Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto
de Ciencias Médicas
University of
Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
Decanato de Asuntos Académicos, Office of the Dean for Academic Affairs
XXVI ANNUAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FORUM
April 5-7, 2006
NEW GENERAL GUIDELINES
This
package contains the following:
Guidelines
for Abstract Submission
Instructions
for Preparation of the Abstract
Instructions
and Information for Presentations
Guidelines
for Abstract Evaluation by Peer-reviewers
Guidelines
and Criteria for Student Competition
Sample
Abstracts
Visit the XXVI Forum Web Page:
foro2006.rcm.upr.edu/
GUIDELINES FOR ABSTRACT
SUBMISSION
Introduction: The package of general guidelines has been
revised to assure that all faculty members and students have clear and concise
information for the submission of abstracts and preparation of oral or poster
presentations for the XXVI Annual Research and Education Forum. Please do the
following:
- Read all the
instructions and Guidelines First!
- Do not assume that
instructions, criteria and procedures are the same as for past forums or
any other conference, association or convention.
- Provide all the
information requested in the
“Formulario de Resumen” as part of the abstract submission process
at the XXVI Forum Web Page FORO2006.rcm.upr.edu
Authors: Authors may appear in an
unlimited number of abstracts but only one abstract from each first author will be selected for presentation at the forum. The first author listed in the abstract
must present the work at the forum.
Eligibility Criteria: Faculty members and
students are invited to submit their abstracts. Only complete and properly
prepared abstracts will be considered for acceptance. I
Withdrawals: Abstracts submitted before
December 12, 2005 can be withdrawn
via an official written request to the Scientific Forum Sub-Committee. This
abstract and its related information will be deleted from our data base. In case of a resubmission, before the deadline, the abstract and
its related information will be considered completely new. After the deadline, December 12, 2005, the abstract will be
considered final and ready to enter in the evaluation process run by the
Scientific Sub-Committee. Abstracts that are selected by the committee for an
oral or poster presentation cannot be
withdrawn. Errors in selected abstracts must be acknowledged and corrected
by the presenter during the presentation.
Abstract Selection: Abstracts will be
evaluated by at least two or three peer-reviewers selected primarily from the
faculty of the Medical Sciences Campus.
Each peer-reviewer will send his//her recommendations to the Scientific
Sub-Committee using the “Formulario para Evaluar Resumenes de Presentaciones”.
The prime criteria of evaluation will be the quality of the research or
education project as reflected in the abstract. Evaluations will be made
according to the following criteria: general objectives and relevance to the
central theme of the forum, congruency of the title with the content,
information presented in accordance to the guidelines, relation with the areas
of the forum, and inclusion of the elements requested in the general
guidelines. The Scientific Subcommittee will submit recommendations to the
Organizing Committee for final approval. The cut-off score for approval will be
35/50 (70%) The number of abstracts chosen for presentation, as well as the
format of presentation, will depend on time and space availability during the
forum. Special attention will be given to the inclusion of statistical analysis
when deemed essential in research projects.
Publication of Abstracts: All abstracts accepted
will be published without editing in the Abstracts section of the Forum’s
Program and in the Puerto Rico Health
Sciences Journal.
Notification of programming: The first author will be notified via E-mail the status of acceptance of
his/her abstract no later than the first week of February. Selected abstracts will be assigned as
oral or poster presentations.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF THE ABSTRACT
GENERAL
- Read all the Instructions and Guidelines First!
- Submit abstracts on-line
together with the submission form in ELECTRONIC
FORMAT only, following the instructions
that appear at XXVI Forum Web Page
FORO2006.rcm.upr.edu. NO other formats will be accepted. All abstracts should be
received NO LATER THAN Midnight on
December 12, 2005.
- Begin the Title of the abstract at the left margin of the provided
title box.
- List authors, capitalizing initials and last names at the provided
authors and addresses box. Each author should be listed by department and
institution. The addresses should follow the last author’s name. Addresses
may be abbreviated. See sample.
