Integrated surgical academic training in the UK: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Blencowe, Natalie S; Glasbey, James C; McElnay, Philip J; Bhangu, Aneel; Gokani, Vimal J; Harries, Rhiannon L

2017-10-01

This study aimed to explore variations in the provision of integrated academic surgical training across the UK. This is an online cross-sectional survey (consisting of 44 items with a range of free-text, binomial and 5-point Likert scale responses) developed by the Association of Surgeons in Training. A self-reported survey instrument was distributed to academic surgical trainees across the UK (n=276). 143 (51.9%) responses were received (81% male, median age: 34 years), spanning all UK regions and surgical specialties. Of the 143 trainees, 29 were core trainees (20.3%), 99 were specialty trainees (69.2%) and 15 (10.5%) described themselves as research fellows. The structure of academic training varied considerably, with under a third of trainees receiving guaranteed protected time for research. Despite this, however, 53.1% of the respondents reported to be satisfied with how their academic training was organised. Covering clinical duties during academic time occurred commonly (72.7%). Although most trainees (n=88, 61.5%) met with their academic supervisor at least once a month, six (4.2%) never had an academic supervisory meeting. Most trainees (n=90, 62.9%) occupied a full-time rota slot and only 9.1% (n=13) described their role as 'supernumerary'. Although 58.7% (n=84) of the trainees were satisfied with their clinical competence, 37.8% (n=54) felt that clinical time focused more on service provision than the acquisition of technical skills. 58 (40.6%) had experienced some form of negative sentiment relating to their status as an academic trainee. Integrated academic training presents unique challenges and opportunities within surgery. This survey has identified variation in the quality of current programmes, meaning that the future provision of integrated surgical academic training should be carefully considered. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is

Public Management Reform and Organizational Performance: An Empirical Assessment of the U.K. Labour Government's Public Service Improvement Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Richard M.; Boyne, George A.

2006-01-01

We present the first empirical assessment of the U.K. Labour government's program of public management reform. This reform program is based on rational planning, devolution and delegation, flexibility and incentives, and enhanced choice. Measures of these variables are tested against external and internal indicators of organizational performance.…

The Impact of Individual Factors on the Academic Attainment of Chinese and UK Students in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Ian; Wang, Zhiqi

2015-01-01

This study investigates the academic performance differences between Chinese and UK students in a UK university using two undergraduate cohorts by uniquely exploring academic performance patterns among Chinese and UK students across a full degree study period (3 or 4 years). The results reveal a dramatic drop in performance among Chinese students…

The Effect of Academic Culture on the Implementation of the EFQM Excellence Model in UK Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, John; Douglas, Alex; Douglas, Jacqueline

2007-01-01

Purpose: The paper seeks to explore the effect of academic culture on the implementation of the European Foundation for Quality Management's (EFQM) Excellence Model in UK universities. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review reveals several aspects, which collectively define the academic culture in UK universities. These aspects were…

Problematising the `Career Academic' in UK construction and engineering education: does the system want what the system gets?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilcher, Nick; Forster, Alan; Tennant, Stuart; Murray, Mike; Craig, Nigel

2017-11-01

'Career Academics' are principally research-led, entering academia with limited or no industrial or practical experience. UK Higher Education Institutions welcome them for their potential to attain research grant funding and publish world-leading journal papers, ultimately enhancing institutional reputation. This polemical paper problematises the Career Academic around three areas: their institutional appeal; their impact on the student experience, team dynamics and broader academic functions; and current strategic policy to employ them. We also argue that recent UK Government teaching-focused initiatives will not address needs to employ practical academics, or 'Pracademics' in predominantly vocational Construction and Engineering Education. We generate questions for policy-makers, institutions and those implementing strategy. We argue that research is key, but partial rebalancing will achieve a diverse academic skill base to achieve contextualised construction and engineering education. In wider European contexts, the paper resonates with issues of academic 'drift' and provides reflection for others on the UK context.

Highlights from SelectBio 2015: Academic Drug Discovery Conference, Cambridge, UK, 19-20 May 2015.

PubMed

Spencer, John; Coaker, Hannah

2015-01-01

The SelectBio 2015: Academic Drug Discovery Conference was held in Cambridge, UK, on 19-20 May 2015. Building on the success of academic drug discovery events in the USA, this conference aimed to showcase the exciting new research emerging from academic drug discovery and to help bridge the gap between basic research and commercial application. At the event the authors heard from a number of speakers on a broad array of topics, from partnering models for academia and industry to novel drug discovery approaches across various therapeutic areas, with a few talks, such as those by Susanne Muller-Knapp (Structure Genomics Consortium, Oxford University, Oxford, UK) and Julian Blagg (Institute of Cancer Research, UK), covering both remits, by highlighting a number of such partnerships and then delving into some case studies. The conference concluded with a heated debate on whether phenotypic discovery should be favored over targeted discovery in academia and pharma, in a panel discussion chaired by Roland Wolkowicz (San Diego State University, USA).

Making clinical academic careers more attractive: views from questionnaire surveys of senior UK doctors.

PubMed

Lambert, Trevor W; Smith, Fay; Goldacre, Michael J

2015-08-01

To report on doctors' reasons, as expressed to our research group, for choosing academic careers and on factors that would make a career in clinical academic medicine more attractive to them. Postal, email and web questionnaires. UK. A total of 6936 UK-trained doctors who graduated in 1996, 1999 and 2000. Open-ended comments about a career in clinical academic medicine. Of doctors who provided reasons for pursuing a long-term career in clinical academic medicine, the main reasons were enjoyment of academic work and personal satisfaction, whether expressed directly in those terms, or in terms of intellectual stimulation, enjoyment of research, teaching and the advancement of medicine, and the job being more varied than and preferable to clinical work alone. Doctors' suggestions for making clinical academic medicine more attractive included improved pay and job security, better funding of research, greater availability of academic posts, more dedicated time for research (and less service work) and more support and mentoring. Women were more likely than men to prioritise flexible working hours and part-time posts. Medical schools could provide more information, as part of student teaching, about the opportunities for and realities of a career in clinical academic medicine. Women, in particular, commented that they lacked the role models and information which would encourage them to consider seriously an academic career. Employers could increase academic opportunities by allowing more time for teaching, research and study and should assess whether job plans make adequate allowance for academic work.

Migration in a segmented labour market.

PubMed

Gordon, I

1995-01-01

"Current research in migration is moving on from neo-classical and behavioural perspectives to a more structural approach relating to wider processes, issues of power and the particular role of employers. Within this programme a key issue for investigation is the interaction between spatial mobility and the structuring of labour markets. This paper focuses on the significance of labour market segmentation--in terms both of job stability and gender--for migration, both theoretically and through an empirical analysis of data from the UK Labour Force Survey on sponsored and unsponsored moves." excerpt

Making clinical academic careers more attractive: views from questionnaire surveys of senior UK doctors

PubMed Central

Lambert, Trevor W; Goldacre, Michael J

2015-01-01

Summary Objectives To report on doctors’ reasons, as expressed to our research group, for choosing academic careers and on factors that would make a career in clinical academic medicine more attractive to them. Design Postal, email and web questionnaires. Setting UK. Participants A total of 6936 UK-trained doctors who graduated in 1996, 1999 and 2000. Main outcome measures Open-ended comments about a career in clinical academic medicine. Results Of doctors who provided reasons for pursuing a long-term career in clinical academic medicine, the main reasons were enjoyment of academic work and personal satisfaction, whether expressed directly in those terms, or in terms of intellectual stimulation, enjoyment of research, teaching and the advancement of medicine, and the job being more varied than and preferable to clinical work alone. Doctors’ suggestions for making clinical academic medicine more attractive included improved pay and job security, better funding of research, greater availability of academic posts, more dedicated time for research (and less service work) and more support and mentoring. Women were more likely than men to prioritise flexible working hours and part-time posts. Conclusions Medical schools could provide more information, as part of student teaching, about the opportunities for and realities of a career in clinical academic medicine. Women, in particular, commented that they lacked the role models and information which would encourage them to consider seriously an academic career. Employers could increase academic opportunities by allowing more time for teaching, research and study and should assess whether job plans make adequate allowance for academic work. PMID:26380103

How Are UK Academics Engaging the Public with Their Research? A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chikoore, Lesley; Probets, Steve; Fry, Jenny; Creaser, Claire

2016-01-01

This paper takes a cross-disciplinary perspective in examining the views and practices of public engagement with research by UK academics. Using a mixed method approach consisting of a survey questionnaire and interviews, the paper identifies the range of audience groups that can potentially be engaged with by academics, and shows that some…

Self-reported extracurricular activity, academic success, and quality of life in UK medical students

PubMed Central

Lumley, Sophie; Ward, Peter; Roberts, Lesley

2015-01-01

Objectives To explore the relationship between academic performance, extracurricular activity, and quality of life at medical school in the UK to aid our understanding of students’ work-life balance. Methods A cross-sectional study, using an electronic questionnaire distributed to UK final year medical students across 20 medical schools (4478 students). Participants reported the hours of self-regulated learning and extracurricular activities undertaken each year at medical school; along with their academic decile (1 = highest, 10 = lowest). Self-reported quality of life (QoL) was assessed using an established screening tool (7 = highest, 1 = lowest). Results Seven hundred responses were obtained, across 20 participating medical schools, response rate 16% (700/4478). Factors associated with higher academic achievement were: graduate entry course students (2 deciles higher, p< 0.0001), more hours academic study during term and revision periods (rho=-0.1, p< 0.01), and involvement in teaching or research. Increased hours of study was associated with lower QoL (rho = -0.13, p<0.01). Conclusions Study skills may be more important than duration spent studying, for academic achievement and QoL. Graduate-entry students attain higher decile scores despite similar self-reported duration of study. PMID:26385285

Self-reported extracurricular activity, academic success, and quality of life in UK medical students.

PubMed

Lumley, Sophie; Ward, Peter; Roberts, Lesley; Mann, Jake P

2015-09-19

To explore the relationship between academic performance, extracurricular activity, and quality of life at medical school in the UK to aid our understanding of students' work-life balance. A cross-sectional study, using an electronic questionnaire distributed to UK final year medical students across 20 medical schools (4478 students). Participants reported the hours of self-regulated learning and extracurricular activities undertaken each year at medical school; along with their academic decile (1 = highest, 10 = lowest). Self-reported quality of life (QoL) was assessed using an established screening tool (7 = highest, 1 = lowest). Seven hundred responses were obtained, across 20 participating medical schools, response rate 16% (700/4478). Factors associated with higher academic achievement were: graduate entry course students (2 deciles higher, p < 0.0001), more hours academic study during term and revision periods (rho=-0.1, p < 0.01), and involvement in teaching or research. Increased hours of study was associated with lower QoL (rho = -0.13, p < 0.01). Study skills may be more important than duration spent studying, for academic achievement and QoL. Graduate-entry students attain higher decile scores despite similar self-reported duration of study.

Challenges Facing Chinese Academic Staff in a UK University in Terms of Language, Relationships and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Hui-hua

2012-01-01

The recruitment of international academic staff is viewed as one of the strategies to internationalise the universities. International academic staff, however, usually encounter many challenges when in a foreign context. This study aims to investigate the challenges of Chinese academic staff teaching in the UK in terms of language, relationships…

Work Stressors, Health and Sense of Coherence in UK Academic Employees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinman, Gail

2008-01-01

This cross-sectional study examined relationships between job-specific stressors and psychological and physical health symptoms in academic employees working in UK universities. The study also tests the main and moderating role played by sense of coherence (SOC: Antonovsky, 1987 in work stress process). SOC is described as a generalised resistance…

Transcription Analysis of the Myometrium of Labouring and Non-Labouring Women

PubMed Central

Hutchinson, James L.; Hibbert, Nanette; Freeman, Tom C.; Saunders, Philippa T. K.; Norman, Jane E.

2016-01-01

myometrial tissue at labour. Further work will be necessary to reveal whether these results are solely due to leukocyte infiltration into the myometrium as a mechanism initiating labour, or in addition whether they also represent gene changes in the myocytes themselves. We have made all our data available at www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress/ (accession number E-MTAB-3136) to facilitate progression of this work. PMID:27176052

Target-Setting, Early-Career Academic Identities and the Measurement Culture of UK Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Jan

2017-01-01

Early-career academics are subject to a barrage of formal measurements when they secure a first academic post in a UK university. To support this process, guidance is provided by universities on what is measured, though this can lack disciplinary nuance. This article analyses the perceptions of a sample of social scientists of the process of…

A Case Study into the Writing of Chinese Postgraduate Students in a UK Academic Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lan, Feng

2015-01-01

This case study explores the problematic issues in academic writing of three Chinese postgraduate students studying in UK academic environment. It aims to attempt to identify mismatches in lecturer and postgraduate student expectations and to understand the reasoning behind these mismatches from the students' perspective. This study was carried…

Ethnicity and academic performance in UK trained doctors and medical students: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Woolf, Katherine; Potts, Henry W W; McManus, I C

2011-03-08

To determine whether the ethnicity of UK trained doctors and medical students is related to their academic performance. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Online databases PubMed, Scopus, and ERIC; Google and Google Scholar; personal knowledge; backwards and forwards citations; specific searches of medical education journals and medical education conference abstracts. The included quantitative reports measured the performance of medical students or UK trained doctors from different ethnic groups in undergraduate or postgraduate assessments. Exclusions were non-UK assessments, only non-UK trained candidates, only self reported assessment data, only dropouts or another non-academic variable, obvious sampling bias, or insufficient details of ethnicity or outcomes. Results 23 reports comparing the academic performance of medical students and doctors from different ethnic groups were included. Meta-analyses of effects from 22 reports (n = 23,742) indicated candidates of "non-white" ethnicity underperformed compared with white candidates (Cohen's d = -0.42, 95% confidence interval -0.50 to -0.34; P<0.001). Effects in the same direction and of similar magnitude were found in meta-analyses of undergraduate assessments only, postgraduate assessments only, machine marked written assessments only, practical clinical assessments only, assessments with pass/fail outcomes only, assessments with continuous outcomes only, and in a meta-analysis of white v Asian candidates only. Heterogeneity was present in all meta-analyses. Ethnic differences in academic performance are widespread across different medical schools, different types of exam, and in undergraduates and postgraduates. They have persisted for many years and cannot be dismissed as atypical or local problems. We need to recognise this as an issue that probably affects all of UK medical and higher education. More detailed information to track the problem as well as further research into its causes is required. Such

The Impact of Placements on the Academic Performance of UK and International Students in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Ian; Wang, Zhiqi

2016-01-01

Motivated by an increasing number of international students in UK higher education, this study investigates the effect of year-long placements on the academic performance of 268 accounting and finance students enrolled between 2006 and 2009. The results show differences between UK and international students although both statistically and…

The Effect of Work Placements on the Academic Performance of Chinese Students in UK Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Ian; Wang, Zhiqi

2015-01-01

The main controversy as a result of the commercialisation of international education markets is that international students especially those from China are unable to perform as well as UK students in UK universities. So far, research has yet to identify the influence of placements on the academic performance of Chinese students from entry to…

Ethnicity and academic performance in UK trained doctors and medical students: systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Potts, Henry W W; McManus, I C

2011-01-01

Objective To determine whether the ethnicity of UK trained doctors and medical students is related to their academic performance. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Online databases PubMed, Scopus, and ERIC; Google and Google Scholar; personal knowledge; backwards and forwards citations; specific searches of medical education journals and medical education conference abstracts. Study selection The included quantitative reports measured the performance of medical students or UK trained doctors from different ethnic groups in undergraduate or postgraduate assessments. Exclusions were non-UK assessments, only non-UK trained candidates, only self reported assessment data, only dropouts or another non-academic variable, obvious sampling bias, or insufficient details of ethnicity or outcomes. Results 23 reports comparing the academic performance of medical students and doctors from different ethnic groups were included. Meta-analyses of effects from 22 reports (n=23 742) indicated candidates of “non-white” ethnicity underperformed compared with white candidates (Cohen’s d=−0.42, 95% confidence interval −0.50 to −0.34; P<0.001). Effects in the same direction and of similar magnitude were found in meta-analyses of undergraduate assessments only, postgraduate assessments only, machine marked written assessments only, practical clinical assessments only, assessments with pass/fail outcomes only, assessments with continuous outcomes only, and in a meta-analysis of white v Asian candidates only. Heterogeneity was present in all meta-analyses. Conclusion Ethnic differences in academic performance are widespread across different medical schools, different types of exam, and in undergraduates and postgraduates. They have persisted for many years and cannot be dismissed as atypical or local problems. We need to recognise this as an issue that probably affects all of UK medical and higher education. More detailed information to track the problem

Labour Law in Canadian Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnetson, Bob

2006-01-01

The legislative framework for academic and nonacademic unionization and collective bargaining in Canadian public colleges, universities and technical institutes is set out and compared with mainstream labour law. Significant deviations affecting academic staff in the province of Alberta are explored to understand their effect and the factors which…

Retrospection and Reflection: The Emerging Influence of an Institutional Professional Recognition Scheme on Professional Development and Academic Practice in a UK University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Sluis, Hendrik; Burden, Penny; Huet, Isabel

2017-01-01

Raising the quality and profile of teaching and student learning is something universities across the UK are aspiring to achieve in order to maintain reputations. Currently, the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) provides a standard by which academic staff can gain professional recognition for their academic practice and many UK…

Exploring the Influence of Individual and Academic Differences on the Placement Participation Rate among International Students: A UK Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Ian; Wang, Zhiqi; Andrews, Georgina

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the low placement participation rate among international students compared with UK students, by examining the impact of individual factors such as gender and domicile and academic achievement such as prior academic qualification, prior academic results and subsequent academic results on…

Investigating the sustainability of careers in academic primary care: a UK survey.

PubMed

Calitri, Raff; Adams, Ann; Atherton, Helen; Reeve, Joanne; Hill, Nathan R

2014-12-14

The UK National Health Service (NHS) is undergoing institutional reorganisation due to the Health and Social Care Act-2012 with a continued restriction on funding within the NHS and clinically focused academic institutions. The UK Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) is examining the sustainability of academic primary care careers within this climate and preliminary qualitative work has highlighted individual and organisational barriers. This study seeks to quantify the current situation for academics within primary care. A survey of academic primary care staff was undertaken. Fifty-three academic primary care departments were selected. Members were invited to complete a survey which contained questions about an individual's career, clarity of career pathways, organisational culture, and general experience of working within the area. Data were analysed descriptively with cross-tabulations between survey responses and career position (early, mid-level, senior), disciplinary background (medical, scientist), and gender. Pearson chi-square test was used to determine likelihood that any observed difference between the sets arose by chance. Responses were received from 217 people. Career pathways were unclear for the majority of people (64%) and 43% of the workforce felt that the next step in their career was unclear. This was higher in women (52% vs. men 25%; χ(2)(3) = 14.76; p = 0.002) and higher in those in early career (50% vs. senior career, 25%) and mid-career(45%; vs. senior career; χ(2)(6) = 29.19, p < 0.001). The workforce appeared geographically static but unstable with only 50% of people having their contract renewed or extended. The majority of people (59%) have never been promoted by their institution. There were perceptions of gender equality even in the context of females being underrepresented in senior positions (19% vs. males 39%; χ(2)(3) = 8.43, p = 0.015). Despite these findings, the majority of the workforce reported positive organisational

Promoting SETI in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penny, Alan

2013-10-01

MEETING REPORT What does the UK presently do in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and what are the plans for the future? Alan Penny reports on a meeting of UK academics active in SETI, held as sessions in the recent National Astronomy Meeting in Scotland - and the formation of the UK SETI Research Network to promote UK academic work.

Academic Identities in the Managed University: Neoliberalism and Resistance at Newcastle University, UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrish, Liz

2017-01-01

In an era of neoliberal reforms, academics in UK universities have become increasingly enmeshed in audit, particularly of research "outputs." Using the data of performance management and training documents, this paper firstly offers an analysis of the role of discourse in redefining the meaning of research, and in colonising a new kind…

Labour Market Intermediaries: A Corrective to the Human Capital Paradigm (Mis)matching Skills and Jobs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobbins, Tony; Plows, Alexandra

2017-01-01

The orthodox supply-side human capital theory (HCT) paradigm is inadequate for understanding and adjusting to labour market volatility in UK regional economies like Wales. This article explores the role of regional labour market intermediaries (LMIs) in matching supply (skills) and demand (job opportunities) in regional labour markets. Some LMIs…

The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Academic Progress and Achievement in UK University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pope, Debbie; Roper, Claire; Qualter, Pamela

2012-01-01

Previous research has found relationships between higher levels of emotional intelligence (EI) and academic success in both adolescents and adults. This study examines the relationship between overall EI and specific EI competencies in 135 undergraduate psychology students in the UK. EI was measured at the start of a psychology degree course using…

The evidence-based practice profiles of academic and clinical staff involved in pre-registration nursing students' education: a cross sectional survey of US and UK staff.

PubMed

Upton, Penney; Scurlock-Evans, Laura; Williamson, Kathleen; Rouse, Joanne; Upton, Dominic

2015-01-01

Competency in evidence-based practice (EBP) is a requirement for graduate nurses. Despite a growing body of research exploring the EBP profiles of students, little research has explored the EBP profiles of nurse educators. To explore: the differences/similarities in the EBP profiles of US and UK clinical and academic faculty; the barriers nurse educators experience when teaching EBP; the impact of postgraduate education on EBP profile and; what nurse educators perceive "success" in implementing and teaching EBP to be. A cross-sectional online survey design was employed. Two Universities delivering undergraduate nursing education in the US and UK, in partnership with large hospital systems, small community hospitals, community settings, and independent sector health organisations. Eighty-one nurse educators working in academic and clinical contexts in the US and UK (US academic=12, US clinical=17, UK academic=9, UK clinical=43) were recruited opportunistically. Participants were emailed a weblink to an online survey, comprising demographic questions, the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire and open-ended questions about EBP barriers, facilitators and successes. Quantitative results indicated that academic faculty scored significantly higher on knowledge and skills of EBP, than clinical faculty, but revealed no other significant differences on EBP use or attitudes, or between US and UK professionals. Participants with postgraduate training scored significantly higher on EBP knowledge/skills, but not EBP attitudes or use. Qualitative findings identified key themes relating to EBP barriers and facilitators, including: Evidence-, organisational-, and teaching-related issues. Perceptions of successes in EBP were also described. Nurse educators working in the UK and US face similar EBP barriers to teaching and implementation, but view it positively and use it frequently. Clinical staff may require extra support to maintain their EBP knowledge and skills in

Transition from clinician to academic: an interview study of the experiences of UK and Australian Registered Nurses.

PubMed

Logan, Patricia A; Gallimore, David; Jordan, Sue

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to explore and compare the experiences of nurses in Australia and the UK as they moved from clinical practice into higher education institutions. When nurse education moved from hospitals into higher education institutions, the roles and career pathways of nurse educators changed. The design method used in this study was qualitative interview study. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 14 nurse educators, seven in Australia and seven in the UK, in 2011-2012. Thematic analysis of the transcripts was undertaken and triangulated with automated content and thematic analysis by Leximancer© software. Nurse academics in Australia and the UK voiced similar enthusiasms and concerns. These coalesced around four emergent themes: adapting to change, external pressures, teaching and progress up the academic ladder. The Leximancer© analysis for both sites ranked 'research' as the primary theme, linked with 'time', 'University' and 'nursing' on both sites. Respondents were aware of the importance of research to career progression in universities, but most prioritized their teaching and clinical commitments for the sake of their organizations. Most respondents were supported in their doctoral studies, but the absence of postdoctoral research teams, mentors and role models was striking. Additional support is needed to ensure that nurse academics are able to pursue research beyond doctoral level. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Qualitative Study of the UK Academic Role: Positive Features, Negative Aspects and Associated Stressors in a Mainly Teaching-Focused University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darabi, Mitra; Macaskill, Ann; Reidy, Lisa

2017-01-01

The literature demonstrates that stress in the working life of academics has increased over recent years. However, qualitative research on how academics cope with this is very scarce. Using online interviewing with thematic analysis, this paper examines how 31 academics in a post-92 predominantly teaching-focused UK university cope with the…

Approaching Gender Equity in Academic Chemistry: Lessons Learned from Successful Female Chemists in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller-Friedmann, Jaimie; Childs, Ann; Hillier, Judith

2018-01-01

The internationally acknowledged gender gap in science continues to be an unrelenting concern to science educators; aggregate data in the UK show that both recruitment and retention of women in academic science remain relatively low. Most published research focuses on women in the broad field of science, generates correlations or predictions, or…

Do health-related labour costs weaken the competitiveness of the economy?

PubMed

Häussler, Bertram; Ecker, Thomas; Schneider, Markus

2006-12-01

At least in Germany, it is widely assumed that healthcare-related labour costs weaken the competitiveness of national industries. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the amount of employers' financial burden in Germany and in other competing countries, as well as the impact on market prices of German goods. To quantify the health-related labour costs for employers in seven countries and different industries, and identify the effects of current reforms in Germany on the financial burden of employers. We calculated the spending on health in Germany and the burden on German employers (by branch of production). We then compared the total burden with that of six other countries. A univariate analysis was then conducted to examine the connection between health-related labour costs and employment. In 2000, employers paid 41.2% of the total of 283.3 billion spent on health matters in Germany. These total costs account for 3.2% of the gross output (UK: 1.8%, Switzerland: 1.9%, Poland: 2.1%, US: 3.2%, France: 3.6%, The Netherlands: 3.7%). Health-related labour costs account for 10.6% of the total labour costs. The health-related labour costs per employee are on average 3013 (from 2752 to 4793 in healthcare and the chemical industry, respectively). In the UK and the US there are corresponding labour costs of 1836 and 4256 per employee, respectively. The current health reform (2003) would reduce the labour costs by only 0.7% after 4 years (based on 2000, with all factors remaining constant). Employment increased by 3.7% from 1995 to 2000 (textile industry: -26.8%, vehicle manufacture: +18.3%). There is no empirical connection between employment and health-related labour costs. Labour costs increased by a higher amount than the health-related labour costs. The burden on German employers is moderate when compared internationally. The current reform of the German health system is not expected to improve companies' financial situation or

Effort-Reward Imbalance and Overcommitment in UK Academics: Implications for Mental Health, Satisfaction and Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinman, Gail

2016-01-01

This study utilises the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model of job stress to predict several indices of well-being in academics in the UK: mental ill health, job satisfaction and leaving intentions. This model posits that (a) employees who believe that their efforts are not counterbalanced by sufficient rewards will experience impaired well-being…

Lessons from America? US magnet hospitals and their implications for UK nursing.

PubMed

Buchan, J

1994-02-01

This paper examines possible implications of the US 'magnet hospital' concept for the UK nursing labour market. Magnet hospitals have been researched in the US and have been demonstrated to exhibit lower nurse turnover and higher levels of reported job satisfaction than other hospitals. Key characteristics include a decentralized organizational structure, a commitment to flexible working hours, an emphasis on professional autonomy and development, and systematic communication between management and staff. The paper examines the labour market characteristics of UK nurses and US nurses and finds many similarities. Detailed case studies of employment practice in 10 US hospitals and 10 Scottish hospitals are reported, with specific attention to remuneration practice, methods of organizing nursing care, establishment-setting and flexible hours. The paper concludes that there are features of the magnet hospital concept which are of relevance and applicable to the UK nursing labour market, but that piecemeal importation of ideas is unlikely to be beneficial.

Towards Flexibility in Academic Labour Markets?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nieuwenhuysen, John

1985-01-01

It is argued that Australia's relatively uniform and consistent academic salary structure and personnel policies should be more flexible and competitive in order to alleviate current problems of academic labor market stagnation, uneven faculty distribution, and other results of financial stringency. (MSE)

Issues in the Articulation of "Impact": The Responses of UK Academics to "Impact" as a New Measure of Research Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watermeyer, Richard

2014-01-01

This paper reflects on the emergence of an impact agenda and its incorporation as a feature of the academic contract in UK universities. It focuses on the depositions of senior academic managers across a range of social science research centres, as they critically reflect upon their organizational strategy for capturing and communicating the…

Titrated oral misoprostol solution for induction of labour: a multi-centre, randomised trial.

PubMed

Hofmeyr, G J; Alfirevic, Z; Matonhodze, B; Brocklehurst, P; Campbell, E; Nikodem, V C

2001-09-01

To determine the effects of titrated oral misoprostol solution, compared with vaginal dinoprostone. Open, randomised clinical trial. Academic hospitals in South Africa and Liverpool, UK. Women undergoing induction of labour after 34 weeks of pregnancy were allocated by randomised, sealed opaque envelopes, to induction of labour with titrated oral misoprostol solution, or two doses of vaginal dinoprostone (2mg) administered six hours apart. Failure to deliver within 24 hours of randomisation was the primary outcome on which the sample size was based. The data were analysed by intention-to-treat. Six hundred and ninety-five women were randomly allocated: 346 to oral misoprostol and 349 to vaginal dinoprostone. There were no significant differences in substantive outcomes. Vaginal delivery within 24 hours was not achieved in 38% of women in the oral misoprostol group and 36% in the vaginal dinoprostone group (RR 1.08; 95% CI 0.89-1.31). The caesarean section rates were 16% and 20%, respectively (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.58-1.11). Hyperstimulation with fetal heart rate changes occurred in 4% of women in the oral misoprostol group and 3% after vaginal dinoprostone (RR 1.32, 95% CI 0.59-2.98). The response to induction of labour in women with unfavourable cervices was somewhat slower with misoprostol when membranes were intact, and with dinoprostone when membranes were ruptured. There were no differences in neonatal outcome between the two groups. This new approach to oral misoprostol administration was successful in minimising the risk of uterine hyperstimulation, which has been a feature of misoprostol use for induction of labour, at the expense of a somewhat slower response in women with intact membranes and unfavourable cervices. Misoprostol is not registered for use in pregnant women, and further research is needed to confirm optimal and safe dosages.

Academic Career Making and the Double-Edged Role of Academic Housework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heijstra, Thamar Melanie; Steinthorsdóttir, Finnborg Salome; Einarsdóttir, Thorgerdur

2017-01-01

Internationalisation, competition and performance orientation are nowadays essential in the managing and financing of universities. This pattern has intensified with the austerity measures and fiscal consolidation that followed the financial crisis in 2008. This article examines the academic labour process and career making of academics from a…

Higher Education Teachers and Emotional Labour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Constanti, Panikkos; Gibbs, Paul

2004-01-01

Service organizations are encouraged to consider the manner in which employees perform at the customer/front-line employee interface, as a means to gain competitive advantage. The employee's behaviour requires "emotional labour" where the front-line employee (academic), has to either conceal or manage actual feelings for the benefit of a…

Experiences of early labour management from perspectives of women, labour companions and health professionals: A systematic review of qualitative evidence.

