If You Want to Study in the United States

Book 2: Graduate and Professional Study and Research

Graduate and Professional Study and Research — how to research and apply to U.S. master’s, doctoral degree, and postdoctoral programs, plus information on certification and licensing procedures for professionals who wish to further their education or practice in the United States.

It is one of a series of four introductory booklets published by the U.S. Department of State to provide objective and practical advice to prospective international students and scholars on studying in the United States.

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Source: educationusa

If You Want to Study in the United States

Book 1: Undergraduate Study

Undergraduate Study — how to choose and apply to U.S. bachelor’s and associate degree programs, plus information on technical and vocational educational opportunities in the United States.

Undergraduate Study is one of a series of four introductory booklets produced by the U.S. Department of State to provide objective and practical advice to prospective international students and scholars on studying in the United States.

Read more/download: If You Want to Study in the United States

Source: educationusa

The PhD journey: A guide to applying, starting and succeeding

To postgraduates, a PhD may seem like an ideal opportunity to improve research skills prior to future work. However, the application process is a competitive and often challenging experience. This article seeks to de-mystify some of the common questions surrounding PhD applications and provide some hints and tips for potential applicants.

1. Is a PhD for you?

An increasing number of postgraduates are applying for PhD study to develop their academic and professional skills. However, before you begin to consider searching for positions, you must be fully aware of what studying for a PhD actually entails. A PhD is the highest degree a person can achieve. It will involve around three years’ full-time (up to six years’ part-time) work, culminating in a thesis of somewhere around 80,000 words. It is research-intensive, with you developing and leading projects and writing papers in your chosen field of study. Although you will have the support of two or more specialist supervisors, a PhD is by-and-large independent work.

Read more: The PhD journey: A guide to applying, starting and succeeding

Source: academia

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DNA damage detected in patients after CT scanning.

Using new laboratory technology, scientists have shown that cellular damage is detectable in patients after CT scanning. In this study, researchers examined the effects on human cells of low-dose radiation from a wide range of cardiac and vascular CT scans. These imaging procedures are commonly used for a number of reasons, including management of patients suspected of having obstructive coronary artery disease, and for those with aortic stenosis, in preparation of transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Using new laboratory technology, scientists have shown that cellular damage is detectable in patients after CT scanning, according to a new study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

"We now know that even exposure to small amounts of radiation from computed tomography scanning is associated with cellular damage," said Patricia Nguyen, MD, one of the lead authors of the study and an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford. "Whether or not this causes cancer or any negative effect to the patient is still not clear, but these results should encourage physicians toward adhering to dose reduction strategies."

Read more: DNA damage detected in patients after CT scanning.

Computed tomography (stock image). Along with the burgeoning use of advanced medical imaging
tests over the past decade have come rising public health concerns about possible links between low
dose radiation and cancer. The worry is that increased radiation exposure from such diagnostic
procedures as CT scans, which expose the body to low-dose X-ray beams, can damage DNA and
create mutations that spur cells to grow into tumors.

Source: Lilyana Vynogradova / Fotolia