Transpassive Metal Dissolution vs. Oxygen Evolution Reaction: Implication for Alloy Stability and Electrocatalysis.

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) are gaining interest in corrosion and electrocatalysis research due to their electrochemical stability across a broad pH range and the design flexibility they offer. Using the equimolar CrCoNi alloy, we observe significant metal dissolution in a corrosive electrolyte (0.1 M NaCl, pH 2) concurrently with the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the transpassive region, despite the absence of hysteresis in polarization curves or other obvious corrosion indicators. We present a characterization scheme to delineate the contribution of OER and alloy dissolution, using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) for OER-onset detection, and quantitative chemical analysis with inductively coupled-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and ultraviolet visible light (UV/Vis) spectrometry to elucidate metal dissolution processes. In situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) revealed that the transpassive metal dissolution on CrCoNi is dominated by intergranular corrosion. These results have significant implications for the stability of MPEAs in corrosion systems, emphasizing the necessity of analytically determining metal ions released from MPEA electrodes into the electrolyte when evaluating Faradaic efficiencies of OER catalysts. The release of transition metal ions not only reduces the Faradaic efficiency of electrolyzers but may also cause poisoning and degradation of membranes in electrochemical reactors.

Indirect and Out-of-Pocket Disease-associated Costs in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Cross-sectional Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Data on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated indirect and out-of-pocket (OOP) costs are limited. We aimed to estimate indirect (lost work hours and productivity) and OOP pediatric IBD-associated costs in Canada. METHODS: In a nation-wide cross-sectional analysis, caregivers of children with IBD were invited to complete a questionnaire on lost work hours and OOP costs related to IBD in the 4 weeks prior to the survey. Participants were reinvited to periodically answer the same questionnaire every 3-9 months for 2 years. Lost productivity was calculated using the Human Capital method. Costs were reported in 2018 inflation-adjusted Canadian dollars. Predictors of high cost users (top 25%) were examined using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Consecutive 243 (82 incident cases) of 262 (92.7%) approached participants completed the first survey with a total of 450 surveys longitudinally completed over 2 years. The median annual indirect cost per patient was $5966 (IQR $1809-$12,676), with $5721 (IQR $1366-$11,545) for Crohn's disease (CD) and $7007 (IQR $2428-$14,057) for ulcerative colitis (UC) ( P = 0.11). The annual median per patient OOP costs were $4550 with $4550 for CD and $5038 for UC ( P = 0.53). Longer travel distance to clinic was associated with higher OOP costs (odds ratio = 4.55; P < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval: 1.99-10.40). CONCLUSIONS: Indirect and OOP IBD-associated costs are substantial and more likely to affect families living in remote communities.

Mechanochemical Synthesis of Fluorine-Containing Co-Doped Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks for Producing Electrocatalysts.

Catalysts derived from pyrolysis of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising candidates to replace expensive and scarce platinum-based electrocatalysts commonly used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. MOFs contain ordered connections between metal centers and organic ligands. They can be pyrolyzed into metal- and nitrogen-doped carbons, which show electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Furthermore, metal-free heteroatom-doped carbons, such as N-F-Cs, are known for being active as well. Thus, a carbon material with Co-N-F doping could possibly be even more promising as ORR electrocatalyst. Herein, we report the mechanochemical synthesis of two polymorphs of a zeolitic imidazole framework, Co-doped zinc 2-trifluoromethyl-1H-imidazolate (Zn0.9Co0.1(CF3-Im)2). Time-resolved in situ X-ray diffraction studies of the mechanochemical formation revealed a direct conversion of starting materials to the products. Both polymorphs of Zn0.9Co0.1(CF3-Im)2 were pyrolyzed, yielding Co-N-F containing carbons, which are active toward electrochemical ORR.

