or with enthusiastic faculty members; and when involved in subjects more tightly focused on the ultimate goal of becoming a practitioner. It was poor when students were faced with high workloads, disciplines becoming “stale,” excessive detail, and low perceptions of relevance. Constant assessment activities were also seen as a burden. In terms of good learning practices, workload and the demands of assessment were considered to be antagonistic. A tension between these perceptions of students and the values of faculty in terms of the development of critical thinking skills in the program is evident.
Veterinary Medical Education for Modern Food Systems: Past, Present, and Brainstorming a Future
Authors: Morishita Teresa Y. , Kahrs Robert F. , Prasse Keith W. , Maccabe Andrew , Dierks Richard 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACT AND EDITOR'S NOTE Concepts presented here were derived from breakout sessions constituted by the 90 attendees of the Veterinary Medical Education for Modern Food Systems symposium, held in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, in October 2005. The attendees were food-animal educators, veterinary faculty, college deans and administrators, and veterinarians employed in government, industry, and private practice. Discussions at these breakout sessions focused on four primary areas: (1) determining the data needed to document the current demand for food-supply veterinarians (FSVs); (2) defining the information/skills/abilities needed within veterinary school curricula to address the current demands on FSVs; (3) outlining pre-DVM educational requirements needed to support FSVs; and (4) considering the role of post-DVM programs in meeting the demand for FSVs.
The Concept of Rural Community Practice (RCP)
Authors: Ole Nielsen N. , Evans Brian , King Lonnie J. 
Published: January 2008

The need to devote more human resources to veterinary public practice to cope with escalating threats to biological security, public health, and economic prosperity, while also addressing societal value changes, has been widely recognized and supported. Most envisage increasing the numbers of veterinarians in government employment. Why not at least combine this initiative, wherever possible, with far greater involvement of rural practitioners to deliver contractual public-practice services and provide an enhanced community interface? This could make the difference between having a local practice in a community or none at all, as well as promising to be more cost effective. The concept of rural community practice (RCP) envisages combining traditional services provided in a “mixed-animal” veterinary practice with an expanded portfolio of public-practice and communication services that meet the emerging animal, public, and ecosystem health needs of the collective community, not just those of animal owners. These services could include those involving active sentinel surveillance programs for both domestic animal and wildlife diseases; on-farm food safety; bio-security; traceability and export certification and audit programs; disease investigation, including foreign animal diseases; surge capacity emergency response; managing for ecosystem health; and client and community education. An expanded practice team of animal-health professionals and technologists, led by veterinarians, would deliver these services. This RCP approach should have the potential to make rural practice more attractive from economic, lifestyle, and job-satisfaction perspectives; to enhance the visibility and recognition of the profession; and to respond to changing and new societal needs. It also promises to maintain a stable network of veterinary practices in rural communities. In addition, the recognition of veterinary medicine as a public good should provide for consideration of increased investment by levels of government. At the same time, this new model could help meet the demands of animal and public-health government agencies that face expanding responsibilities during a sustained climate of reduced budgetary resources.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Diastereoselective and Enantioselective Allylic Alkylations of Ketone Enolates
Authors: Braun Manfred , Meier Thorsten , Laicher Frank , Meletis Panos , Fidan Mesut 
Published: January 2008

AbstractLithium and magnesium enolates of cyclohexanone undergo palladium‐catalyzed allylic alkylations under mild conditions. Diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity are observed when the diphenyl‐ and dimethyl‐substituted allylic substrates 1a and 1b are reacted with cyclohexanone or ethyl mesityl ketone. The lithium enolates of cyclohexanone, cyclopentanone and α‐tetralone lead to the alkylations products 12–14 in an enantioselective manner. Axially chiral biphenyl‐ and binaphthyl‐bisphosphanes provide high enantioselectivity and/or diastereoselectivity. In the case of the lithium enolates, the presence of lithium chloride is also crucial to reactivity and stereoselectivity. The stereochemical outcome of the allylic alkylation of cyclohexanone and acetophenone has been investigated by the palladium‐catalyzed reaction of their lithium enolates with the cis/trans isomeric alkenes (Z)‐18 and (E)‐19. It turns out that the preformed, non‐stabilized enolates attack π‐allyl‐palladium complexes generated in situ from the face opposite to the noble metal thus following the stereochemical pathway of soft, stabilized carbanions.
The impact of race on outcomes of autologous transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Verma Pramvir S. , Howard Robin S. , Weiss Brendan M. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractMultiple myeloma is the most common hematologic malignancy in African‐Americans, with twice the mortality of Caucasians according to population based data. In the pretransplantation era, comparable conventional therapy has resulted in similar outcomes between African‐Americans and Caucasians. However, there has been limited data on outcomes after high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). A retrospective analysis of Caucasian (n = 55) and African‐American (n = 36) myeloma patients who underwent ASCT in an equal access health care system in the Department of Defense was performed. Presenting demographic variables, pre/post ASCT characteristics, overall mortality and relapse rates after ASCT were obtained. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated by Kaplan‐Meier, and compared via log‐rank testing. The median age at diagnosis for African‐Americans = 52 years, Caucasians = 56 years (P = 0.009). There were no differences in presenting ISS stage, hemoglobin, calcium, or creatinine. African‐Americans presented with higher CRP levels (P = 0.005), and a trend for less skeletal involvement (P = 0.10). Response to induction and ASCT was similar. Median PFS was 60.5 months (95% CI: 31.3–89.8 months) for African‐Americans, 43.7 months (95% CI: 33.9–53.5 months) for Caucasians, HR of 1.3 (95% CI: 0.7–2.4), P = 0.46. Median OS was 95.2 months (95% CI: N/A) for African‐Americans, 68.5 months (95% CI: 14.2–122.9 months) for Caucasians, HR of 1.4 (95% CI: 0.7–2.9), P = 0.41. In a cohort of myeloma patients who received autologous transplantation in an equal access health care system, there was comparable survival between African‐Americans and Caucasians, suggesting that the historical increased mortality for African‐Americans may be due to inequalities in access to care. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Modeling the melt transesterification of polycarbonate
Authors: Hsu Jyh‐Ping , Wong Jinn‐Jong , Tseng Shiojenn 
Published: January 2008

