Survey data on customer two-stage decision-making process in household vacuum cleaner market

This paper presents the data collection method and introduces the dataset about consumers' consider-then-choose behaviors in the household vacuum cleaner market. First, we designed a questionnaire that collected participants' consideration and choice data, social network data, demographic information, and preferences for product features. In addition, we obtained data on vacuum cleaner product features through web scraping from online shopping websites. After data cleaning and processing, the resulting dataset enables investigation into customer preferences in two stages, namely the consideration and choice stages and the impact of social influence on the two-stage decision-making process. This dataset is unique as it is the first of its kind to collect both customers' revealed preferences in a two-stage decision-making process and their ego social networks. This enables the modeling of customer preferences while accounting for social influence. The published survey questionnaire can be used as a template to collect data on other products in support of customer preferences modeling and the design for market systems.

The effectiveness of gynaecology teaching associates in teaching pelvic examination to medical students: a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether teaching female pelvic examinations using gynaecological teaching associates (GTAs); women who are trained to give instruction and feedback on gynaecological examination technique, improves the competence, confidence and communication skills of medical students compared to conventional teaching.

STUDY DESIGN

Randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

Ten University of Birmingham (UoB) affiliated teaching hospitals in the UK.

POPULATION

492 final year medical students.

METHODS

GTA teaching of gynaecological examination compared with conventional pelvic manikin based teaching at the start of a five week clinical placement in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Student's perception of their confidence was measured on a 10cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Domains of competence were measured by a senior clinical examiner using a standardised assessment tool which utilised 10cm VAS and by a GTA using a four point Likert scale. Assessors were blinded to the allocated teaching intervention.

RESULTS

407/492 (83%) students completed both the intervention and outcome assessment. Self-reported confidence was higher in students taught by GTAs compared with those taught on manikins (median score GTA 6.3; vs. conventional 5.8; p=0.03). Competence was also higher in those taught by GTAs when assessed by an examiner (median global score GTA 7.1 vs. conventional 6.0; p<0.001) and by a GTA (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

GTA teaching of female pelvic examination at the start of undergraduate medical student O&G clinical placements improves their confidence and competence compared with conventional pelvic manikin based teaching. GTAs should be introduced into undergraduate medical curricula to teach pelvic examination.

Epidemiology of lung cancer in India: focus on the differences between non-smokers and smokers: a single-centre experience

CONTEXT

Lung cancer has varied epidemiology depending on the geographic region. Globally, there have been important changes in incidence trends amongst men and women, histology, and incidence in non-smokers. Indian epidemiological data on lung cancer is scarce.

AIMS

We set out to study the epidemiological patterns and clinical profile of lung cancer in India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We interviewed patients discussed in the thoracic oncology multidisciplinary meetings between 2008 and 2009. Demographic data, smoking history, place of residence, histology, stage at presentation, and treatment details were collected. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS.

RESULTS

There were 489 patients, with a median age of 56 years, of which 255 (52%) were non-smokers and 234 (48%) were smokers. One hundred and thirty-three patients had consumed smokeless tobacco. The male-to-female ratio was 3.5:1. Sixty-nine patients (14.1%) were incorrectly diagnosed and treated with anti-tuberculosis treatment, which delayed the diagnosis of lung cancer by four months. Eight percent of patients had small-cell carcinoma; of the 92% patients with non-small-cell carcinoma (NSCLC), the most common histology was adenocarcinoma (43.8%), followed by squamous cell (26.2%), large cell (2.1%) and other (8.3%). Eighteen percent of patients were diagnosed by cytology, therefore were diagnosed as NSCLC, without further histologic subtyping. Most patients (43%) were in Stage III at presentation. Lung followed by bone were the common sites of metastases. The majority of the patients (49%) received palliative chemotherapy. Among definitive therapy, concurrent chemo-radiation (13%) was offered more frequently than surgery (6%).

CONCLUSION

Considerably higher numbers of Indian patients with lung cancer are non-smokers, compared to the West. The global trend of rise in adenocarcinoma is paralleled in India. Non-tobacco-related risk factors need further investigation.

Reemergence of positive symptoms of schizophrenia during the course of treatment with risperidone

Thirty patients suffering from schizophrenia (diagnosed as per DSM-IV criteria), for more than 2 years and having predominant negative symptoms were started on risperidone (2-10 mg/day) and were followed up over a period of 16 weeks. The improvement was assessed using PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale).During this 16 weeks follow up, it was interestingly noted that though there was a significant improvement in negative symptoms in all the patients, in 7 patients there was a reemergence of positive symptoms. Four patients had increase in rating on suspiciousness and hostility and two patients reported auditory hallucinations. One patient developed delusions and conceptual disorganization along with suspiciousness and hostility.

Metabolic analysis of galactose toxicity in Escherichia coli with 2-deoxygalactose as the probe

Biochemical basis of galactose toxicity has been studied in gal T mutants (CGSC 4974) using 2-deoxygalactose, a non-metabolizable analogue of galactose, as the probe. It is found that biochemical features of toxicity in wild type cells either with 2-deoxygalactose or with 2-deoxyglucose are very similar to the picture obtained with gal T mutants and the observed bacteriostasis is probably due to futile phosphorylation and not due to any specific inhibitory effect of phosphorylated galactose.