IBD Disability Index Is Associated With Both Direct and Indirect Costs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to determine both direct (medical) and indirect (lost wages) costs of IBD and the association between the degree of IBD-related disability and extent of IBD-related costs. METHODS: Persons age 18-65 from the population-based University of Manitoba IBD Research Registry completed a survey including the IBD Disability Index (IBDDI) and questions related to employment, missed work (absenteeism), and reduced productivity at work (presenteeism). Administrative health data including surgeries, hospitalizations, physician claims, and prescriptions were linked to the survey and assessed. To calculate annual wage loss, number of days of missed work was multiplied by the average wage in Manitoba for the given occupation per Statistics Canada. Costs were adjusted to 2016-17 Canadian dollars. Using descriptive and regression analysis, we explored the association between IBDDI and annual direct and indirect costs associated with IBD. RESULTS: Average annual medical costs rose from $1918 among those with IBDDI 0-4 to $9,993 among those with IBDDI 80-86. Average annual cost of lost work rose from $0 among those with IBDDI 0-4 to $30,101 among those with IBDDI 80-86. Using linear regression, each additional unit of IBDDI was associated with an increase of $77 in annual medical cost (95% CI, $52-102; P < .001) and an increase of $341 in annual cost of lost wages (95% CI, $288-395; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Costs related to IBD are significantly associated with the degree of IBD-related disability. Among the approximate 30% of the IBD population with IBDDI scores ≥40, the indirect costs of absenteeism and presenteeism accounts for ~75% of the total IBD-related costs.

Costs related to IBD (both direct and indirect) are significantly associated with the degree of IBD-related disability. Among the approximately 30% of the IBD population with IBDDI scores ≥40, the indirect costs of absenteeism and presenteeism accounts for ~75% of the total IBD-related costs.

Effect of the Anchoring Layer and Transport Type on the Adsorption Kinetics of Lambda Carrageenan.

The kinetics of lambda carrageenan (λ-car) adsorption/desorption on/from anchoring layers under diffusion- and convection-controlled transport conditions were investigated. The eighth generation of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers and branched polyethyleneimine possessing different shapes and polydispersity indexes were used for anchoring layer formation. Dynamic light scattering, electrophoresis, streaming potential measurements, optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy, and quartz crystal microbalance were applied to characterize the formation of mono- and bilayers. The unique combination of the employed techniques enabled detailed insights into the mechanism of the λ-car adsorption mainly controlled by electrostatic interactions. The results show that the macroion adsorption efficiency is strictly correlated with the value of the final zeta potentials of the anchoring layers, the transport type, and the initial bulk concentration of the macroions. The type of the macroion forming the anchoring layer had a minor impact on the kinetics of λ-car adsorption. Besides significance to basic science, the results presented in this paper can be used for the development of biocompatible and stable macroion multilayers of well-defined electrokinetic properties and structure.

Trends in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease-attributable direct costs: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: In addition to its morbidities, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a major financial burden on patients and healthcare systems. However, there is a paucity of evidence on IBD-attributable costs in children. AIMS: To determine the trends of IBD-attributable direct costs over time using a population-based analysis. METHODS: Data were extracted from Manitoba Health Provider Claims and other population registry datasets from 1995 to 2017. Children with IBD were matched by age, sex and location with children without IBD. IBD-attributable direct costs were calculated using utilization counts from the administrative data and cost estimates from different sources. Inpatient hospitalisation and outpatient procedure costs were estimated using the resource intensity weight (RIW) that is attached to each record in the data. Costs were expressed in Canadian dollars. RESULTS: We included 733 (428 with Crohn's disease) prevalent cases who were diagnosed with IBD before the age of 18 years and were followed for 2450 person-years. A matched control group of 6763 persons who were followed for 21 558 person-years was included. The median annual costs of physician services billed per patient increased from $381 (IQR 215-1064) in 1995 to $936 (IQR 579-1932) in 2017 (P < 0.001). The annual medication costs per patient increased from a median of $270 in 1995 to $7944 in 2017 (P < 0.0001). The median annual direct cost per patient was $1810 in 2004 as compared to $14 791 (P < 0.0001) in 2017. CONCLUSIONS: Over two decades, there was a significant increase in the paediatric IBD-attributable direct costs mainly driven by medication costs.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a fecal microbiota transplant center for treating recurrent C.difficile infection.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the cost-effectiveness of establishing a fecal microbial transplant (FMT) unit in Canada for the treatment of recurrent CDI. DESIGN: We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis to determine the number of patients with recurrent CDI needed to treat (NNT) annually to make establishing a FMT unit cost-effective. We compared treating patients for their second recurrence of CDI with FMT in a jurisdiction with a FMT unit, compared to being treated with antibiotics; then sent to a medical center with FMT available for the third recurrence. We used a willingness to pay threshold of $50,000 per quality-adjusted-life-year gained. RESULTS: The minimum annual NNT was 15 for FMT via colonoscopy, 17 for FMT via capsule, and 44 for FMT via enema compared with vancomycin, and 16, 18, and 47 compared with fidaxomicin, respectively. A medical center's minimum catchment area when establishing a FMT unit would have to be 56,849 if using FMT via colonoscopy, or 64,429 if using capsules. CONCLUSION: We report the minimum number of patients requiring treatment annually with FMT to achieve cost-effectiveness, when including start-up and ongoing costs. FMT is cost-effective in Canada in populations with a sufficient number of eligible patients, ranging from 15 to 47 depending on the FMT modality used. This is crucial for medical jurisdictions making decisions about establishing a FMT unit for the treatment of recurrent CDI. The cost-effectiveness can be generalized in other countries.