AbstractA mathematical model of the melt transesterification of polycarbonate in a mechanically agitated reactor system without a distillation column is proposed. Penetration theory is applied to the mass‐transfer operation of volatile components in both a transesterification reactor and a polymerization reactor by simplification of the flow pattern. The applicability of the proposed model is examined by the comparison of its predictions with experimental data of the collected condensate of volatile components, the end‐group ratio, and the weight fraction distribution of the resulting polymer. The end‐group ratios have been determined by carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the distribution of weight fractions has been measured by gel permeation chromatography. It is shown that the model's predictions are very consistent with the experimental data. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Structure control of asymmetric poly(vinyl butyral)‐TiO2 composite membrane prepared by nonsolvent induced phase separation
Authors: Fu Xunyao , Matsuyama Hideto , Nagai Hideki 
Published: January 2008

AbstractPoly(vinyl butyral) (PVB)‐TiO2 composite hollow fiber membranes were prepared via nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS). The membrane had a skin layer on both the outer and inner surface at the initial stage after membrane preparation. However, the outer surface became porous with the passage of time, as the polymer in the membrane's outer surface was decomposed by the photocatalysis of TiO2. The initial water permeability increased with the increase of TiO2 content. Furthermore, for all the membranes, as time elapsed the water permeabilities increased and became constant after about 15 days, which was in accordance with the alteration on the membrane's outer surface. Despite decomposition of the polymer on the outer surface, particle rejection hardly changed because the inner surface kept the original structure. Thus, addition of TiO2 to the membrane is a useful way to improve water permeability while maintaining particle rejection. The clear asymmetric structure with both porous structure at the outer surface and skin layer at the inner surface was achieved by the addition of TiO2. Therefore, the addition of TiO2 is a new method for achieving the high porosity at the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane. In addition, tensile strength and elasticity kept constant over time and were higher than those of original PVB membranes. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Preparation of star polymers of hyperbranched polyglycerol core with multiarms of PS‐b‐PtBA and PS‐b‐PAA
Authors: Liu Chao , Wang Guowei , Zhang Yi , Huang Junlian 
Published: January 2008

AbstractAtom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was applied to synthesize a new kind of star polymers of hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) core with multiarms of PS‐b‐PtBA and PS‐b‐PAA by using the “core first” technique. The HPG core was obtained by anionic polymerization of glycerol first, and then the pendant hydroxyl groups of HPG were esterified with 2‐bromoisobutyryl bromide to yield the HPG‐g‐Br, which was used as macroinitiator for ATRP of the first monomer (St) and then second monomer (tBA). After hydrolysis of the PtBA block, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) side chains were formed. The final products and intermediates were characterized by GPC, NMR, and FTIR in detail. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Synthesis and Cytotoxic Activity of Imidazo[1,2‐a]‐1,3,5‐triazine Analogues of 6‐Mercaptopurine
Authors: Saczewski Franciszek , Maruszak Magdalena , Bednarski Patrick J. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractA series of 2‐substituted imidazo[1,2‐a]‐1,3,5‐triazines with various aliphatic and aromatic amines has been prepared and characterized by IR, 1H‐NMR, and elemental analysis. The initial in‐vitro cytotoxicity studies with five human cancer cell lines showed that all but one of the compounds are without cytotoxic activity. The one active compound, 2‐(indolin‐1‐yl)‐7,8‐dihydroimidazo[1,2‐a]‐1,3,5‐triazine‐4(6H)‐thione 12, was tested on 12 human cancer cell lines. Of these, two lines, RT‐4 and MCF‐7, were the most sensitive to the compound, with IC50 values of 6.98 μM and 8.43 μM, respectively. When compared with the reference anticancer drug 6‐mercaptopurine, only the RT‐4 urinary bladder and KYSE‐70 oesophagus cancer cell lines were more sensitive to the new compound. The antimetabolite thioguanine was more cytotoxic than 12 for all common cell lines tested.
Random walk search procedures for reliability optimization of systems with fault tolerance
Authors: Alkhamis Talal M. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractIn this paper we develop two efficient discrete stochastic search methods based on random walk procedure for maximizing system reliability subjected to imperfect fault coverage where uncovered component failures cause immediate system failure, even in the presence of adequate redundancy. The first search method uses a sequential sampling procedure with fixed boundaries at each iteration. We show that this search process satisfies local balance equations and its equilibrium distribution gives most weight to the optimal solution. We also show that the solution that has been visited most often in the first m iterations converges almost surely to the optimal solution. The second search method uses a sequential sampling procedure with increasing boundaries at each iteration. We show that if the increase occurs slower than a certain rate, this search process will converge to the optimal set with probability 1. We consider the system where reliability cannot be evaluated exactly but must be estimated through Monte Carlo simulation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.