PubMed

Beake Rm Ma Research Associate, Sarah; Chang Ba MPhil PhD Lecturer, Yan-Shing; Cheyne Rm Rgn MSc PhD Professor Of Midwifery, Helen; Spiby MPhil Rn Rm Professor Of Midwifery, Helen; Sandall Rm MSc PhD Professor Of Social Science And Women's Health, Jane; Bick, Debra

2018-02-01

to examine evidence of women's, labour companions' and health professionals' experiences of management of early labour to consider how this could be enhanced to better reflect women's needs. a systematic review of qualitative evidence. women in early labour with term, low risk singleton pregnancies, not booked for a planned caesarean birth or post-dates induction of labour, their labour companions, and health professionals responsible for early labour care (e.g. midwives, nurse-midwives, obstetricians, family doctors). Studies from high and middle income country settings were considered. 21 publications were included from the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, USA, Italy and New Zealand. Key findings included the impact of communication with health professionals (most usually midwives) on women's decision making; women wanting to be listened to by sympathetic midwives who could reassure that symptoms and signs of early labour were 'normal' and offer clear advice on what to do. Antenatal preparation which included realistic information on what to expect when labour commenced was important and appreciated by women and labour companions. Views of the optimal place for women to remain and allow early labour to progress differed and the perceived benefit of support and help offered by labour companions varied. Some were supportive and helped women to relax, while others were anxious and encouraged women to seek early admission to the planned place of birth. Web-based sources of information are increasingly used by women, with mixed views of the value of information accessed. women, labour companions and health professionals find early labour difficult to manage well, with women unsure of how decisions about admission to their planned place of birth are taken. It is unclear why women are effectively left to manage this aspect of their labour with minimal guidance or support. Tailoring management to meet individual needs, with provision of effective communication could reassure

The Value of Basic Skills in the British Labour Market. CEE DP 77

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcenaro-Gutierrez, Oscar; Vignoles, Anna; De Coulon, Augustin

2007-01-01

In this paper we evaluate the labour market value of basic skills in the UK, focusing on the wage and employment returns to having better literacy and numeracy skills. We draw on literacy and numeracy assessments undertaken by all cohort members of the UK 1970 British Cohort Study. The data used are very rich and allow us to account for potential…

Problematising the "Career Academic" in UK Construction and Engineering Education: Does the System Want What the System Gets?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pilcher, Nick; Forster, Alan; Tennant, Stuart; Murray, Mike; Craig, Nigel

2017-01-01

"Career Academics" are principally research-led, entering academia with limited or no industrial or practical experience. UK Higher Education Institutions welcome them for their potential to attain research grant funding and publish world-leading journal papers, ultimately enhancing institutional reputation. This polemical paper…

Under Pressure: An Exploration of the Module Design Experiences of Academic Staff Employed in One UK University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Binns, Carole

2017-01-01

This paper discusses some of the qualitative data obtained from a small number (23) of semi-structured interviews of academic staff who are involved in module design, and who are employed within one UK university. Analysing the interview transcripts produced eight main themes. One of these themes was the perceived pressures or constraints on…

New Labour, Communitarianism and Citizenship Education in England and Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Andrew; Burton, Diana

2011-01-01

This article posits a connection between the influence of communitarianism on New Labour's ideology and the content of citizenship education in England and Wales. We first describe and problematize communitarianism, drawing on both UK and US thinkers, and then relate our findings to literature on citizenship education. We conclude by suggesting…

Spirituality and Health Education: A National Survey of Academic Leaders UK.

PubMed

Culatto, A; Summerton, C B

2015-12-01

Whole person care is deemed important within UK medical practice and is therefore fundamental in education. However, spirituality is an aspect of this often neglected. Confusion and discomfort exists regarding how care relating to issues of spirituality and health (S&H) should be delivered. Different interpretations have even led to disciplinary action with professionals seeking to address these needs [ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/4409168/Nurse-suspended-for-offering-to-prayfor-patients-recovery.html ]. Previous research shows 45% of patients want spiritual needs to be addressed within their care (Jackson and Summerton 2008). Two-thirds of healthcare professionals want to do this. However, lack of knowledge is a significant barrier (Moynihan 2008). Little is known regarding how Medical schools address S&H, only one limited study exists in the literature (Koenig et al. in Int J Psychiat Med 40: 391-8, 2010). Thirty-two UK educational institutions were surveyed. The chosen survey was compiled by Koenig and Meador (Spirituality and Health in Education and Researc. Duke University, Durham, 2008). Fifty-nine academics were contacted across UK medical schools, and the response rate was 57.6%. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 16.0. 5.6% institutions provide required and dedicated S&H teaching, 63.4% provided it as an integrated component. Nearly 40% felt staff were not adequately trained to teach S&H but welcomed opportunities for training. S&H is given value in undergraduate education but with little evidence of formal teaching. Institutions feel that this area is addressed within other topic delivery, although previous studies have shown integrating S&H with PBL leads to poor clinical performance (Musick et al. in Acad Psychiatry 27(2):67-73, 2003). Seminars or lectures are students' preferred methods of learning (Guck and Kavan in Med Teach 28(8):702-707, 2006). Further consideration should be given towards S&H delivery and training for

"New Labour, Old School Tie": What Is Education For?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yandell, John

2010-01-01

The Labour Party has been in power for the past 13 years in the UK. What is its legacy in education? What have been the salient aspects of its policy interventions, and what impact have these policies had on the practice of English teachers? With its assumption of a straightforward correlation between education and economic development, New…

The Relationship between Higher Education and Labour Market in Greece: The Weakest Link?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livanos, Ilias

2010-01-01

The high level of graduate unemployment, even though it is acknowledged as one of the most distinctive characteristics of the Greek labour market, it has not attracted enough attention in the academic literature. This paper utilizes micro-data from the Labour Force Survey in order to investigate how the employment situation of young (aged 35 and…

The Academic Backbone: longitudinal continuities in educational achievement from secondary school and medical school to MRCP(UK) and the specialist register in UK medical students and doctors

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Selection of medical students in the UK is still largely based on prior academic achievement, although doubts have been expressed as to whether performance in earlier life is predictive of outcomes later in medical school or post-graduate education. This study analyses data from five longitudinal studies of UK medical students and doctors from the early 1970s until the early 2000s. Two of the studies used the AH5, a group test of general intelligence (that is, intellectual aptitude). Sex and ethnic differences were also analyzed in light of the changing demographics of medical students over the past decades. Methods Data from five cohort studies were available: the Westminster Study (began clinical studies from 1975 to 1982), the 1980, 1985, and 1990 cohort studies (entered medical school in 1981, 1986, and 1991), and the University College London Medical School (UCLMS) Cohort Study (entered clinical studies in 2005 and 2006). Different studies had different outcome measures, but most had performance on basic medical sciences and clinical examinations at medical school, performance in Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (MRCP(UK)) examinations, and being on the General Medical Council Specialist Register. Results Correlation matrices and path analyses are presented. There were robust correlations across different years at medical school, and medical school performance also predicted MRCP(UK) performance and being on the GMC Specialist Register. A-levels correlated somewhat less with undergraduate and post-graduate performance, but there was restriction of range in entrants. General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)/O-level results also predicted undergraduate and post-graduate outcomes, but less so than did A-level results, but there may be incremental validity for clinical and post-graduate performance. The AH5 had some significant correlations with outcome, but they were inconsistent. Sex and ethnicity also had predictive effects on

How Global Is the UK Academic Labour Market?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smetherham, Claire; Fenton, Steve; Modood, Tariq

2010-01-01

One of the themes of the recent sociology of higher education has been the globalisation of knowledge and the professional transfer of scientists and researchers. In this paper we show how these transfers of people and knowledge are disproportionately characteristic of: (a) some institutions; and (b) some cost centres. We argue that universities…

Development of a multidimensional labour satisfaction questionnaire: dimensions, validity, and internal reliability

PubMed Central

Smith, L

2001-01-01

Background—No published quantitative instrument exists to measure maternal satisfaction with the quality of different models of labour care in the UK. Methods—A quantitative psychometric multidimensional maternal satisfaction questionnaire, the Women's Views of Birth Labour Satisfaction Questionnaire (WOMBLSQ), was developed using principal components analysis with varimax rotation of successive versions. Internal reliability and content and construct validity were assessed. Results—Of 300 women sent the first version (WOMBLSQ1), 120 (40%) replied; of 300 sent WOMBLSQ2, 188 (62.7%) replied; of 500 women sent WOMBLSQ3, 319 (63.8%) replied; and of 2400 women sent WOMBLSQ4, 1683 (70.1%) replied. The latter two versions consisted of 10 dimensions in addition to general satisfaction. These were (Cronbach's alpha): professional support in labour (0.91), expectations of labour (0.90), home assessment in early labour (0.90), holding the baby (0.87), support from husband/partner (0.83), pain relief in labour (0.83), pain relief immediately after labour (0.65), knowing labour carers (0.82), labour environment (0.80), and control in labour (0.62). There were moderate correlations (range 0.16–0.73) between individual dimensions and the general satisfaction scale (0.75). Scores on individual dimensions were significantly related to a range of clinical and demographic variables. Conclusion—This multidimensional labour satisfaction instrument has good validity and internal reliability. It could be used to assess care in labour across different models of maternity care, or as a prelude to in depth exploration of specific areas of concern. Its external reliability and transferability to care outside the South West region needs further evaluation, particularly in terms of ethnicity and social class. Key Words: Women's Views of Birth Labour Satisfaction Questionnaire (WOMBLSQ); labour; questionnaire PMID:11239139

Graduate Employment and Training in SMEs in Northern Ireland: An Overview Using the 2000 Labour Force Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Richard; Reid, Renee S.

2005-01-01

Using the UK Labour Force Survey, this paper considers whether graduate employment is more important in the small and medium-size enterprise (SME) sector in Northern Ireland than in other regions of the UK. The authors disaggregate their analysis by gender, occupation and industry to provide a detailed breakdown. The issue of whether graduates are…

Will Increasing Academic Recognition of Workplace Learning in the UK Reinforce Existing Gender Divisions in the Labour Market?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Anita

2006-01-01

In the United Kingdom there has been a considerable increase in the academic recognition of workplace learning, and a number of new awards drawing on workplace learning have been introduced. These include apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships, both of which contain National Vocational Qualifications, and the Foundation Degree. In addition,…

The Reluctant Academic: Early-Career Academics in a Teaching-Orientated University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gale, Helen

2011-01-01

This paper is based on research into academic identities amongst early-career academics in a UK post-1992, teaching-orientated university. Literature around academic identity suggests five major academic roles: teaching, research, management, writing and networking. However, this appears to be a picture of an established mid-career academic in a…

Occupation and work-related ill-health in UK construction workers.

PubMed

Stocks, S J; Turner, S; McNamee, R; Carder, M; Hussey, L; Agius, R M

2011-09-01

Construction workers are at increased risk of work-related ill-health (WRI) worldwide. To compare the incidence of medically reported WRI in occupations within the UK construction industry according to job title. We calculated standardized incidence rate ratios (SRRs) using WRI cases for individual job titles returned to The Health and Occupation Reporting network by clinical specialists and UK population denominators. We counted frequencies of reported causal exposures or tasks reported by clinical specialists, occupational physicians and general practitioners. We found significantly increased incidence of WRI compared with other workers in the same major Standard Occupational Classification, i.e. workers with similar levels of qualifications, training, skills and experience, for skin neoplasia in roofers (SRR 6.3; 95% CI: 3.1-13.1), painters and decorators (2.1; 95% CI: 1.2-3.6) and labourers in building and woodworking trades (labourers, 6.6; 95% CI: 3.2-13.2); contact dermatitis in metal workers (1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.7) and labourers (1.6; 95% CI: 1.1-2.3); asthma in welders (3.8; 95% CI: 2.8-5.0); musculoskeletal disorders in welders (1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-2.8), road construction operatives (6.1; 95% CI: 3.8-9.6) and labourers (2.5; 95% CI: 1.7-3.7); long latency respiratory disease (mesothelioma, pneumoconiosis, lung cancer, non-malignant pleural disease) in pipe fitters (4.5; 95% CI: 3.2-6.2), electrical workers (2.7; 95% CI: 2.4-3.2), plumbing and heating engineers (2.3; 95% CI: 1.9-2.7), carpenters and joiners (2.7; 95% CI: 2.3-3.1), scaffolders (12; 95% CI: 8-18) and labourers (3.3; 95% CI: 2.6-4.1). UK construction industry workers have significantly increased risk of WRI. These data in individual construction occupations can be used to inform appropriate targeting of occupational health resources.

Being "Fun" at Work: Emotional Labour, Class, Gender and Childcare

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Carol; Braun, Annette

2013-01-01

This paper reports on data drawn from an "Economic and Social Research Council"-funded project investigating the experiences of UK-based students training on level-2 and level-3 childcare courses. We focus on the concept of emotional labour in relation to learning to care for and educate young children and the ways in which the students'…

Subject Choice and Earnings of UK Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chevalier, Arnaud

2011-01-01

Using a survey of a cohort of UK graduates, linked to administrative data on higher education participation, this paper investigates the labour market attainment of recent graduates by subject of study. We document a large heterogeneity in the mean wages of graduates from different subjects and a considerably larger one within subject with…

Advanced Carbon Materials Center Established At UK

Science.gov Websites

UK Home Academics Athletics Medical Center Research Site Index Search UK University Master ] [research at UK] Advanced Carbon Materials Center Established At UK The tiny but mighty nanotube will continue to be the subject of several research projects at the University of Kentucky, thanks in part to a

Demographic characteristics of doctors who intend to follow clinical academic careers: UK national questionnaire surveys

PubMed Central

Smith, Fay; Lambert, Trevor W; Goldacre, Michael J

2014-01-01

Objectives It is well recognised that women are underrepresented in clinical academic posts. Our aim was to determine which of a number of characteristics—notably gender, but also ethnicity, possession of an intercalated degree, medical school attended, choice of specialty—were predictive of doctors’ intentions to follow clinical academic careers. Design Questionnaires to all UK-trained medical graduates of 2005 sent in 2006 and again in 2010, graduates of 2009 in 2010 and graduates of 2012 in 2013. Results At the end of their first year of medical work, 13.5% (368/2732) of men and 7.3% (358/4891) of women specified that they intended to apply for a clinical academic training post; and 6.0% (172/2873) of men and 2.2% (111/5044) of women specified that they intended to pursue clinical academic medicine as their eventual career. A higher percentage of Asian (4.8%) than White doctors (3.3%) wanted a long-term career as a clinical academic, as did a higher percentage of doctors who did an intercalated degree (5.6%) than others (2.2%) and a higher percentage of Oxbridge graduates (8.1%) than others (2.8%). Of the graduates of 2005, only 30% of those who in 2006 intended a clinical medicine career also did so when re-surveyed in 2010 (men 44%, women 12%). Conclusions There are noteworthy differences by gender and other demographic factors in doctors’ intentions to pursue academic training and careers. The gap between men and women in aspirations for a clinical academic career is present as early as the first year after qualification. PMID:25136138

Cost viability of 3D printed house in UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobi, A. L. Mohd; Omar, S. A.; Yehia, Z.; Al-Ojaili, S.; Hashim, A.; Orhan, O.

2018-03-01

UK has been facing housing crisis due to the rising price of the property on sale. This paper will look into the viability of 3D printing technology as an alternative way for house construction on UK. The analysis will be carried out based on the data until the year of 2014 due to limited resources availability. Details cost breakdown on average size house construction cost in UK were analysed and relate to the cost viability of 3D printing technology in reducing the house price in UK. It is found that the 3D printing generates saving of up to around 35% out of total house price in UK. This cost saving comes from the 3D printed construction of walls and foundations for material and labour cost.

Demographic characteristics of doctors who intend to follow clinical academic careers: UK national questionnaire surveys.

PubMed

Smith, Fay; Lambert, Trevor W; Goldacre, Michael J

2014-10-01

It is well recognised that women are underrepresented in clinical academic posts. Our aim was to determine which of a number of characteristics-notably gender, but also ethnicity, possession of an intercalated degree, medical school attended, choice of specialty-were predictive of doctors' intentions to follow clinical academic careers. Questionnaires to all UK-trained medical graduates of 2005 sent in 2006 and again in 2010, graduates of 2009 in 2010 and graduates of 2012 in 2013. At the end of their first year of medical work, 13.5% (368/2732) of men and 7.3% (358/4891) of women specified that they intended to apply for a clinical academic training post; and 6.0% (172/2873) of men and 2.2% (111/5044) of women specified that they intended to pursue clinical academic medicine as their eventual career. A higher percentage of Asian (4.8%) than White doctors (3.3%) wanted a long-term career as a clinical academic, as did a higher percentage of doctors who did an intercalated degree (5.6%) than others (2.2%) and a higher percentage of Oxbridge graduates (8.1%) than others (2.8%). Of the graduates of 2005, only 30% of those who in 2006 intended a clinical medicine career also did so when re-surveyed in 2010 (men 44%, women 12%). There are noteworthy differences by gender and other demographic factors in doctors' intentions to pursue academic training and careers. The gap between men and women in aspirations for a clinical academic career is present as early as the first year after qualification. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Hard Labour and Punitive Welfare: The Unemployed Body at Work in Participatory Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartley, Sarah

2017-01-01

This article addresses the performance of labour in participatory arts projects and considers the implications of such activity on perceptions of the unemployed in the UK. Utilising a combination of biopolitical and necropolitical understandings of governance and drawing on two examples of theatre practice, Tangled Feet's "One Million"…

Cats, Comics, and Knausgård: Promoting Student Reading at a U.K. Academic Library with a Leisure Reading Collection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurst, Susan; Marsh, Dominic; Brown, Dean; Forbes, Shona

2017-01-01

This case study describes the creation of a leisure reading collection in the Clifford Whitworth library at the University of Salford. It briefly surveys existing literature on leisure reading collections and looks at the growing interest among U.K. academic libraries in recreational reading. It considers the reasons for promoting reading as a…

Establishing the Role and Impact of Academic Librarians in Supporting Open Research: A Case Study at Leeds Beckett University, UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bower, Kirsty; Sheppard, Nick; Bayjoo, Jennifer; Pease, Adele

2017-01-01

This practical article presents findings of a small scale study undertaken at a large U.K. University. The purpose of the study was to encourage academic engagement with Open Access (OA) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) mandate with the measurable impact being increased engagement with the Repository and dissemination…

Recruitment and Employment Regimes: Migrant Labour Channels in the UK's Rural Agribusiness Sector, from Accession to Recession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findlay, Allan; McCollum, David

2013-01-01

Migrant labour has been particularly significant in the British rural agribusiness sector, where employers often struggle to source labour regardless of economic conditions. While most research on East-Central European migration has focused on the experiences of members of the migrant community, this paper is one of a small number of studies that…

Climbing down the steps from the ivory tower: how UK academics and criminal justice practitioners need to work together on alcohol studies.

PubMed

Newbury-Birch, Dorothy; McGeechan, Grant J; Holloway, Aisha

2016-09-12

Purpose Evidence in the UK tells us that risky drinking is high amongst those in contact with the criminal justice system. The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons why carrying out research around risky drinking in this setting is so difficult. Design/methodology/approach A commentary on the issues of carrying out research in the criminal justice setting. Findings There are issues of carrying out research in the criminal justice setting. The authors argue, that as academics we can be more proactive in working with practitioners in the design and carrying out of studies. By examining what the primary outcome of interest is to those that work in the field rather than what funding agencies tell us academics must use, academics may engage in a more co-productive way that enables everyone to achieve what they need. Moreover more work is needed to show how this approach can be achieved both in the UK and internationally. Originality/value This editorial explores some of the difficulties of carrying out alcohol research in the criminal justice system and postulates ways that this could be made easier.

Evaluating Labour's market reforms, 2002-10.

PubMed

Mays, Nicholas; Tan, Stefanie

2012-01-01

Starting in 2002, the UK Labour government of 1997-2010 introduced a series of changes to the National Health Service (NHS) in England designed to increase individual NHS patient choice of place of elective hospital care and competition among public and private providers of elective hospital services for NHS-funded patients. In 2006, the Department of Health initiated the Health Reform Evaluation Programme (HREP) to assess the impact of the changes. The changes broadly had the effects that proponents had predicted but the effects were mostly modest. Most of the undesirable impacts feared by critics appeared not to have materialized to any discernible extent, at least by early in 2010. Labour's market appeared to have generated stronger incentives for quality and efficiency than its 1990 s predecessor with no obvious detriment to equity of access. However, this high level conclusion conceals a far more nuanced and complex picture of both the process of implementation and the impact of the changes, as the papers in this supplement drawn from the HREP show.

High-skilled labour mobility in Europe before and after the 2004 enlargement

PubMed Central

Puliga, Michelangelo

2017-01-01

The extent to which international high-skilled mobility channels are forming is a question of great importance in an increasingly global knowledge-based economy. One factor facilitating the growth of high-skilled labour markets is the standardization of certifiable degrees meriting international recognition. Within this context, we analysed an extensive high-skilled mobility database comprising roughly 382 000 individuals from five broad profession groups (Medical, Education, Technical, Science & Engineering and Business & Legal) over the period 1997–2014, using the 13-country expansion of the European Union (EU) to provide insight into labour market integration. We compare the periods before and after the 2004 enlargement, showing the emergence of a new east–west migration channel between the 13 mostly eastern EU entrants (E) and the rest of the western European countries (W). Indeed, we observe a net directional loss of human capital from E → W, representing 29% of the total mobility after 2004. Nevertheless, the counter-migration from W → E is 7% of the total mobility over the same period, signalling the emergence of brain circulation within the EU. Our analysis of the country–country mobility networks and the country–profession bipartite networks provides timely quantitative evidence for the convergent integration of the EU, and highlights the central role of the UK and Germany as high-skilled labour hubs. We conclude with two data-driven models to explore the structural dynamics of the mobility networks. First, we develop a reconfiguration model to explore the potential ramifications of Brexit and the degree to which redirection of high-skilled labourers away from the UK may impact the integration of the rest of the European mobility network. Second, we use a panel regression model to explain empirical high-skilled mobility rates in terms of various economic ‘push–pull’ factors, the results of which show that government expenditure on

High-skilled labour mobility in Europe before and after the 2004 enlargement.

PubMed

Petersen, Alexander M; Puliga, Michelangelo

2017-03-01

The extent to which international high-skilled mobility channels are forming is a question of great importance in an increasingly global knowledge-based economy. One factor facilitating the growth of high-skilled labour markets is the standardization of certifiable degrees meriting international recognition. Within this context, we analysed an extensive high-skilled mobility database comprising roughly 382 000 individuals from five broad profession groups (Medical, Education, Technical, Science & Engineering and Business & Legal) over the period 1997-2014, using the 13-country expansion of the European Union (EU) to provide insight into labour market integration. We compare the periods before and after the 2004 enlargement, showing the emergence of a new east-west migration channel between the 13 mostly eastern EU entrants (E) and the rest of the western European countries (W). Indeed, we observe a net directional loss of human capital from E → W, representing 29% of the total mobility after 2004. Nevertheless, the counter-migration from W → E is 7% of the total mobility over the same period, signalling the emergence of brain circulation within the EU. Our analysis of the country-country mobility networks and the country-profession bipartite networks provides timely quantitative evidence for the convergent integration of the EU, and highlights the central role of the UK and Germany as high-skilled labour hubs. We conclude with two data-driven models to explore the structural dynamics of the mobility networks. First, we develop a reconfiguration model to explore the potential ramifications of Brexit and the degree to which redirection of high-skilled labourers away from the UK may impact the integration of the rest of the European mobility network. Second, we use a panel regression model to explain empirical high-skilled mobility rates in terms of various economic 'push-pull' factors, the results of which show that government expenditure on education, per capita

Reduction in resource use with the misoprostol vaginal insert vs the dinoprostone vaginal insert for labour induction: a model-based analysis from a United Kingdom healthcare perspective.

PubMed

Draycott, T; van der Nelson, H; Montouchet, C; Ruff, L; Andersson, F

2016-02-10

In view of the increasing pressure on the UK's maternity units, new methods of labour induction are required to alleviate the burden on the National Health Service, while maintaining the quality of care for women during delivery. A model was developed to evaluate the resource use associated with misoprostol vaginal inserts (MVIs) and dinoprostone vaginal inserts (DVIs) for the induction of labour at term. The one-year Markov model estimated clinical outcomes in a hypothetical cohort of 1397 pregnant women (parous and nulliparous) induced with either MVI or DVI at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK. Efficacy and safety data were based on published and unpublished results from a phase III, double-blind, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Resource use was modelled using data from labour induction during antenatal admission to patient discharge from Southmead Hospital. The model's sensitivity to key parameters was explored in deterministic multi-way and scenario-based analyses. Over one year, the model results indicated MVI use could lead to a reduction of 10,201 h (28.9%) in the time to vaginal delivery, and an increase of 121% and 52% in the proportion of women achieving vaginal delivery at 12 and 24 h, respectively, compared with DVI use. Inducing women with the MVI could lead to a 25.2% reduction in the number of midwife shifts spent managing labour induction and 451 fewer hospital bed days. These resource utilisation reductions may equate to a potential 27.4% increase in birthing capacity at Southmead Hospital, when using the MVI instead of the DVI. Resource use, in addition to clinical considerations, should be considered when making decisions about labour induction methods. Our model analysis suggests the MVI is an effective method for labour induction, and could lead to a considerable reduction in resource use compared with the DVI, thereby alleviating the increasing burden of labour induction in UK hospitals.

Labour-Market Orientation and Approaches to Studying--A Study of the First "Bologna Students" at a Swedish Regional University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Anders; Sandberg, Mikael

2017-01-01

This study investigated labour-market orientations of students at a Swedish University with a dual/diverse focus on vocational/academic objectives. The aim was to investigate whether and how levels of students' labour-market orientation vary with social background, change during the study period, and are related to approaches to studying and…

Predictors of professional behaviour and academic outcomes in a UK medical school: A longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Adam, Jane; Bore, Miles; Childs, Roy; Dunn, Jason; Mckendree, Jean; Munro, Don; Powis, David

2015-01-01

Over the past 70 years, there has been a recurring debate in the literature and in the popular press about how best to select medical students. This implies that we are still not getting it right: either some students are unsuited to medicine or the graduating doctors are considered unsatisfactory, or both. To determine whether particular variables at the point of selection might distinguish those more likely to become satisfactory professional doctors, by following a complete intake cohort of students throughout medical school and analysing all the data used for the students' selection, their performance on a range of other potential selection tests, academic and clinical assessments throughout their studies, and records of professional behaviour covering the entire five years of the course. A longitudinal database captured the following anonymised information for every student (n = 146) admitted in 2007 to the Hull York Medical School (HYMS) in the UK: demographic data (age, sex, citizenship); performance in each component of the selection procedure; performance in some other possible selection instruments (cognitive and non-cognitive psychometric tests); professional behaviour in tutorials and in other clinical settings; academic performance, clinical and communication skills at summative assessments throughout; professional behaviour lapses monitored routinely as part of the fitness-to-practise procedures. Correlations were sought between predictor variables and criterion variables chosen to demonstrate the full range of course outcomes from failure to complete the course to graduation with honours, and to reveal clinical and professional strengths and weaknesses. Student demography was found to be an important predictor of outcomes, with females, younger students and British citizens performing better overall. The selection variable "HYMS academic score", based on prior academic performance, was a significant predictor of components of Year 4 written and

Obstructed labour.

PubMed

Neilson, J P; Lavender, T; Quenby, S; Wray, S

2003-01-01

Obstructed labour is an important cause of maternal deaths in communities in which undernutrition in childhood is common resulting in small pelves in women, and in which there is no easy access to functioning health facilities with the capability of carrying out operative deliveries. Obstructed labour also causes significant maternal morbidity in the short term (notably infection) and long term (notably obstetric fistulas). Fetal death from asphyxia is also common. There are differences in the behaviour of the uterus during obstructed labour, depending on whether the woman has delivered previously. The pattern in primigravid women (typically diminishing contractility with risk of infection and fistula) may result from tissue acidosis, whereas in parous women, contractility may be maintained with the risk of uterine rupture. Ultimately, tackling the problem of obstructed labour will require universal adequate nutritional intake from childhood and the ability to access adequately equipped and staffed clinical facilities when problems arise in labour. These seem still rather distant aspirations. In the meantime, strategies should be implemented to encourage early recognition of prolonged labour and appropriate clinical responses. The sequelae of obstructed labour can be an enormous source of human misery and the prevention of obstetric fistulas, and skilled treatment if they do occur, are important priorities in regions where obstructed labour is still common.

The Transformation of Academic Ideals: An Australian Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannizzo, Fabian

2016-01-01

This article explores the role that universities play in shaping the relationship between academics and their work. Drawing on Miller and Rose's interpretation of our present era as being characterised by "Advanced Liberal" governance, this article demonstrates how discourses seeking to govern academic labour enrol ideals about the…

News UK public libraries offer walk-in access to research Atoms for Peace? The Atomic Weapons Establishment and UK universities Students present their research to academics: CERN@school Science in a suitcase: Marvin and Milo visit Ethiopia Inspiring telescopes A day for everyone teaching physics 2014 Forthcoming Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-05-01

UK public libraries offer walk-in access to research Atoms for Peace? The Atomic Weapons Establishment and UK universities Students present their research to academics: CERN@school Science in a suitcase: Marvin and Milo visit Ethiopia Inspiring telescopes A day for everyone teaching physics 2014 Forthcoming Events

Prevalence of eating disorders in males: a review of rates reported in academic research and UK mass media.

PubMed

Sweeting, Helen; Walker, Laura; MacLean, Alice; Patterson, Chris; Räisänen, Ulla; Hunt, Kate

Media presentations of health issues affect evaluations of personal susceptibility to particular illnesses and hence help-seeking behaviours. We examined data on prevalence of eating disorders (EDs - which are often characterised as 'female') among males in: scientific literature; readily-accessible web-based information; and UK newspaper articles (published 7/12/2002-7/12/2012). This revealed conflicting statistics. Academic papers suggest men comprise around 25% of community-based samples, but much lower proportions (10% or less) of clinic samples. Websites and newspapers present widely differing statistics both on prevalence overall (numbers with EDs in the UK ranged from 60,000 to 2.7 million), and in men (generally suggesting they constituted 10-25% of those with EDs), rarely distinguishing between diagnosed and non-diagnosed samples. By 2011, newspapers were more consistent on overall numbers with EDs in the UK (1.6 million) and the proportion who were men (20%), drawing on one website as the authoritative source. Conflicting statistics may confuse men searching for ED (or other) health-related information, lead to underestimations of male susceptibility to EDs and/or reinforce inappropriate stereotypes of EDs as confined to adolescent girls.

