Fate of abstracts presented at the annual meetings of the American association of clinical anatomists

A recent study examined the rate of full‐length research paper publication following abstract presentation at the British association of clinical anatomists (BACA) annual meetings. The accepted standard for research dissemination is peer‐reviewed publication following presentation at a national or international meeting. The study objectives were quantitative assessment of the abstracts presented at the American Association of Clinical Anatomists' (AACA) annual meetings with regards to the rate of subsequent full‐length publication and comparison to BACA publication rates. All abstracts presented at the AACA annual meetings between 2003 and 2010 were analysed. MEDLINE was searched to identify peer‐reviewed publications arising from each presented abstract. In total, 1,120 abstracts were presented with 22.9% (n = 257) subsequently published as full‐length research papers. The mean number of abstracts presented each year was 140.0 ± 35.9. The median time to publication was 16 months. Chi‐squared analysis showed the publication rate of abstracts presented at AACA (22.9%) was not statistically significantly different to BACA (20.4%) (P = 0.09). A total of 11.3% (n = 29) of the articles were published as full‐length research articles before presentation as an abstract at an AACA meeting compared to 5.4% of abstracts presented at a BACA meeting. These rates are lower but comparable to those of surgical specialty meetings. Further work should try to identify any concerning reasons for the reduced rate of abstract publication in anatomical research. Clin. Anat. 30:140–144, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The widening scope of mentalizing: A discussion

The editors of this special issue have commissioned us to bring together some of the conceptual and empirical research presented in six intriguing papers that illustrate the widening scope of mentalization. Our discussion will look at each paper in turn, but bring ideas and findings from the other papers into focus when relevant.     

The Integrated Response to Hypoxia: From Circulation to Cells

I guess everyone who is asked to give one of the Physiological Society's Prize Lectures feels honoured, but I feel particularly honoured to have been asked to give the Joan Mott Prize Lecture. I first met Joan Mott in 1980 at the Oxford meeting of the Physiological Society. I had just given a communication on baro- and chemoreceptor influences on the cardiovascular system and she came to introduce herself to me. I was a young lecturer at the time, and still felt a rather junior member of the Society. I had seen Joan Mott at many Physiological Society meetings. I had heard her give communications and had heard her entering into lively discussions after papers, and I knew she was a well respected scientist. I was therefore flattered that she should have come to talk to me about my work. After that we met at many Physiological Society meetings and she always made a point of asking how our research was going and we would talk of common interests. To me this is one of the most important aspects of Physiological Society meetings, that young and older members of the Society can rub shoulders with one a nother and discuss science openly with no barriers. Joan Mott had an influence on me that I have tried to remember as I have become a more senior member of the Society.     

Measuring ideas of persecution and social reference: the Green et al. Paranoid Thought Scales (GPTS)

BACKGROUND: Paranoia is increasingly being studied in clinical and non-clinical populations. However there is no multi-dimensional measure of persecutory ideas developed for use across the general population-psychopathology continuum. This paper reports the development of such a questionnaire: the 'Green et al. Paranoid Thought Scales'. The aim was to devise a tool to assess ideas of persecution and social reference in a simple self-report format, guided by a current definition of persecutory ideation, and incorporating assessment of conviction, preoccupation and distress. METHOD: A total of 353 individuals without a history of mental illness, and 50 individuals with current persecutory delusions completed a pool of paranoid items and additional measures to assess validity. Items were devised from a recent definition of persecutory delusions, current assessments of paranoia, the authors' clinical experience, and incorporated dimensions of conviction, preoccupation and distress. Test-retest reliability in the non-clinical group was assessed at 2 weeks follow-up, and clinical change in the deluded group at 6 months follow-up. RESULTS: Two 16-item scales were extracted, assessing ideas of social reference and persecution. Good internal consistency and validity was established for both scales and their dimensions. The scales were sensitive to clinical change. A hierarchical relationship between social reference and persecution was found. The data provide further evidence for a continuum of paranoid ideas between deluded and healthy individuals. CONCLUSIONS: A reliable and valid tool for assessing paranoid thoughts is presented. It will provide an effective way for researchers to ensure consistency in research and for clinicians to assess change with treatment.     

