It\u27s okay, I\u27m a...teacher. Is professional status important to teachers?

Teacher accountability and the debate around teacher quality are issues of international importance. As society places increasing demands on the teaching profession, and regulatory bodies around the globe raise the ‘standards’ for teachers to adhere to, the professional status of teachers is drawn into focus. This paper reports research findings of an investigation into the perspectives of professional status of teachers, held by pre-service teachers about to embark on their teaching career. This was a comparative study whereby data were collected from an Australian university and an American university to explore professional status as an international issue. This quantitative study utilised a Likert scale to gather responses from participants. Data were analysed and findings from both universities indicated that professional status was a significant concern for pre-service teachers. Pre-service teachers felt that whilst they may have entered their teaching degree as a vocation, they hoped to receive status, as a professional, within society

Who am I in the eyes of the world? A comparative study of Pre-Service Teachers\u27 perceptions of Early Childhood Educators\u27 professional status in their community. Australian and American perspectives

This research provides an insight into the perceptions held by pre-service teachers on the professional status of early childhood educators in their community. As a comparative study, it presents results from both Australian and American perspectives. It is the first research of its kind in studying pre-service teachers’ perceptions of ECEC teacher’s status in relation to the Australian context or in comparing perspectives from Australia and the USA. The paper illuminates on two main points. It presents findings on multiple level pre-service teachers’ perceptions of early childhood educators’ professional status in their community and also examines how the perceptions gathered from pre-service teachers in Australia compare to those from America, opening the field for cultural and policial analysis and discourse. This study’s significance is deepened within the Australian political landscape as it comes at a time when the Early Childhood Education and Care sector has implemented a new quality framework which prioritises teaching qualifications. The comparative aspect of the study thereby provides rich opportunity for cross cultural analysis in relation to how Early Childhood Educators are viewed within their own broader educational community membership

Parametric study of the X-ray primary spectra obtained with the MTSVD unfolding method

The Modified Truncated Singular Value Decomposition (MTSVD) unfolding method is applied to obtain primary spectra for X-ray tubes in radiodiagnostic. Three parameters - voltage, anode angle and filter thickness- of the tube are tested. Unfolded spectra are compared with theoretical extracted from IPEM-78 catalogue. A 2σ error criterion is applied to assess the minimum variations in tested parameters that permits distinguishing between close spectra.This work has been partially supported by the Valencian Region Government under project Grant GVPRE/2008/136 and the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia under project PAID 06-07-3300.Querol Vives, A.; Gallardo Bermell, S.; Ródenas Diago, J.; Verdú Martín, GJ. (2011). Parametric study of the X-ray primary spectra obtained with the MTSVD unfolding method. Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 69(8):1112-1117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.10.018S1112111769

Urinary tract infections and antibiotic use in pregnancy - qualitative analysis of online forum content

Background Antibiotics are standard treatment for asymptomatic and symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs) in pregnancy. Their overuse, however, can contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and expose the foetus to drugs that might affect its development. Preventative behaviours are currently the best option to reduce incidences of UTIs and to avoid the use of antibiotics in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to explore women’s experiences of UTIs in pregnancy to develop an understanding of their concerns and to optimise and encourage behaviours that facilitate appropriate use of antibiotics. Methods An online pregnancy forum in the United Kingdom (UK) was used to collect data on women’s discussions of UTIs. A total of 202 individual threads generated by 675 different usernames were selected for analysis. The data was organised using NVivo 11® software and then analysed qualitatively using inductive thematic analysis. Results Women’s perceptions of UTIs and antibiotic use in pregnancy were driven by their pre-natal attachment to the foetus. UTIs were thought to be common and high risk in pregnancy, which meant that antibiotics were viewed as essential in the presence of suspected symptoms. The dominant view about antibiotics was that their use was safe and of little concern in pregnancy. Women reported an emotional reaction to developing a UTI. They coped by seeking information about behaviour change strategies to assist with recovery and through emotional support from the online forum. Conclusions Women face dual risks when they experience UTIs; the risk from the infection and the risk from antibiotic treatment. Pre-natal attachment to the foetus is highlighted in the decision making process. The focus is on the shorter term risk from UTIs while undermining the longer term risks from antibiotic use, especially the risk of AMR. A balanced view needs to be presented, and evidence-based infection prevention strategies should be promoted, to women to ensure appropriate antibiotic use in pregnancy, to address the global challenge of AMR