- Start the text of the abstract at the left margin of the provided
abstract box. The body of the abstract should be no more than 1650 characters. The abstract box will not allow any
character additional to the limit.
We recommend that you write the body of the abstract in Word or
similar application before entering in the abstract box. This will allow you to count the
characters using a word count tool.
- Proofread the abstract carefully before submission.
TITLE
Use a short, specific title in upper and lower case
letters that indicates the content of the abstract. Capitalize only the first
letter of each major word, except prepositions, articles, and species names. Do
not abbreviate compounds in the title of the abstract. Example: Analysis of the Modulation of Functional Output in the Callinectes sapidus Cardiac System.
CONTENT OF THE ABSTRACT
For the preparation of the
abstract please follow these general guidelines:
Capitalize the initial
letters of trade names
- Use standard
abbreviations for units of measure.
- Other abbreviations
should be spelled out in full the first time they are mentioned, followed
by the abbreviation in parentheses (except DNA, RNA, etc.).
An abstract for a research project should
be informative and contain (see
sample below):
·
A justification for the project
·
A sentence stating the study’s specific objectives.
·
A brief description of the methods.
·
A short summary of the results obtained. It is NOT satisfactory to say: “The results will be discussed”
·
A statement of the conclusions.
·
The source of funding must be acknowledged at the end of the abstract (i.e. NIH, MBRS, RCMI, etc.).
·
Approval by IRB or IACUC should be included, if appropriate.
An abstract for an education
project should be informative and
contain (see sample below):
·
A rationale for the project.
·
A sentence stating the main objective and/or specific objectives.
·
A brief description of strategies and/or activities.
·
A short summary of outcomes obtained.
·
A statement of projections.
·
The source of funding must be acknowledged at the end of the abstract (i.e. HRSA, DOED, etc.).
·
Approval by IRB or IACUC should be included, if appropriate.
INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION FOR PRESENTATIONS
Presentations: Abstracts may be selected
for oral or poster presentations.
Oral presentations: Will be limited to 15
minutes, 10 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for discussion. The
discussion session will be monitored by the moderator of the session. Each of
the rooms for oral sessions will be equipped with a video projector and a
laptop computer. It is suggested that
the presenter be at the room 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the oral session. The presenter will bring the presentation on
a Windows readable USB flash drive, a CD-ROM or a 250 MB Zip Disk. If the presentation requires multiple floppy
disks, please utilize PowerPoint’s Pack and Go feature. When preparing your presentation, make sure
to include in the same folder as your presentation any external files utilized,
e.g. movie files. Copy the entire folder to the disk. Review these
specifications when preparing your presentation. It is recommended to bring a backup
presentation format to cover the possibility of any technical problem.
Poster presentation sessions: Poster presentation sessions
for research and education projects will be scheduled during the first and
second day of the Forum. Each session
will have a duration of one hour and a half.
The presenter should setup the poster at 8:00 a.m. and leave it until
4:00 p.m. However, it is required that
the presenter spend the entire period of the assigned presentation time at the
poster. It is suggested that the presenter prepare a short presentation (five
minutes) to be periodically given to those assembled around the poster.
Poster preparation: Purpose:
A poster is
a graphically based approach to presenting research and education projects that
should cover the KEY POINTS of the work. It should: attract attention, provide
a brief overview of your work, generate active discussion and questioning
during a short time frame. Format:
The standard format for a poster is: Title:
A banner with the title should appear at the top-center over the complete width
of the board. Below the title, put the author(s) name(s) and
institution(s). Summary: Shortly summarize the justification or rationale for the
project, the methods, activities or strategies and the main results or
outcomes, and conclusions. Introduction:
Provide clear statements about the background of the problem and/or hypothesis
and its relevance. Also describe the main and specific aims and objectives. Methods: Explain the methodologies,
strategies or activities that have been used to address the problem. Also state
and justify any assumptions, so that your results or outcomes can be viewed in
the proper context. Results: Show
the main results or outcomes. Use graphs, diagrams and/or photos. Conclusion: List the main findings. References: Cite only a few of the most
important references. Acknowledgements:
Acknowledge collaborators as well as the funding sponsors. Further Work: May include recommendations and thoughts about future
work. Design and Layout: Must
be mounted on a 4’ X 6’ board, but does not necessarily have to fill the entire
dimension and must be oriented in the "landscape" position. A banner
displaying your poster title, name, and department (or class, if appropriate)
should be positioned at top-center of the board. Make obvious to the viewer how
to progressively view the poster and read (from left to right, and top to
bottom), by numbering the individual panels, or connecting them with arrows, a
standard "guidance system" (see
Figure 1 below). Leave some open space in the design. An open layout is
less tiring to the eye and mind.