Does a Management Degree Do the Business for Women in the Graduate Labour Market?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilton, Nick

2007-01-01

The increasing dominance of an economic ideology of higher education, that its principal role is to contribute to national competitiveness, has increased focus on the employability of graduates and their transition into the labour market. Drawing on a major study of the early career paths of 1995 graduates from 38 UK higher education institutions,…

Study protocol: quantitative fibronectin to help decision-making in women with symptoms of preterm labour (QUIDS) part 2, UK Prospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Wotherspoon, Lisa M; Boyd, Kathleen Anne; Morris, Rachel K; Jackson, Lesley; Chandiramani, Manju; David, Anna L; Khalil, Asma; Shennan, Andrew; Hodgetts Morton, Victoria; Lavender, Tina; Khan, Khalid; Harper-Clarke, Susan; Mol, Ben; Riley, Richard D; Norrie, John; Norman, Jane

2018-01-01

Introduction The aim of the QUIDS study is to develop a decision support tool for the management of women with symptoms and signs of preterm labour, based on a validated prognostic model using quantitative fetal fibronectin (fFN) concentration, in combination with clinical risk factors. Methods and analysis The study will evaluate the Rapid fFN 10Q System (Hologic, Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA) which quantifies fFN in a vaginal swab. In QUIDS part 2, we will perform a prospective cohort study in at least eight UK consultant-led maternity units, in women with symptoms of preterm labour at 22+0 to 34+6 weeks gestation to externally validate a prognostic model developed in QUIDS part 1. The effects of quantitative fFN on anxiety will be assessed, and acceptability of the test and prognostic model will be evaluated in a subgroup of women and clinicians (n=30). The sample size is 1600 women (with estimated 96–192 events of preterm delivery within 7 days of testing). Clinicians will be informed of the qualitative fFN result (positive/negative) but be blinded to quantitative fFN result. Research midwives will collect outcome data from the maternal and neonatal clinical records. The final validated prognostic model will be presented as a mobile or web-based application. Ethics and dissemination The study is funded by the National Institute of Healthcare Research Health Technology Assessment (HTA 14/32/01). It has been approved by the West of Scotland Research Ethics Committee (16/WS/0068). Version Protocol V.2, Date 1 November 2016. Trial registration number ISRCTN41598423 and CPMS: 31277. PMID:29674373

The Best of Both Worlds? Towards an English for Academic Purposes/Academic Literacies Writing Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wingate, Ursula; Tribble, Christopher

2012-01-01

This article is a review of two dominant approaches to academic writing instruction in higher education, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), which is used internationally, and Academic Literacies, which has become an influential model in the UK. The review was driven by a concern that Academic Literacies has been mainly focused on the situations…

Academic Work: The Changing Labour Process in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smyth, John, Ed.

This collection of papers examines what academics do as a work process and how that is changing dramatically with the fiscal crises being experienced by most governments around the world. It explores how academic work is organized, how it is enacted, in whose interests, and with what ultimate effects. Papers include: "Markets in Higher…

Testing the Concept of Academic Housework in a European Setting: Part of Academic Career-Making or Gendered Barrier to the Top?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heijstra, Thamar M.; Einarsdóttir, Þorgerður; Pétursdóttir, Gyða M.; Steinþórsdóttir, Finnborg S.

2017-01-01

In the labour market women's jobs have frequently been conceptually and literally tied to housework and hence thought of as unskilled and therefore undervalued. Although academic institutions have undergone changes, the fact that women still carry the main responsibility for domestic and caring tasks continues to follow them into the academic work…

Contingent and Marginalised? Academic Development and Part-Time Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Valerie

2007-01-01

Academics employed on non-standard contracts are a numerically significant part of the labour market in higher education. Concerns about access to formal academic development for this staff group have been articulated in many countries in the context of increasing emphasis on teaching quality assessment and employment regulation of…

Elitism and Meritocracy in UK Universities: The UK Needs Investment in Its Labour Force

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simister, John

2011-01-01

This article summarises previous academic research into university education, distinguishing between arguments for and against improving access. Several views are summarised, including structural-functionalism, which claims that powerful social groups maintain their status and income, and human capital theory, which focuses on employee…

Grading and Academic Freedom: An English Academic's Angle on Hill's Contentious Triangle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buglear, John

2011-01-01

Following the dismissal of a Canadian professor over disputed grading practices, Hill produced his triangle model of competing interests of academics, administrators and students. In the UK, academic freedom in relation to grading is increasingly constrained reflecting more assertive institutional management supervising over-burdened academic…

The Impact of Role Conflict, Role Ambiguity and Organizational Climate on the Job Satisfaction of Academic Staff in Research-Intensive Universities in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schulz, John

2013-01-01

This study focuses on academics in research-intensive universities in the UK and explores their perceptions of organizational climate, role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction. The findings suggest that the universities have multiple organizational climates. Three organizational climate types -- the Clan, the Hierarchy and the Adhocracy…

Nitric oxide donors for cervical ripening and induction of labour.

PubMed

Kelly, Anthony J; Munson, Christopher; Minden, Lucy

2011-06-15

Sometimes it is necessary to bring on labour artificially because of safety concerns for the mother or baby. This review is one of a series of reviews of methods of labour induction using a standardised protocol.Induction of labour occurs in approximately 20% of pregnancies in the UK. The ideal agent for induction of labour would induce cervical ripening without causing uterine contractions. Currently most commonly used cervical ripening or induction agents result in uterine activity or contractions, or both. Cervical ripening without uterine contractility could occur safely in an outpatient setting and it may be expected that this would result in greater maternal satisfaction and lower costs. To determine the effects of nitric oxide (NO) donors for third trimester cervical ripening or induction of labour, in comparison with placebo or no treatment or other treatments from a predefined hierarchy. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 December 2010) and the reference lists of trial reports and reviews. Clinical trials comparing NO donors for cervical ripening or labour induction to other methods listed above it on a predefined list of methods of labour induction. The trials include some form of random allocation to either group; and report one or more of the prestated outcomes. NO donors (isosorbide mononitrate, nitroglycerin and sodium nitroprusside) are compared to other methods listed above it on a predefined list of methods of labour induction. This review is part of a series of reviews focusing on methods of induction of labour. Three review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We considered 19 trials; we included 10 (including a total of 1889 women) trials, excluded eight trials and one trial report is awaiting classification. Included studies compared NO donors to placebo, vaginal prostaglandin E2, intracervical PGE2 and vaginal misoprostol. All included studies

More than Just IQ: A Longitudinal Examination of Self-Perceived Abilities as Predictors of Academic Performance in a Large Sample of UK Twins

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas; Harlaar, Nicole; Greven, Corina U.; Plomin, Robert

2010-01-01

This paper examines the longitudinal causal relationship between self-perceived abilities (SPA) and academic achievement (Ach) while controlling for cognitive ability (CA). In all, 5957 UK school children were assessed on SPA, Ach and CA at ages 9 and 12. Results indicated that SPA and Ach at age 9 independently affected both SPA and Ach at age…

Academic Boards: Less Intellectual and More Academic Capital in Higher Education Governance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowlands, Julie

2013-01-01

A historically informed analysis of the academic board or senate in Australian universities, and in the wider higher education environment, particularly the UK, indicates that the role and function of academic boards has fundamentally changed in the past 30 years. Within the context of universities being repositioned to serve global knowledge…

Older workers in the UK: variations in economic activity status by socio-demographic characteristics, household and caring commitments.

PubMed

Dini, Ercilia

2009-01-01

The most significant demographic trend affecting the size and composition of the labour force over the next 25 years will be the decrease in the number of people in the age group 16 to 49 and an increase in the number of people aged between 50 and 64, Increasing the participation of adults of older ages in the paid labour market is a central policy issue. There has been an increase in employment rates of women and men aged 50 to State Pension Age (SPA) in the UK since the early 1990s. However, there are differences in the economic activity status of adults of older ages across UK countries and by demographic and socio-economic characteristics, household circumstances and caring commitments.

The Attainment of Ethnic Minority Students in UK Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, John T. E.

2008-01-01

Recent studies have suggested that academic attainment by ethnic minority graduates at UK institutions of higher education is lower than that by White graduates. This was confirmed using a database of all UK-domiciled graduates from UK higher education institutions in 2004-05. The trend was greater in older students than in younger students, in…

Challenges for Academic Accreditation: The UK Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shearman, Richard; Seddon, Deborah

2010-01-01

Several factors (government policy, demographic trends, employer pressure) are leading to new forms of degree programmes in UK universities. The government is strongly encouraging engagement between universities and employers. Work-based learning is increasingly found in first and second cycle programmes, along with modules designed by employers…

Emotional Labour, Burnout and Job Satisfaction in UK Teachers: The Role of Workplace Social Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinman, Gail; Wray, Siobhan; Strange, Calista

2011-01-01

Although teaching has been described as a profoundly emotional activity, little is known about the emotional demands faced by teachers or how this impacts on their well-being. This study examined relationships between "emotional labour", burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment) and job satisfaction in…

Insulin pump use compared with intravenous insulin during labour and delivery: the INSPIRED observational cohort study.

PubMed

Drever, E; Tomlinson, G; Bai, A D; Feig, D S

2016-09-01

To assess the safety and efficacy of pump therapy (continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion; CSII) during labour and delivery in women with Type 1 diabetes. A retrospective cohort study of 161 consecutive Type 1 diabetic pregnancies delivered during 2000-2010 at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Capillary blood glucose levels during labour and delivery and time in/out of target (target: 4-6 mmol/l) were compared along with neonatal outcomes for three groups: (1) women on pumps who stayed on pumps during labour (pump/pump n = 31), (2) women on pumps who switched to intravenous (IV) insulin infusion during labour (pump/IVn = 25), and (3) women on multiple daily injections who switched to IV insulin infusion during labour (MDIn = 105). There were no significant differences between the mean or median glucose values during labour and delivery across all three groups, and no significant difference in time spent hypoglycaemic. However, women in the pump/pump group had significantly better glycaemic control as defined by mean glucose (5.5 vs. 6.4 mmol/l; P = 0.01), median glucose (5.4 vs. 6.3 mmol/l; P = 0.02), and more time spent in target (60.9% vs. 39.2%; P = 0.06) compared with women in the pump/IV group (after removing one outlier). This study demonstrates that the continuation of CSII therapy during labour and delivery appears safe and efficacious. Moreover, women who choose to continue CSII have better glucose control during delivery than those who switch to IV insulin, suggesting that it should be standard practice to allow women the option of continuing CSII during labour and delivery. © 2016 Diabetes UK.

Antispasmodics for labour.

PubMed

Rohwer, Anke C; Khondowe, Oswell; Young, Taryn

2013-06-05

Prolonged labour can lead to increased maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity due to increased risks of maternal exhaustion, postpartum haemorrhage and sepsis, fetal distress and asphyxia and requires early detection and appropriate clinical response. The risks for complications of prolonged labour are much greater in poor resource settings. Active management of labour versus physiological, expectant management, has shown to decrease the occurrence of prolonged labour. Administering antispasmodics during labour could also lead to faster and more effective dilatation of the cervix. Interventions to shorten labour, such as antispasmodics, can be used as a preventative or a treatment strategy in order to decrease the incidence of prolonged labour. As the evidence to support this is still largely anecdotal around the world, there is a need to systematically review the available evidence to obtain a valid answer. To assess the effects of antispasmodics on labour in term pregnancies. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (28 February 2013), the ProQuest dissertation and thesis database, the dissertation database of the University of Stellenbosch and Google Scholar (28 February 2013) and reference lists of articles. We also contacted pharmaceutical companies and experts in the field. We did not apply language restrictions. Randomised controlled trials comparing antispasmodics with placebo or no medication in women with term pregnancies. Two review authors independently screened abstracts and selected studies for inclusion, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. Data were checked for accuracy. We contacted trial authors when data were missing. Twenty-one trials (n = 3286) were included in the review. Seventeen trials (n = 2617) were included in the meta-analysis. Antispasmodics used included valethamate bromide, hyoscine butyl-bromide, drotaverine hydrochloride, rociverine and camylofin dihydrochloride. Most studies included

Antispasmodics for labour.

PubMed

Rohwer, Anke C; Khondowe, Oswell; Young, Taryn

2012-08-15

Prolonged labour can lead to increased maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity due to increased risks of maternal exhaustion, postpartum haemorrhage and sepsis, fetal distress and asphyxia and requires early detection and appropriate clinical response. The risks for complications of prolonged labour are much greater in poor resource settings. Active management of labour versus physiological, expectant management, has shown to decrease the occurrence of prolonged labour. Administering antispasmodics during labour could also lead to faster and more effective dilatation of the cervix. Interventions to shorten labour, such as antispasmodics, can be used as a preventative or a treatment strategy in order to decrease the incidence of prolonged labour. As the evidence to support this is still largely anecdotal around the world, there is a need to systematically review the available evidence to obtain a valid answer. To assess the effects of antispasmodics on labour in term pregnancies. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (2 September 2011), the ProQuest dissertation and thesis database, the dissertation database of the University of Stellenbosch (2 September 2011), Google Scholar (2 September 2011) and reference lists of articles. We also contacted pharmaceutical companies and experts in the field. We did not apply language restrictions. Randomised controlled trials comparing antispasmodics with placebo or no medication in women with term pregnancies. Two review authors independently screened abstracts and selected studies for inclusion, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. Data were checked for accuracy. We contacted trial authors when data were missing. Nineteen trials (n = 2798) were included in the review. Fifteen trials (n = 2129) were included in the meta-analysis. Antispasmodics used included valethamate bromide, hyoscine butyl-bromide, drotaverine hydrochloride, rociverine and camylofin dihydrochloride. Most studies

The Evolution of Student Services in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Michelle

2012-01-01

There is limited literature that looks at the evolution of student services in the UK and their effectiveness in providing student support. Student support is broadly defined as all services that support students to learn. Academic and non-academic support are essential mechanisms in providing holistic student support. In this article, the author…

Using Academic Literacies and Genre-Based Models for Academic Writing Instruction: A "Literacy" Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wingate, Ursula

2012-01-01

Three writing development initiatives carried out at King's College London UK are discussed in this article to illustrate the need to draw on different theoretical models to create effective methods of teaching academic writing. The sequence of initiatives resembles a journey: the destination is to develop academic writing programmes suitable for…

In the Service of Technocratic Managerialism? History in UK Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donnelly, Mark; Norton, Claire

2017-01-01

This article discusses the conceptualisation, organisation and philosophical orientation of academic history culture in UK higher education. It problematises the extent to which a dominant history culture in UK universities implies and uncritically reproduces normative understandings about the subject; about its epistemological standing,…

The Pain of Labour

PubMed Central

Labor, Simona

2008-01-01

Labour is an emotional experience and involves both physiological and psychological mechanisms. The pain of labour is severe but despite this its memory diminishes with time. Labour pain has two components: visceral pain which occurs during the early first stage and the second stage of childbirth, and somatic pain which occurs during the late first stage and the second stage. The pain of labour in the first stage is mediated by T10 to L1 spinal segments, whereas that in the second stage is carried by T12 to L1, and S2 to S4 spinal segments. Pain relief in labour is complex and often challenging without regional analgesia. Effective management of labour pain plays a relatively minor role in a woman's satisfaction with childbirth. PMID:26526404

The Academic Profession in a Rentier State: The Professoriate in Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazawi, Andre Elias

2005-01-01

This paper describes the academic profession in Saudi Arabia, a state dependent upon oil exports, and explores how different social groups are accommodated within the higher education system. The discussion examines the relationship between political power and academic labour, and seeks to explain how local policies and practices are negotiating…

The Battle over Professorship: Reform of Human Resource Management and Academic Careers in a Comparative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Majcher, Agnieszka

2008-01-01

Changing conditions of academic and scientific labour markets challenge the current conceptual thinking about the mechanisms of academic promotion, selection and recruitment. This paper explores the models of academic promotion and recruitment of professors in a comparative perspective using the examples of Poland and Germany, and addresses the…

Transnational Academic Mobility, Knowledge, and Identity Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Terri

2010-01-01

This article begins with the contemporary context of transnational academic mobility, and sketches a typology of mobile academics according to their self-identification. UK examples are offered as the main case study here. The article will then explore the relations of mobile academics and their embodied and encultured knowledge. It employs a…

Women "Learning to Labour" in the "Male Emporium": Exploring Gendered Work in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker, Sandra; Dillabough, Jo-Anne

2007-01-01

This article reflects an interest in exposing links between women's academic work and the gender codes which organize and shape working life in the university context, both now and in the recent past, as a contribution to the sociology of women's work. Our specific focus is the gendered division of labour in teacher education in universities in…

Learning, Labour and Union Learning Representatives: Promoting Workplace Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, Malcolm

2011-01-01

The initiative by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and affiliated trade unions in the UK to appoint trade union learning representatives (ULRs), to promote learning among their members, is a significant development in adult learning. Understandably, the initiative has attracted the attention of academic researchers, but primarily from the…

A balancing act in an unknown territory: a metasynthesis of first-time mothers' experiences in early labour.

PubMed

Eri, Tine S; Bondas, Terese; Gross, Mechthild M; Janssen, Patricia; Green, Josephine M

2015-03-01

to integrate findings of individual studies in order to broaden the understanding of first-time mothers' experiences of early labour. the methodology was metasynthesis which is based on the interpretive meta-ethnography described by Noblit and Hare (1988). Metasynthesis is research on research which synthesises the findings of previous qualitative studies, and the focus is on interpretation and the creation of new knowledge. all included studies originated from high resource countries (USA 2, UK 4, and Scandinavia 5) and all were carried out in a context of hospital based maternity care. a total of 231 women participated in the studies. 11 articles were included. The main results are presented with the metaphor a balancing act in an unknown territory. The 'unknown territory' has a double meaning: as the personal experience of going into labour for the first time and as encountering the maternity care system. On both levels women have to make significant decisions: whether labour really has started and subsequently when to go to the hospital. A key challenge is to balance the arrival on the labour ward at the 'right' time, not too early and not too late. Arriving at the 'right' time leads to a positive path, while arriving 'too soon' might lead to a cascade of negative experiences. The results are further presented with five central themes: 'Finding out if labour has started is absorbing'; 'Dealing with labour at home'; 'Trying to arrive at the labour ward at the right time'; 'There is always a risk of being sent home'; 'Encountering health professionals arouses strong emotions'. the metasynthesis broadens the understanding of first-time mothers' experiences of early labour, and suggests that women's needs when planning a hospital birth are not being adequately met at this stage in the labour process. Three areas of future research are suggested: how to support and strengthen women during pregnancy in order to cope with early labour; women's experiences of early

Regulated Autonomy or Autonomous Regulation? Collective Bargaining and Academic Workloads in Australian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyons, Michael; Ingersoll, Louise

2010-01-01

The recommendations of the "Bradley Review" of higher education in Australia identified a clear need for examination of the academic labour market and the limited attractiveness of academia as a profession. Reasons for the lack of attractiveness include increased academic workloads, as evidenced by larger class sizes and staff-student…

Labour circulation and the urban labour process.

PubMed

Standing, G

1986-01-01

The author investigates aspects of labor circulation, which he defines as "temporary movement between geographical areas for work or in search of work....[He attempts to determine] what roles have been played by labour circulation in the development of urban-industrial labour forces in the transition to industrial capitalism." Factors considered include the exploitation and oppression of labor migrants; the industrial-urban labor reserve; urban socioeconomic stratification and discrimination by age, sex, or race; the division of labor; and policy options. excerpt

Labour dystocia--risk of recurrence and instrumental delivery in following labour--a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Sandström, A; Cnattingius, S; Wikström, A K; Stephansson, O

2012-12-01

To investigate risk of recurrence of labour dystocia and mode of delivery in second labour after taking first labour and fetal and maternal characteristics into account. A population-based cohort study. The Swedish Medical Birth Register from 1992 to 2006. A total of 239 953 women who gave birth to their first and second singleton infants in cephalic presentation at ≥ 37 weeks of gestation with spontaneous onset of labour. We used logistic regression analysis to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios. Labour dystocia and mode of delivery in second labour. Overall labour dystocia affected only 12% of women with previous dystocia. Regardless of mode of first delivery, rates of dystocia in the second labour were higher in women with than without previous dystocia, but were more pronounced in women with previous caesarean section (34%). Analyses with risk score groups for dystocia (risk factors were long interpregnancy interval, maternal age ≥ 35 years, obesity, short maternal stature, not cohabiting and post-term pregnancy) showed that risk of instrumental delivery in second labour increased with previous dystocia and increasing risk score. Among women with trial of labour after caesarean section with previous dystocia and a risk score of 3 or more, 66% had a vaginal instrumental or caesarean delivery (17 and 49%, respectively). In women with trial of labour after caesarean section without previous dystocia and a risk score of 0, corresponding risk was 32% (14 and 18%, respectively). Previous labour dystocia increases the risk of dystocia in subsequent delivery. Taking first labour and fetal and maternal characteristics into account is important in the risk assessments for dystocia and instrumental delivery in second labour. © 2012 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2012 RCOG.

Doctorate Holders outside the Academy in Finland: Academic Engagement and Industry-Specific Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haapakorpi, Arja

2017-01-01

In Finland, doctoral employment outside the academy has been increasing. Universities can no longer absorb the numbers in the doctoral labour force and research and development (R&D) policy emphasises the need for specialised research capacity in non-academic sectors; the highest academic degree is assumed to add value. However, the transition…

Strong Vocational Education--A Safe Way to the Labour Market? A Case Study of the Czech Republic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straková, Jana

2015-01-01

Background: In its communications, the European Commission stresses the importance of vocational education and endorses apprenticeship training. Educational systems that have dual tracks of academic alongside vocational learning routes have been shown to generate better labour market outcomes for school leavers and smooth the school-to-work…

Neo-Liberalism and Continuing Vocational Training Governance in the UK: An Examination of Three Theoretical Accounts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Souto-Otero, Manuel

2013-01-01

The paper analyses continuing vocational education and training policies in the UK in the period 1979-2010 with a focus on regulation and governance. It reviews Conservative and Labour party policies to ascertain their principal components and explore their evolution through time. More specifically, the paper reviews the paradoxical existence of…

A Review of the Case of a Levy-Grant Scheme (LGS) in the UK Construction Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdel-Wahab, Mohamed; Dainty, Andrew; Ison, Stephen

2010-01-01

A Levy-Grant Scheme (LGS) has existed in the UK construction industry since 1964 to provide financial support for companies undertaking training activities. Despite the support of the LGS for various training activities, notably apprenticeships, the construction industry continues to suffer from both labour shortages and an under-investment in…

A Review of the Participation of Disabled Persons in the Labour Force: The Kenyan Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opini, Bathseba M.

2010-01-01

This paper presents a review of the challenges that disabled people experience in participating in the Kenyan labour market. It draws on existing literature and on a narrative of the experiences of one disabled academic in a Kenyan university to highlight some of the forms of discrimination that disabled people have to cope with in their…

Congruence between National Policy for Science and Humanities Enrolment Ratio and Labour Market Demand in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabi, Goski; Alabi, Joshua; Mohammed, Ibrahim

2013-01-01

The paper undertook a snapshot of the demand for various academic programmes on the labour market and compared this with national policy norms for enrolment in public universities in Ghana. The objective was to ascertain whether national higher education enrolments are responsive to the national policy target of 60:40 (Sciences : Humanities) or…

Doctors currently in jobs with academic content and their future intentions to pursue clinical academic careers: questionnaire surveys.

PubMed

Lambert, Trevor W; Smith, Fay; Goldacre, Michael J

2015-02-01

Our aim was to report on doctors' descriptions of their current post at about 12 years after qualification, in respect of academic content, and to compare this with their long-term intentions. By academic content, we mean posts that are designated as clinical academic posts or clinical service posts that include research and/or teaching commitments. Questionnaire survey. All UK medical graduates of 1996 contacted in 2007, graduates of 1999 in 2012, and graduates of 2000 in 2012. UK. Responses about current posts and future intentions. Postal and email questionnaires. The response rate was 61.9% (6713/10844). Twenty eight per cent were working in posts with academic content (3.3% as clinical academics, 25% in clinical posts with some academic content). Seventeen per cent of women were working in clinical posts with some teaching and research, compared with 29% of men. A higher percentage of men than women intended to be clinical academics as their eventual career choice (3.9% overall, 5.4% of men, 2.7% of women). More doctors wished to move to a job with an academic component than away from one (N = 824 compared with 236). This was true for both men (433 compared with 118) and women (391 compared with 118). Women are under-represented both in holding posts with academic content and in aspirations to do so. It is noteworthy that many more doctors hoped to move into an academic role than to move out of one. Policy should facilitate this wish in order to address current shortfalls in clinical academic medicine.

Overseas trained nurses' perception of UK nurses' caring attitudes: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Alexis, Obrey

2009-08-01

The aim of this study was to explore overseas nurses' perception of their nursing colleagues' caring attitudes in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. A qualitative phenomenological approach using semi-structured interviews was used to obtain data from 12 overseas nurses. The interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim and analysed using van Manen thematic approach. Although many themes emerged following thematic analysis, this study will report the findings of three themes such as empathy, understanding and caring perspectives, emotional impact and lack of teamwork. In conclusion, this study provides an insight and it increases our understanding of overseas nurses' perceptions of their nursing colleagues' caring attitudes in the NHS in the UK. This paper concludes by indicating that teamwork, being empathetic, understanding and reducing emotional labour for overseas nurses could lead to a more satisfied working environment for overseas nurses in the NHS in the UK.

Locality, Mobility and Labour Market Citizenship: Reflections of Finnish Vocational Students in Social Services and Health Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lappalainen, Sirpa

2014-01-01

In the current economic order, the basic duty of citizens is to find placements in the internationalising labour market. Internationalism has been a common educational objective throughout Europe. Previously associated as a feature of middle-class subjectivities and academic education, it is implemented in the agenda of vocational education as…

What Is Required to Develop Career Pathways for Teaching Academics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Dawn; Roberts, Lynne; Ananthram, Subramaniam; Broughton, Michelle

2018-01-01

Despite the rise of teaching academic (teaching only) roles in Australia, the UK, the USA, and Canada, the experiences of teaching academics are not well documented in the literature. This article reports from a university-wide study that responded to the introduction of teaching academic roles during a major restructure of academic staff.…

A Critical Account of Employability Construction through the Eyes of Chinese Postgraduate Students in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Zhen

2013-01-01

This paper presents a multiple ("n"?=?23), longitudinal case study of the construction of personal employability by Chinese students at a UK university. It draws on the work of Brown and Hesketh to frame notions of employability in order to understand how these students engage with the international and Chinese labour markets from their…

Embodied labour in music work.

PubMed

Pettinger, Lynne

2015-06-01

This paper frames the work of performance as embodied labour in order to understand the contingent production of particular music performances. It is an interdisciplinary account that sits at the intersection of the sociology of work, culture and the body. The concept of embodied labour is developed with reference to the complex account of materiality - of bodies and things - present in Tim Ingold's account of skill. This material account of skill is used to inform use to develop already of well established conceptualizations of body labour: craft, emotional and aesthetic labour through a reading of how these dimensions of embodied labour make possible the work of performance. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2015.

[Validation of a scale to assess the labour quality of life in public hospitals from Tlaxcala].

PubMed

Hernández-Vicente, Irma Alejandra; Lumbreras-Guzmán, Marivel; Méndez-Hernández, Pablo; Rojas-Lima, Elodia; Cervantes-Rodríguez, Margarita; Juárez-Flores, Clara Arlina

2017-01-01

To validate a scale for assessing the labour quality of life in public hospitals (LQL-PH) from Tlaxcala, Mexico. The instrument was validated among 669 health workers from six hospitals from the Ministry of Health of Tlaxcala, Mexico. Content validity was by inquiry to experts, construct validity by factor analysis, criterion validity by comparing with other scales, and reliability with Cronbach's Alpha. The factor analysis uncovered four dimensions: "individual welfare", "conditions and labour environment", "organization", and "well-being accomplished by the work"; reliability was 0.921. Workers who perceibed better LQL-PH were: under 50 years old, with temporary contract, with less seniority in job, with work schedule at daytime of weekends, and those with academic degree. LQL-PH showed to be an instrument phsycometrically valid and reliable. It's recommendable to prove this scale in other public and private health institutions, as well as its relationship with key health care indicators of labour performance and management.

Renegotiating inter-professional boundaries in maternity care: implementing a clinical pathway for normal labour

PubMed Central

Hunter, Billie; Segrott, Jeremy

2014-01-01

This article presents findings from a study of a clinical pathway for normal labour (Normal Labour Pathway) implemented in Wales, UK. The study was conducted between 2004 and 2006. The pathway aimed to support normal childbirth and reduce unnecessary childbirth interventions by promoting midwife-led care. This article focuses on how the pathway influenced the inter-professional relationships and boundaries between midwives and doctors. Data are drawn from semi-participant observation, focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 41 midwives, and semi-structured interviews with five midwifery managers and six doctors, working in two research sites. Whereas some studies have shown how clinical pathways may act as ‘boundary objects’, dissolving professional boundaries, promoting interdisciplinary care and de-differentiating professional identities, the ‘normal labour pathway’ was employed by midwives as an object of demarcation, which legitimised a midwifery model of care, clarified professional boundaries and accentuated differences in professional identities and approaches to childbirth. The pathway represented key characteristics of a professional project: achieving occupational autonomy and closure. Stricter delineation of the boundary between midwifery and obstetric work increased the confidence and professional visibility of midwives but left doctors feeling excluded and undervalued, and paradoxically reduced the scope of midwifery practice through redefining what counted as normal. PMID:24640992

Conceptualizing the Transition from Education to Work as Vocational Practice: Lessons from the UK's Creative and Cultural Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guile, David

2009-01-01

The paper argues that: (1) the demise of "occupational" and "internal" and the spread of "external" labour markets in growth areas of UK economy such as the creative and cultural sector, coupled with the massification of higher education which has created a new type of post-degree "vocational need", means…

Hypnosis for induction of labour.