Preferences of physicians for public and private sector work.

BACKGROUND: The public-private mix of healthcare remains controversial. This paper examines physicians' preferences for public sector work in the context of dual practice, whilst accounting for other differences in the characteristics of jobs. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment is conducted with data from 3422 non-GP specialists from the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) panel survey of physicians. RESULTS: Physicians prefer to work in the public sector, though the value of working in the public sector is very small at 0.14% of their annual earnings to work an additional hour per week. These preferences are heterogeneous. Contrary to other studies that show risk averse individuals prefer public sector work, for physicians, we find that those averse to taking career or clinical risks prefer to work in the private sector. Those with relatively low earnings prefer public sector work and those with high earnings prefer private sector work, though these effects are small. CONCLUSIONS: Other job characteristics are more important than the sector of work, suggesting that these should be the focus of policy to influence specialist's allocation of time between sectors.

The Cost of Use of the Emergency Department by Persons With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Living in a Canadian Health Region: A Retrospective Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the costs of emergency department (ED) attendance by persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) not admitted to hospital from the ED. METHODS: This was a population-based administrative database study linking the University of Manitoba IBD Epidemiology Database with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) ED Information Service database. We identified persons with IBD who presented to the ED and were not admitted between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2012. We then applied costs in Canadian dollars for these visits including an average ED visit cost plus 26% for overhead (total = $508), an average estimated cost of laboratory investigations ($50), and costs for each of radiographic imaging, lower endoscopy and consultation with an internist/gastroenterologist or a surgeon. We tallied the costs of each unique ED presentation. We determined average costs for visits associated with specific consultations or investigations. RESULTS: One thousand six hundred and eighty-two persons with IBD (4,853 individual visits) attended the ED and did not get hospitalized. The average cost per ED visit by a person with IBD who did not get hospitalized was $650. This resulted in a total expenditure of $3,152,227 on these persons for their ED attendance or $969,916 per year. The visits with the highest mean costs were those associated with an abdominal computerized tomography scan ($979), those associated with surgical consultation ($1019), and those associated with an internist/gastroenterologist consultation ($942). CONCLUSION: Better strategies for management of acute issues for persons with IBD that can reduce the use of an ED are needed and can be considerably cost saving.

Metabolic Syndrome as a Risk Factor for Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Adult Patients with Turner Syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a disorder associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The frequency of each component of MetS in Turner syndrome (TS) subjects is high. An elevated incidence of hearing loss has also been reported in TS. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) affects at least half of young women with TS. The association between MetS and SNHL has not been previously considered in TS. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between these two conditions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional anthropometric, cardio-metabolic and audiological data were obtained from a cohort consisting of unrelated TS subjects (>20 years of age; n = 93). Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Types and severity of hearing loss were based on the American Speech Hearing Association guidelines. RESULTS: Hearing loss was detected in 74% of ears from adult TS subjects and SNHL was observed in half of our TS subjects. The prevalence of MetS in TS subjects with or without SNHL was 64% and 11%, respectively (P < 0.05). After adjusting for age, MetS was related to a ninefold increase in the odds of SNHL. This odds increased in a stepwise manner as the number of MetS components increased. CONCLUSION: MetS and its individual components were associated factors for SNHL in TS subjects. A reduction in the number and severity of the components of MetS might potentially contribute to decreasing the progression of SNHL at younger ages, but further studies will be needed to explain the underlying pathological mechanism connecting MetS and SNHL.