Figure 1:
Conventional layouts for a poster. Long panel at top-center is title/author banner.
Individual panels can be connected by numbers and arrows. Also, note the use of
space between panels to achieve visual appeal.
Graphs and diagrams: A
picture can replace lots of words. All
visuals should be labeled with a figure number and title, identifying axes
labels, units etc. Choose appropriate graph types (e.g. bar-graphs,
line-graphs, pie-charts). Drawings and
labels should be large and clear enough to be legible from a distance. Tables can be
useful to present information concisely, not only statistical information, but
also other categories. Make sure they are simple, and do not contain excessive
information. General
Ideas: The most effective
posters provide minimal text and keep the material simple. Make full use of the space, but do not cramp
a page full of information. Use headings to indicate each poster section. Use
only pertinent information. Be selective
when showing results or outcomes. Present only those that illustrate the main
findings. However, do keep other results handy so that you may refer to them
when asked. Consider using "bullet
statements" to make your points short and clear. The rules on text are
"less is more" and "bigger is better." Limit the text to
about one-fourth of the poster space, and use "visuals" (graphs,
photographs, schematics, maps, etc.) to tell the "story." Colors should be used only to emphasize,
differentiate and to add interest. Do not use colors just to impress! Equations should be kept to a minimum. Poster
preparation with Power Point: Crate a blank presentation. Go to File –
Page Setup- set size to desired stats (examples: 56”x 36”, 48”x 36”). Posters can be printed up to 56” long, but
they should always be 36”wide. Text font
size should be from16 to 30 and titles usually from 60 to 100. It is preferable to use ipg format to incorporate graphics to your slide. If a background is going to be used, it
should be a light color or a mix with white.
GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR STUDENT COMPETITION: AWARDS FOR ORAL OR POSTER PRESENTATIONS
The student competition consists in the selection and recognition by the Awards Subcommittee of the oral or poster presentation during the Forum by students in easch of the following four categories:
1. Master
2. Certificates and Fellows
3. Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Public Health (Dr. PH) Doctorates
4. Professional Doctorates
5. Undergraduates
And in each of the five content areas:
1. Applied Sciences
2. Basic Sciences
3. Clinical Sciences
4. Education
5. Epidemiology
For the student competition evaluation criteria please refer to the appendix. Oral and Poster Presentations Awards Criteria.
A first, second and third prize may be awarded for those presentations that obtain the highest scores within the established scale (First, 47.5-50; Second, 42.5-47; Third, 37.5-42). However, in the case of more than one competitor with scores in the same scale, they will be awarded by priorities starting with the prize determined by the scale.
A vacancy will be announces in any of the categories or area for the following reasons: No competitors available in the category or area; the competitor(s) did not obtain the minimal of 37.5 points required for the third prize.
Medical Sciences Campus students will compete for award certificates plus seed money for expenses related to their research and education project. This money will be administered bye the Medical Sciences Campus, Deanship for Academics Affairs. Students from other Universities will compete for award certificates only.
The awards wil be announced and the certificates will be handed out at the
closing session of the forum scheduled on Friday April 7, 2006; 1:00 to 3:00
p.m., at eh Sixth Floor Amphitheater.
SAMPLE
ABSTRACT FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS
Expression of EphA4
Receptor After Trauma to the Spinal Cord.