PubMed

Nishi, Daisuke; Shirakawa, Miyako N; Ota, Erika; Hanada, Nobutsugu; Mori, Rintaro

2014-08-14

Induction of labour using pharmacological and mechanical methods can increase complications. Complementary and alternative medicine methods including hypnosis may have the potential to provide a safe alternative option for the induction of labour. However, the effectiveness of hypnosis for inducing labour has not yet been fully evaluated. To assess the effect of hypnosis for induction of labour compared with no intervention or any other interventions. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 January 2014), handsearched relevant conference proceedings, contacted key personnel and organisations in the field for published and unpublished references. All published and unpublished randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-RCTs of acceptable quality comparing hypnosis with no intervention or any other interventions, in which the primary outcome is to assess whether labour was induced. Two review authors assessed the one trial report that was identified (but was subsequently excluded). No RCTs or cluster-RCTs were identified from the search strategy. There was no evidence available from RCTs to assess the effect of hypnosis for induction of labour. Evidence from RCTs is required to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this intervention for labour induction. As hypnosis may delay standard care (in case standard care is withheld during hypnosis), its use in induction of labour should be considered on a case-by-case basis.Future RCTs are required to examine the effectiveness and safety of hypnotic relaxation for induction of labour among pregnant women who have anxiety above a certain level. The length and timing of the intervention, as well as the staff training required, should be taken into consideration. Moreover, the views and experiences of women and staff should also be included in future RCTs.

Labour Disputes of Gifted Employees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Waal, Ido; Nauta, Noks; Lindhout, Rebecca

2013-01-01

This article describes a study on labour disputes of gifted people. Fifty-five gifted people, who have had one or more labour disputes, which resulted in their staying at home and filling out an online survey. Face-to-face interviews were held with seven respondents with more than two labour disputes. In this article, we describe the results of…

Globalisation and MATESOL Programmes in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasrati, Mostafa; Tavakoli, Parvaneh

2015-01-01

This article reports the results of a mixed-methods approach to investigating the association between globalisation and MATESOL in UK universities. Qualitative and quantitative data collected from academic staff through eight emails, four interviews and 41 questionnaires indicate that the globalised context of higher education has affected these…

Eliminating child labour in Malawi: a British American Tobacco corporate responsibility project to sidestep tobacco labour exploitation

PubMed Central

Otañez, M G; Muggli, M E; Hurt, R D; Glantz, S A

2006-01-01

Objectives To examine British American Tobacco and other tobacco industry support of the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Growing Foundation. Design Analyses of internal tobacco industry documents and ethnographic data. Results British American Tobacco co‐founded the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Growing Foundation (ECLT) in October 2000 and launched its pilot project in Malawi. ECLT's initial projects were budgeted at US$2.3 million over four years. Labour unions and leaf dealers, through ECLT funds, have undertook modest efforts such as building schools, planting trees, and constructing shallow wells to address the use of child labour in tobacco farming. In stark contrast, the tobacco companies receive nearly US$40 million over four years in economic benefit through the use of unpaid child labour in Malawi during the same time. BAT's efforts to combat child labour in Malawi through ECLT was developed to support the company's “corporate social responsibility agenda” rather than accepting responsibility for taking meaningful steps to eradicate child labour in the Malawi tobacco sector. Conclusion In Malawi, transnational tobacco companies are using child labour projects to enhance corporate reputations and distract public attention from how they profit from low wages and cheap tobacco. PMID:16728754

Dynamic Assessment, Tutor Mediation and Academic Writing Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shrestha, Prithvi; Coffin, Caroline

2012-01-01

Supporting undergraduate students with their academic literacies has recently been a major focus in higher education in the UK. This paper explores the value of tutor mediation in the context of academic writing development among undergraduate business studies students in open and distance learning, following the dynamic assessment (DA) approach…

International migration and New Zealand labour markets.

PubMed

Farmer, R S

1986-06-01

"This paper seeks to assess the value of the overseas-born members of the labour force in ensuring a flexible labour supply in New Zealand since the beginning of the 1970s. Three main issues are considered: first, the role of the labour market in New Zealand's immigration policy; second, international migration trends and the labour market; and third, the evidence on migration and labour market segmentation in New Zealand." Data used are from official external migration statistics, quinquennial censuses, and recent research. The author notes that "in New Zealand immigration measures are currently being taken that emphasize that immigration continues to add to the flexibility of the labour market while uncontrolled emigration is a major cause of labour market instability." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) excerpt

Trade, Labour Markets and Health.

PubMed

McNamara, Courtney; Labonté, Ronald

2017-04-01

Previous analyses indicate that there are a number of potentially serious health risks associated with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The objective of this work is to provide further insight into the potential health impacts of the TPP by investigating labour market pathways. The impact of the TPP on employment and working conditions is a major point of contention in broader public debates. In public health literature, these factors are considered fundamental determinants of health, yet they are rarely addressed in analyses of trade and investment agreements. We therefore undertake a prospective policy analysis of the TPP through a content analysis of the agreement's Labour Chapter. Provisions of the Chapter are analyzed with reference to the health policy triangle and four main areas through which labour markets influence health: power relations, social policies, employment conditions and working conditions. Findings indicate that implementation of the TPP can have important impacts on health through labour market pathways. While the Labour Chapter is being presented by proponents of the agreement as a vehicle for improvement in labour standards, we find little evidence to support this view. Instead, we find several ways the TPP may weaken employment relations to the detriment of health.

Non-pharmacologic labour pain relief.

PubMed

Prasertcharoensuk, Witoon; Thinkhamrop, Jadsada

2004-10-01

Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour and this may contribute towards the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence supporting the use of alternative and complementary therapies for pain management in labour. To examine the effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour on maternal and perinatal morbidity. The trials included three trials of hypnosis (n = 189), one involving audio-analgesia (n = 25), one involving (n = 22), and one trial of music (n = 30). Women receiving hypnosis were more satisfied with their pain management in labour compared with controls (RR 2.33, 95% CI 1.55 to 4.71). No differences were seen for women recieving, music or audio analgesia. Hypnosis may be beneficial for the management of pain during labour. However, few complementary therapies have been subjected to proper scientific study.

UK Institutional Responses to Undergraduates' Term-Time Working.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Brenda

2002-01-01

Examines research findings on the impact of working on undergraduate students' experience and academic performance, and considers UK institutions' responses, specifically the establishment of university job-shops and curriculum frameworks that try to "capture" learning derived from work experience. Considers to what extent these…

Accounting Academics' Perceptions of the Effect of Accreditation on UK Accounting Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellington, Peter; Williams, Amanda

2017-01-01

Students graduating from undergraduate accounting degree programmes in the UK are eligible for and attracted by accreditation available from professional accountancy body (PAB) examinations. The study reviews factual information available from PAB websites to confirm that virtually all accounting degrees in the UK have accreditation, and many are…

A Critical Discourse Analysis of the New Labour Discourse of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) across Schools in England and Wales: Conversations with Policymakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Carl

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the New Labour (1997-2010) discourse of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools, and how it was understood and enacted by policymakers in England and in Wales within the context of devolved government across the UK. By SEL I mean universal school-based programs, located in the…

Participation as Post-Fordist Politics: Demos, New Labour, and Science Policy

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

In recent years, British science policy has seen a significant shift ‘from deficit to dialogue’ in conceptualizing the relationship between science and the public. Academics in the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) have been influential as advocates of the new public engagement agenda. However, this participatory agenda has deeper roots in the political ideology of the Third Way. A framing of participation as a politics suited to post-Fordist conditions was put forward in the magazine Marxism Today in the late 1980s, developed in the Demos thinktank in the 1990s, and influenced policy of the New Labour government. The encouragement of public participation and deliberation in relation to science and technology has been part of a broader implementation of participatory mechanisms under New Labour. This participatory program has been explicitly oriented toward producing forms of social consciousness and activity seen as essential to a viable knowledge economy and consumer society. STS arguments for public engagement in science have gained influence insofar as they have intersected with the Third Way politics of post-Fordism. PMID:21258426

Continuous bioprocessing: the real thing this time? 10(th) Annual bioProcessUK Conference, December 3-4, 2013, London, UK.

PubMed

Farid, Suzanne S; Thompson, Bill; Davidson, Andrew

2014-01-01

The Annual bioProcessUK Conference has acted as the key networking event for bioprocess scientists and engineers in the UK for the past 10 years. The following article is a report from the sessions that focused on continuous bioprocessing during the 10(th) Annual bioProcessUK Conference (London, December 2013). These sessions were organized by the 'EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Emergent Macromolecular Therapies' hosted at University College London. A plenary lecture and workshop provided a forum for participants to debate topical issues in roundtable discussions with industry and academic experts from institutions such as Genzyme, Janssen, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Merck, GE Healthcare and University College London. The aim of these particular sessions was to understand better the challenges and opportunities for continuous bioprocessing in the bioprocessing sector.

What does the UK public want from academic science communication?

PubMed

Redfern, James; Illingworth, Sam; Verran, Joanna

2016-01-01

The overall aim of public academic science communication is to engage a non-scientist with a particular field of science and/or research topic, often driven by the expertise of the academic. An e-survey was designed to provide insight into respondent's current and future engagement with science communication activities. Respondents provided a wide range of ideas and concerns as to the 'common practice' of academic science communication, and whilst they support some of these popular approaches (such as open-door events and science festivals), there are alternatives that may enable wider engagement. Suggestions of internet-based approaches and digital media were strongly encouraged, and although respondents found merits in methods such as science festivals, limitations such as geography, time and topic of interest were a barrier to engagement for some. Academics and scientists need to think carefully about how they plan their science communication activities and carry out evaluations, including considering the point of view of the public, as although defaulting to hands-on open door events at their university may seem like the expected standard, it may not be the best way to reach the intended audience.

What does the UK public want from academic science communication?

PubMed Central

Redfern, James; Illingworth, Sam; Verran, Joanna

2016-01-01

The overall aim of public academic science communication is to engage a non-scientist with a particular field of science and/or research topic, often driven by the expertise of the academic. An e-survey was designed to provide insight into respondent’s current and future engagement with science communication activities. Respondents provided a wide range of ideas and concerns as to the ‘common practice’ of academic science communication, and whilst they support some of these popular approaches (such as open-door events and science festivals), there are alternatives that may enable wider engagement. Suggestions of internet-based approaches and digital media were strongly encouraged, and although respondents found merits in methods such as science festivals, limitations such as geography, time and topic of interest were a barrier to engagement for some. Academics and scientists need to think carefully about how they plan their science communication activities and carry out evaluations, including considering the point of view of the public, as although defaulting to hands-on open door events at their university may seem like the expected standard, it may not be the best way to reach the intended audience. PMID:27347384

Academic Perspectives on the Outcomes of Outward Student Mobility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridger, Kath

2015-01-01

This research project was commissioned by the UK Higher Education International Unit (IU) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in June 2014 to explore academic perspectives on the outcomes of outward mobility at undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels for UK domiciled students, and to consider how best to facilitate the take up as well…

'Luck, chance, and happenstance? Perceptions of success and failure amongst fixed-term academic staff in UK higher education'.

PubMed

Loveday, Vik

2017-09-07

What does it mean to attribute success to 'luck', but failure to personal deficiency? In 2015/16, more than 34 per cent of academic employees in UK higher education institutions were employed on temporary contracts, and the sector itself has undergone a substantial transformation in recent years in terms of expansion, measurement, and marketization. Based on two waves of interviews conducted with fixed-term academic employees at different career stages, the article explores the narrativization of success and failure amongst staff working at the 'sharp end' of the so-called neoliberal academy. Arguing that precarious employment situations precipitate the feeling of being 'out of control', the majority of the participants' narratives were characterized by a distinct lack of agency. The paper explores the recourse to notions of chance and the consolidation of 'luck' as an explanatory factor in accounting for why good things happen; however, in tandem with this inclination is the tendency to individualize failure when expectations have been thwarted. While accounts of fixed-term work are suffused with notions of chance and fortune, 'luck' remains an under-researched concept within sociology. The article thus concludes by considering what the analysis of 'luck' might offer for a fuller, politicized understanding of processes at work in the contemporary academy. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Has publication of the results of the ORACLE Children Study changed practice in the UK?

PubMed

Kenyon, S; Pike, K; Jones, D; Brocklehurst, P; Marlow, N; Salt, A; Taylor, D

2010-10-01

  To investigate whether publication of the results of the ORACLE Children's Study, a 7-year follow-up of the ORACLE trial, changed practice with regard to the routine prescription of antibiotics to women with preterm rupture of membranes or spontaneous preterm labour (intact membranes).   A comparative questionnaire survey of clinical practice in November 2007 (before publication) and March 2009 (after publication).   Lead obstetricians for labour wards of all maternity units in the UK.   Self-administered questionnaires requested information about the routine prescription of antibiotics to women with either preterm rupture of membranes or spontaneous preterm labour (intact membranes).   Change in practice for prescription of antibiotics.   The response rate was 166/214 (78%) in 2007 and 158/209 (76%) in 2009. In total, 120 maternity units responded on both occasions. For women with preterm rupture of membranes, 162/214 (98%) in 2007 and 151/158 (96%) in 2009 maternity units reported that they prescribed antibiotics, with the majority using erythromycin (98%). For women with spontaneous preterm labour (intact membranes), 35/166 (21%) in 2007 and 25/158 (16%) in 2009 maternity units reported that they routinely prescribed antibiotics. The findings from units who responded on both occasions are similar.   There has been little change in the reported prescription of antibiotics to women with either preterm rupture of membranes or spontaneous preterm labour following publication of the ORACLE Children's Study. This suggests that current practice may require updated guidance.

Techniques to reduce perineal pain during spontaneous vaginal delivery and perineal suturing: a UK survey of midwifery practice.

PubMed

Sanders, Julia; Peters, Tim J; Campbell, Rona

2005-06-01

To investigate use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of perineal analgesia used by midwives during the second stage of labour and perineal repair in the UK. Postal survey. Self-complete questionnaires were sent to Heads of Midwifery in all 219 maternity units in the UK. Information was requested on the number and type of deliveries undertaken in the previous year and on the midwifery procedures used to provide pain relief immediately before delivery and for perineal repair. Details were also sought on local anaesthetics given before episiotomy or perineal repair. 207 completed questionnaires were returned providing information on 210 maternity units. Midwives reported using a variety of non-pharmacological analgesic methods to control pain at the end of the second stage of labour. Hot packs were used in 70 (33%) maternity units, cold packs in 44 (21%) and perineal massage in 109 (52%). Midwives in 131 (62%) maternity units used injectable local anaesthetics to control perineal pain. All units advocated use of local anaesthetic before episiotomy or perineal repair, but the reported doses used varied widely. The literature on levels of pain experienced immediately before spontaneous vaginal delivery and during perineal repair is sparse, but what evidence exists suggests that, for some women, these occasions are accompanied by severe pain. Findings from this survey show that there is considerable variation in what midwives provide to control pain. Formal evaluation of the perineal analgesia offered to women during the second stage of labour is urgently required.

Research Staff and Public Engagement: A UK Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Sarah R.

2013-01-01

Public engagement plays an important role in the contemporary UK academy, and is promoted through initiatives such as Beacons of Public Engagement and research grant "Pathways to Impact". Relatively little is known, however, about academic experiences of such engagement activities. This study focuses on one staff group, contract…

Professional Learning in Higher Education: Understanding How Academics Interpret Student Feedback and Access Resources to Improve Their Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curwood, Jen Scott; Tomitsch, Martin; Thomson, Kate; Hendry, Graham D.

2015-01-01

Previous research on professional learning has identified that face-to-face consultation is an effective approach to support academics' learning from student feedback. However, this approach is labour and time intensive, and does not necessarily provide all academics with just-in-time support. In this article, we describe an alternative approach,…

Increased oxidative stress in human fetal membranes overlying the cervix from term non-labouring and post labour deliveries.

PubMed

Chai, M; Barker, G; Menon, R; Lappas, M

2012-08-01

Enzymatic breakdown of the collagen-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) that connects the amnion and chorion layers of the fetal membranes is one of the key events leading to rupture of membranes. Oxidant stress caused by increased formation of reactive oxygen species and/or reduced antioxidant capacity may predispose to membrane rupture, a major cause of preterm birth. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of human labour and supracervical (SC) apposition on antioxidant enzymes and 8-isoprostane (a marker of lipid peroxidation). To determine the effect of human labour on oxidative stress status, fetal membranes from the SC site (SCS) were collected from women at term Caesarean section (no labour), and from the site of membrane rupture (SOR) after spontaneous labour onset and delivery (post labour). To determine the effect of SC apposition on oxidative stress status, amnion was collected from the SCS and a distal site (DS) in women at term Caesarean section in the absence of labour. The release of 8-isoprostane was significantly higher in amnion from the SCS compared to DS, and in fetal membranes from the SOR compared to the SCS. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were lower in amnion from the SC compared to DS. SOD gene expression and enzyme activity were lower in fetal membranes after labour. There was no difference in expression or activity in catalase, GPx and glutathione reductase (GSR) between no labour and post labour fetal membranes. In primary amnion cells, SOD supplementation significantly augmented IL-1β induced MMP-9 expression and activity. In summary, non-labouring SC fetal membranes are characterised by reduced antioxidant enzyme activity when compared to distal membranes, and, as such, may be more susceptible to oxidative damage and thus membrane rupture. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge Construction and Personal Relationship: Insights about a UK University Mentoring and Coaching Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargreaves, Eleanore

2010-01-01

This article examines interview data from 12 mentors/coaches and eight of their clients in order to explore a mentoring and coaching service among UK university staff. Both mentors/coaches and clients were administrative or academic employees of the Institute of Education or affiliated colleges at London University, UK. Their roles related to the…

Challenges to "Academic Immunity"--The Beginning of a New Era?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Mark

2004-01-01

While the term "academic immunity" is not one usually used, in practice academics in higher education institutions (HEIs) have been immune from legal challenges to their key professional activities. The historical position in the UK has seen both university visitors and the courts consistently refusing to interfere with decisions…

Mapping Student-Led Peer Learning in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keenan, Chris

2014-01-01

Peer-led academic learning has increased in importance, but there is little sense of how many institutions support it, how they understand its purposes or what peer-led learning best practice is. This report examines the provision of peer-led learning in the UK. It identifies challenges and opportunities, including international perspectives and…

Learning the Price of Poverty across the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivinson, Gabrielle; Thompson, Ian; Beckett, Lori; Egan, David; Leitch, Ruth; McKinney, Stephen

2018-01-01

In 2016, the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Commission on Poverty and Policy Advocacy brought together several academics from across the four jurisdictions of the UK already engaged in work on poverty, education and schooling. The aim of this BERA Commission was to build a network of research-active practitioners across the UK…

Promoting Your e-Books: Lessons from the UK JISC National e-Book Observatory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lonsdale, Ray; Armstrong, Chris

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings from the qualitative strand of the National e-Book Observatory (2007-2009) project, relating to the promotion of e-textbooks in UK universities by the library, academics and publishers. A complementary paper on the ways in which students and academics locate e-books provided by their…

Arrival in the labour ward in second stage of labour--any prognostic significance?

PubMed

Nkyekyer, K

1998-05-01

A comparative descriptive study was carried out to determine whether, in uncomplicated term pregnancies with the foetus in vertex presentation, there were any differences in maternal or foetal outcome between women who arrived in the labour ward in second stage of labour and those who arrived in early active phase. There were two hundred and seventeen women each in the study and comparison groups. There were no significant differences between the two groups as regards age, parity, marital status and level of education. Women in the comparison group were better antenatal clinic attendants. Those in the study group were more likely to have indicated that they had problems with transportation. They also had considerably shorter labours and all achieved spontaneous vaginal deliveries; a significant proportion (10.6%) of the comparison group had interventional deliveries. The incidence of episiotomies, lower genital tract injuries, manual removal of placenta and postpartum haemorrhage after vaginal delivery were not different between the two groups. Babies born to mothers in the study group were significantly lighter, by about 170 gms, and had a lower incidence of low one-minute Apgar scores. There were no significant differences in the rates of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit or in early neonatal deaths. Arrival in the labour ward in second stage of labour prognosticates non-interventional delivery without any increased risk of adverse outcome to the mother or her baby.

Individual face-to-face tutorials: the value in nurse education.

PubMed

Nathan, Martina

The individual, face-to-face tutorial is one means by which academic support can be provided to students in higher education. This mode of tutorial support has been deemed effective but it can be considered labour-intensive, which is a concern in the UK with the recession currently impacting on higher education institutions. Nevertheless, with increasing student fees come higher student expectations. With all UK pre-registration nursing study programmes at degree level and with the emphasis on widening access, students may require additional academic support to ensure success. This study aimed to examine the value of individual, face-to-face tutorials for academic support in nurse education. A descriptive and exploratory design was used, mixing qualitative and quantitative methods. The survey approach employed a web-based, self-completion questionnaire, which was distributed to lecturers and pre-registration student nurses in a UK university. Following analysis of the questionnaire results, students were invited to attend a group interview. Findings highlighted the importance of individual, face-to-face tutorials with qualitative data supplying detailed accounts regarding their value.

Preventing cerebral palsy in preterm labour: a multiorganisational quality improvement approach to the adoption and spread of magnesium sulphate for neuroprotection

PubMed Central

Burhouse, Anna; Lea, Charlotte; Ray, Stephen; Bailey, Hannah; Davies, Ruth; Harding, Hannah; Howard, Rachel; Jordan, Sharon; Menzies, Noshin; White, Sarah; Phillips, Kathryn; Luyt, Karent

2017-01-01

Magnesium sulphate has been demonstrated to be an effective neuroprotectant for babies delivered prematurely (under 37 weeks’ gestational age). Antenatal administration reduces infant mortality and cerebral palsy (CP); however, uptake in the UK has been significantly lower than other countries. A quality improvement (QI) project (PReventing Cerebral palsy in Pre Term labour (PReCePT)) was carried out in the West of England, UK, to raise awareness of evidence and to improve the uptake of magnesium sulphate as neuroprotectant in preterm deliveries. Five National Health Service (NHS) Trusts and the West of England Academic Health Science Network participated in the QI project. The project was underpinned by a multifaceted QI approach that included: patient and clinical coproduction of resources; recruitment of clinical champions to support the local microsystems and create a stimulating/supporting environment for change; Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles; training for over 600 NHS staff and awareness raising and strategic influencing of key leaders. A baseline audit and regular measurement of the number of eligible women receiving magnesium sulphate was undertaken at each hospital site, and the overall programme was evaluated using data from an international benchmarking organisation for neonatal care outcomes—the Vermont Oxford Network. During the project 664 staff received magnesium sulphate training. The use of magnesium sulphate increased across the West of England from an average baseline of 21% over the 2 years preceding the project to 88% by the conclusion of the project. The project was also able to influence the development of a national data collection process for benchmarking the use of magnesium sulphate for neuroprotection in preterm deliveries in the U.K. PReCePT appears to have had a favourable effect on the uptake of magnesium sulphate across the West of England. The project has also provided learning about how to stimulate adoption and spread of

Building a Culture of Authentic Partnership: One Academic Health Center Model for Nursing Leadership.

PubMed

Heath, Janie; Swartz, Colleen

2017-09-01

Senior nursing leaders from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing and UK HealthCare have explored the meaning of an authentic partnership. This article quantifies the tangible benefits and outcomes from this maturing academic nursing and clinical practice partnership. Benefits include inaugural academic nursing participation in health system governance, expanded integration of nursing research programs both in the college and in the health science center, and the development of collaborative strategies to address nursing workforce needs.

Demand and utilisation of labour analgesia service by Nigerian women.

PubMed

Imarengiaye, C O; Ande, A B A

2006-02-01

This study sought to determine the clinical correlates of the demand and utilisation of labour analgesia resources by Nigerian women in labour. All consenting women were interviewed on arrival at the Unit and while in labour. Biodata, options for relief of labour pain, request for analgesia, method of analgesia, VAS score and cervical score at time of request for analgesia were obtained. A total of 288 women in labour were studied. Of these, 108 (37.5%) patients were aware that the pain of labour can be relieved but only 26.0% had prenatal information on labour analgesia. However, 85.1% of the patients would want their pain of labour relieved. A total of 112 (38.9%) did receive analgesia during labour. Cervical dilatation of <4 cm at presentation to the Unit and nulliparity were likely factors for pain treatment during labour (p = 0.001, chi2 test). There is poor utilisation of labour analgesia services. Improved antenatal information on labour analgesia may boost the utilisation of these resources by Nigerian women in labour.

Labour induction at term--a randomised trial comparing Foley catheter plus titrated oral misoprostol solution, titrated oral misoprostol solution alone, and dinoprostone.

PubMed

Matonhodze, Baron B; Hofmeyr, G Justus; Levin, Jonathan

2003-05-01

To compare three methods of labour induction. Randomised controlled trial. Academic hospitals in Johannesburg, South Africa. Women with intact membranes due for induction of labour. Randomised, sealed opaque envelopes were used to allocate women to labour induction with extra-amniotic Foley catheter/titrated oral misoprostol solution (N = 174), titrated oral misoprostol solution alone (N = 176), or vaginal dinoprostone (N = 176). Misoprostol was dissolved in water and 20-40 g was given 2-hourly. These were failure to deliver vaginally within 24 hours, additional measures for induction or augmentation of labour, analgesia, and maternal and fetal complications. In the Foley catheter group, misoprostol was required in all but 1 case. Failure to deliver vaginally within 24 hours was similar for the three groups (79/174 v. 70/176 v. 70/176 respectively). Labour augmentation, caesarean section and instrumental delivery were used somewhat more frequently in the Foley/misoprostol group than in the misoprostol alone group, but these differences were not statistically significant. More analgesia was used in the Foley catheter/misoprostol group than in the misoprostol group (64/172 v. 46/175). Side-effects and neonatal complications were similar for the three groups. Use of extra-amniotic Foley catheter placement showed no measurable benefits over the use of oral misoprostol alone, or vaginal dinoprostone.

Biofeedback for pain management during labour.

PubMed

Barragán Loayza, Irma Marcela; Solà, Ivan; Juandó Prats, Clara

2011-06-15

Labour is often associated with pain and discomfort caused by a complex and subjective interaction of multiple factors, and should be understood within a multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary framework. Within the non-pharmacological approach, biofeedback has focused on the acquisition of control over some physiological responses with the aid of electronic devices, allowing individuals to regulate some physical processes (such as pain) which are not usually under conscious control. The role of this behavioural approach for the management of pain during labour, as an addition to the standard prenatal care, has been never assessed systematically. This review is one in a series of Cochrane reviews examining pain relief in labour, which will contribute to an overview of systematic reviews of pain relief for women in labour (in preparation). To examine the effectiveness of the use of biofeedback in prenatal lessons for managing pain during labour. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 March 2011), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 1), PubMed (1950 to 20 March 2011), EMBASE (via OVID) (1980 to 24 March 2011), CINAHL (EBSCOhost) (1982 to 24 March 2011), and PsycINFO (via Ovid) (1806 to 24 March 2011). We searched for further studies in the reference lists of identified articles. Randomised controlled trials of any form of prenatal classes which included biofeedback, in any modality, in women with low-risk pregnancies. Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. The review included four trials (186 women) that hugely differed in terms of the diversity of the intervention modalities and outcomes measured. Most trials assessed the effects of electromyographic biofeedback in women who were pregnant for the first time. The trials were judged to be at a high risk of bias due to the lack of data describing the sources of bias assessed. There was no significant evidence of a difference between biofeedback

A Statistical Portrait of Working at Home in the U.K.: Evidence from the Labour Force Survey. Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felstead, Alan; Jewson, Nick; Phizacklea, Annie; Walters, Sally

The patterns, extent, and problems of working at home in the United Kingdom were examined through a multivariate analysis of data from the Labour Force Survey, which has questioned respondents about the location of their workplace since 1992. The numbers of people working "mainly" at home increased from 345,920 (1.5%) in 1981 to 680,612…

Academic Literacies and Systemic Functional Linguistics: How Do They Relate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coffin, Caroline; Donohue, James P.

2012-01-01

Two approaches to English for Academic Purposes (EAP) research and teaching which have arisen in recent years are systemic functional linguistics (SFL) approaches in Australia and elsewhere (e.g. Hood, 2006; Lee, 2010; Woodward-Kron, 2009) and Academic Literacies approaches in the UK and elsewhere (e.g. Lillis & Scott, 2008; Thesen &…

A preliminary investigation into the moral reasoning abilities of UK veterinarians.

PubMed

Batchelor, C E M; Creed, A; McKeegan, D E F

2015-08-01

Veterinary medicine is an ethically challenging profession, but the ethical reasoning abilities of practising veterinarians in the UK have never been formally assessed. This study investigated moral reasoning ability in 65 qualified veterinarians (38 practising and 27 academic) and 33 members of the public in the UK using the Defining Issues Test. Academic veterinarians had higher scores than members of the public but practising veterinarians did not. There was large variation in moral reasoning abilities among qualified veterinarians. Moral reasoning score in veterinarians did not improve with years of experience. These results show that despite having a professional degree moral reasoning skills of practising veterinarians may be insufficient to deal with the demands of their profession. This could have implications for animal welfare, client services and veterinarian wellbeing. The results highlight the need for more training in this area. British Veterinary Association.

Induction of labour versus expectant monitoring for gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia after 36 weeks' gestation (HYPITAT): a multicentre, open-label randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Koopmans, Corine M; Bijlenga, Denise; Groen, Henk; Vijgen, Sylvia M C; Aarnoudse, Jan G; Bekedam, Dick J; van den Berg, Paul P; de Boer, Karin; Burggraaff, Jan M; Bloemenkamp, Kitty W M; Drogtrop, Addy P; Franx, Arie; de Groot, Christianne J M; Huisjes, Anjoke J M; Kwee, Anneke; van Loon, Aren J; Lub, Annemiek; Papatsonis, Dimitri N M; van der Post, Joris A M; Roumen, Frans J M E; Scheepers, Hubertina C J; Willekes, Christine; Mol, Ben W J; van Pampus, Maria G

2009-09-19

Robust evidence to direct management of pregnant women with mild hypertensive disease at term is scarce. We investigated whether induction of labour in women with a singleton pregnancy complicated by gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia reduces severe maternal morbidity. We undertook a multicentre, parallel, open-label randomised controlled trial in six academic and 32 non-academic hospitals in the Netherlands between October, 2005, and March, 2008. We enrolled patients with a singleton pregnancy at 36-41 weeks' gestation, and who had gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia. Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio by block randomisation with a web-based application system to receive either induction of labour or expectant monitoring. Masking of intervention allocation was not possible. The primary outcome was a composite measure of poor maternal outcome--maternal mortality, maternal morbidity (eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, pulmonary oedema, thromboembolic disease, and placental abruption), progression to severe hypertension or proteinuria, and major post-partum haemorrhage (>1000 mL blood loss). Analysis was by intention to treat and treatment effect is presented as relative risk. This study is registered, number ISRCTN08132825. 756 patients were allocated to receive induction of labour (n=377 patients) or expectant monitoring (n=379). 397 patients refused randomisation but authorised use of their medical records. Of women who were randomised, 117 (31%) allocated to induction of labour developed poor maternal outcome compared with 166 (44%) allocated to expectant monitoring (relative risk 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.86, p<0.0001). No cases of maternal or neonatal death or eclampsia were recorded. Induction of labour is associated with improved maternal outcome and should be advised for women with mild hypertensive disease beyond 37 weeks' gestation. ZonMw.

