Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Background: International guidelines suggest that trainees should perform at least 100 flexible bronchoscopies in a supervised setting, but this number is not evidence based. An objective assessment method could provide educational feedback to trainees and help supervisors decide when basic competency is established. No former assessment instrument has been able to distinguish between trainees and experts. selleck chemical Objectives:

The aim of this study was to explore the validity and reliability of a new assessment procedure relating to testing operators across multiple tasks with increasing difficulty using a standardized scoring form. Methods: The test was administered on a virtual reality bronchoscopy simulator to a total of 42 test subjects (14 senior consultants, 14 trainees and 14 medical students). The inter-rater reliability of the test procedure was explored according to examination of test results from 10 subjects using 3 raters (2 blinded). Results: We found a high inter-rater reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90). The assessment procedure sufficiently differentiated the performance of the 3 groups (p < 0.001). Assessment of 6 procedures was necessary to secure a generalizability coefficient >0.80.

Conclusions: The new assessment procedure proved both valid and reliable. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Background: The lung is one Selleckchem CX-6258 of the sites of granulomatous responses, which are characterized by the recruitment and organization of activated macrophages and lymphocytes. There Epigenetics inhibitor have been several reports that have shown that some pulmonary granulomatous diseases, such as sarcoidosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, are

likely to be characterized by a preponderance in postmenopausal females. Although sex hormones have been shown to play an important role in the regulation of the immune system, the influence of sex hormones on pulmonary granuloma formation is still unclear. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess whether sex hormones are involved in granulomatous inflammation and to evaluate how sex hormones modulate this response in the lung. Methods: Ovariectomized rats were used as an experimental postmenopausal model in which chronic pulmonary granulomatous inflammation was induced by intravenous injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant. Results: Histological analysis of lung tissues demonstrated enhancement of granuloma formation in the ovariectomized group. Such enhanced granuloma formation was significantly associated with generalized Th1-biased cytokine production in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Conclusion: These results indicate that sex hormones play an important role in pulmonary granuloma formation by altering the Th1 responses. Copyright (C) 2011 S.