Longitudinal Trends in the Direct Costs and Health Care Utilization Ascribable to Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Biologic Era: Results From a Canadian Population-Based Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. The total direct costs of IBD have not been assessed on a population-wide level in the era of biologic therapy. DESIGN: We identified all persons with IBD in Manitoba between 2005 and 2015, with each matched to 10 controls on age, sex, and area of residence. We enumerated all hospitalizations, outpatient visits and prescription medications including biologics, and their associated direct costs. Total and per capita annual IBD-attributable costs and health care utilization (HCU) were determined by taking the difference between the costs/HCU accrued by an IBD case and their controls. Generalized linear modeling was used to evaluate trends in direct costs and Poisson regression for trends in HCU. RESULTS: The number of people with IBD in Manitoba increased from 6,323 to 7,603 between 2005 and 2015. The total per capita annual costs attributable to IBD rose from $3,354 in 2005 to $7,801 in 2015, primarily driven by an increase in per capita annual anti-tumor necrosis factor costs, which rose from $181 in 2005 to $5,270 in 2015. There was a significant decline in inpatient costs for CD ($99 ± 25/yr. P < 0.0001), but not for ulcerative colitis ($8 increase ±$18/yr, P = 0.63). DISCUSSION: The direct health care costs attributable to IBD have more than doubled over the 10 years between 2005 and 2015, driven mostly by increasing expenditures on biological medications. IBD-attributable hospitalization costs have declined modestly over time for persons with CD, although no change was seen for patients with ulcerative colitis.

Direct cost of health care for individuals with community associated Clostridium difficile infections: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Even though the incidence of community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is reported to be increasing, few studies have reported on the healthcare costs of community-acquired CDI. We estimated cost of care for individuals with community-associated CDI and compared with that for matched controls without CDI in the time period of six months before to one year after CDI. METHODS: All individuals in the province of Manitoba, diagnosed with CDI between July 2005 and March 2015 were matched up to 4 individuals without CDI. Health care utilization and direct costs resulting from hospitalizations, physician reimbursement claims and prescriptions were determined from the population based provincial databases. Quantile regressions were performed to determine predictors of cost of individuals with community associated CDI. RESULTS: Of all CDIs, 30-40% in each period of the study had community-associated CDI; of which 12% were recurrent CDIs. The incremental median and 90th percentile cost of care for individuals with community-associated CDI was $800 and $16,000 respectively in the six months after CDI diagnosis. After adjustment for age, co-morbidities, sex, socioeconomic status and magnitude of health care utilization prior to CDI, the median incremental cost for recurrent CDI was $1,812 and that for a subsequent episode of CDI was $3,139 compared to those with a single community-associated CDI episode. The median cost for a prescription of Vancomycin was $316 (IQR 209-489). CONCLUSIONS: Health care costs of an episode of community-associated CDI have been much more than the cost of antibiotic treatment. Our study provides population-based data for formal cost effectiveness analysis for use of newer treatments for community-associated CDI.

Anthropometric variables as cardiovascular risk predictors in a cohort of adult subjects with Turner syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Excessive adiposity is associated with cardiometabolic complications in Turner syndrome (TS) subjects. Reference data for predictive anthropometric indices of overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are lacking for subjects with TS. The purpose of this study was to identify the best anthropometric predictor of cardiometabolic risk in a Latin-American cohort of TS subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional correlational study conducted in adult TS subjects (n=88) over the past seven years. Anthropometric parameters, body composition and biochemical variables were evaluated in a study and in a reference (n=57) group. Overweight/obesity and MetS were diagnosed using international consensus. The area under the ROC curve (AUC-ROC) was then used to determine the value of each anthropometric variable in predicting MetS or overweight/obesity. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS and overweight/obesity in TS subjects was 40% and 48%, respectively. All anthropometric and cardiometabolic variables were significantly increased in TS subjects when compared to the reference group, except for body mass index (BMI) and HDL-c. To detect MetS and overweight/obesity, waist to height ratio (WHtR) was found to have a higher correlation with cardiometabolic variables (TC, LDL-c, HDL-c levels and the LDL-c/HDL-c ratio), and to have a higher AUC-ROC and odds ratio than BMI, waist circumference (WC) and the waist to hip ratio (WHR). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MetS and overweight/obesity is elevated in TS subjects. WHtR was the most useful variable in predicting the presence of MetS and overweight and obesity in this TS cohort. A combination of WHtR with BMI or with WC could have the best clinical utility in identifying adult TS subjects with overweight/obesity and MetS, respectively.