L. Cruz-Orengo1; I. Velázquez1; J.M. Torres-Lebrón1; L.E. Arzola-Figueroa1;
C.A. Willson2; S.R. Whittemore2; J.D. Miranda1. UPR 1School of Medicine
Department of Physiology; and 2University of Louisville Department of
Neurological Surgery,
Axonal guidance and synapse formation during
early central nervous system development is determined by several molecular
cues. One of those signals is mediated by the Eph receptors, the biggest family
of receptor tyrosine kinases, and the ephrin ligands. Their activity upon
receptor and ligand binding is mostly through inhibitory or repulsive
mechanisms towards axonal growth. Interestingly, EphA4 have been shown to be
necessary for the corticospinal tract development and the formation of the
spinal pacemakers for locomotive rhythm. Models of central nervous system
trauma have shown an increase in the repulsive environment for neurite
regrowth. However, the expression profile of the Eph RTK's family and their
possible role after spinal cord injury has not been determined. To address this
possibility we examined the expression profile of EphA4, after contusion trauma
at the T10 with the NYU Impactor. Expression studies of EphA4 were performed at
different days post-injury (2, 4, 7, 14, and 28) by semiquantitative RT-PCR,
Western Blot and immunohistochemistry assays. Bi-phasic pattern of EphA4 gene
expression was observed at the mRNA level during the time-points studied.
Western Blot analysis showed a similar downregulation during the first four
days after injury, followed by an increase in protein levels. Immunoreactivity
against EphA4 showed increase protein expression at the ventrolateral white
matter associated to reactive gliosis. These results suggest that trauma to the
adult spinal cord could trigger the re-expression of EphA4 generating a
non-favorable environment for axonal outgrowth. Supported by: NIH (U54NS39405),
partial support from RCMI (G12RR03051), MBRS-SCORE (2S066M8224), MBRS-RISE (GM61838),
EPS-9474782, KSCHIRT, Norton Health Care and UPR-School of Medicine.
SAMPLE ABSTRACT FOR EDUCATION PROJECTS
Desarrollo, Implantación y Evaluación de un Curso
Basado en Competencias del Currículo Doctoral de la Escuela de Farmacia para la
Práctica en Farmacia de Comunidad. B. A. Torres;
L. González; E. Vega. Práctica en Farmacia, Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Escuela de
Farmacia, UPR
Como parte del nuevo programa doctoral se desarrolló,
implantó y evaluó un curso que integra competencias que se desarrollan en una
farmacia de la comunidad. Cada estudiante fue asignado a una farmacia de
comunidad y realizó actividades educativas dirigidas al desarrollo de las
distintas competencias considerando las necesidades identificadas en la
farmacia. Estas estaban dirigidas a pacientes, personal farmacéutico o a los
procesos administrativos. Resultados: Se desarrolló e implantó este curso que
integra las competencias profesionales necesarias para ejercer en una farmacia
de la comunidad; los estudiantes indicaron haber desarrollado las competencias
profesionales en un escenario real: Cuidado Farmacéutico (91.7%), Pensamiento
Crítico (91.7%), Solución de Problemas y Toma de Decisiones (100%),
Comunicación (100%), Ética (91.7%), Conciencia y Responsabilidad Social (91.6%),
Interacción y Relación Social (100%), Administración (93.3%), Autoaprendizaje y
Desarrollo Profesional (100%) e Intervención en la Política Pública (50%).
Educaron sobre diferentes temas: medicamentos para catarro, diabetes,
osteoporosis, menopausia, anticonceptivos y productos herbarios; los
preceptores, establecieron una relación nutricia y bi-direccional de
aprendizaje con el estudiante. Las experiencias iniciales de desarrollo y de
implantación de este curso fueron beneficiosas para estudiantes, preceptores,
profesores y pacientes y el currículo de la Escuela de Farmacia. Además
contribuyeron al desarrollo humano y al desarrollo de competencias en los
estudiantes.
These guidelines were developed by the Organizing
Committee for the XXVI Annual Research and Education Forum of the Medical
Sciences Campus,
Revised Version: September, 2005.