Introduction

The half‐day conference in 2014 at which the following papers were presented was held as part of the Interdisciplinary Programme of the Psychoanalysis Unit at University College London, to mark the 70th anniversary of the series of 10 scientific meetings known as the Controversial Discussions held in the British Psychoanalytical Society between 1942 and 1944 (King and Steiner, 1991). The conference and its papers now published here aimed to develop further the detailed histories made available by King and Steiner together with their relevance for contemporary clinicians. The extraordinary resource provided by the gathering of the documents relating not only to scientific controversies, but to the training of candidates, institutional decision making, and the nexus of power relations in psychoanalytic institutes is a profound scholarly contribution for all concerned with the future of psychoanalysis and the place of its past in that future.     

Outcomes of cytopathology studies presented at national pathology meetings

The purpose of this study was to determine what factors influence the final publication status of cytopathology studies presented at national meetings. Abstracts involving cytopathology material were obtained from the following journals: Modern Pathology (volume 11, 1998), Acta Cytologica (volume 42, 1998), and the American Journal of Clinical Pathology (volumes 109 and 110, 1998). Using the National Library of Medicine Website, each abstract was searched by author and topic to determine if the study was published as a peer-reviewed article. The following parameters were evaluated: meeting where the abstract was presented, type of institution where the research was based, type of material used in the study, and application of ancillary techniques used in the study. The subsequent published articles were evaluated for journal and time to publication. Out of 257 studies presented in 1998, 85 (33%) were published in peer-reviewed journals by May 2000. The majority of papers were published in Diagnostic Cytopathology (n = 21), Acta Cytologica (n = 15), and Cancer (n = 18). The mean time for publication was 12.8 mo. The highest percentage of published studies was presented at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) meeting (50% of presented abstracts), followed by American Society of Cytopathology (ASC) (28%) and American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) (17%) meetings. Ancillary techniques were applied in 40 of 85 (47%) published studies, 27 of 85 (32%) articles focused on morphology, and 18 of 85 (21%) papers covered other topics (e.g., quality assurance (QA), cost, and role of cytology). In nonpublished studies (n = 172), special techniques were the main focus in 40%, morphology in 25%, and other topics in 35% of abstracts. The great majority (97%) of published studies were from academic institutions. Gynecological and nongynecological material were roughly equally covered in published and nonpublished studies. Only a relatively small percentage of presented studies was finalized in the form of peer-reviewed articles. Type of material and application of ancillary techniques do not significantly influence the outcome.     

Publication fate of abstracts presented at British association of clinical anatomists annual meetings

Dissemination of research is an integral part of the scientific process. Failure to disseminate research limits the scope for critical appraisal and potentially wastes valuable resources. The gold standard for dissemination of research is peer‐reviewed publication following presentation at a national meeting. The primary objective of this study was quantitative assessment of the abstracts presented at British Association of Clinical Anatomists (BACA) summer and winter meetings with regards to the rates of subsequent publication and comparison to other medical specialties. Published abstracts from the summer and winter meetings of BACA between the years of 2000 and 2014 were analyzed. MEDLINE was searched to identify peer‐reviewed publications arising from each presented abstract. In total, 1,807 abstracts were presented between the years of 2000 and 2014. The mean number of abstracts presented each year was 60.2, (range 26–157). In total, 20.4% of abstracts were subsequently published in MEDLINE‐indexed journals with a median publication time of 19 months. The mean number of cadaveric prosections was 45.2 ± 78.8, (range 1–960). Analysis of abstracts focusing on radiographic imaging found the mean number of scans was 224.4 ± 807.1, (range 1–6,439). Biannual meetings of BACA are a forum for the presentation of high‐quality anatomical research. BACA meeting abstracts have generally reduced publication rates compared to some surgical specialty meetings; however, there is no analysis available for an equivalent anatomical meeting. Further work should try to identify reasons that may hinder or limit subsequent publication of the anatomy abstracts presented at BACA. Clin. Anat. 30:133–139, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A research methods and statistics journal club for residents

A monthly journal club for residents that focuses on research methods and statistics is described. Detailed discussions and analyses of clinical research articles by the residents are used to teach the important concepts and principles of medical research in a manner useful to the practicing physician. Discussion of research articles is structured by a guide for presenting the research articles to the group and by stimulus questions that address specific methodological issues related to the study being examined. Residents have been enthusiastic in their evaluation of the journal club; the experience has stimulated some of them to conduct their own research studies.     