"Strategic Repositioning of Institutional Frameworks": Balancing Competing Demands within the Modular UK Higher Education Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turnbull, Wayne; Burton, Diana; Mullins, Pat

2008-01-01

The UK higher education sector is grounded in an academic culture protective of its autonomy in the exercise of academic judgement within a flexible and internally validated tradition. However, the socio-political demands placed upon this sector articulate an outcomes-based, transparent and consistent model of higher education provision, as…

Researching the Performance of International Students in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Jo; Merrick, Beatrice; Higgs, Samantha; Le Matais, Joanna

2005-01-01

This article considers how well international students in the UK perform academically, seeking to identify factors which affect their ability to fulfil their potential. It provides a short survey of the literature and summarises the findings of a research project commissioned by UKCOSA: The Council for International Education. The research…

The Current Use of Online Services in U.K. Academic Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Allan; Akeroyd, John

This update of a survey taken by the authors in April 1978 on the use of online services in British academic libraries (Online Review; v3 n2 p195-204 1979) concentrates on the following areas: (1) general pattern of use; (2) current arguments for charging users for online services; (3) current academic library practice on charging; (4) specific…

Emotional labour underlying caring: an evolutionary concept analysis.

PubMed

Huynh, Truc; Alderson, Marie; Thompson, Mary

2008-10-01

This paper is a report of a concept analysis of emotional labour. Caring is considered as the essence of nursing. Underpinning caring, the internal regulation of emotions or the emotional labour of nurses is invisible. The concept of emotional labour is relatively underdeveloped in nursing. A literature search using keywords 'emotional labour', 'emotional work' and 'emotions' was performed in CINAHL, PsycINFO and REPERE from 1990 to January 2008. We analysed 72 papers whose main focus of inquiry was on emotional labour. We followed Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis. Emotional labour is a process whereby nurses adopt a 'work persona' to express their autonomous, surface or deep emotions during patient encounters. Antecedents to this adoption of a work persona are events occurring during patient-nurse encounters, and which consist of three elements: organization (i.e. social norms, social support), nurse (i.e. role identification, professional commitment, work experience and interpersonal skills) and job (i.e. autonomy, task routine, degree of emotional demand, interaction frequency and work complexity). The attributes of emotional labour have two dimensions: nurses' autonomous response and their work persona strategies (i.e. surface or deep acts). The consequences of emotional labour include organizational (i.e. productivity, 'cheerful environment') and nurse aspects (i.e. negative or positive). The concept of emotional labour should be introduced into preregistration programmes. Nurses also need to have time and a supportive environment to reflect, understand and discuss their emotional labour in caring for 'difficult' patients to deflate the dominant discourse about 'problem' patients.

Rethinking 'academic' drug discovery: the Manchester Institute perspective.

PubMed

Jordan, Allan M; Waddell, Ian D; Ogilvie, Donald J

2015-05-01

The contraction in research within pharma has seen a renaissance in drug discovery within the academic setting. Often, groups grow organically from academic research laboratories, exploiting a particular area of novel biology or new technology. However, increasingly, new groups driven by industrial staff are emerging with demonstrable expertise in the delivery of medicines. As part of a strategic review by Cancer Research UK (CR-UK), the drug discovery team at the Manchester Institute was established to translate novel research from the Manchester cancer research community into drug discovery programmes. From a standing start, we have taken innovative approaches to solve key issues faced by similar groups, such as hit finding and target identification. Herein, we share our lessons learnt and successful strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Child Labour and Educational Success in Portugal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goulart, Pedro; Bedi, Arjun S.

2008-01-01

The current debate on child labour focuses on developing countries. However, Portugal is an example of a relatively developed country where child labour is still a matter of concern as between 8% and 12% of Portuguese children may be classified as workers. This paper studies the patterns of child labour in Portugal and assesses the consequences of…

Challenges for academic accreditation: the UK experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shearman, Richard; Seddon, Deborah

2010-08-01

Several factors (government policy, demographic trends, employer pressure) are leading to new forms of degree programmes in UK universities. The government is strongly encouraging engagement between universities and employers. Work-based learning is increasingly found in first and second cycle programmes, along with modules designed by employers and increasing use of distance learning. Engineering faculties are playing a leading part in these developments, and the Engineering Council, the engineering professional bodies and some universities are collaborating to develop work-based learning programmes as a pathway to professional qualification. While potentially beneficial to the engineering profession, these developments pose a challenge to traditional approaches to programme accreditation. This paper explores how this system deals with these challenges and highlights the issues that will have to be addressed to ensure that the system can cope effectively with change, especially the development of individually tailored, work-based second cycle programmes, while maintaining appropriate standards and international confidence.

The Impact Debate: Hazards of Discourse in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duke, Chris

2011-01-01

The UK higher education community is well served for news and policy discourse by the weekly "Times Higher Education" ("THE"). "THE" also provides a window into the conduct of this community. Concern about the contribution of research to the wider society beyond academe has risen along with its scale and cost. Views…

A translational approach to studying preterm labour

PubMed Central

Tribe, Rachel Marie

2007-01-01

Preterm labour continues to be a major contributor to neonatal and infant morbidity. Recent data from the USA indicate that the number of preterm deliveries (including those associated with preterm labour) has risen in the last 20 years by 30%. This increase is despite considerable efforts to introduce new therapies for the prevention and treatment of preterm labour and highlights the need to assess research in this area from a fresh perspective. In this paper we discuss i) the limitations of our knowledge concerning prediction, prevention and treatment of preterm labour and ii) future multidisciplinary strategies for improving our approach. PMID:17570168

Passing MRCP (UK) PACES: a cross-sectional study examining the performance of doctors by sex and country.

PubMed

Unwin, Emily; Potts, Henry W W; Dacre, Jane; Elder, Andrew; Woolf, Katherine

2018-04-06

There is much discussion about the sex differences that exist in medical education. Research from the United Kingdom (UK) and United States has found female doctors earn less, and are less likely to be senior authors on academic papers, but female doctors are also less likely to be sanctioned, and have been found to perform better academically and clinically. It is also known that international medical graduates tend to perform more poorly academically compared to home-trained graduates in the UK, US, and Canada. It is uncertain whether the magnitude and direction of sex differences in doctors' performance is variable by country. We explored the association between doctors' sex and their performance at a large international high-stakes clinical examination: the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (UK) Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills (PACES). We examined how sex differences varied by the country in which the doctor received their primary medical qualification, the country in which they took the PACES examination, and by the country in which they are registered to practise. Seven thousand six hundred seventy-one doctors attempted PACES between October 2010 and May 2013. We analysed sex differences in first time pass rates, controlling for ethnicity, in three groups: (i) UK medical graduates (N = 3574); (ii) non-UK medical graduates registered with the UK medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), and thus likely to be working in the UK (N = 1067); and (iii) non-UK medical graduates without GMC registration and so legally unable to work or train in the UK (N = 2179). Female doctors were statistically significantly more likely to pass at their first attempt in all three groups, with the greatest sex effect seen in non-UK medical graduates without GMC registration (OR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.65-2.39; P < 0.0001) and the smallest in the UK graduates (OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.03-1.35; P = 0.02). As

The risk of hydraulic fracturing on public health in the UK and the UK's fracking legislation.

PubMed

Reap, Elisabeth

2015-01-01

Hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from shale rock is a new, rapidly expanding industry in the United States (US). However, there is concern that these operations could be having large negative impacts such as groundwater contamination, increased air pollution and seismic events. The United Kingdom (UK) is looking at the potential for emulating the success of 'shale gas' in the US. Differences in population density and geological conditions mean that the public health impacts recorded in the US cannot be directly extrapolated to the UK. There is limited academic literature available but findings suggest that the UK government is not fully recognising the inherent risks of hydraulic fracturing exposed by this literature. Government reports suggest a reliance on engineering solutions and better practice to overcome problems found in the US when evidence suggests that there are inherent risks and impacts that cannot be eliminated. This study applies US results to approximate the impact of one exposure pathway, inhalation of hydrocarbons by the public from operational air emissions over the 30 year lifetime of a well and finds that 7.2 extra cancer cases from exposure to air contamination would be expected in the UK if all test sites, approved test sites and test sites awaiting approval as of January 2015 went on to extract gas. In conclusion, limited assessment of the public health implications of hydraulic fracturing operations is available but the UK government appears to not be applying the precautionary principle to potentially significant legislation.

Off-Farm Labour Decision of Canadian Farm Operators: Urbanization Effects and Rural Labour Market Linkages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alasia, Alessandro; Weersink, Alfons; Bollman, Ray D.; Cranfield, John

2009-01-01

Understanding the factors affecting off-farm labour decisions of census-farm operators has significant implications for rural development and farm income support policy. We examine the off-farm labour decisions of Canadian farm operators using micro-level data from the 2001 Census of Agriculture combined with community level data from the 2001…

Recruitment and retention of general practitioners in the UK: what are the problems and solutions?

PubMed

Young, R; Leese, B

1999-10-01

Recruitment and retention of general practitioners (GPs) has become an issue of major concern in recent years. However, much of the evidence is anecdotal and some commentators continue to question the scale of workforce problems. Hence, there is a need to establish a clear picture of those instabilities (i.e. imbalances between demand and supply) that do exist in the GP labour market in the UK. Based on a review of the published literature, we identify problems that stem from: (i) the changing social composition of the workforce and the fact that a large proportion of qualified GPs are significantly underutilized within traditional career structures; and (ii) the considerable differences in the ability of local areas to match labour demand and supply. We argue that one way to address these problems would be to encourage greater flexibility in a number of areas highlighted in the literature: (i) time commitment across the working day and week; (ii) long-term career paths; (iii) training and education; and (iv) remuneration and contract conditions. Overall, although the evidence suggests that the predicted 'crisis' has not yet occurred in the GP labour market as a whole, there is no room for lack of imagination in planning terms. Workforce planners continue to emphasize national changes to the medical school intake as the means to balance labour demand and supply between the specialities; however, better retention and deployment of existing GP labour would arguably produce more effective supply-side solutions. In this context, current policy and practice developments (e.g. Primary Care Groups and Primary Care Act Pilot Sites) offer a unique learning base upon which to move forward.

Audit Cultures and Quality Assurance Mechanisms in England: A Study of Their Perceived Impact on the Work of Academics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Ming

2010-01-01

Proponents of the concept of the audit culture in UK higher education argue that from the late 1990s onward audit functioned as a form of power control and had a profound effect on academics and their work. Such arguments continued to be made into the early 2000s. Since then, however, the level of external scrutiny surrounding UK academics'…

Academic and non-academic predictors of student psychological distress: the role of social identity and loneliness.

PubMed

McIntyre, Jason C; Worsley, Joanne; Corcoran, Rhiannon; Harrison Woods, Paula; Bentall, Richard P

2018-06-01

University students experience high rates of stress and mental illness; however, few studies have comprehensively examined the impact of academic and non-academic stressors on student mental health. Similarly, there has been little focus on the role of social groups in protecting against mental distress in this young adult group. To identify the key social determinants of mental health symptoms in a student population. Using an online survey, we administered measures of social connectedness and mental health symptoms alongside academic and non-academic stressors to a large sample of UK university students. Loneliness was the strongest overall predictor of mental distress, while assessment stress was the most important academic predictor. Strong identification with university friendship groups was most protective against distress relative to other social identities, and the beneficial impact of identification on symptoms was mediated by reduced loneliness. The study highlights the benefits of establishing strong social connections at university and the importance of minimising stress associated with assessment tasks.

University Professors as Academic Leaders: Professorial Leadership Development Needs and Provision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Linda

2017-01-01

In the UK the title "professor" is generally applied only to the most senior academics--equivalent to North American full professors--and whom anecdotal evidence indicates to be often unprepared for the increasingly expansive academic leadership roles that they are expected to fulfil. The study reported in this paper was directed at…

Do UK Universities Communicate Their Brands Effectively through Their Websites?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapleo, Chris; Duran, Maria Victoria Carrillo; Diaz, Ana Castillo

2011-01-01

This paper attempts to explore the effectiveness of UK universities' websites. The area of branding in higher education has received increasing academic investigation, but little work has researched how universities demonstrate their brand promises through their websites. The quest to differentiate through branding can be challenging in the…

Establishing and sustaining research partnerships in Africa: a case study of the UK-Africa Academic Partnership on Chronic Disease

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

This paper examines the challenges and opportunities in establishing and sustaining north–south research partnerships in Africa through a case study of the UK-Africa Academic Partnership on Chronic Disease. Established in 2006 with seed funding from the British Academy, the partnership aimed to bring together multidisciplinary chronic disease researchers based in the UK and Africa to collaborate on research, inform policymaking, train and support postgraduates and create a platform for research dissemination. We review the partnership’s achievements and challenges, applying established criteria for developing successful partnerships. During the funded period we achieved major success in creating a platform for research dissemination through international meetings and publications. Other goals, such as engaging in collaborative research and training postgraduates, were not as successfully realised. Enabling factors included trust and respect between core working group members, a shared commitment to achieving partnership goals, and the collective ability to develop creative strategies to overcome funding challenges. Barriers included limited funding, administrative support, and framework for monitoring and evaluating some goals. Chronic disease research partnerships in low-income regions operate within health research, practice, funding and policy environments that prioritise infectious diseases and other pressing public health and developmental challenges. Their long-term sustainability will therefore depend on integrated funding systems that provide a crucial capacity building bridge. Beyond the specific challenges of chronic disease research, we identify social capital, measurable goals, administrative support, creativity and innovation and funding as five key ingredients that are essential for sustaining research partnerships. PMID:22897937

Readability of internet-sourced patient education material related to "labour analgesia".

PubMed

Boztas, Nilay; Omur, Dilek; Ozbılgın, Sule; Altuntas, Gözde; Piskin, Ersan; Ozkardesler, Sevda; Hanci, Volkan

2017-11-01

We evaluated the readability of Internet-sourced patient education materials (PEMs) related to "labour analgesia." In addition to assessing the readability of websites, we aimed to compare commercial, personal, and academic websites.We used the most popular search engine (http://www.google.com) in our study. The first 100 websites in English that resulted from a search for the key words "labour analgesia" were scanned. Websites that were not in English, graphs, pictures, videos, tables, figures and list formats in the text, all punctuation, the number of words in the text is less than 100 words, feedback forms not related to education, (Uniform Resource Locator) URL websites, author information, references, legal disclaimers, and addresses and telephone numbers were excluded.The texts included in the study were assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (FOG) readability formulae. The number of Latin words within the text was determined.Analysis of 300-word sections of the texts revealed that the mean FRES was 47.54 ± 12.54 (quite difficult), mean FKGL and SMOG were 11.92 ± 2.59 and 10.57 ± 1.88 years of education, respectively, and mean Gunning FOG was 14.71 ± 2.76 (very difficult). Within 300-word sections, the mean number of Latin words was identified as 16.56 ± 6.37.In our study, the readability level of Internet-sourced PEM related to "labour analgesia" was identified to be quite high indicating poor readability.

Adolescent Moral Judgement: A Study of UK Secondary School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, David Ian; Thoma, Stephen J.; Jones, Chantel; Kristjánsson, Kristján

2017-01-01

Despite a recent world-wide upsurge of academic interest in moral and character education, little is known about pupils' character development in schools, especially in the UK context. The authors used a version of the Intermediate Concept Measure for Adolescents, involving dilemmas, to assess an important component of character--moral…

The second stage of labour.

PubMed

Baston, Helen

2004-03-01

This is the third 'midwifery basics' series aimed at student midwives, and focuses on midwifery care during labour. This month, we look at care during the second stage of labour. Students are encouraged to seek further information through a series of activities, and to link theory with practice by considering the issues relating to the care of the woman described in the vignette.

Report on primate supply for biomedical scientific work in the UK. EUPREN UK Working Party.

PubMed

Owen, S; Thomas, C; West, P; Wolfensohn, S; Wood, M

1997-10-01

A Working Party of the UK group of European Primate Resources Network (EUPREN) considered primate supply for scientific work in the UK. Through a questionnaire, which achieved a very good response, it obtained details of primate use, sources and breeding in the UK and it put forward options to ensure that animal welfare is the best possible whilst ensuring continued supply. The questionnaire showed that contract research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies use about 80% of the 4233 primates used annually at the moment, with the rest accounted for by academic establishments and public sector laboratories. Fifty-four per cent are cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), of which nearly 90% are captive-bred outside the European Union (EU), the remainder being bred in the UK. Nearly 90% of cynomolgus macaques are used by only five institutions. Thirty-seven per cent of primates used are marmosets (Callithrix jacchus jacchus), all of which are bred in the UK. Most of the rest are rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), about half of which are captive-bred outside the EU, the other half being bred in the UK. Overall primate use has increased from about 3000 per year in 1990 and users predict that requirements for all species except baboons (Papio sp.) will be maintained or increase. Marmoset breeding in the UK is already closely matched to use, and it could be increased reasonably easily if necessary. Some of the existing breeding centres of macaques in the UK would be prepared to consider expanding to supply others, although investment and imported breeding stock would be needed and it is likely that a large investment would be needed to breed a significant fraction of the macaque use in the UK. A further problem is that the users of only about 10% of the cynomolgus macaques said that they could replace this species by rhesus macaques, which are easier to breed in the UK. The questionnaire showed that much of the use of macaques would be transferred to other countries

TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) for labour pain.

PubMed

Francis, Richard

2012-05-01

Because TENS is applied inconsistently and not always in line with optimal TENS application theory, this may explain why TENS for labour pain appears to be effective in some individuals and not in others. This article reviews TENS theory, advises upon optimal TENS application for labour pain and discusses some of the limitations of TENS research on labour pain. TENS application for labour pain may include TENS applied to either side of the lower spine, set to 200 mus pulse duration and 100 pulses per second. As pain increases, TENS intensity should be increased and as pain decreases, TENS intensity should be reduced to maintain a strong but pain free intensity of stimulation. This application may particularly reduce back pain during labour.

Standard- or high-dose oxytocin for nulliparous women with confirmed delay in labour: quantitative and qualitative results from a pilot randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Kenyon, S; Armstrong, N; Johnston, T; Walkinshaw, S; Petrou, S; Howman, A; Cheed, V; Markham, C; McNicol, S; Willars, J; Waugh, J

2013-10-01

Evidence suggests that a high dose of oxytocin for nulliparous women at 37-42 weeks of gestation with confirmed delay in labour increases spontaneous vaginal birth. We undertook a pilot study to test the feasibility of this treatment. Pilot double-blind randomised controlled trial. Three teaching hospitals in the UK. A total of 94 consenting nulliparous women at term with confirmed delay in labour were recruited, and 18 were interviewed. Women were assigned to either a standard (2 mU/min, increasing every 30 minutes to 32 mU/minute) or a high-dose regimen (4 mU/minute, increasing every 30 minutes to 64 mU/minutes) oxytocin by computer-generated randomisation. Simple descriptive statistics were used, as the sample size was insufficient to evaluate clinical outcomes. The constant comparative method was used to analyse the interviews. The main outcome measures: number of women eligible; maternal and neonatal birth; safety; maternal psychological outcomes and experiences; health-related quality of life outcomes using validated tools and data on health service resource use; incidence of suspected delay of labour (cervical dilatation of <2 cm after 4 hours, once labour is established); and incidence of confirmed delay of labour (progress of <1 cm on repeat vaginal examination after a period of 2 hours). We successfully developed systems to recruit eligible women in labour and to collect data. Rates of spontaneous vaginal birth (10/47 versus 12/47, RR 1.2, 95% CI 0.6-2.5) and caesarean section (15/47 versus 17/47, RR 1.1, 95% CI 0.6-2.0) were increased, and rates of instrumental birth were reduced (21/47 versus 17/47, RR 0.8, 95% CI 0.5-1.3). No evidence of increased harm for either mother or baby was found. The incidences of suspected delay (14%) and confirmed delay (11%) in labour were less than anticipated. Of those who did not go on to have delayed labour confirmed, all except one woman gave birth vaginally. A pilot trial assessing the efficacy of high-dose oxytocin

A Gendered Approach to Science Ethics for US and UK Physicists.

PubMed

Ecklund, Elaine Howard; Di, Di

2017-02-01

Some research indicates that women professionals-when compared to men-may be more ethical in the workplace. Existing literature that discusses gender and ethics is confined to the for-profit business sector and primarily to a US context. In particular, there is little attention paid to gender and ethics in science professions in a global context. This represents a significant gap, as science is a rapidly growing and global professional sector, as well as one with ethically ambiguous areas. Adopting an international comparative perspective, this paper relies on 121 semi-structured interviews with US and UK academic physicists to examine how physicists perceive the impact of gender on science ethics. Findings indicate that some US and UK physicists believe that female scientists handle ethical issues within science in a feminine way whereas their male colleagues approach ethics in a masculine way. Some of these physicists further claim that these different approaches to science ethics lead to male and female scientists' different levels of competitiveness in academic physics. In both the US and the UK, there are "gender-blind" physicists, who do not think gender is related to professional ethics. Relying on physicists' nuanced descriptions this paper contributes to the current understanding of gender and science and engineering ethics.

Emotional Labour and Governmentality: Productive Power in Childcare

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monrad, Merete

2017-01-01

This article examines the interplay between governance and cost-containment efforts in the public sector and the emotional labour and well-being of childcare workers. Care-work researchers have highlighted the complexities of power in emotional labour, such as the fact that emotional labour may simultaneously benefit the individual worker and…

Health status and labour force participation: evidence from Australia.

PubMed

Cai, Lixin; Kalb, Guyonne

2006-03-01

This paper examines the effect of health on labour force participation using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The potential endogeneity of health, especially self-assessed health, in the labour force participation equation is addressed by estimating the health equation and the labour force participation equation simultaneously. Taking into account the correlation between the error terms in the two equations, the estimation is conducted separately for males aged 15-49, males aged 50-64, females aged 15-49 and females aged 50-60. The results indicate that better health increases the probability of labour force participation for all four groups. However, the effect is larger for the older groups and for women. As for the feedback effect, it is found that labour force participation has a significant positive impact on older females' health, and a significant negative effect on younger males' health. For younger females and older males, the impact of labour force participation on health is not significant. The null-hypothesis of exogeneity of health to labour force participation is rejected for all groups. Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Delivery outcomes after day and night onset of labour.

PubMed

Kanwar, Sandeep; Rabindran, Ranjit; Lindow, Stephen W

2015-11-01

To describe the outcome of night onset of labour as compared with the day onset of labour to investigate if labour that begins at night is more efficient. Retrospective review of labour and delivery data. A large United Kingdom maternity service. Over the period of 10 years, there were 30,022 deliveries, of which 19,842 were studied. A United Kingdom maternity department database was used to identify deliveries over a 10-year period, and the delivery outcomes were retrieved from these records. The 19,842 labours were divided into two categories: night onset (22.00-06.00 h) and day onset (10.00-18.00 h). Rates of operative intervention, augmentation, epidural usage and labour duration. A significant difference in delivery outcome was noted (P=0.004) with the night-onset labours having more normal deliveries (83.6% vs. 82.5%), fewer caesarean sections (8.7% vs. 10.1%), fewer labour augmentations with syntocinon (14.9% vs. 19.5%, P<0.001), fewer artificial rupture of membranes (14.1% vs. 15.6% P<0.001) and a significantly shorter mean first stage duration (4 h 58 min vs. 5 h 7 min, P<0.05). The proportion of women from each group who delivered between 09.00 and 17.00 h was 3660 (31.1%) in the night-onset group and 2414 (30%) in the day-onset group (χ2=1.3, P=NS) Conclusions: Labours that start at night appear to be more efficient than labours that start during the day.

The Academic Engagement of White and Ethnic Minority Students in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, John T. E.

2011-01-01

At UK institutions of higher education, the academic attainment of White students tends to be higher than that of students from other ethnic groups. A postal survey of Open University students found very little difference in academic engagement in those from different ethnic groups. The differences in pass rates and course grades remained…

Addressing the knowledge gap: sexual violence and harassment in the UK Armed Forces.

PubMed

Godier, Lauren R; Fossey, M

2017-09-06

Despite media interest in alleged sexual violence and harassment in the UK military, there remains a paucity of UK-based peer-reviewed research in this area. Ministry of Defence and service-specific reports support the suggestion that UK service personnel may be at risk of experiencing sexual harassment. These reports however highlight a reluctance by service personnel to report sexual harassment through official channels. In this article, we discuss the paucity of UK-based research pertaining to the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment in the military, explore potential reasons for this gap in knowledge and outline future directions and priorities for academic research. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Labour Market Outcomes of Higher Education Undertaken Abroad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiers-Jenssen, Jannecke; Try, Sverre

2005-01-01

The aim of this article is to analyse the transferability of higher education undertaken abroad to a domestic labour market. More specifically, how do Norwegians who have undertaken their education abroad cope on the labour market compared to those who have a corresponding education from Norway? To examine this, we analyse short-term labour market…

International Students' Critical Thinking-Related Problem Areas: UK University Teachers' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaheen, Nisbah

2016-01-01

This qualitative study aims to understand the areas of international students' critical thinking-related initial difficulties, in order to facilitate their academic experiences in UK universities. Using a sample of 14 British teachers, the findings reveal that students from culturally and linguistically diverse traditions are very different in…

Immersion in water in labour and birth

PubMed Central

Cluett, Elizabeth R; Burns, Ethel

2014-01-01

Background Enthusiasts suggest that labouring in water and waterbirth increase maternal relaxation, reduce analgesia requirements and promote a midwifery model of care. Critics cite the risk of neonatal water inhalation and maternal/neonatal infection. Objectives To assess the evidence from randomised controlled trials about immersion in water during labour and waterbirth on maternal, fetal, neonatal and caregiver outcomes. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register (30 June 2011) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials comparing immersion in any bath tub/pool with no immersion, or other non-pharmacological forms of pain management during labour and/or birth, in women during labour who were considered to be at low risk of complications, as defined by the researchers. Data collection and analysis We assessed trial eligibility and quality and extracted data independently. One review author entered data and the other checked for accuracy. Main results This review includes 12 trials (3243 women): eight related to just the first stage of labour: one to early versus late immersion in the first stage of labour; two to the first and second stages; and another to the second stage only. We identified no trials evaluating different baths/pools, or the management of third stage of labour. Results for the first stage of labour showed there was a significant reduction in the epidural/spinal/paracervical analgesia/anaesthesia rate amongst women allocated to water immersion compared to controls (478/1254 versus 529/1245; risk ratio (RR) 0.90; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82 to 0.99, six trials). There was also a reduction in duration of the first stage of labour (mean difference −32.4 minutes; 95% CI −58.7 to −6.13). There was no difference in assisted vaginal deliveries (RR 0.86; 95% CI 0.71 to 1.05, seven trials), caesarean sections (RR 1.21; 95% CI 0.87 to 1.68, eight

What influences midwives in estimating labour pain?

PubMed

Williams, A C de C; Morris, J; Stevens, K; Gessler, S; Cella, M; Baxter, J

2013-01-01

Clinicians' estimates of patients' pain are frequently used as a basis for delivering care, and the characteristics of the clinician and of the patient influence this estimate. We studied pain estimation by midwives attending women in uncomplicated labour. Sixty-six practising midwives of varied age, ethnicity and professional experience were asked to complete a trait empathy measure and then to estimate the maximum pain and anxiety experienced by six women whose filmed labour contractions they viewed. Additionally, they rated similarity to the labouring women in ethnicity, and described their beliefs about pain expression according to ethnicity. Midwife estimates of pain and anxiety were highly correlated. Longer professional experience was associated with lower pain estimates, while more births to the midwife herself was associated with higher pain estimates. A multiple regression model identified number of births to the midwife herself, and two components of empathy (perspective taking and identification), to be important in predicting midwife pain estimates for women in labour. Midwives expressed clear beliefs about women's expression of pain during labour according to ethnicity, but these beliefs were not consistent across midwives, even between midwives of similar ethnicity. Midwives' personal characteristics can bias the estimation of pain in woman in labour and therefore influence treatment. © 2012 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters.

[Emotional labour of nursing care: an evolutionary concept analysis].

PubMed

Truc, Huynh; Alderson, Marie; Thompson, Mary

2009-06-01

Caring is considered as the essence of nursing. Underpinning caring, the internal regulation of emotions or the emotional labour of nurses is invisible. The concept of emotional labour is relatively underdeveloped in nursing. A literature search using keywords 'emotional labour', 'emotional work' and 'emotions' was performed in CINAHL, psycINFO and REPERE from 1990 to January 2008. We analysed 72 papers whose main focus of inquiry was on emotional labour. We followed Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis. Emotional labour is a process whereby nurse adopt a 'work persona' to express their autonomous, surface or deep emotions during patient encounters. Antecedents to this adoption of a work persona are events occurring during patient-nurse encounters, and which consist of three elements : organization (i.e.social norms, social support), nurse (i.e.role identification, professional commitment, work experience and interpersonal skills) and job (i.e.autonomy, task routine, degree of emotional demand, interaction frequency and work complexity). The attributes of emotional labour have two dimensions : nurses' autonomous response and their work persona strategies (i.e. surface or deep acts). The consequences of emotional labour include organizational (i.e.productivity, 'cheerful environment') and nurse aspects (i.e. negative or positive) the concept of emotional labour should be introduced into preregistration programmes. Nurses also need to have time and a supportive environment to reflect, understand and discuss their emotional labour in caring for 'difficult' patients to deflate the dominant discourse about 'problem' patients.

The role of the staff MFF in distributing NHS funding: taking account of differences in local labour market conditions.

PubMed

Elliott, Robert; Ma, Ada; Sutton, Matt; Skatun, Diane; Rice, Nigel; Morris, Stephen; McConnachie, Alex

2010-05-01

The National Health Service (NHS) in England distributes substantial funds to health-care providers in different geographical areas to pay for the health care required by the populations they serve. The formulae that determine this distribution reflect populations' health needs and local differences in the prices of inputs. Labour is the most important input and area differences in the price of labour are measured by the Staff Market Forces Factor (MFF). This Staff MFF has been the subject of much debate. Though the Staff MFF has operated for almost 30 years this is the first academic paper to evaluate and test the theory and method that underpin the MFF. The theory underpinning the Staff MFF is the General Labour Market method. The analysis reported here reveals empirical support for this theory in the case of nursing staff employed by NHS hospitals, but fails to identify similar support for its application to medical staff. The paper demonstrates the extent of spatial variation in private sector and NHS wages, considers the choice of comparators and spatial geography, incorporates vacancy modelling and illustrates the effect of spatial smoothing.