The Effect of Initiation of Anti-TNF Therapy on the Subsequent Direct Health Care Costs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs are highly effective in the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), but they are very costly. Due to their effectiveness, they could potentially reduce future health care spending on other medical therapies, hospitalization, and surgery. The impact of downstream costs has not previously been quantified in a real-world population-based setting. METHODS: We used the University of Manitoba IBD Database to identify all persons in a Canadian province with CD or UC who received anti-TNF therapy between 2004 and 2016. All inpatient, outpatient, and drug costs were enumerated both in the year before anti-TNF initiation and for up to 5 years after anti-TNF initiation. Costs before and after anti-TNF initiation were compared, and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to look for predictors of higher costs after anti-TNF initiation. RESULTS: A total of 928 people with IBD (676 CD, 252 UC) were included for analyses. The median cost of health care in the year before anti-TNF therapy was $4698 for CD vs $6364 for UC. The median cost rose to $39,749 and $49,327, respectively, in the year after anti-TNF initiation, and to $210,956 and $245,260 in the 5 years after initiation for continuous anti-TNF users. Inpatient and outpatient costs decreased in the year after anti-TNF initiation by 12% and 7%, respectively, when excluding the cost of anti-TNFs. CONCLUSIONS: Direct health care expenditures markedly increase after anti-TNF initiation and continue to stay elevated over pre-initiation costs for up to 5 years, with only small reductions in the direct costs of non-drug-related health care.

Vectorial near-field coupling.

The coherent exchange of optical near fields between two neighbouring dipoles plays an essential role in the optical properties, quantum dynamics and thus the function of many naturally occurring and artificial nanosystems. These interactions are challenging to quantify experimentally. They extend over only a few nanometres and depend sensitively on the detuning, dephasing and relative orientation (that is, the vectorial properties) of the coupled dipoles. Here, we introduce plasmonic nanofocusing spectroscopy to record coherent light scattering spectra with 5 nm spatial resolution from the apex of a conical gold nanotaper. The apex is excited solely by evanescent fields and coupled to plasmon resonances in a single gold nanorod. We resolve resonance energy shifts and line broadenings as a function of dipole distance and relative orientation. We demonstrate how these phenomena arise from mode couplings between different vectorial components of the interacting optical near fields, specifically from the coupling of the nanorod to both transverse and longitudinal polarizabilities of the taper apex.

Physician recruitment and retention in Manitoba: results from a survey of physicians' preferences for rural jobs.

INTRODUCTION: Rural recruitment and retention continues to present challenges to health workforce planners. This paper reports and analyzes the results of a survey sent to physicians in Manitoba, eliciting their opinions regarding rural jobs. METHODS: A survey was sent to all physicians in Manitoba. Part 1 of the survey included questions about background and demographic information; part 2 was a set of job satisfaction questions regarding respondents' current job; and part 3 included 2 sets of stated-choice questions eliciting preferences for a set of attributes relevant to rural recruitment and retention. RESULTS: Of the 2487 physicians who received surveys, 561 (22.6%) responded. Respondents indicated that income, hours worked and on-call frequency are very important: overall job satisfaction increased with income and decreased with hours worked. Income, hours and on-call frequency were ranked "very important" by the largest proportions of physicians. The estimated compensation for on-call more frequent than 1-in-4 was very high (82% of average income), and additional hours worked were worth $183 per hour. Other attributes that were important included professional interaction, housing availability and community incentives during the first year, which were valued at 11%-31% of annual income. CONCLUSION: Work-life balance is a key consideration for rural jobs, and there are incentives that can compensate for less desirable attributes.

