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Background Automated AST devices are critical to inform appropriate care of patients with bacterial infections. Cefepime-taniborbactam is an investigational agent under development to treat infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Development of a cefepime-taniborbactam antimicrobial susceptibility test was completed for the MicroScan Dried Gram-negative MIC (MSDGN) Panel when compared to CLSI broth microdilution reference panels. Methods Development was conducted by comparing MICs obtained using the MSDGN panel to MICs using a CLSI broth microdilution reference panel. The concentration range of cefepime-taniborbactam evaluated was 0.12/4-64/4 µg/mL. A total of 1376 isolates (1256 Enterobacterales and 120 P. aeruginosa) were tested at 16, 18, and 20 hours incubation times (for visual read and autoSCAN-4). A total of 917 isolates (837 Enterobacterales and 80 P. aeruginosa) were tested at 16 and 18 hours incubation time for the WalkAway System. All isolates were tested using turbidity and Prompt® methods of inoculation. MSDGN panels were incubated at 35 ± 1°C. Reference panels, prepared according to ISO methodology, were inoculated using the turbidity inoculation method. All frozen reference panels were incubated at 35 ± 2°C and read visually. Rates of essential agreement (MicroScan MIC within ± 1 doubling dilution of reference MIC) were determined for each combination of inoculation method and read method. Results Essential agreement rates ranged from 93.0% to 98.8% for all isolates tested during development. Essential agreement rates for each inoculation and read method are presented in Table 1. Table 1- Results Conclusion Cefepime-taniborbactam MIC results obtained with the MSDGN panel correlated well with MIC results obtained using reference panels. Rates of essential agreement were ≥93.0% for all inoculation and read methods. These development data support the continued evaluation of MSDGN panel with cefepime-taniborbactam in a multicenter trial. Pending submission and clearance by the United States Food and Drug Administration; not yet available for in vitro diagnostic use in the US. For Investigational Use Only. The performance characteristics of this product have not been established. Disclosures Enrique J. Fernandez, BS, Beckman Coulter, Inc.: Employee of Beckman Coulter Robert L. Williams, PhD, Beckman Coulter, Inc.: Employee of Beckman Coulter Vasna Carr, BS, Beckman Coulter, Inc.: Employee of Beckman Coulter Vasna Carr, BS, Beckman Coulter, Inc.: Employee of Beckman Coulter Miller Renae, BS, Beckman Coulter, Inc.: Employee of Beckman Coulter.

Since the fall of the Arecibo 305[Formula: see text]m telescope platform on 2020 December 1, there has been much discussion of building a new Arecibo telescope or rebuilding the facility that was destroyed. In the collapse, the top of the three platform support towers was sheared off, and the feed arm fell free from the swinging platform and destroyed 25% of the dish. Fortunately, the Control Building, the home of the computers, spectrometers, masers, atomic clocks, 430[Formula: see text]MHz Klystrons, etc., was spared. By replacing the main dish support cables and resurfacing with coarse mesh, the main dish can be repaired as a reflector [Formula: see text] operation. By replacing the damaged aluminum panels to make the dish whole again, RF operations at up to 500[Formula: see text]MHz can be resumed. In this paper, we outline the steps that can be taken to restore High Frequency (HF, 3–30[Formula: see text]MHz) ionospheric heating, 430[Formula: see text]MHz ionospheric incoherent scattering radar, passive radio observations of satellite arcing and pulsars, and to extend the field of regard to 47∘ from the zenith. This would restore and improve much of the utility of the Arecibo dish. Part of this plan involves supporting, positioning and pointing novel point feeds from lightweight football-camera-like cables, strung from the rebuilt tower tops. It is believed that the dish may thus become broadly useful long before replacement facilities can be engineered and constructed.

College experiences can contribute to teaching, learning, and instruction within higher education. The framework for this essay treats the college community as prototypic of the U.S. political society. Several aspects of the national political culture have been approximated within a collegiate culture. For example, every political problem within our society can be represented in a miniature fashion within a program of studies in a university. Much of students’ political information can come from the interaction between teachers and students. However, a sizable portion of this learned information can extend through interaction among students. At that point, teachers would point students to information that expands their reservoir of collegiate information. Ultimately, students would refine their political information by exchanging valuable information with one another, as well as with their teachers. We have chosen to target higher education rather than pre-collegiate levels in emphasizing how higher education and our democratic system of government can be intertwined. We highlight the possibilities of college students’ understanding and appreciating others’ political views in working with one another rather than against one another in educational and political planning. Specifically, we include in this report the following issues: (a) political information resources routinely available in higher education, (b) college students’ learning to participate in broader political conversation, (c) college students’ examination of high profile U.S. constitutional declarations, (d) college students’ deepened comprehension of their own political perspectives, and (e) college students’ understanding that the knowledge derived from higher education can strengthen our democratic system of government.