Interventions to support effective communication between maternity care staff and women in labour: A mixed-methods systematic review.

PubMed

Chang, Yan-Shing; Coxon, Kirstie; Portela, Anayda Gerarda; Furuta, Marie; Bick, Debra

2018-04-01

the objectives of this review were (1) to assess whether interventions to support effective communication between maternity care staff and healthy women in labour with a term pregnancy could improve birth outcomes and experiences of care; and (2) to synthesize information related to the feasibility of implementation and resources required. a mixed-methods systematic review. studies which reported on interventions aimed at improving communication between maternity care staff and healthy women during normal labour and birth, with no apparent medical or obstetric complications, and their family members were included. 'Maternity care staff' included medical doctors (e.g. obstetricians, anaesthetists, physicians, family doctors, paediatricians), midwives, nurses and other skilled birth attendants providing labour, birth and immediate postnatal care. Studies from all birth settings (any country, any facility including home birth, any resource level) were included. two papers met the inclusion criteria. One was a step wedge randomised controlled trial conducted in Syria, and the other a sub-analysis of a randomised controlled trial from the United Kingdom. Both studies aimed to assess effects of communication training for maternity care staff on women's experiences of labour care. The study from Syria reported that a communication skills training intervention for resident doctors was not associated with higher satisfaction reported by women. In the UK study, patient-actors' (experienced midwives) perceptions of safety and communication significantly improved for postpartum haemorrhage scenarios after training with patient-actors in local hospitals, compared with training using manikins in simulation centres, but no differences were identified for other scenarios. Both studies had methodological limitations. the review identified a lack of evidence on impact of interventions to support effective communication between maternity care staff and healthy women during labour and

Narratives of neoliberalism: 'clinical labour' in context.

PubMed

Parry, Bronwyn

2015-06-01

Cross-border reproductive care has been thrust under the international spotlight by a series of recent scandals. These have prompted calls to develop more robust means of assessing the exploitative potential of such practices and the need for overarching and normative forms of national and international regulation. Allied theorisations of the emergence of forms of clinical labour have cast the outsourcing of reproductive services such as gamete donation and gestational surrogacy as artefacts of a wider neoliberalisation of service provision. These accounts share with many other narratives of neoliberalism a number of key assertions that relate to the presumed organisation of labour relations within this paradigm. This article critically engages with four assumptions implicit in these accounts: that clinical labourers constitute a largely homogeneous underclass of workers; that reproductive labour has been contractualised in ways that disembed it from wider social and communal relations; that contractualisation can provide protection for clinical labour lessening the need for formal regulatory oversight; and that the transnationalisation of reproductive service labour is largely unidirectional and characterised by a dynamic of provision in which 'the rest' services 'the West'. Drawing on the first findings of a large-scale ethnographic research project into assisted reproduction in India I provide evidence to refute these assertions. In so doing the article demonstrates that while the outsourcing and contractualisation of reproductive labour may be embedded in a wider neoliberal paradigm these practices cannot be understood nor their impacts be fully assessed in isolation from their social and cultural contexts. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A case study into labour turnover within an NHS Trust.

PubMed

Bamford, David; Hall, Catherine

2007-02-01

This paper investigates turnover in a British NHS Trust, to find out why staff left and whether factors identified in the literature with regards to improving turnover were pertinent to the organization. The research also investigated staff groups with high turnover--staff with less than 12 months service, and the unqualified nursing staff group--to ascertain whether there were any reasons for leaving or areas of dissatisfaction particular to these groups. The outcomes of the research complied with much of the published research with some interesting differences. The main reasons for leaving were identified as moving house, promotion or career development and taking up education and training opportunities elsewhere. There was no evidence of 'level of pay', commonly given as a significant influence behind turnover, as a reason for leaving. It was also found that the retention strategies identified in the published research were mainly applicable to the research, with evidence to support the improvement of line management skills, training and development, career development, appraisal, communications and induction in order to reduce turnover. There was less evidence for introducing work-life balance policies, improving communications, pay and working relationships as retention strategies. Recommendations for future management of labour turnover within the NHS Trust and elsewhere are made, with observations about the validity of some existing models. The core contribution of this research is in adding to the body of knowledge about labour turnover issues. This is of value to those working in the UK health-care and wider public sector. Specific recommendations for future research are made.

Citizens of the Academic Community? A Societal Perspective on Leadership in UK Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolden, Richard; Gosling, Jonathan; O'Brien, Anne

2014-01-01

This paper presents a societal perspective on academic leadership by exploring the preoccupations of academics as citizens rather than as employees, managers or individuals. It uses a listening post methodology to ask "what is it like to be a citizen of an academic institution in contemporary Britain?" Three listening posts, comprising…

Entrepreneurial Universities for the UK: A "Stanford University" at Bamburgh Castle?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etzkowitz, Henry

2010-01-01

It is suggested that the value of projected cuts in UK higher education spending should be redirected to fund start-up entrepreneurial universities as part of a strategy for knowledge-based economic growth. Two specific elements of academic entrepreneurial redesign are outlined: the Professor of Practice, linking university and industry through…

Readability of internet-sourced patient education material related to “labour analgesia”

PubMed Central

Boztas, Nilay; Omur, Dilek; Ozbılgın, Sule; Altuntas, Gözde; Piskin, Ersan; Ozkardesler, Sevda; Hanci, Volkan

2017-01-01

Abstract We evaluated the readability of Internet-sourced patient education materials (PEMs) related to “labour analgesia.” In addition to assessing the readability of websites, we aimed to compare commercial, personal, and academic websites. We used the most popular search engine (http://www.google.com) in our study. The first 100 websites in English that resulted from a search for the key words “labour analgesia” were scanned. Websites that were not in English, graphs, pictures, videos, tables, figures and list formats in the text, all punctuation, the number of words in the text is less than 100 words, feedback forms not related to education, (Uniform Resource Locator) URL websites, author information, references, legal disclaimers, and addresses and telephone numbers were excluded. The texts included in the study were assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (FOG) readability formulae. The number of Latin words within the text was determined. Analysis of 300-word sections of the texts revealed that the mean FRES was 47.54 ± 12.54 (quite difficult), mean FKGL and SMOG were 11.92 ± 2.59 and 10.57 ± 1.88 years of education, respectively, and mean Gunning FOG was 14.71 ± 2.76 (very difficult). Within 300-word sections, the mean number of Latin words was identified as 16.56 ± 6.37. In our study, the readability level of Internet-sourced PEM related to “labour analgesia” was identified to be quite high indicating poor readability. PMID:29137057

A Critical Evaluation of Academic Internal Audit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackmore, Jacqueline Ann

2004-01-01

This account of internal audit is set within the context of higher education in the UK and a fictitiously named Riverbank University. The study evaluates the recent introduction of "Internal Academic Audit" to the University and compares the process with that of the internationally recognized ISO 19011 Guidelines for Auditing Quality…

Parliamentary privilege--mortality in members of the Houses of Parliament compared with the UK general population: retrospective cohort analysis, 1945-2011.

PubMed

Dennis, John; Crayford, Tim

2015-12-14

To examine mortality in members of the two UK Houses of Parliament compared with the general population, 1945-2011. Retrospective cohort analysis of death rates and predictors of mortality in Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the House of Lords (Lords). UK. 4950 MPs and Lords first joining the UK parliament in 1945-2011. Standardised mortality ratios, comparing all cause death rates of MPs and Lords from first election or appointment with those in the age, sex, and calendar year matched general population. Between 1945 and 2011, mortality was lower in MPs (standardised mortality ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.67 to 0.76) and Lords (0.63, 0.60 to 0.67) than in the general population. Over the same period, death rates among MPs also improved more quickly than in the general population. For every 100 expected deaths, 22 fewer deaths occurred among MPs first elected in 1990-99 compared with MPs first elected in 1945-49. Labour party MPs had 19% higher death rates compared with the general population than did Conservative MPs (relative mortality ratio 1.19, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.40). The effect of political party on mortality disappeared when controlling for education level. From 1945 to 2011, MPs and Lords experienced lower mortality than the UK general population, and, at least until 1999, the mortality gap between newly elected MPs and the general population widened. Even among MPs, educational background was an important predictor of mortality, and education possibly explains much of the mortality difference between Labour and Conservative MPs. Social inequalities are alive and well in UK parliamentarians, and at least in terms of mortality, MPs are likely to have never had it so good. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The development of a Simplified, Effective, Labour Monitoring-to-Action (SELMA) tool for Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD): study protocol.

PubMed

Souza, João Paulo; Oladapo, Olufemi T; Bohren, Meghan A; Mugerwa, Kidza; Fawole, Bukola; Moscovici, Leonardo; Alves, Domingos; Perdona, Gleici; Oliveira-Ciabati, Livia; Vogel, Joshua P; Tunçalp, Özge; Zhang, Jim; Hofmeyr, Justus; Bahl, Rajiv; Gülmezoglu, A Metin

2015-05-26

The partograph is currently the main tool available to support decision-making of health professionals during labour. However, the rate of appropriate use of the partograph is disappointingly low. Apart from limitations that are associated with partograph use, evidence of positive impact on labour-related health outcomes is lacking. The main goal of this study is to develop a Simplified, Effective, Labour Monitoring-to-Action (SELMA) tool. The primary objectives are: to identify the essential elements of intrapartum monitoring that trigger the decision to use interventions aimed at preventing poor labour outcomes; to develop a simplified, monitoring-to-action algorithm for labour management; and to compare the diagnostic performance of SELMA and partograph algorithms as tools to identify women who are likely to develop poor labour-related outcomes. A prospective cohort study will be conducted in eight health facilities in Nigeria and Uganda (four facilities from each country). All women admitted for vaginal birth will comprise the study population (estimated sample size: 7,812 women). Data will be collected on maternal characteristics on admission, labour events and pregnancy outcomes by trained research assistants at the participating health facilities. Prediction models will be developed to identify women at risk of intrapartum-related perinatal death or morbidity (primary outcomes) throughout the course of labour. These predictions models will be used to assemble a decision-support tool that will be able to suggest the best course of action to avert adverse outcomes during the course of labour. To develop this set of prediction models, we will use up-to-date techniques of prognostic research, including identification of important predictors, assigning of relative weights to each predictor, estimation of the predictive performance of the model through calibration and discrimination, and determination of its potential for application using internal validation

Mentoring for Business Engagement as Continuing Professional Development of University Academic Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helyer, Ruth; Lee, Dionne

2012-01-01

This paper reports an innovative continuing professional development (CPD) project for academic staff in a UK university. The aim of the project is to develop academics' skills in relating to the business environment. The project has a number of strands, but the principal focus of this paper is upon a mentoring initiative. Much CPD in universities…

Head-to-cervix force: an important physiological variable in labour. 1. The temporal relation between head-to-cervix force and intrauterine pressure during labour.

PubMed

Allman, A C; Genevier, E S; Johnson, M R; Steer, P J

1996-08-01

To investigate the relation between the rise in intrauterine pressure and rise in fetal head to cervix force in normal, slow and induced labour. Prospective observational study. The labour ward of a London teaching hospital. Forty patients were recruited from the antenatal clinic and labour ward of a West London Hospital. Five had normal onset and progression of labour, 14 had slow progression of labour and 21 had induced onset of labour. Intrauterine pressure and head-to-cervix force was measured simultaneously using an intrauterine pressure catheter and a specially designed four sensor head-to-cervix force probe. For each contraction of each labour, scattergrams of force by pressure were plotted. Three patterns were observed. When the rise in pressure preceded the rise in force, a positive 'loop' was generated. When the rise in pressure and force occurred simultaneously a linear pattern was generated (a neutral 'loop'). When the rise in pressure lags the rise in force, a negative 'loop' was generated. In normally progressive labour the distribution of loops was 29.1%, 22.6% and 48.3%, respectively, in slow labour the distribution was 26.1%, 14.1% and 59.8% and in induced labour the distribution was 33.8%, 14.4% and 51.8%. These distributions were not statistically different. However, a higher proportion of negative loops was observed in labours augmented with oxytocin compared to those receiving no oxytocin (MW-U = 87, P = 0.036). No differences were observed comparing parity, use of PGE2, epidural analgesia, or mode of delivery. Contraction frequency (number/10 minutes) was inversely correlated to the percentage of negative loops (rs = -0.34, P = 0.033) and positively correlated with percentage of positive loops (rs = 0.36, P = 0.027). This is the first report of the temporal relation between intrauterine pressure and head-to-cervix force in labour. The most common pattern is that the rise in pressure lags the rise in force, suggesting that a seal has to be

Epidural labour analgesia using Bupivacaine and Clonidine

PubMed Central

Syal, K; Dogra, RK; Ohri, A; Chauhan, G; Goel, A

2011-01-01

Background: To compare the effects of addition of Clonidine (60 μg) to Epidural Bupivacaine (0.125%) for labour analgesia, with regard to duration of analgesia, duration of labour, ambulation, incidence of instrumentation and caesarean section, foetal outcome, patient satisfaction and side effects. Patients & Methods: On demand, epidural labour analgesia was given to 50 nulliparous healthy term parturients (cephalic presentation), divided in two groups randomly. Group I received bupivacaine (0.125%) alone, whereas Group II received bupivacaine (0.125%) along with Clonidine (60 μg). 10 ml of 0.125% bupivacaine was injected as first dose and further doses titrated with patient relief (Numerical Rating Scale <3). Top ups were given whenever Numerical Rating Scale went above 5. Results: There was statistically significant prolongation of duration of analgesia in Group II, with no difference in duration of labour, ambulation, incidence of instrumentation and caesarean section or foetal outcome. Also clonidine gave dose sparing effect to bupivacaine and there was better patient satisfaction without any significant side effects in Group II. Conclusion: Clonidine is a useful adjunct to bupivacaine for epidural labour analgesia and can be considered as alternative to opioids. PMID:21804714

UK Policy on Doctor Remediation: Trajectories and Challenges.

PubMed

Price, Tristan; Archer, Julian

2017-01-01

Around the world, policy-makers, academics, and health service professionals have become increasingly aware of the importance of remediation, the process by which poor performance is "remedied," as part of the changing landscape of medical regulation. It is, therefore, an opportune time to critique the UK experience with remediation policy. This article frames, for the first time, the UK remediation policy as developing from a central policy aim that was articulated in the 1990s: to accelerate the identification of underperformance and, subsequently, remedy any problems identified as soon as possible. In pursuit of this aim, three policy trajectories have emerged: professionalizing and standardizing remediation provision; linking remediation with other forms of regulation, namely relicensure (known in the UK as medical revalidation); and fostering obligations for doctors to report themselves and others for remediation needs. The operationalization of policy along these trajectories, and the challenges that have arisen, has relevance for anyone seeking to understand or indeed improve remediation practices within any health care system. It is argued here that the UK serves as an example of the more general challenges posed by seeking to integrate remediation policy within broader frameworks of medical governance, in particular systems of relicensure, and the need to develop a solid evidence base for remediation practices.

Morning versus evening induction of labour for improving outcomes.

PubMed

Bakker, Jannet J H; van der Goes, Birgit Y; Pel, Maria; Mol, Ben Willem J; van der Post, Joris A M

2013-02-28

Induction of labour is a common intervention in obstetric practice. Traditionally, in most hospitals induction of labour with medication starts early in the morning, with the start of the working day for the day shift. In human and animal studies spontaneous onset of labour is proven to have a circadian rhythm with a preference for start of labour in the evening. Moreover, when spontaneous labour starts in the evening, the total duration of labour and delivery shortens and fewer obstetric interventions are needed. Based on these observations one might assume that starting induction of labour in the evening, in harmony with the circadian rhythm of natural birth, is more beneficial for both mother and child. To assess whether induction of labour starting in the evening, coinciding with the endogenous circadian rhythm, improves the outcome of labour compared with induction of labour starting in the early morning, organised to coincide with office hours. We contacted the Trials Search Co-ordinator to search the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (28 February 2012). In addition, we searched MEDLINE (1966 to 16 February 2012) and EMBASE (1980 to 16 February 2012). We included all published and unpublished randomised controlled trials. We excluded trials that employed quasi-random methods of treatment allocation. Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias. Two review authors independently extracted data. Data were checked for accuracy. Where necessary, we contacted study authors for additional information. The search resulted in 2693 articles that we screened on title and abstract for eligibility.Thirteen studies were selected for full text assessment. We included three randomised trials involving 1150 women. Two trials compared the administration of prostaglandins in the morning versus the evening in women with an unfavourable cervix, and one trial compared induction of labour in the morning versus the evening

The Unacknowledged Value of Female Academic Labour Power for Male Research Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angervall, Petra; Beach, Dennis; Gustafsson, Jan

2015-01-01

Academic work in Sweden's higher education system is changing character. Distinctly different career pathways are emerging, as facilities for developing research careers and capital have become both more restricted and more dependent on external funding. These developments are in focus in the present article. Based on ethnographic research and a…

Director Turnover: An Australian Academic Development Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Kym; Ryan, Yoni

2012-01-01

Although it can be argued that directors of central academic development units (ADUs) are critical to the implementation of university teaching and learning strategies, it would appear there is a high director turnover rate. While research in the USA, the UK, and Australia illustrates that ADUs are frequently closed or restructured, that research…

Division of labour in the yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Wloch-Salamon, Dominika M; Fisher, Roberta M; Regenberg, Birgitte

2017-10-01

Division of labour between different specialized cell types is a central part of how we describe complexity in multicellular organisms. However, it is increasingly being recognized that division of labour also plays an important role in the lives of predominantly unicellular organisms. Saccharomyces cerevisiae displays several phenotypes that could be considered a division of labour, including quiescence, apoptosis and biofilm formation, but they have not been explicitly treated as such. We discuss each of these examples, using a definition of division of labour that involves phenotypic variation between cells within a population, cooperation between cells performing different tasks and maximization of the inclusive fitness of all cells involved. We then propose future research directions and possible experimental tests using S. cerevisiae as a model organism for understanding the genetic mechanisms and selective pressures that can lead to the evolution of the very first stages of a division of labour. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Maternal positions and mobility during first stage labour

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Annemarie; Lewis, Lucy; Hofmeyr, G Justus; Dowswell, Therese; Styles, Cathy

2014-01-01

Background It is more common for women in the developed world, and those in low-income countries giving birth in health facilities, to labour in bed. There is no evidence that this is associated with any advantage for women or babies, although it may be more convenient for staff. Observational studies have suggested that if women lie on their backs during labour this may have adverse effects on uterine contractions and impede progress in labour. Objectives The purpose of the review is to assess the effects of encouraging women to assume different upright positions (including walking, sitting, standing and kneeling) versus recumbent positions (supine, semi-recumbent and lateral) for women in the first stage of labour on length of labour, type of delivery and other important outcomes for mothers and babies. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register (November 2008). Selection criteria Randomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing women randomised to upright versus recumbent positions in the first stage of labour. Data collection and analysis We used methods described in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions for carrying out data collection, assessing study quality and analysing results. A minimum of two review authors independently assessed each study. Main results The review includes 21 studies with a total of 3706 women. Overall, the first stage of labour was approximately one hour shorter for women randomised to upright as opposed to recumbent positions (MD −0.99, 95% CI −1.60 to −0.39). Women randomised to upright positions were less likely to have epidural analgesia (RR 0.83 95% CI 0.72 to 0.96).There were no differences between groups for other outcomes including length of the second stage of labour, mode of delivery, or other outcomes related to the wellbeing of mothers and babies. For women who had epidural analgesia there were no differences between those randomised to upright

An Exploration of the Development of Academic Identity in a School of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Elizabeth; Roberts, Amanda; Rees, Mary; Read, Mary

2014-01-01

This paper explores the complex processes involved in the self-construction of academic identity in a UK School of Education. Building on seminal literature in this field and drawing on the research of four academics, it begins by discussing teacher educators' varying perceptions of the need to re-configure their identity to meet the expectations…

The Internationality Imperative in Academia. The Ascent of Internationality as an Academic Virtue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamann, Julian; Zimmer, Lena M.

2017-01-01

The paper investigates internationality as an academic virtue that is highly relevant for research biographies. The discursive trajectory of this virtue is assessed by comparing ascriptions of internationality in 216 academic obituaries from the US, UK and Germany, from physics, sociology and history, and from the 1960s, 1980s and 2000s. Our…

Altered gene expression in human placenta after suspected preterm labour.

PubMed

Oros, D; Strunk, M; Breton, P; Paules, C; Benito, R; Moreno, E; Garcés, M; Godino, J; Schoorlemmer, J

2017-07-01

Suspected preterm labour occurs in around 9% of pregnancies. However, almost two-thirds of women admitted for threatened preterm labour ultimately deliver at term and are considered risk-free for fetal development. We examined placental and umbilical cord blood samples from preterm or term deliveries after threatened preterm labour as well as term deliveries without threatened preterm labour. We quantitatively analysed the mRNA expression of inflammatory markers (IL6, IFNγ, and TNFα) and modulators of angiogenesis (FGF2, PGF, VEGFA, VEGFB, and VEGFR1). A total of 132 deliveries were analysed. Preterm delivery and term delivery after suspected preterm labour groups showed similar increases in TNFα expression compared with the term delivery control group in umbilical cord blood samples. Placental samples from preterm and term deliveries after suspected preterm labour exhibited significantly increased expression of TNFα and IL6 and decreased expression of IFNγ. Suspected preterm labour was also associated with altered expression of angiogenic factors, although not all differences reached statistical significance. We found gene expression patterns indicative of inflammation in human placentas after suspected preterm labour regardless of whether the deliveries occurred preterm or at term. Similarly, a trend towards altered expression of angiogeneic factors was not limited to preterm birth. These findings suggest that the biological mechanisms underlying threatened preterm labour affect pregnancies independently of gestational age at birth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Academic Performance and Burnout: An Efficient Frontier Analysis of Resource Use Efficiency among Employed University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galbraith, Craig S.; Merrill, Gregory B.

2015-01-01

We examine the impact of university student burnout on academic achievement. With a longitudinal sample of working undergraduate university business and economics students, we use a two-step analytical process to estimate the efficient frontiers of student productivity given inputs of labour and capital and then analyse the potential determinants…

Pedagogy of the Privileged: Elite Universities and Dialectical Contradictions in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cresswell, Mark; Karimova, Zulfia; Brock, Tom

2014-01-01

This paper considers the role and function of Left academics within "elite" (i.e. Russell Group) universities within the UK. Deploying Marxist theory and critical realism, it analyses the "dialectical contradictions" experienced in such a role and reflects upon productive strategies for resisting the hegemony of neo-liberalism…

Labour analgesia: Recent advances

PubMed Central

Pandya, Sunil T

2010-01-01

Advances in the field of labour analgesia have tread a long journey from the days of ether and chloroform in 1847 to the present day practice of comprehensive programme of labour pain management using evidence-based medicine. Newer advances include introduction of newer techniques like combined spinal epidurals, low-dose epidurals facilitating ambulation, pharmacological advances like introduction of remifentanil for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia, introduction of newer local anaesthetics and adjuvants like ropivacaine, levobupivacaine, sufentanil, clonidine and neostigmine, use of inhalational agents like sevoflourane for patient-controlled inhalational analgesia using special vaporizers, all have revolutionized the practice of pain management in labouring parturients. Technological advances like use of ultrasound to localize epidural space in difficult cases minimizes failed epidurals and introduction of novel drug delivery modalities like patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) pumps and computer-integrated drug delivery pumps have improved the overall maternal satisfaction rate and have enabled us to customize a suitable analgesic regimen for each parturient. Recent randomized controlled trials and Cochrane studies have concluded that the association of epidurals with increased caesarean section and long-term backache remains only a myth. Studies have also shown that the newer, low-dose regimes do not have a statistically significant impact on the duration of labour and breast feeding and also that these reduce the instrumental delivery rates thus improving maternal and foetal safety. Advances in medical technology like use of ultrasound for localizing epidural space have helped the clinicians to minimize the failure rates, and many novel drug delivery modalities like PCEA and computer-integrated PCEA have contributed to the overall maternal satisfaction and safety. PMID:21189877

Labour epidural analgesia in Poland in 2009 - a survey.

PubMed

Furmanik, Jacek

2013-01-01

Labour analgesia in most developed countries is funded by the state, available to every woman in labour, and plays an important role in the everyday activities of most anaesthetists. This paper presents the second part of an Obstetric Anaesthesia Survey which was conducted in 2009. The first part of the Survey, relating to anaesthesia for caesarean sections, was published in 2010. The author sent out 432 questionnaires containing questions about hospital size and location, staffing levels and numbers of deliveries per year. There were also questions regarding regional and other pain relief methods used in labour, ways of administration, drugs used and monitoring of patients. The response rate was 24%. Around 45% of responding hospitals had only 1-3 deliveries per year, which makes it difficult to provide separate obstetric anaesthetic cover. Only ten hospitals (11%) employed an anaesthetist for the labour ward. Epidural analgesia was used in 55% of hospitals but only 20% provided the service for 24 hours per day and free of charge. Entonox was used very occasionally, but the most common means of pain relief was pethidine injection. There were marked differences in the medication used for labour epidurals, with 18% of units using high concentrations of local anaesthetics which could result in motor block. Despite a lack of regulations in Polish law and a lack of proper training in 50% of units, midwives were looking after the patients with established labour epidural which could create medico-legal consequences. There was also a marked variation in the parameters monitored during labour analgesia. Epidural labour analgesia was offered for 24 hours per day and free of charge in only 20% of hospitals. Without public pressure it will be difficult to get more funding from the National Health Fund (NFZ) to enable other hospitals, especially those with small obstetric units, to introduce regional labour analgesia. Although the 2009 guidelines addressed most of the issues

Effect of Continued Support of Midwifery Students in Labour on the Childbirth and Labour Consequences: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Bolbol-Haghighi, Nahid; Masoumi, Seyedeh Zahra

2016-01-01

Introduction Childbirth experience is a process throughout women’s life and the most important consequence of labour. Support is the key factor to have a positive experience of childbirth. In order to improve and reduce the stress and anxiety levels in women during labour and cope with the childbirth pain, the emotional, physical and educational support of doulas can be used. Aim This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of continued support of midwifery students in labour on the childbirth and labour consequences. Materials and Methods The present study was conducted using a randomized controlled clinical trial design on 100 pregnant women referred to the maternity ward at Fatemieh Hospital, Shahroud, Iran. The participants were assigned to the supportive or non-supportive group based on allocation sequence using a randomized block design and table of computer-generated random numbers prior to beginning the study. Supportive care was provided by the trained midwifery students. Childbirth and labour consequences were analysed by chi-square test, Fisher-exact test, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test using SPSS-21 software. Results The results showed a significantly lower duration of the first stage of labour in the supportive group, as compared to that in the non-supportive group (p <0.001). Moreover, Apgar scores in the supportive group, compared to those in the non-supportive group, significantly increased at minutes 1 and 5 (p <0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively). Conclusion The findings of this study showed that the supportive care provided by the midwifery students shortens duration of the first stage of labour and improves the Apgar scores in the first and fifth minutes. PMID:27790526

Sustaining Knowledge Exchange and Research Impact in the Social Sciences and Humanities: Investing in Knowledge Broker Roles in UK Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lightowler, Claire; Knight, Christine

2013-01-01

Over the last decade, higher education policy in the United Kingdom (UK) has increasingly focused on the impact of academic research. This has resulted in the emergence of specialist knowledge brokers within UK universities in the social sciences and humanities. Our empirical research identified a tension between the research impact agenda and the…

Knowledge Management Systems and Open Innovation in Second Tier UK Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaston, Ian

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of second tier UK universities in relation to the effectiveness of their knowledge management systems and involvement in open innovation. Data were acquired using a mail survey of academic staff in social science and business faculties in second tier institutions. The results indicate that…

Developments in the Evaluation of Work-Based Learning: A UK Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murdoch, Ian J.

2004-01-01

UK higher education institutions are now expected to be able to demonstrate that they are adhering to the Code of Practice for the Assurance of Academic Quality and Standards in Higher Education in Placement Learning. The responsibility for ensuring that a placement provides an adequate opportunity for its intended learning outcomes rests with the…

Effect of child labour on growth of children.

PubMed

Ambadekar, N N; Wahab, S N; Zodpey, S P; Khandait, D W

1999-11-01

This community based group comparison study was undertaken to assess the effect of child labour on the growth of children. The study subjects were 223 child labourers aged between 8-15 y who were matched by age to an equal number of controls and pair matched for gender. The mean weight of the male child labourers and the controls increased from 23.8 (+/-5.9) to 41.2 (+/-9.7) kg and 23.9 (+/-4.8) to 44.4 (+/-10.3) kg respectively, while mean height increased from 121.5 (+/-12.6) to 151.9 (+/-10.6) cm and 122.0 (+/-8.4) to 154.8 (+/-10.8) cm respectively from 8-15 y. At older ages (12 y and above for weight and 14 y and above for height) the difference was statistically significant. The same was not observed for the female study subjects. Similarly standard deviation (s.d.) scores for weight for age and height for age of male comparison subjects was significantly (P<0.01) nearer to National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) standard than that of the child labourers. Body mass index (BMI) below normal value, that is, 18.5 was observed in significantly (P=0.0261) more child labourers 180 (80.7%) than controls 160 (71.1%). With increasing duration of employment BMI decreased from 18.1 (+/-3.5) to 17.3 (+/-2.2). Genital development was observed to be delayed significantly in male child labourers. Therefore, it can be concluded that labouring at a young age has a deleterious effect on the growth of the child.

Training Outdoor Educators: Integrating Academic and Professional Demands.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Peter; Morgan, Alastair

In the United Kingdom, outdoor educators have varied backgrounds in terms of academic versus professional outdoor training, and the profession has not agreed upon required qualifications. Multiple influences in the historical development of outdoor education have contributed to this situation. Since the 1970s, several U.K. colleges and…

"Fitting In" or "Standing Out": Working-Class Students in UK Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reay, Diane; Crozier, Gill; Clayton, John

2010-01-01

Drawing on case studies of 27 working-class students across four UK higher education institutions, this article attempts to develop a multilayered, sociological understanding of student identities that draws together social and academic aspects. Working with a concept of student identity that combines the more specific notion of learner identity…

Changing Landscapes, Shifting Identities in Higher Education: Narratives of Academics in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trahar, Sheila

2011-01-01

Students and academics have always used different sources of knowledge to generate and to interpret academic and social behaviours, but it is asserted that the increasingly diverse environments of 21st century higher education lead to greater levels of complexity in learning, teaching and assessment and to a consequent shift in the ways in which…

Knowledge and decision-making for labour analgesia of Australian primiparous women.