INTRODUCTION: Le recrutement et le maintien en poste continuent d'être une source de défis pour les planificateurs des ressources humaines en santé. Cet article présente et analyse les résultats d'un sondage sur le travail en milieu rural mené auprès de médecins au Manitoba. METHODS: Un questionnaire a été envoyé à tous les médecins au Manitoba. La partie 1 du questionnaire recueillait des renseignements démographiques et généraux; la partie 2 présentait un ensemble de questions sur la satisfaction professionnelle des répondants à l'égard de l'emploi actuel; la partie 3 contenait 2 séries de questions à choix fixes pour déterminer les préférences en regard d'aspects pertinents au recrutement et au maintien en poste en milieu rural. RESULTS: Sur les 2487 médecins ayant reçu le questionnaire, 561 (22,6 %) ont répondu. Les répondants ont indiqué que le revenu, les heures de travail et la fréquence du service de garde sont très importants : le taux de satisfaction générale augmentait en fonction du revenu et diminuait selon le nombre d'heures de travail. Le revenu, les heures de travail et la fréquence du service de garde étaient considérés comme étant « très importants ¼ par le nombre le plus élevé de médecins. La rémunération estimée pour un service de garde de fréquence supérieure à un rapport d'un sur quatre était très élevée (82 % du revenu moyen), et la valeur accordée à chaque heure supplémentaire était de 183 $ l'heure. Parmi les autres aspects jugés importants, mentionnons l'interaction professionnelle, la disponibilité de logements et des mesures incitatives communautaires la première année, le tout évalué à 11 %­31 % du revenu annuel. CONCLUSION: L'équilibre entre le travail et la vie personnelle est un facteur clé pour les emplois en milieu rural et il existe des mesures incitatives pour compenser les caractéristiques moins désirables.

Microelectrospotting as a new method for electrosynthesis of surface-imprinted polymer microarrays for protein recognition.

Here we introduce microelectrospotting as a new approach for preparation of protein-selective molecularly imprinted polymer microarrays on bare gold SPR imaging chips. During electrospotting both the gold chip and the spotting tip are electrically connected to a potentiostat as working and counter electrodes, respectively. The spotting pin encloses the monomer-template protein cocktail that upon contacting the gold surface is in-situ electropolymerized resulting in surface confined polymer spots of ca. 500 µm diameter. By repeating this procedure at preprogrammed locations for various composition monomer-template mixtures microarrays of nanometer-thin surface-imprinted films are generated in a controlled manner. We show that the removal and rebinding kinetics of the template and various potential interferents to such microarrays can be monitored in real-time and multiplexed manner by SPR imaging. The proof of principle for microelectrospotting of electrically insulating surface-imprinted films is made by using scopoletin as monomer and ferritin as protein template. It is shown that microelectrospotting in combination with SPR imaging can offer a versatile platform for label-free and enhanced throughput optimization of the molecularly imprinted polymers for protein recognition and for their analytical application.

What do nurses and midwives value about their jobs? Results from a discrete choice experiment.

OBJECTIVES: To examine nurses' and midwives' preferences for the characteristics of their jobs. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment of 990 nurses and midwives administered as part of a survey of nurses and midwives in Victoria, Australia. RESULTS: Autonomy, working hours, and processes to deal with violence and bullying were valued most highly. Nurses and midwives would be willing to forgo 19% and 16% of their annual income for adequate autonomy and adequate processes to deal with violence and bullying, compared to poor autonomy and poor processes for violence and bullying. They would need to be paid an additional 24% to increase their working hours by 10% ($73 per hour). Job characteristics that were less important were shift work, nurse to patient ratios, and public or private sector work. CONCLUSIONS: Policies to improve retention and job satisfaction of nurses and midwives should initially focus on autonomy, processes to deal with violence and bullying, and reasonable working hours. Further research on the cost-effectiveness of these different policies is needed.

Retaining rural doctors: doctors' preferences for rural medical workforce incentives.

Many governments have implemented incentive programs to improve the retention of doctors in rural areas despite a lack of evidence of their effectiveness. This study examines rural general practitioners' (GPs') preferences for different types of retention incentive policies using a discrete choice experiment (DCE). In 2009, the DCE was administered to a group of 1720 rural GPs as part of the "Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL)" study. We estimate both a mixed logit model and a generalized multinomial logit model to account for different types of unobserved differences in GPs' preferences. Our results indicate that increased level of locum relief incentive, retention payments and rural skills loading leads to an increase in the probability of attracting GPs to stay in rural practice. The locum relief incentive is ranked as the most effective, followed by the retention payments and rural skills loading payments. These findings are important in helping to tailor retention policies to those that are most effective.