Abstracts of Papers Presented at the Thirteenth Annual Meeting of The Society for Psychophysiological Research

The Thirteenth Annual Meeting of The Society for Psychophysiological Research was held at the Galvez Hotel and Motel in Galveston, Texas, October 25, 26, 27, and 28, 1973. Members of the Program Committee were: Peter J. Lang, Ph.D., Chairman; Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.; and David T. Graham, M.D.
Following are the abstracts of papers presented during the meeting, and of additional acceptable ones for which there was no room in the meeting program, but which were presented prior to the meetings (Brief Presentations).     

Essayists, essays, and hosts: Daniel Hale Williams Medical Reading Club.

The 66-year-old Daniel Hale Williams Medical Reading Club is an independent reading club comprised of 65 physicians in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. Members representing all specialty fields meet six times a year for dinner and fellowship, to consider topics of common interest to the profession, and to hear a prepared lecture given by a featured essayist. Club members take turns as hosts for each meeting. This article gives a historical list of these meetings, naming the essayist and the topic, the hosts, and the site of the meetings.     

Characteristics of general practitioners who are high attenders at educational meetings.

The characteristics of general practitioners in the west of Scotland who are high attenders at meetings accredited for the postgraduate education allowance were studied. One hundred and seventy one principals in general practice (9.5%) had attended more than 35 half-day sessions of accredited education between 1 April 1989 and 31 December 1990 and 34 doctors (1.9%) had attended more than 45 half-day sessions. The highest percentage of the doctors worked in Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire. The doctors who were high attenders were relatively more likely to be women, to be members of the Royal College of General Practitioners and to work in a training practice. The majority of the doctors had been qualified for between 10 and 30 years and worked in group practices of three or more doctors. The characteristics of high attenders contrast markedly to doctors who are low attenders. That there were such a large number of high attenders at educational meetings is encouraging.     

A brief history of Scandinavian society for immunology

The Scandinavian Society for Immunology (SSI) was established with the purpose to advance the study of immunology in Scandinavia and to facilitate contacts between individuals and laboratories working within the field. To fulfill this the Society should organize scientific meetings and laboratory courses and take any other measure to support the development of immunology. A second objective was to establish contact and scientific exchange with other societies in Europe and overseas. By joining five national societies from the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) into one umbrella society this has given SSI a more powerful voice in international organizations such as European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS) and International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). The Scandinavian Foundation for Immunology and the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology has greatly facilitated the annual meetings to be of international high quality and by attracting more participants. Thus, SSI provides a forum for Nordic immunologists to share their research results and to increase collaboration over the borders. In conclusion, the SSI has undoubtedly been and will hopefully continue to be a major strength for Scandinavian immunology.     

Shattuck Lecture--strengths and weaknesses of the committee approach. An analysis of past and present recommended dietary allowances for protein in health and disease.

A review of the history of international efforts to establish protein requirements and safe allowances for healthy adults reveals the difficulties of the expert-committee approach to problems of this nature. Although it is preferable to less democratic approaches, the committees involved often acted without sufficient knowledge of the relevant literature and seldom had time to study and evaluate unpublished data presented at the meetings. Moreover, the available data are still inadequate for the purpose, even though each meeting report has stimulated additional relevant research. Research since the 1971 meeting of the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Energy and Protein Requirements has already cast doubt on its recommendations. Recent evidence suggests that the "safe allowance of protein" that it proposed is inadequate for long-term maintenance of healthy in young adults even when energy intakes are wholly adequate or even excessive.     

