Teacher\u27s perceptions of the introduction of a middle school within a Western Australian independent girls\u27 school

In 1995 an independent girls\u27 school in Perth, Western Australia, decided to introduce a Middle School. \u27This meant changing the traditional structure of grouping children aged between 5 and 12 years into primary school and children aged between 13 and 17 years into secondary school. The aim of the Middle School was to provide increased educational opportunities for 12 to 14 year old students. When the introduction of a Middle School was announced teaching staff expressed a number of concerns with respect to their new roles and the new school operations. These concerns raised questions about whether years of teaching experience and subject department membership had any effect on the staffs\u27 perceptions of the introduction of the Middle School. The study investigated these questions within the framework of qualitative methodology by collecting data from participant observation, interviews and documents, and analysing it by using the constant comparative method. In broad terms, the findings in the study indicated that the teaching staff at the school were willing to implement the educational changes associated with introducing a Middle School. \u27This acceptance, however, was conditional upon their concerns being satisfactorily addressed. In general the concerns focussed on the need for whole school communication, the availability of appropriate and practical professional development opportunities and the capacity to be involved in the decision making process. These concerns tended to be consistent among staff regardless of years of teaching experience or the department to which they belonged. This study provided an opportunity for staff to express views about the impact of introducing the Middle School. It also gave the school\u27s administration a chance to become aware of teachers\u27 concerns that had to be addressed when attempting to manage a major structural change. Ultimately the study may enhance the prospect of other schools being able to more effectively implement a Middle School because they will be better placed to anticipate and accommodate staff uncertainties

Thromboelastometry for the assessment of coagulation abnormalities in early and established adult sepsis: a prospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION: The inflammatory response to an invading pathogen in sepsis leads to complex alterations in hemostasis by dysregulation of procoagulant and anticoagulant factors. Recent treatment options to correct these abnormalities in patients with sepsis and organ dysfunction have yielded conflicting results. Using thromboelastometry (ROTEM(R)), we assessed the course of hemostatic alterations in patients with sepsis and related these alterations to the severity of organ dysfunction. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 30 consecutive critically ill patients with sepsis admitted to a 30-bed multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU). Hemostasis was analyzed with routine clotting tests as well as thromboelastometry every 12 hours for the first 48 hours, and at discharge from the ICU. Organ dysfunction was quantified using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. RESULTS: Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and SOFA scores at ICU admission were 52 +/- 15 and 9 +/- 4, respectively. During the ICU stay the clotting time decreased from 65 +/- 8 seconds to 57 +/- 5 seconds (P = 0.021) and clot formation time (CFT) from 97 +/- 63 seconds to 63 +/- 31 seconds (P = 0.017), whereas maximal clot firmness (MCF) increased from 62 +/- 11 mm to 67 +/- 9 mm (P = 0.035). Classification by SOFA score revealed that CFT was slower (P = 0.017) and MCF weaker (P = 0.005) in patients with more severe organ failure (SOFA >or= 10, CFT 125 +/- 76 seconds, and MCF 57 +/- 11 mm) as compared with patients who had lower SOFA scores (SOFA <10, CFT 69 +/- 27, and MCF 68 +/- 8). Along with increasing coagulation factor activity, the initially increased International Normalized Ratio (INR) and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) corrected over time. CONCLUSIONS: Key variables of ROTEM(R) remained within the reference ranges during the phase of critical illness in this cohort of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock without bleeding complications. Improved organ dysfunction upon discharge from the ICU was associated with shortened coagulation time, accelerated clot formation, and increased firmness of the formed blood clot when compared with values on admission. With increased severity of illness, changes of ROTEM(R) variables were more pronounced

Nd:YAG laser welding experiments

Laser-beam/plume interaction experiments were conducted with a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. A high speed camera was used to study plume growth phenomena and to determine maximum plume velocities. Tests were done on four different metals: Aluminum 1100, Molybdenum, Nickel 200, and Stainless Steel 304. Previous laser welding experiments have indicated that the vapor plume ejected from the irradiated base material significantly attenuates the laser beam energy for Nickel 200 and Stainless Steel 304. To substantiate this observation, the plume was subjected to a cross flow of argon gas. Metallurgical studies showed a significant increase in weld penetration for all materials except for Aluminum. These experiments also indicated that the plume ejects normal to the base material. Thus, the specimen was tilted at different angles in an attempt to reduce laser beam attenuation. Results showed no significant increase in weld depth when the tilt angle was increased. Mass loss measurements were also performed and the experimental data were an order-of-magnitude less than those predicted by a numerical laser welding code