PubMed

Raynes-Greenow, Camille H; Roberts, Christine L; McCaffery, Kirsten; Clarke, Judith

2007-06-01

to assess and investigate knowledge of labour pain management options and decision-making among primiparous women. a semi-structured guide was used in focus groups to gather pregnant women's knowledge concerning labour analgesia. Attitudes to labour and pain relief, knowledge of pain relief, trustworthiness of knowledge sources, and plans and expectations for labour pain relief were investigated. a major tertiary obstetric hospital in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. twenty five primiparous women, who were 25 weeks or more gestation, and planning a vaginal birth. although women considered themselves knowledgeable, they were unable to describe labour analgesic risks or benefits. There was a large discrepancy between perception and actual knowledge. The main source of knowledge was anecdotal information. Late in pregnancy was considered the ideal time to be given information about labour analgesia. Women described their labour pain relief plans as flexible in relation to their labour circumstances; however, most women wanted to take an active role in decision-making. the large discrepancy between perceived knowledge and actual knowledge of the likely consequences of labour analgesia suggests that women rely too heavily on anecdotal information. clinicians should be aware that some women overestimate their knowledge and understanding of analgesic options, which is often based on anecdotal information. Standardised labour analgesia information at an appropriate time in their pregnancy may benefit some women and assist health-care providers and women to practice shared decision-making.

Increased xanthine oxidase during labour--implications for oxidative stress.

PubMed

Many, A; Roberts, J M

1997-11-01

Xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase (XDH/XO) produces uric acid. When in the oxidase form, this production is coupled with the generation of free radicals. Hypoxia-reperfusion enhances conversion of XDH to XO. Since the placenta is exposed to short periods of hypoxia reperfusion during labour, 17 placentae of pregnancy terminated by elective caesarean section and five placentae of pregnancies terminated by caesarean section during labour were examined for XDH/XO activity. It was found that XO activity was higher in the placentae of labouring women (P = 0.003), which suggests that labour enhances conversion of XDH to XO, facilitating free radical production.

Psychology of Education in the UK: Development in the 1960s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, J. B.

2007-01-01

This paper attempts an account and evaluation of the historical development of psychology of education in the 1960s in the UK. It contributes to both the history of the academic discipline of educational studies and to the history of higher education. Progress of the subject is introduced in the general context of university developments and the…

The Conditions of Movement: A Discussion of Academic Mobility between Two Early Career Scholars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gopaul, Bryan; Pifer, Meghan J.

2016-01-01

Academic mobility is an increasingly crucial topic to the current and future dynamics of doctoral study and the professoriate. Much of the research has focused on US, UK and European contexts. This research explores academic mobility and the manifold issues that arise between the jurisdictions of Canada and the US, in ways that parallel and…

Walking the Tightrope between Work and Non-Work Life: Strategies Employed by British and Chinese Academics and Their Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ren, Xiaoni; Caudle, Darren

2016-01-01

Drawing on in-depth interviews with 30 academics from various disciplines in both UK and Chinese universities, this comparative study aims to offer new insights into how academics in British and Chinese universities maintained work-life balance and the similarities and differences experienced between academics of both countries. This study finds…

Do early life cognitive ability and self-regulation skills explain socio-economic inequalities in academic achievement? An effect decomposition analysis in UK and Australian cohorts.

PubMed

Pearce, Anna; Sawyer, Alyssa C P; Chittleborough, Catherine R; Mittinty, Murthy N; Law, Catherine; Lynch, John W

2016-09-01

Socio-economic inequalities in academic achievement emerge early in life and are observed across the globe. Cognitive ability and "non-cognitive" attributes (such as self-regulation) are the focus of many early years' interventions. Despite this, little research has compared the contributions of early cognitive and self-regulation abilities as separate pathways to inequalities in academic achievement. We examined this in two nationally representative cohorts in the UK (Millennium Cohort Study, n = 11,168; 61% original cohort) and Australia (LSAC, n = 3028; 59% original cohort). An effect decomposition method was used to examine the pathways from socio-economic disadvantage (in infancy) to two academic outcomes: 'low' maths and literacy scores (based on bottom quintile) at age 7-9 years. Risk ratios (RRs, and bootstrap 95% confidence intervals) were estimated with binary regression for each pathway of interest: the 'direct effect' of socio-economic disadvantage on academic achievement (not acting through self-regulation and cognitive ability in early childhood), and the 'indirect effects' of socio-economic disadvantage acting via self-regulation and cognitive ability (separately). Analyses were adjusted for baseline and intermediate confounding. Children from less advantaged families were up to twice as likely to be in the lowest quintile of maths and literacy scores. Around two-thirds of this elevated risk was 'direct' and the majority of the remainder was mediated by early cognitive ability and not self-regulation. For example in LSAC: the RR for the direct pathway from socio-economic disadvantage to poor maths scores was 1.46 (95% CI: 1.17-1.79). The indirect effect of socio-economic disadvantage through cognitive ability (RR = 1.13 [1.06-1.22]) was larger than the indirect effect through self-regulation (1.05 [1.01-1.11]). Similar patterns were observed for both outcomes and in both cohorts. Policies to alleviate social inequality (e.g. child poverty

Pain relief in labour: a qualitative study to determine how to support women to make decisions about pain relief in labour

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Engagement in decision making is a key priority of modern healthcare. Women are encouraged to make decisions about pain relief in labour in the ante-natal period based upon their expectations of what labour pain will be like. Many women find this planning difficult. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how women can be better supported in preparing for, and making, decisions during pregnancy and labour regarding pain management. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 primiparous and 10 multiparous women at 36 weeks of pregnancy and again within six weeks postnatally. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently to identify key themes. Results Three main themes emerged from the data. Firstly, during pregnancy women expressed a degree of uncertainty about the level of pain they would experience in labour and the effect of different methods of pain relief. Secondly, women reflected on how decisions had been made regarding pain management in labour and the degree to which they had felt comfortable making these decisions. Finally, women discussed their perceived levels of control, both desired and experienced, over both their bodies and the decisions they were making. Conclusion This study suggests that the current approach of antenatal preparation in the NHS, of asking women to make decisions antenatally for pain relief in labour, needs reviewing. It would be more beneficial to concentrate efforts on better informing women and on engaging them in discussions around their values, expectations and preferences and how these affect each specific choice rather than expecting them to make to make firm decisions in advance of such an unpredictable event as labour. PMID:24397421

Sexual intercourse for cervical ripening and induction of labour.

PubMed

Kavanagh, J; Kelly, A J; Thomas, J

2001-01-01

The role of prostaglandins for cervical ripening and induction of labour has been examined extensively. Human semen is the biological source that is presumed to contain the highest prostaglandin concentration. The role of sexual intercourse in the initiation of labour is uncertain. The action of sexual intercourse in stimulating labour is unclear, it may in part be due to the physical stimulation of the lower uterine segment, or endogenous release of oxytocin as a result of orgasm or from the direct action of prostaglandins in semen. Furthermore nipple stimulation may be part of the process of initiation. This is one of a series of reviews of methods of cervical ripening and labour induction using standardised methodology. To determine the effects of sexual intercourse for third trimester cervical ripening or induction of labour in comparison with other methods of induction. The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and bibliographies of relevant papers. Last searched: November 2000. (1) clinical trials comparing sexual intercourse for third trimester cervical ripening or labour induction with placebo/no treatment or other methods listed above it on a predefined list of labour induction methods; (2) random allocation to the treatment or control group; (3) adequate allocation concealment; (4) violations of allocated management not sufficient to materially affect conclusions; (5) clinically meaningful outcome measures reported; (6) data available for analysis according to the random allocation; (7) missing data insufficient to materially affect the conclusion. A strategy has been developed to deal with the large volume and complexity of trial data relating to labour induction. This involves a two-stage method of data extraction. There was one included study of 28 women which reported very limited data, from which no meaningful conclusions can be drawn. The role of sexual intercourse as a method of induction

Assessment and support during early labour for improving birth outcomes.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Shinobu; Hanada, Nobutsugu; Matsuzaki, Masayo; Takehara, Kenji; Ota, Erika; Sasaki, Hatoko; Nagata, Chie; Mori, Rintaro

2017-04-20

The progress of labour in the early or latent phase is usually slow and may include painful uterine contractions. Women may feel distressed and lose their confidence during this phase. Support and assessment interventions have been assessed in two previous Cochrane Reviews. This review updates and replaces these two reviews, which have become out of date. To investigate the effectiveness of assessment and support interventions for women during early labour.In order to measure the effectiveness of the interventions, we compared the duration of labour, the rate of obstetrical interventions, and the rate of other maternal or neonatal outcomes. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register, ClinicalTrials.gov, the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (31 October 2016) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Randomised controlled trials of any assessment or support intervention in the latent phase of labour. We planned to include cluster-randomised trials if they were eligible. We did not include quasi-randomised trials. Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. We resolved any disagreement by discussion or by involving a third assessor. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. We included five trials with a total of 10,421 pregnant women in this review update. The trials were conducted in the UK, Canada and America. The trials compared interventions in early labour versus usual care. We examined three comparisons: early labour assessment versus immediate admission to hospital; home visits by midwives versus usual care (telephone triage); and one-to-one structured midwifery care versus usual care. These trials were at moderate- risk of bias mainly because blinding women and staff to these interventions is not generally feasible. For important outcomes we assessed evidence using

Does the Students' Preferred Pedagogy Relate to Their Ethnicity: UK and Asian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winch, Junko

2016-01-01

An increasing number of international students, whose culture of teaching and learning practices are very different from UK students, are studying at British universities. This study investigates multicultural students' preferences using two different teaching approaches in the 2009/2010 academic year, which is explained in the framework of this…

Intracutaneous sterile water for back pain in labour.

PubMed Central

Reynolds, J. L.

1994-01-01

Intracutaneous sterile water appears to be a simple, effective, and harmless technique for relieving back pain. This technique has been used to relieve pain of renal colic, whiplash, and back pain in labour. Family doctors often practise obstetrics in small or isolated units that have limited options for pain relief in labour. This technique is simple, is easy to learn, and appears effective for relieving back pain, which complicates about one third of all labours. Images Figures 1-2 Figures 3-4 PMID:7950471

The Impact of Training-Intensive Labour Market Policies on Labour and Educational Prospects of NEETS: Evidence from Catalonia (Spain)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alegre, Miquel Àngel; Casado, David; Sanz, Jordi; Todeschini, Federico A.

2015-01-01

Background: The literature has shown that the way active labour market policies (ALMP) aimed at youth are designed and implemented can influence the labour and educational prospects of youngsters. The evaluation of the Catalan PQPIs (initial vocational qualification programmes) presented here seeks to provide new evidence on the effectiveness of…

Radiotherapy physics research in the UK: challenges and proposed solutions.

PubMed

Mackay, R I; Burnet, N G; Green, S; Illidge, T M; Staffurth, J N

2012-10-01

In 2011, the Clinical and Translational Radiotherapy Research Working Group (CTRad) of the National Cancer Research Institute brought together UK radiotherapy physics leaders for a think tank meeting. Following a format that CTRad had previously and successfully used with clinical oncologists, 23 departments were asked to complete a pre-meeting evaluation of their radiotherapy physics research infrastructure and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats within their own centre. These departments were brought together with the CTRad Executive Group and research funders to discuss the current state of radiotherapy physics research, perceived barriers and possible solutions. In this Commentary, we summarise the submitted materials, presentations and discussions from the meeting and propose an action plan. It is clear that there are challenges in both funding and staffing of radiotherapy physics research. Programme and project funding streams sometimes struggle to cater for physics-led work, and increased representation on research funding bodies would be valuable. Career paths for academic radiotherapy physicists need to be examined and an academic training route identified within Modernising Scientific Careers; the introduction of formal job plans may allow greater protection of research time, and should be considered. Improved access to research facilities, including research linear accelerators, would enhance research activity and pass on developments to patients more quickly; research infrastructure could be benchmarked against centres in the UK and abroad. UK National Health Service departments wishing to undertake radiotherapy research, with its attendant added value for patients, need to develop a strategy with their partner higher education institution, and collaboration between departments may provide enhanced opportunities for funded research.

Ethnic variation between white European women in labour outcomes in a setting in which the management of labour is standardised-a healthy migrant effect?

PubMed

Walsh, J; Mahony, R; Armstrong, F; Ryan, G; O'Herlihy, C; Foley, M

2011-05-01

To test the hypothesis that women from Eastern European countries have lower caesarean delivery rates and higher spontaneous labour rates relative to Irish women in a setting in which the management of labour is standardised. A retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Tertiary referral centre, Dublin, Ireland. All Irish and Eastern European term nulliparous women who laboured and delivered in 2008. A comparison of labour outcomes between women from Ireland and women from Eastern European countries. The principal outcomes measured were the gestational age at onset of labour, whether labour was spontaneous or induced, the need for oxytocin augmentation, duration of labour, mode of delivery, epidural use and birthweight. Of 2556 Irish (n = 2041) and Eastern European (n = 511) term cephalic singleton labours in the calendar year 2008, women from Eastern Europe were significantly more likely to labour spontaneously (74.6% versus 65.9%, P < 0.001), required less epidural analgesia (68.4% versus 59.7%) and were significantly less likely to require delivery by caesarean section (8.6% versus 15.7%, P < 0.001) than Irish women. This is despite no significant difference between the two groups with regard to mean birthweight (3581 g versus 3569 g, P = 0.6) or macrosomia (birthweight over 4000 g) (18% versus 16%, P = 0.4). There were significant differences in maternal age at delivery (27.2 years versus 29.2 years, P < 0.001) and body mass index (BMI) (24.1 kg/m² versus 25.4 kg/m², P < 0.001) between the two groups. These findings confirm our hypothesis that economic migrants from Eastern European countries exhibit a so-called 'healthy migrant effect' in terms of obstetric outcomes. © 2011 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2011 RCOG.

Accountability in Grading Student Work: Securing Academic Standards in a Twenty-First Century Quality Assurance Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloxham, Sue; Boyd, Pete

2012-01-01

This article, using a student outcomes definition of academic standards, reports on academics' sense of standards as enacted through marking practices. Twelve lecturers from two UK universities were asked to "think aloud" as they graded written assignments followed by a semi-structured interview. The interview data were used to…

Academic Boredom among Students in Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Characteristics, Contributors and Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, John G.; Hemmings, Brian; Kay, Russell; Murphy, Barbara; Elliott, Sam

2017-01-01

Academic boredom usually contributes adversely towards student engagement and performance across a diverse range of settings including universities. The formal study of academic boredom in higher education remains, however, a relatively underdeveloped field and one surprisingly neglected in the UK. Rooted in Control-Value Theory, details of a…

Emotional labour and stress within mental health nursing.

PubMed

Mann, S; Cowburn, J

2005-04-01

For many within the nursing profession, the work role involves a great deal of emotional work or 'emotional labour'. Such emotional work can be performed through 'surface acting' in which the individual simply feigns an appropriate emotion, or through 'deep acting' in which they actually try to feel the required emotion. The current study aims to aid understanding of the complex relationship between components of emotional labour and stress within the mental health nursing sector. Thirty-five mental health nurses completed questionnaires relating to a total of 122 nurse-patient interactions. Data were collected in relation to: (1) the duration and intensity of the interaction; (2) the variety of emotions expressed; (3) the degree of surface or deep acting the nurse performed; and (4) the perceived level of stress the interaction involved. Nurses also completed Daily Stress Indicators. Results suggest that: (1) emotional labour is positively correlated with both 'interaction stress' and daily stress levels; (2) the deeper the intensity of interactions and the more variety of emotions experienced, the more emotional labour was reported; and (3) surface acting was a more important predictor of emotional labour than deep acting. Implications for mental health nurses are outlined.

History of Inclusive Design in the UK.

PubMed

John Clarkson, P; Coleman, Roger

2015-01-01

The UK Design Council describes Inclusive Design as neither a new genre of design, nor a separate specialism, but as a general approach to designing in which designers ensure that their products and services address the needs of the widest possible audience, irrespective of age or ability. Inclusive Design (also known [in Europe] as Design for All and as Universal Design in the USA) is in essence the inverse of earlier approaches to designing for disabled and elderly people as a sub-set of the population, and an integral part of a more recent international trend towards the integration of older and disabled people in the mainstream of society. This paper describes the development of Inclusive Design in the UK, from its early beginnings, through its subsequent adoption as a topic of academic research, leading to its recent emergence embodied as a framework and toolkit for design. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

The Emotional Labour of Caring in Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isenbarger, Lynn; Zembylas, Michalinos

2006-01-01

This article is based on a collaborative action research study between one teacher and a teacher educator and provides an account of the emotional labour in enacting caring teaching in an inclusive classroom. The emotional labour demanded in caring relationships is an area of research that has not received much attention. Results from this case…

Evolving understanding and treatment of labour dystocia.

PubMed

Karaçam, Zekiye; Walsh, Denis; Bugg, George John

2014-11-01

The objective of the review is to critically review the diagnosis and management of dystocia in the first stage of labour. We conducted a narrative review of research since 1998. Eight studies were identified, four about the onset and duration of active phase of the first stage of labour, one on the diagnosis of dystocia, and three focused on the treatment of dystocia. The review demonstrates that current understandings of dystocia rest on outdated definitions of active first stage of labour, its progress and on treatments with an equivocal evidence base. These include the cervical dilatation threshold for active first stage, uncertainty over whether a reduced rate of dilatation and reduced strength of uterine contractions always represent pathology and the effectiveness of amniotomy/oxytocin for treating dystocia. Prospective studies should evaluate the impact of defining the active phase of the first stage of labour as commencing at 6 cm dilated and should test this definition in combination with Zhang's revised partogram. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidural analgesia in labour and risk of caesarean delivery.

PubMed

Bannister-Tyrrell, Melanie; Ford, Jane B; Morris, Jonathan M; Roberts, Christine L

2014-09-01

A Cochrane Systematic Review of randomised controlled trials of epidural analgesia compared with other or no analgesia in labour reported no overall increased risk of caesarean delivery. However, many trials were affected by substantial non-compliance, and there are concerns about the external validity of some trials for contemporary maternity populations. We aimed to explore the association between epidural analgesia in labour and caesarean delivery in clinical practice and compare with findings from randomised controlled trials. Population-based cohort of pregnant women (n = 210 708) without major obstetrical complications who delivered a singleton live infant in hospitals in New South Wales, Australia, 2007-10. Data were obtained from linked, validated population-based data collections. Propensity score matching was used to examine the association between epidural analgesia in labour and caesarean delivery. Epidural analgesia in labour was used by a third (31.5%, n = 66 317) of the women, and 9.8% (n = 20 531) had a caesarean delivery. Epidural analgesia in labour was associated with increased risk of caesarean delivery {risk ratio [RR] 2.5, [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5, 2.6]}. The association with epidural analgesia in labour was higher for caesarean delivery for failure to progress {RR 3.0, [95% CI 2.9, 3.0]} than for caesarean delivery for fetal distress {RR 1.9, [95% CI 1.8, 2.0]}. Epidural analgesia in labour is associated with caesarean delivery in a large maternity population. Population-based studies contribute important data about obstetrical care, when research settings and participants may not represent the clinical settings or broader population in which obstetrical interventions in labour are applied. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Negative Effect of School-Average Ability on Science Self-Concept in the UK, the UK Countries and the World: The Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect for PISA 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagengast, Benjamin; Marsh, Herbert W.

2011-01-01

Research on the relation between students' achievement (ACH) and their academic self-concept (ASC) has consistently shown a Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect (BFLPE); ASC is positively affected by individual ACH, but negatively affected by school-average ACH. Surprisingly, however, there are few good UK studies of the BFLPE and few anywhere in the world…

Managing Leadership in the UK University: A Case for Researching the Missing Professoriate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rayner, Steve; Fuller, Mary; McEwen, Lindsey; Roberts, Hazel

2010-01-01

This article offers a critical review of literature dealing with the topic of educational management and academic leadership as applied to the role of the professor or professoriate in the UK. The review identified a range of leadership issues and associated contemporary developments in the "management" of higher education. The subject…

The ethics of surrogacy: women's reproductive labour.

PubMed Central

van Niekerk, A; van Zyl, L

1995-01-01

The aim of this article is to establish whether there is anything intrinsically immoral about surrogacy arrangements from the perspective of the surrogate mother herself. Specific attention is paid to the claim that surrogacy is similar to prostitution in that it reduces women's reproductive labour to a form of alienated and/or dehumanized labour. PMID:8778458

Decomposing variation in dairy profitability: the impact of output, inputs, prices, labour and management.

PubMed

Wilson, P

2011-08-01

The UK dairy sector has undergone considerable structural change in recent years, with a decrease in the number of producers accompanied by an increased average herd size and increased concentrate use and milk yields. One of the key drivers to producers remaining in the industry is the profitability of their herds. The current paper adopts a holistic approach to decomposing the variation in dairy profitability through an analysis of net margin data explained by physical input-output measures, milk price variation, labour utilization and managerial behaviours and characteristics. Data are drawn from the Farm Business Survey (FBS) for England in 2007/08 for 228 dairy enterprises. Average yields are 7100 litres/cow/yr, from a herd size of 110 cows that use 0·56 forage ha/cow/yr and 43·2 labour h/cow/yr. An average milk price of 22·57 pence per litre (ppl) produced milk output of £1602/cow/yr, which after accounting for calf sales, herd replacements and quota leasing costs, gave an average dairy output of £1516/cow/yr. After total costs of £1464/cow/yr this left an economic return of £52/cow/yr (0·73 ppl) net margin profit. There is wide variation in performance, with the most profitable (as measured by net margin per cow) quartile of producers achieving 2000 litres/cow/yr more than the least profitable quartile, returning a net margin of £335/cow/yr compared to a loss of £361/cow/yr for the least profitable. The most profitable producers operate larger, higher yielding herds and achieve a greater milk price for their output. In addition, a significantly greater number of the most profitable producers undertake financial benchmarking within their businesses and operate specialist dairy farms. When examining the full data set, the most profitable enterprises included significantly greater numbers of organic producers. The most profitable tend to have a greater reliance on independent technical advice, but this finding is not statistically significant

Decomposing variation in dairy profitability: the impact of output, inputs, prices, labour and management

PubMed Central

WILSON, P.

2011-01-01

SUMMARY The UK dairy sector has undergone considerable structural change in recent years, with a decrease in the number of producers accompanied by an increased average herd size and increased concentrate use and milk yields. One of the key drivers to producers remaining in the industry is the profitability of their herds. The current paper adopts a holistic approach to decomposing the variation in dairy profitability through an analysis of net margin data explained by physical input–output measures, milk price variation, labour utilization and managerial behaviours and characteristics. Data are drawn from the Farm Business Survey (FBS) for England in 2007/08 for 228 dairy enterprises. Average yields are 7100 litres/cow/yr, from a herd size of 110 cows that use 0·56 forage ha/cow/yr and 43·2 labour h/cow/yr. An average milk price of 22·57 pence per litre (ppl) produced milk output of £1602/cow/yr, which after accounting for calf sales, herd replacements and quota leasing costs, gave an average dairy output of £1516/cow/yr. After total costs of £1464/cow/yr this left an economic return of £52/cow/yr (0·73 ppl) net margin profit. There is wide variation in performance, with the most profitable (as measured by net margin per cow) quartile of producers achieving 2000 litres/cow/yr more than the least profitable quartile, returning a net margin of £335/cow/yr compared to a loss of £361/cow/yr for the least profitable. The most profitable producers operate larger, higher yielding herds and achieve a greater milk price for their output. In addition, a significantly greater number of the most profitable producers undertake financial benchmarking within their businesses and operate specialist dairy farms. When examining the full data set, the most profitable enterprises included significantly greater numbers of organic producers. The most profitable tend to have a greater reliance on independent technical advice, but this finding is not statistically significant

[The role of emotional labour in oncology].

PubMed

Szluha, Kornélia; Lazányi, Kornélia; Molnár, Péter

2007-01-01

Oncologists and related health care professionals (HCPs) do not only have to follow professional protocols in their everyday work, but also have to communicate proper attitudes towards patients suffering from malignant diseases. This task is often a heavier load than the implementation of professional activities themselves. The present article is based on a survey on HCP work motivation, employment parameters and correlations with emotional labour. Fifty oncology HCPs at Debrecen University Medical Health Sciences Centre volunteered to participate in this survey containing 20 simple-choice questions. More than 90 percent of HCPs make an effort to hide their emotional state, giving way to possible negative side effects. The survey showed significant differences between the level of emotional labour of those working in the field of oncology longer or shorter than ten years. Surface and deep emotional labour is more frequent among professionals already working in oncology for a longer period of time. This can serve us with explanation to the burn-out syndrome so frequent in this profession. To diminish the load of emotional labour, healthcare institutes have to aim at hiring employees that spontaneously fit the emotional and behavioural norms facing them, and do not need officially prescribed behavioural norms for everyday work. Their constant need for respect and appreciation of their values must be kept in mind, because the capability of genuine emotional labour diminishes parallel to the number of years spent in work.

A Changing Role for University Professors? Professorial Academic Leadership as It Is Perceived by "The Led"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Linda

2015-01-01

This article examines the academic leadership role of university professors in the UK (a grade title which in that national context generally refers only to the most distinguished, senior academics, who equate to the North American full professor). Drawing on theoretical interpretations of professionalism and applying these to professors, it…

Reputational Risk, Academic Freedom and Research Ethics Review

PubMed Central

Hedgecoe, Adam

2015-01-01

Drawing on scholarship around academic freedom and new public management, this article explores the way in which research ethics committees in UK universities (URECs) can come to exhibit behaviour – common in their US equivalents – that prioritises the reputational protection of their host institution over and above academic freedom and the protection of research subjects. Drawing on two case studies the article shows both how URECs can serve to restrict research that may be ‘embarrassing’ for a university and how, in high profile cases, university management come to use such committees as mechanisms for internal discipline. PMID:27330226

Women's perceptions, expectations and satisfaction with induced labour--a questionnaire-based study.

PubMed

Shetty, Ashalatha; Burt, Rhona; Rice, Pat; Templeton, Allan

2005-11-01

To evaluate the understanding and expectations of women undergoing labour induction, to assess their actual experience of the process and to compare their satisfaction with labour to those labouring spontaneously. Four hundred and fifty women at term undergoing induction of labour and cervical ripening with prostaglandinE2 vaginal tablets and 450 women labouring spontaneously were recruited into the study. The induction group were requested to complete a questionnaire prior to the start of their induction process and another questionnaire post-delivery. The post-delivery questionnaire contained two sections, one pertaining to issues to do with the induction and the second with the actual labour process. The spontaneously labouring group was requested to complete a questionnaire post-delivery, which only contained the section pertaining to the actual labour process. The main outcome measures were satisfaction with labour, perception of pain and length of labour between the induced and spontaneous labour groups, and issues that the women might wish changed about their induction. In the induction group, 34.7% were not satisfied with the information they received about the induction prior to the procedure and 27.2% expected to deliver within 12h of the administration of the inducing agent. Post-induction, 40% of the women felt the most important aspect they would like to change about their induction were they to have another one, would be the speed of the induction, 13.6% felt they might wish to take the inducing agent orally, 7% to have fewer vaginal examinations and 9% to have fewer complications. Among the women who returned questionnaires, 26.3% had a caesarean delivery in the induction group and 21.4% in the spontaneous labour group. Significantly more women were satisfied with their labour in the spontaneous labour group 79.5% versus 70.4%, RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.8-0.96, P=0.006). Labour that is artificially induced does result in lower satisfaction rates as compared

Type of Labour in the First Pregnancy and Cumulative Maternal Morbidity.

PubMed

Allen, Victoria M; Baskett, Thomas F; O'Connell, Colleen M

2015-08-01

To estimate cumulative maternal morbidity among women who delivered at term in their first pregnancy on the basis of type of labour in the first pregnancy. Using a 25-year population-based cohort (1988 to 2012) derived from the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database, we determined the type of labour in successive pregnancies in low-risk, nulliparous women at term in their first pregnancy (who had at least one subsequent pregnancy), and the maternal outcomes in subsequent deliveries based on the type of labour in the first pregnancy. A total of 36 871 pregnancies satisfied inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1346 of which were delivered by Caesarean section without labour in the first pregnancy. Rates of most adverse maternal outcomes were low (≤1%). The type of labour in the first pregnancy influenced the subsequent risk of postpartum hemorrhage and blood transfusion, and the risks increased with successive deliveries when labours were spontaneous in onset or were induced. The risks for abnormal placentation were low with subsequent deliveries, including following CS without labour in the first pregnancy, and risks for overall severe maternal morbidity were less than 10% for all subsequent deliveries. The absolute risks for severe maternal morbidity outcomes in a population of women without a high number of subsequent pregnancies were small (regardless of type of labour in the first pregnancy); this provides important information for women, families, and caregivers when considering pregnancy outcomes related to type of labour.

Relation between induced labour indications and neonatal morbidity.

PubMed

Hernández-Martínez, Antonio; Pascual-Pedreño, Ana Isabel; Baño-Garnés, Ana Belén; Del Rocío Melero-Jiménez, Maria; Molina-Alarcón, Milagros

2014-12-01

To assess the main neonatal morbidity results in relation to induced labour indications. Historical groups from a total of 3,817 deliveries over a three year period (2009, 2010 and 2011) in "Mancha-Centro" Hospital (Alcázar de San Juan) formed the study group. All programmed and non-avoidable caesarean sections and pregnancies under 35 weeks were excluded. The main variable result was a neonatal morbidity variable made up of the Apgar score after 5 min, pH of umbilical artery <7.10 and the neonatal need for resuscitation type III-V. Multivariate analysis was used to control confounding variables. The incidence of induced labour was 22.6 % (862). The highest indication was premature rupture of membranes for more than 12 h 22.8 % (190), poorly controlled diabetes 22.6 % (189) and oligoamnios 16.2 % (135). The rate of pH lower than 7.10 was 2.8 % (22), the rate of the Apgar score lower than 7 after 5 min was 0.2 % (2) and the neonatal need for resuscitation type III-IV was 5.7 % (48) for induced labour. The relation between induced labour and neonatal morbidity indicators were not statistically significant. 10.1 % (4) of induced labour for suspected intrauterine growth restriction and 8.6 % (10) of postterm pregnancies required neonatal resuscitation type III-IV. No relation was found between induced labour and the neonatal morbidity indicators. The highest neonatal risk indicator is when a intrauterine growth restriction, hypertensión/preeclampsia or a postterm pregnancy is suspected.