Troponin in Acute chest pain to Risk stratify and Guide EffecTive use of Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography (TARGET-CTCA):A randomised controlled trial

Background: The majority of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome presenting to the emergency department will be discharged once myocardial infarction has been ruled out, although a proportion will have unrecognised coronary artery disease. In this setting, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin identifies those at increased risk of future cardiac events. In patients with intermediate cardiac troponin concentrations in whom myocardial infarction has been ruled out, this trial aims to investigate whether outpatient computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) reduces subsequent myocardial infarction or cardiac death. Methods: TARGET-CTCA is a multicentre prospective randomised open label with blinded endpoint parallel group event driven trial. After myocardial infarction and clear alternative diagnoses have been ruled out, participants with intermediate cardiac troponin concentrations (5 ng/L to 99th centile upper reference limit) will be randomised 1:1 to outpatient CTCA plus standard of care or standard of care alone. The primary endpoint is myocardial infarction or cardiac death. Secondary endpoints include clinical, patient-centred, process and cost-effectiveness. Recruitment of 2270 patients will give 90% power with a two-sided P value of 0.05 to detect a 40% relative risk reduction in the primary endpoint. Follow-up will continue until 97 primary outcome events have been accrued in the standard care arm with an estimated median follow-up of 36 months. Discussion: This randomised controlled trial will determine whether high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-guided CTCA can improve outcomes and reduce subsequent major adverse cardiac events in patients presenting to the emergency department who do not have myocardial infarction. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03952351. Registered on May 16, 2019

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for deep vein thrombosis

Background Ultrasound (US) has largely replaced contrast venography as the definitive diagnostic test for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). We aimed to derive a definitive estimate of the diagnostic accuracy of US for clinically suspected DVT and identify study-level factors that might predict accuracy. Methods We undertook a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of diagnostic cohort studies that compared US to contrast venography in patients with suspected DVT. We searched Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Database of Reviews of Effectiveness, the ACP Journal Club, and citation lists (1966 to April 2004). Random effects meta-analysis was used to derive pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity. Random effects meta-regression was used to identify study-level covariates that predicted diagnostic performance. Results We identified 100 cohorts comparing US to venography in patients with suspected DVT. Overall sensitivity for proximal DVT (95% confidence interval) was 94.2% (93.2 to 95.0), for distal DVT was 63.5% (59.8 to 67.0), and specificity was 93.8% (93.1 to 94.4). Duplex US had pooled sensitivity of 96.5% (95.1 to 97.6) for proximal DVT, 71.2% (64.6 to 77.2) for distal DVT and specificity of 94.0% (92.8 to 95.1). Triplex US had pooled sensitivity of 96.4% (94.4 to 97.1%) for proximal DVT, 75.2% (67.7 to 81.6) for distal DVT and specificity of 94.3% (92.5 to 95.8). Compression US alone had pooled sensitivity of 93.8 % (92.0 to 95.3%) for proximal DVT, 56.8% (49.0 to 66.4) for distal DVT and specificity of 97.8% (97.0 to 98.4). Sensitivity was higher in more recently published studies and in cohorts with higher prevalence of DVT and more proximal DVT, and was lower in cohorts that reported interpretation by a radiologist. Specificity was higher in cohorts that excluded patients with previous DVT. No studies were identified that compared repeat US to venography in all patients. Repeat US appears to have a positive yield of 1.3%, with 89% of these being confirmed by venography. Conclusion Combined colour-doppler US techniques have optimal sensitivity, while compression US has optimal specificity for DVT. However, all estimates are subject to substantial unexplained heterogeneity. The role of repeat scanning is very uncertain and based upon limited data