Sjogren's syndrome: an update on clinical, basic and diagnostic therapeutic aspects

The 11th International Symposium for Sjogren's syndrome was held in Athens, Greece in September 2011. This symposia is part of a long series of meetings that have attempted to meet the needs of both scientists and physicians in improving the healthcare of their patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Sjogren's syndrome affects almost 0.5% of the general population and is second only to rheumatoid arthritis amongst the systemic autoimmune diseases. More importantly, it has daily implications for the millions of sufferers around the world. The goal of this meeting, which included nearly 200 abstracts and invited lectures, was to address the critical needs in the clinical practice of Sjogren's syndrome. This volume is a composite of select papers that were presented at this meeting and attempts to provide a critical overview of clinical and basic science. The volume includes a variety of themes and, importantly, raises issues that are still unresolved but which are important in our future diagnostic and therapeutic efforts.     

Perfectionism and eating disorders: current status and future directions

The literature examining the relation between perfectionism and eating disorders was reviewed and content and methodological comparisons were made with the perfectionism literature in anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. A PsychInfo search using the key words "perfectionism/perfect/perfectionistic," "anorexia," "bulimia," and "eating disorders" was performed and the generated list of papers was supplemented based on a review of reference lists in the papers. A total of 55 papers published between 1990 and 2005 were identified that assessed perfectionism among individuals with diagnosed eating disorders. The key research questions were distilled from these publications and empirical findings were summarized for each question, followed by a comparison with perfectionism papers in the anxiety and depressive disorder literatures. Also, key research design methodological parameters were identified and comparisons made across the three literatures: eating disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders. The current review concludes with conceptual and methodological recommendations for researchers interested in perfectionism and eating disorders.     

Ethics in psychosocial and biomedical research - A training experience at the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics (CIEB) of the University of Chile()

This paper reviews the experience in training Latin American professionals and scientists in the ethics of biomedical and psychosocial research at the Interdisciplinary Center for Studies in Bioethics (CIEB) of the University of Chile, aided by a grant from Fogarty International Center (FIC) - National Institutes of Health from 2002 to 2011. In these 10 years of experience, 50 trainees have completed a 12-month training combining on-line and in-person teaching and learning activities, with further support for maintaining contact via webmail and personal meetings. The network formed by faculty and former trainees has published extensively on issues relevant in the continent and has been instrumental in promoting new master level courses at different universities, drafting regulations and norms, and promoting the use of bioethical discourse in health care and research. Evaluation meetings have shown that while most trainees did benefit from the experience and contributed highly to developments at their home institutions and countries, some degree of structuring of demand for qualified personnel is needed in order to better utilize the human resources created by the program. Publications and other deliverables of trainees and faculty are presented.     

A Call to Action for Bioengineers and Dental Professionals: Directives for the Future of TMJ Bioengineering

The world’s first TMJ Bioengineering Conference was held May 25–27, 2006, in Broomfield, Colorado. Presentations were given by 34 invited speakers representing industry, academics, government agencies such as NIH, and private practice, which included surgeons, engineers, biomedical scientists, and patient advocacy leaders. Other attendees included documentary film makers and FDA officials. The impetus for the conference was that the field of TMJ research has been lacking continuity, with no open forum available for surgeons, scientists, and bioengineers to exchange scientific and clinical ideas and identify common goals, strengths, and capabilities. The goal was thus to plant the seeds for establishing a forum for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary interactions. The collective wisdom and interactions brought about by a melting pot of these diverse individuals has been pooled and is disseminated in this article, which offers specific directives to bioengineers, basic scientists, and medical and dental professionals including oral and maxillofacial surgeons, pain specialists, orthodontists, prosthodontists, endocrinologists, rheumatologists, immunologists, radiologists, neurologists, and orthopaedic surgeons. A primary goal of this article was to attract researchers across a breadth of research areas to lend their expertise to a significant clinical problem with a dire need for new talent. For example, researchers with expertise in finite element modeling will find an extensive list of clinically significant problems. Specific suggestions for TMJ research were presented by the leading organizations for TMJ surgeons and TMJ patients, and further research needs were identified in a series of group discussions. The specific needs identified at the conference and presented here will be essential for those who endeavor to engage in TMJ research, especially in the areas of tissue engineering and biomechanics. Collectively, it is our hope that many of the questions and directives presented here find their way into the proposals of multidisciplinary teams across the world with new and promising approaches to diagnose, prevent and treat TMJ disorders.     