1. Spencer H. Short, BS*,† 2. Emily Pollack, MD†,‡ 3. Robert L. Williams, MD† 4. Sri Chennupati, MD*,†,‡ 1. *University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 2. †Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, PA 3. ‡Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, Allentown, PA An 11-year-old female patient was transferred from an outside hospital to the pediatric ICU for an enlarging oral mass (Fig 1). She is unable to easily talk but nonverbally denies pain or trauma to the area. The patient’s mother reports the large oral mass was first noticed after the patient had a coughing episode earlier that day and complained about difficulty breathing. The patient has no recent sick contacts, no known allergies, and no recent illnesses. She has no significant past medical history and no personal or family history of head or neck masses. Her vital signs are appropriate and stable. Physical examination of the patient reveals a large mass separate from and superior to the tongue. The patient is started on a course of dexamethasone and a consult to an otolaryngologist is placed. Figure 1. Oral cavity mass at the time of admission. A bedside examination and nasopharyngolaryngoscopy by the otolaryngologist reveals a patent airway and confirms the mass’s location over the tongue. Over the course of the night, the patient’s ability to breath improves, but there is not an appreciable reduction in her throat swelling following the course of steroids. Posterior pharyngeal examination is concerning for a nasal mass versus a large blood clot. Repeat nasopharyngolaryngoscopy is suggestive of a mass from the left nare passing into the nasopharynx and oropharynx. Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the mass showed a large pedunculated soft tissue mass originating at the left maxillary antrum, extending inferiorly to the epiglottis (Fig 2). The mass measured 72 mm from its superior to inferior pole (Fig 3). The right paranasal sinuses were normally aerated and clear of masses. A clinical diagnosis was made. Surgical excision and pathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis. Figure 2. An axial computed tomography scan of the neck shows a soft tissue mass (circled) within …

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is primarily to identify factors that accounted for the differences in course evaluation and course performance in two sections of the same course taught by the same instructor. Potential contributors to these differences included critical thinking, grade point average (GPA) and homework time in the course. Secondarily, the authors also examined whether season of the year and academic status of students (1st year through 3rd year) might have contributed to differences in course ratings and exam performance. The data in the study included some strictly quantitative variables and some qualitative judgments subsequently converted to quantitative measures.Design/methodology/approachThe outcome variables included student objective exam scores and course ratings on the University’s eight-item rating form. Variables that may have contributed to performance and course evaluation differences between the two groups included student effort in the course, GPA and critical thinking.FindingsThe higher-performing section obtained significantly higher scores on course exams than the lower-preforming group and also rated the course significantly higher (average of 4.15 across the evaluation items) than the lower performing section (3.64 average in item ratings). The two performance groups did not differ on critical thinking and GPA, but did differ significantly in hours spent per week outside of class in studying for the course.Originality/valueAlthough many studies have examined the predictive validity of course ratings, instructors are typically held responsible for both high and low student ratings. This particular action study suggests that it may be student effort rather than instructor behavior that has the stronger impact on both student performance and course evaluations.

Understanding our nation’s government and the politics involved is essential, but political issues are sometimes considered too sensitive to discuss in educational settings. Without classroom-based discussions, how accurate are students in judging the accuracy of political statements, especially in in today’s “fake news” climate? To generate a possible answer to this question, we examined students’ accuracy in judging political claims regarding events occurring in President Trump’s first year in office, as well as the relationship between political ideology and accuracy of non-political judgements. Results showed that a higher percentage of students in a southeastern state university identified themselves as liberals than was the case in our past research with students at this particular university. The principal finding of the study we report in this article was that conservative students were less accurate in judging false political statements than were liberal and independent students. Political ideology was not related to the accuracy of academic judgments. Both critical thinking scores and political ideology predicted accuracy in judging false political statements.

PURPOSE Twenty years have passed since the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) mandated cultural competence training at U.S. medical schools. There remain multiple challenges to implementation of this training, including curricular constraints, varying interpretations of cultural competence, and evidence supporting the efficacy of such training. This study explored how medical schools have worked to implement cultural competence training. METHOD Fifteen regionally diverse public and private U.S. medical schools participated in the study. In 2012-2014, the authors conducted 125 interviews with 52 administrators, 51 faculty or staff members, and 22 third- and fourth-year medical students, along with 29 focus groups with an additional 196 medical students. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and imported into NVivo 10 software for qualitative data analysis. Queries captured topics related to students' preparedness to work with diverse patients, engagement with sociocultural issues, and general perception of preclinical and clinical curricula. RESULTS Three thematic areas emerged regarding cultural competence training: formal curriculum, conditions of teaching, and institutional commitment. At the formal curricular level, schools offered a range of courses collectively emphasizing communication skills, patient-centered care, and community-based projects. Conditions of teaching emphasized integration of cultural competence into the preclinical years and reflection on the delivery of content. At the institutional level, commitment to institutional diversity, development of programs, and degree of prioritization of cultural competence varied. CONCLUSIONS There is variation in how medical schools approach cultural competence. Among the 15 participating schools, longitudinal and experiential learning emerged as important, highlighting the needs beyond mere integration of cultural competence content into the formal curriculum. To determine efficacy of cultural competence programming, it is critical to conduct systematic assessment to identify and address gaps. While LCME standards have transformed aspects of medical education, further research is needed to clarify evidence-based, effective approaches to this training.

In order to better understand the potential influence of high school students’ grades on how they rate their teachers and schools, we explored the relationship between student grade point average and student ratings of teacher and school effectiveness in 370 classes taught by 230 instructors with over 6,000 students in grades 9–12 in an Intermountain West school district. Teachers were evaluated with an 18-item student survey. Students also rated their schools with six additional items. The performance measure was the grade point average (GPA) for the quarter in which students evaluated their teachers and schools. ANOVAs showed that both year in school and GPA were positively linked with ratings of teacher effectiveness and ratings of school experiences. Seniors were more positively disposed toward their teachers and school experiences than students at lower grade levels. Most of the ratings of specific items on the teacher effectiveness and school-experience scales were significantly, though not strongly, correlated with GPAs. We discuss implications and suggestions for future research.