Process and outcome in communication of genetic information within families: a systematic review

The communication of risk is a central activity in clinical genetics, with genetic health professionals encouraging the dissemination of relevant information by individuals to their at-risk family members. To understand the process by which communication occurs as well as its outcomes, a systematic review of actual communication in families about genetic risk was conducted. Findings from 29 papers meeting the inclusion criteria were summarised and are presented narratively. Family communication about genetic risk is described as a deliberative process, in which: sense is made of personal risk; the vulnerability and receptivity of the family member is assessed; decisions are made about what will be conveyed; and the right time to disclose is selected. The communication strategy adopted will depend on these factors and varies within families as well as between families. Inherent in these processes are conflicting senses of responsibility: to provide potentially valuable information and to prevent harm that may arise from this knowledge. However, the research 'outcomes' of communication have been professionally determined (number of relatives reported as informed, uptake of testing, knowledge of the recipient) and are typically unrelated to the concerns of the family member. The impact of communication on the individual, family members, and family relationships is of concern to the individual conveying the information, but this is largely self-reported. Currently, there is insufficient information to inform the development of theoretically and empirically based practice to foster 'good' communication. The implications for future research are discussed.     

Psychologists in a Private Pediatric Practice

A program is described in which psychologists provided serviceswithin the context of a private pediatric practice. The servicesincluded child development counseling and behavior managementadvice to parents over the telephone, in brief office visits,and in evening meetings for groups of parents of children ofdifferent ages. Preliminary data from research aimed at evaluatingthe services are presented.     

Recognizing clinical faculty's contributions in education.

OBJECTIVE: A faculty productivity profile system was designed to recognize faculty's contributions to administrative, educational, and research activities. It has long been recognized that clinical faculty receive little recognition or compensation for their efforts in education. Our surgery department previously had in place a recognition program for research achievements, but not for educational contributions. The new system was designed to recognize and reward all aspects of faculty contributions, including education. DESCRIPTION: The faculty productivity profile is a simple Excel document sent to each faculty member once a year. We piloted the program for the first time in 2001, recognizing faculty's contributions for the previous year. The pilot began with the formation of a committee whose first function was to identify all possible opportunities for faculty to participate as educators at our institution. This included giving lectures, participating in faculty development programs, serving as mentors, interviewing student or resident candidates, serving in administrative educational roles (e.g., clerkship or residency director), giving oral exams, or attending conferences and journal club. The committee then developed a point scale assigning each activity or contribution a value on a scale of 0-25. Each activity was then listed on the Excel form. Faculty were to fill in the number of times each activity was performed and this was multiplied by the points to obtain a weighted value. Point values for conferences were determined by percentage of conferences attended for a year (i.e., for grand rounds, those attending 0-49%, 50-75%, 75-90%, and more than 90% received 0, 20, 40, and 60 points, respectively). Points were also assigned for teaching awards and high scores on student and resident evaluations. After approval by the committee and the department chairman, the form was presented at a faculty meeting. Each faculty member then received a floppy disk with the form and was asked to complete the form and attach a supporting copy of his or her CV. The form required only input of numbers or a "yes" or "no." After submission, the clerkship coordinator input additional data from a database of conference attendance and student evaluations. Points were then calculated for each faculty member based upon his or her contributions and each activity's weighted value. A dinner was held to recognize outstanding faculty contributions. All faculty completing the form were invited and recognized and those with outstanding contributions received awards. DISCUSSION: Teaching medical students and residents is a rewarding experience; however, it requires significant time and effort. Faculty who feel their contributions are unrecognized may be more likely to burn out and less likely to continue contributing. We believe it is worthwhile to recognize faculty contributions in all areas, including education. Our pilot program had excellent participation due to the ease of using the form. We believe it has improved faculty morale and willingness to participate. We are continuing the program and plan to evaluate its impact on encouraging continued participation in teaching.