International labour migration in the Asian-Pacific region: patterns, policies and economic implications.

PubMed

Athukorala, P

1993-11-01

"This paper reviews the literature on international labour migration from and within the Asian-Pacific region. It deals with patterns and characteristics of migration flows, government policies towards labour migration, and economic implications of labour migration for both labour-exporting and importing countries in the region. The indications are that, despite gradual slowing down of labour flows to the western industrial countries and the Middle East, labour migration will continue to be a major economic influence on surplus-labour countries in the region. As an integral part of the growth dynamism in the region, labour migration has now begun to take on a regional dimension, with immense implications for the process of industrial restructuring in high growth economies and the changing pattern of economic interdependence among countries." excerpt

The influence of academic discourses on medical students' identification with the discipline of family medicine.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Charo; López-Roig, Sofía; Pawlikowska, Teresa; Schweyer, François-Xavier; Bélanger, Emmanuelle; Pastor-Mira, Maria Angeles; Hugé, Sandrine; Spencer, Sarah; Lévasseur, Gwenola; Whitehead, Ian; Tellier, Pierre-Paul

2015-05-01

To understand the influence of academic discourses about family medicine on medical students' professional identity construction during undergraduate training. The authors used a multiple case study research design involving international medical schools, one each from Canada, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK). The authors completed the fieldwork between 2007 and 2009 by conducting 18 focus groups (with 132 students) and 67 semistructured interviews with educators and by gathering pertinent institutional documents. They carried out discursive thematic analyses of the verbatim transcripts and then performed within- and cross-case analyses. The most striking finding was the diverging responses between those at the UK school and those at the other schools. In the UK case, family medicine was recognized as a prestigious academic discipline; students and faculty praised the knowledge and skills of family physicians, and students more often indicated their intent to pursue family medicine. In the other cases, family medicine was not well regarded by students or faculty. This was expressed overtly or through a paradoxical academic discourse that stressed the importance of family medicine to the health care system while decrying its lack of innovative technology and the large workload-to-income ratio. Students at these schools were less likely to consider family medicine. These results stress the influence of academic discourses on medical students' ability to identify with the practice of family medicine. Educators must consider processes of professional identity formation during undergraduate medical training as they develop and reform medical education.

Diverse definitions of prolonged labour and its consequences with sometimes subsequent inappropriate treatment.

PubMed

Nystedt, Astrid; Hildingsson, Ingegerd

2014-07-16

Prolonged labour very often causes suffering from difficulties that may have lifelong implications. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and treatment of prolonged labour and to compare birth outcome and women's experiences of prolonged and normal labour. Women with spontaneous onset of labour, living in a Swedish county, were recruited two months after birth, to a cross-sectional study. Women (n = 829) completed a questionnaire that investigated socio-demographic and obstetric background, birth outcome and women's feelings and experiences of birth. The prevalence of prolonged labour, as defined by a documented ICD-code and inspection of partogram was calculated. Four groups were identified; women with prolonged labour as identified by documented ICD-codes or by partogram inspection but no ICD-code; women with normal labour augmented with oxytocin or not. Every fifth woman experienced a prolonged labour. The prevalence with the documented ICD-code was (13%) and without ICD-code but positive partogram was (8%). Seven percent of women with prolonged labour were not treated with oxytocin. Approximately one in three women (28%) received oxytocin augmentation despite having no evidence of prolonged labour. The length of labour differed between the four groups of women, from 7 to 23 hours.Women with a prolonged labour had a negative birth experience more often (13%) than did women who had a normal labour (3%) (P <0.00). The factors that contributed most strongly to a negative birth experience in women with prolonged labour were emergency Caesarean section (OR 9.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.0) and to strongly agree with the following statement 'My birth experience made me decide not to have any more children' (OR 41.3, 95% CI 4.9-349.6). The factors that contributed most strongly to a negative birth experience in women with normal labour were less agreement with the statement 'It was exiting to give birth' (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.34-0.5). There is need for increased clinical skill in

Diverse definitions of prolonged labour and its consequences with sometimes subsequent inappropriate treatment

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Prolonged labour very often causes suffering from difficulties that may have lifelong implications. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and treatment of prolonged labour and to compare birth outcome and women’s experiences of prolonged and normal labour. Method Women with spontaneous onset of labour, living in a Swedish county, were recruited two months after birth, to a cross-sectional study. Women (n = 829) completed a questionnaire that investigated socio-demographic and obstetric background, birth outcome and women’s feelings and experiences of birth. The prevalence of prolonged labour, as defined by a documented ICD-code and inspection of partogram was calculated. Four groups were identified; women with prolonged labour as identified by documented ICD-codes or by partogram inspection but no ICD-code; women with normal labour augmented with oxytocin or not. Results Every fifth woman experienced a prolonged labour. The prevalence with the documented ICD-code was (13%) and without ICD-code but positive partogram was (8%). Seven percent of women with prolonged labour were not treated with oxytocin. Approximately one in three women (28%) received oxytocin augmentation despite having no evidence of prolonged labour. The length of labour differed between the four groups of women, from 7 to 23 hours. Women with a prolonged labour had a negative birth experience more often (13%) than did women who had a normal labour (3%) (P <0.00). The factors that contributed most strongly to a negative birth experience in women with prolonged labour were emergency Caesarean section (OR 9.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.0) and to strongly agree with the following statement ‘My birth experience made me decide not to have any more children’ (OR 41.3, 95% CI 4.9-349.6). The factors that contributed most strongly to a negative birth experience in women with normal labour were less agreement with the statement ‘It was exiting to give birth’ (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0

Stakeholders' Perceptions of IELTS as an Entry Requirement for Higher Education in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyatt, David

2013-01-01

This project explores stakeholders' perceptions of the role of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in the admissions processes of UK higher education (HE) institutions. The term "stakeholders" here refers to HE academic and administrative staff responsible for the acceptance of students whose first language is not…

Quality Assurance in UK Higher Education: Issues of Trust, Control, Professional Autonomy and Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoecht, Andreas

2006-01-01

This article explores the issues of trust, control, professional autonomy and accountability in higher education quality assurance in the UK. The main part of this article is conceptual, but it includes results from semi-structured interviews with academic staff that were conducted at two "new university" business schools. Both…

Nature and governance of veterinary clinical research conducted in the UK.

PubMed

Fordyce, P; Mullan, S

2017-01-21

In order to quantify the amount of clinical research conducted on client-owned animals under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, and the nature and extent of any ethical review of that research, a questionnaire was sent to 6 UK veterinary schools, 1 charity veterinary clinic and 12 private referral clinics. The questionnaire examined whether and how much clinical research respondents undertook, and the composition of any ethical review panels examining research proposals. The questionnaire revealed a substantial amount of clinical research was conducted in the UK, with over 200 veterinary surgeons involved in the year of the survey, with at least 170 academic papers involving clinical research published by respondents in the same year. However, it proved impossible to quantify the full extent of clinical research in the UK. All UK veterinary schools required ethical review of clinical research. The composition and working practices of their ethical review panels generally reflected skill sets in ethical review panels set-up under statute to consider the ethics of non-clinical biomedical research on animals and clinical research conducted on human patients. The process for review of clinical research in the private sector was less clear. British Veterinary Association.

Division of labour and the evolution of extreme specialization.

PubMed

Cooper, Guy A; West, Stuart A

2018-05-28

Division of labour is a common feature of social groups, from biofilms to complex animal societies. However, we lack a theoretical framework that can explain why division of labour has evolved on certain branches of the tree of life but not others. Here, we model the division of labour over a cooperative behaviour, considering both when it should evolve and the extent to which the different types should become specialized. We found that: (1) division of labour is usually-but not always-favoured by high efficiency benefits to specialization and low within-group conflict; and (2) natural selection favours extreme specialization, where some individuals are completely dependent on the helping behaviour of others. We make a number of predictions, several of which are supported by the existing empirical data, from microbes and animals, while others suggest novel directions for empirical work. More generally, we show how division of labour can lead to mutual dependence between different individuals and hence drive major evolutionary transitions, such as those to multicellularity and eusociality.

Mentoring perception and academic performance: an Academic Health Science Centre survey.

PubMed

Athanasiou, Thanos; Patel, Vanash; Garas, George; Ashrafian, Hutan; Shetty, Kunal; Sevdalis, Nick; Panzarasa, Pietro; Darzi, Ara; Paroutis, Sotirios

2016-10-01

To determine the association between professors' self-perception of mentoring skills and their academic performance. Two hundred and fifteen professors from Imperial College London, the first Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) in the UK, were surveyed. The instrument adopted was the Mentorship Skills Self-Assessment Survey. Statement scores were aggregated to provide a score for each shared core, mentor-specific and mentee-specific skill. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate their relationship with quantitative measures of academic performance (publications, citations and h-index). There were 104 professors that responded (response rate 48%). There were no statistically significant negative correlations between any mentoring statement and any performance measure. In contrast, several mentoring survey items were positively correlated with academic performance. The total survey score for frequency of application of mentoring skills had a statistically significant positive association with number of publications (B=0.012, SE=0.004, p=0.006), as did the frequency of acquiring mentors with number of citations (B=1.572, SE=0.702, p=0.030). Building trust and managing risks had a statistically significant positive association with h-index (B=0.941, SE=0.460, p=0.047 and B=0.613, SE=0.287, p=0.038, respectively). This study supports the view that mentoring is associated with high academic performance. Importantly, it suggests that frequent use of mentoring skills and quality of mentoring have positive effects on academic performance. Formal mentoring programmes should be considered a fundamental part of all AHSCs' configuration. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Piracetam for fetal distress in labour.

PubMed

Hofmeyr, G Justus; Kulier, Regina

2012-06-13

Piracetam is thought to promote the metabolism of brain cells when they are hypoxic. It has been used to prevent adverse effects of fetal distress. The objective of this review was to assess the effects of piracetam for suspected fetal distress in labour on method of delivery and perinatal morbidity. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (15 February 2012). Randomised trials of piracetam compared with placebo or no treatment for suspected fetal distress in labour. Both review authors assessed eligibility and trial quality. One study of 96 women was included. Piracetam compared with placebo was associated with a trend to reduced need for caesarean section (risk ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.32 to 1.03). There were no statistically significant differences between the piracetam and placebo group for neonatal morbidity (measured by neonatal respiratory distress) or Apgar score. There is not enough evidence to evaluate the use of piracetam for fetal distress in labour.

Emotional labour: learning from the past, understanding the present.

PubMed

Elliott, Chris

2017-10-26

The number of nurses considering leaving the profession has continued to rise, and in many areas there is a nursing shortfall. For many of those leaving the profession, the decision results from workplace stress. This article examines the concept of emotional labour, which has been linked to compassion fatigue and subsequent burnout. Emotional labour is the term used to describe the process of displaying outward emotion that may not match our internal emotion; this dissonance can lead to highly stressful situations. The concept is explored from a genealogical perspective, specifically focusing on how gender, socio-political and health cultures have influenced the evolution of the discourse that defines how emotional labour is perceived, understood and valued. This article will identify what has shaped the discourse and how the historical influences have influenced perceptions. The article identifies that emotional labour has traditionally been viewed as women's work and has been undervalued. The influence of male nurses and the gradual decline of heavy industry has served to improve the understanding and value of the concept. Lessons from the past can inform the management of the stresses of emotional labour. Emotional labour is a recognised component of workplace stress and this article makes a number of recommendations for further research or management strategies, which may assist in the recognition and management of the stresses nurses face when delivering emotionally demanding care.

Early labour services: changes, triggers, monitoring and evaluation.

PubMed

Spiby, Helen; Green, Josephine M; Richardson-Foster, Helen; Hucknall, Clare

2013-04-01

to identify the changes to early labour services, their triggers and monitoring. a mixed methods approach in two stages, firstly a postal questionnaire survey of Heads of Midwifery (HoM) services in NHS Trusts in England (cover sheet to each HoM and questionnaire for each unit in their jurisdiction) and, secondly, semi-structured telephone interviews with a purposive sample of senior midwives. The interviews sought further information about reasons for change; the impact of changes and explored the unit's particular innovations. PARTICIPANTS AND RESPONSE RATE: 145 (89%) NHS Trusts provided data (cover sheet and/or questionnaire); responses were received from all areas and types of unit. Seventeen HoMs or designated senior midwives were interviewed. 83 of 170 units (49%) had made changes to early labour service provision during the past 5 years, including home assessment; the introduction of triage units and telephone assessment tools. Changes were more likely in high volume units and in consultant units with midwifery-led care areas. Further changes were planned by 93/178 (25%) units. Triggers for changes to early labour services comprised local or unit-based factors, including Category X (non-labour) admissions, response to service users and research evidence. The impact of Category X admissions on workload contributed to the triggers for change. Fifty-six (31%) could provide a confirmed figure or estimate for category X admissions. Experiences of introducing change included issues related to engagement of the workforce and the contribution of clinical leadership. Thirty-eight (48%) units did not routinely monitor use of early labour services. Overall monitoring of services was not significantly more likely in units that had made changes. Audit activity was reported more frequently in units that had made changes to their early labour services. early labour services had undergone significant changes following a range of triggers but the extent of change was not

The nature of labour pain: An updated review of the literature.

PubMed

Whitburn, Laura Y; Jones, Lester E; Davey, Mary-Ann; McDonald, Susan

2018-04-20

The pain experience associated with labour is complex. Literature indicates psychosocial and environmental determinants of labour pain, and yet methods to support women usually target physiological attributes via pharmacological interventions. To provide an update of our understanding of labour pain based on modern pain science. The review aims to help explain why women can experience labour pain so differently - why some cope well, whilst others experience great suffering. This understanding is pertinent to providing optimal support to women in labour. A literature search was conducted in databases Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and PsycINFO, using search terms labor/labour, childbirth, pain, experience and perception. Thirty-one papers were selected for inclusion. Labour pain is a highly individual experience. It is a challenging, emotional and meaningful pain and is very different from other types of pain. Key determinants and influences of labour pain were identified and grouped into cognitive, social and environmental factors. If a woman can sustain the belief that her pain is purposeful (i.e. her body working to birth her baby), if she interprets her pain as productive (i.e. taking her through a process to a desired goal) and the birthing environment is safe and supportive, it would be expected she would experience the pain as a non-threatening, transformative life event. Changing the conceptualisation of labour pain to a purposeful and productive pain may be one step to improving women's experiences of it, and reducing their need for pain interventions. Copyright © 2018 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why do health labour market forces matter?

PubMed Central

McPake, Barbara; Araújo, Edson Correia; Lemiere, Christophe; El Maghraby, Atef; Cometto, Giorgio

2013-01-01

Abstract Human resources for health have been recognized as essential to the development of responsive and effective health systems. Low- and middle-income countries seeking to achieve universal health coverage face human resource constraints – whether in the form of health worker shortages, maldistribution of workers or poor worker performance – that seriously undermine their ability to achieve well-functioning health systems. Although much has been written about the human resource crisis in the health sector, labour economic frameworks have seldom been applied to analyse the situation and little is known or understood about the operation of labour markets in low- and middle-income countries. Traditional approaches to addressing human resource constraints have focused on workforce planning: estimating health workforce requirements based on a country’s epidemiological and demographic profile and scaling up education and training capacities to narrow the gap between the “needed” number of health workers and the existing number. However, this approach neglects other important factors that influence human resource capacity, including labour market dynamics and the behavioural responses and preferences of the health workers themselves. This paper describes how labour market analysis can contribute to a better understanding of the factors behind human resource constraints in the health sector and to a more effective design of policies and interventions to address them. The premise is that a better understanding of the impact of health policies on health labour markets, and subsequently on the employment conditions of health workers, would be helpful in identifying an effective strategy towards the progressive attainment of universal health coverage. PMID:24347708

Competition and quality in health care: the UK experience.

PubMed

Glennerster, H

1998-10-01

The aims of this paper are threefold: first to review briefly the theoretical literature on competition and its predicted effects on health care quality; secondly to describe the attempts to introduce competition into the UK National Health Service (NHS); and third to review the outcomes of this experiment and ask how far the research findings are consistent with the next phase of reform that the new Labour Government proposed in late 1997. A search was conducted using electronic data bases Unicorn, Medline and Health Planning and official monitoring statistics within the NHS. All references relating to district-based purchasing, general practitioner (GP) fundholding in its various forms and GP commissioning were reviewed. Preference was given to prospective before and after studies with and without control groups, retrospective studies with and without controls, and case studies which were reinforced by similar supporting case studies. The evidence suggests that there was little overall change for good or bad as a result of the reforms. The changes that did occur had an impact on speed of treatment, patient convenience and choice, but medical quality was largely unaffected. These benefits were reaped, in particular, by the more competitive agents - the family doctors or GPs. Although not dramatic in outcome, these changes were significant because speed and convenience were the main deficiencies of the NHS in the eyes of UK consumers.

Outcome of misoprostol and oxytocin in induction of labour

PubMed Central

Acharya, Trishna; Devkota, Ramesh; Bhattarai, Bimbishar; Acharya, Radha

2017-01-01

Background: Induction of labour is the process of initiating the labour by artificial means from 24 weeks of gestation. The main aim of this study is to find out the maternal and foetal outcomes after induction of labour with misoprostol and oxytocin beyond 37 weeks of gestation. Methods: This was a hospital-based observational study carried out at Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, Nepal. Misoprostol of 25 µg was inserted in posterior fornix of vagina or oxytocin infusion was started from 2.5 units on whom induction was decided. Maternal and foetal/neonatal outcomes were observed. Collected data were analysed using SPSS and MS Excel. Results: General induction rate was found to be 7.2%. In this study, post-term pregnancy was found to be the most common reason for induction of labour. Analysis of onset of labour led to the finding that mean onset of labour was much rapid in oxytocin (6.6 h) than misoprostol (13.6 h). However, there is similarity in induction–delivery interval in both groups. Overall, the rate of normal delivery and caesarean section was found to be 64.9% and 33.2%, respectively. Similarly, normal delivery within 12 h was seen in 18.4% of the patients given with misoprostol and 43.5% in oxytocin group. Foetal distress was found as the most common reason for caesarean section. The overall occurrence of maternal complication was found to be similar in misoprostol and oxytocin groups, nausea/vomiting being the most common (36.7%) complication followed by fever (24.1%). Besides this, the most common neonatal complication found in overall cases was meconium stained liquor (49.2%). Conclusion: It was found that misoprostol was used most frequently for induction of labour compared to oxytocin. The onset of labour was found to be rapid in oxytocin than misoprostol. However, the occurrence of side effects was found to be similar in both misoprostol and oxytocin groups. PMID:28540049

Complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour.

PubMed

Smith, C A; Collins, C T; Cyna, A M; Crowther, C A

2003-01-01

Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour and this may contribute towards the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence supporting the use of alternative and complementary therapies for pain management in labour. To examine the effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour on maternal and perinatal morbidity. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register (July 2002), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2002), MEDLINE (1966 to July 2002), EMBASE (1980 to July 2002) and CINAHL (1980 to July 2002). The inclusion criteria included published and unpublished randomised controlled trials comparing complementary and alternative therapies with placebo, no treatment or pharmacological forms of pain management in labour. All women whether primiparous or multiparous, and in spontaneous or induced labour, in the first and second stage of labour were included. Meta-analysis was performed using relative risks for dichotomous outcomes and weighted mean differences for continuous outcomes. The outcome measures were maternal satisfaction, use of pharmacological pain relief and maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes. Seven trials involving 366 women and using different modalities of pain management were included in this review. The trials included one involving acupuncture (n = 100), one involving audio-analgesia (n = 25), one involving aromatherapy (n = 22), three trials of hypnosis (n = 189) and one trial of music (n = 30). The trial of acupuncture decreased the need for pain relief (relative risk (RR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39 to 0.81). Women receiving hypnosis were more satisfied with their pain management in labour compared with controls (RR 2.33, 95% CI 1.55 to 4.71). No differences were seen for women receiving aromatherapy, music or audio

Using Learning Sets to Support UK Delivery of Off-Shore Learning in Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, Michelle

2014-01-01

This account of practice focuses on the delivery of Action Learning Sets in Swaziland and Malawi as part of a UK university's remote Master's degree teaching programme. It draws upon the experience of an Academic delivering the programme and the efforts made to refine the approach to action learning given time, understanding and resource…

New Labour's Policies for Schools: Raising the Standard?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Docking, Jim, Ed.

This book, which is designed primarily for undergraduate and graduate students of education, contains 12 papers devoted the New Labour's policies for schools in the United Kingdom. "Introduction" (Jim Docking) presents an overview of the book's contents and lists questions to help evaluate the effectiveness of New Labour's educational…

Date fruit consumption at term: Effect on length of gestation, labour and delivery.

PubMed

Razali, Nuguelis; Mohd Nahwari, Siti Hayati; Sulaiman, Sofiah; Hassan, Jamiyah

2017-07-01

Labour induction and augmentation with Prostaglandin and Oxytocin are well established as standard practice worldwide. They are safe when used judiciously, but may be associated with maternal and neonatal morbidities. Other safer alternatives have been studied including dates consumption during late pregnancy with various outcomes. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to investigate the effect of date fruit consumption during late pregnancy on the onset of labour and need for induction or augmentation of labour. A total of 154 nulliparous women with an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy were randomly allocated to either dates-consumer (77) or control group (77). The women in the dates-consumer group had significantly less need for augmentation of labour and longer intervention to delivery interval. There was no significant difference in the onset of spontaneous labour. Dates consumption reduces the need for labour augmentation but does not expedite the onset of labour. Impact statement • Dates fruit consumption during late pregnancy has been shown to positively affect the outcome of labour and delivery. In this study, date consumption reduced the need for labour augmentation with oxytocin but did not expedite the onset of labour. Therefore, dates consumption in late pregnancy is a safe supplement to be considered as it reduced the need for labour intervention without any adverse effect on the mother and child. This further supports the finding of earlier studies.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain relief in labour.

PubMed

Dowswell, Therese; Bedwell, Carol; Lavender, Tina; Neilson, James P

2009-04-15

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) has been proposed as a means of reducing pain in labour. The TENS unit emits low-voltage electrical impulses which vary in frequency and intensity. During labour, TENS electrodes are generally placed on the lower back, although TENS may be used to stimulate acupuncture points or other parts of the body. The physiological mechanisms whereby TENS relieves pain are uncertain. The TENS unit is frequently operated by women, which may increase sense of control in labour. To assess the effects of TENS on pain in labour. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (November 2008). Randomised controlled trials comparing women receiving TENS for pain relief in labour versus routine care, alternative pharmacological methods of pain relief, or placebo devices. We included all types of TENS machines. Two review authors assessed for inclusion all trials identified by the search strategy, carried out data extraction and assessed risk of bias. We have recorded reasons for excluding studies. The search identified 25 studies; we excluded six and included 19 studies including 1671 women. Fifteen examined TENS applied to the back, two to acupuncture points and two to the cranium. Overall, there was little difference in pain ratings between TENS and control groups, although women receiving TENS to acupuncture points were less likely to report severe pain (risk ratio 0.41, 95% confidence interval 0.32 to 0.55). The majority of women using TENS said they would be willing to use it again in a future labour. Where TENS was used as an adjunct to epidural analgesia there was no evidence that it reduced pain. There was no consistent evidence that TENS had any impact on interventions and outcomes in labour. There was little information on outcomes for mothers and babies. No adverse events were reported. There is only limited evidence that TENS reduces pain in labour and it does not seem to have any impact (either positive or

Developing a clinical academic career pathway for nursing.

PubMed

Coombs, Maureen; Latter, Sue; Richardson, Alison

Since the publication of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration's (UKRC, 2007) recommendations on careers in clinical research, interest has grown in the concept of clinical academic nursing careers, with increased debate on how such roles might be developed and sustained (Department of Health, 2012). To embed clinical academic nursing roles in the NHS and universities, a clear understanding and appreciation of the contribution that such posts might make to organisational objectives and outcomes must be developed. This paper outlines an initiative to define the potential practice and research contribution of clinical academic roles through setting out role descriptors. This exercise was based on our experience of a clinical academic career initiative at the University of Southampton run in partnership with NHS organisations. Role descriptors were developed by a group of service providers, academics and two clinical academic award-holders from the local programme. This paper outlines clinical academic roles from novice to professor and describes examples of role descriptors at the different levels of a career pathway. These descriptors are informed by clinical academic posts in place at Southampton as well as others at the planning stage. Understanding the nature of clinical academic posts and the contribution that these roles can make to healthcare will enable them to become embedded into organisational structures and career pathways.

Universities' Autonomy in Times of Changing Higher Education Governance: A Study of the Swiss Academic Labour Market

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baschung, Lukas; Goastellec, Gaele; Leresche, Jean-Philippe

2011-01-01

Although eternally debated, the issue of autonomy in higher education is rarely analysed in its complexity. To address this issue, this article uses an analytical matrix which combines the distinction between substantive and procedural autonomy and the distinction between HEI governing bodies, academic professions and individual academics. This…

Radiotherapy physics research in the UK: challenges and proposed solutions

PubMed Central

Mackay, R I; Burnet, N G; Green, S; Illidge, T M; Staffurth, J N

2012-01-01

In 2011, the Clinical and Translational Radiotherapy Research Working Group (CTRad) of the National Cancer Research Institute brought together UK radiotherapy physics leaders for a think tank meeting. Following a format that CTRad had previously and successfully used with clinical oncologists, 23 departments were asked to complete a pre-meeting evaluation of their radiotherapy physics research infrastructure and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats within their own centre. These departments were brought together with the CTRad Executive Group and research funders to discuss the current state of radiotherapy physics research, perceived barriers and possible solutions. In this Commentary, we summarise the submitted materials, presentations and discussions from the meeting and propose an action plan. It is clear that there are challenges in both funding and staffing of radiotherapy physics research. Programme and project funding streams sometimes struggle to cater for physics-led work, and increased representation on research funding bodies would be valuable. Career paths for academic radiotherapy physicists need to be examined and an academic training route identified within Modernising Scientific Careers; the introduction of formal job plans may allow greater protection of research time, and should be considered. Improved access to research facilities, including research linear accelerators, would enhance research activity and pass on developments to patients more quickly; research infrastructure could be benchmarked against centres in the UK and abroad. UK National Health Service departments wishing to undertake radiotherapy research, with its attendant added value for patients, need to develop a strategy with their partner higher education institution, and collaboration between departments may provide enhanced opportunities for funded research. PMID:22972972

Food for Thought on the "ABS Academic Journal Quality Guide"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, Simon

2011-01-01

This paper discusses issues relating to the use of the Association of Business Schools' (ABS) "Academic Journal Quality Guide" within UK business schools. It also looks at several specific issues raised by the Chair of the British Accounting Association/British Accounting and Finance Association regarding the ratings for top…

Perception of labour pain among the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria.

PubMed

Kuti, O; Faponle, A F

2006-05-01

In Nigeria, it is generally assumed that labour is well tolerated and pain relief is not usually considered an important part of intra-partum care. This prospective study was carried out to assess mothers' perception of labour pain and determine any factor that may influence it. During the period of study, 281 women who delivered at Wesley Guild Hospital Ilesa, Nigeria were interviewed within 2 h of delivery to assess the severity of labour pain and desire for analgesia. Perception of labour pain was assessed using a 3-point verbal rating. The majority (68.3%) of women described labour pain as severe with only 5.3% describing it as mild. More than 86% of the women would want the pain relieved. Perception of pain was not influenced by age, parity and educational level. Management of pain in labour should form an important part of intra-partum care as is the case in developed countries.

Creating an integrated clinical enterprise at the University of Kentucky: the emergence of UK HealthCare.

PubMed

Karpf, Michael; Perman, Jay; Lofgren, Richard; Melgar, Sergio; Butler, Frank; Day, Zed; Clark, Murray; Claypool, Joseph O; Gilbert, Peter; Gombeski, William; Higdon, Courtney M

2007-12-01

If the medical system in the United States is to change, as has been recommended, academic medical centers must, in fact, lead this change process. To prepare for the future, the University of Kentucky decided to move aggressively toward developing an integrated clinical enterprise branded as UK HealthCare, where leadership of the various components of the academic medical center make strategic and financial decisions together to achieve common organizational goals. The authors discuss senior leadership's development of the vision for the enterprise and the governance structure that was established to engage board members and faculty of the institution. They examine the rigorous strategic, facilities, financial, and academic planning that ensued, and the early successes achieved. The authors introduce some of the lessons learned by the organization during the emergence of UK HealthCare and describe the corporate structure and senior management team that was established to support the quick and efficient implementation of the planning strategies. It was this corporate structure and senior management team which has proven to be an effective agent of change and a key to the successful development of a truly integrated clinical enterprise.

The emotional labour of nursing -- Defining and managing emotions in nursing work.

PubMed

Gray, Benjamin

2009-02-01

Emotions in health organisations tend to remain tacit and in need of clarification. Often, emotions are made invisible in nursing and reduced to part and parcel of 'women's work' in the domestic sphere. Smith (1992) applied the notion of emotional labour to the study of student nursing, concluding that further research was required. This means investigating what is often seen as a tacit and uncodified skill. A follow-up qualitative study was conducted over a period of twelve months to re-examine the role of the emotional labour of nursing. Data were collected primarily from 16 in-depth and semi-structured interviews with nurses. Key themes elicited at interviews touch upon diverse topics in the emotional labour of nursing. In particular, this article will address nurse definitions of emotional labour; the routine aspects of emotional labour in nursing; traditional and modern images of nursing; and gender and professional barriers that involve emotional labour in health work. This is important in improving nurse training and best practice; investigating clinical settings of nurses' emotional labour; looking at changing techniques of patient consultation; and beginning to explore the potential therapeutic value of emotional labour.

Assisting informed decision making for labour analgesia: a randomised controlled trial of a decision aid for labour analgesia versus a pamphlet.

PubMed

Raynes-Greenow, Camille H; Nassar, Natasha; Torvaldsen, Siranda; Trevena, Lyndal; Roberts, Christine L

2010-04-08

Most women use some method of pain relief during labour. There is extensive research evidence available of pharmacological pain relief during labour; however this evidence is not readily available to pregnant women. Decision aids are tools that present evidence based information and allow preference elicitation. We developed a labour analgesia decision aid. Using a RCT design women either received a decision aid or a pamphlet. Eligible women were primiparous, > or = 37 weeks, planning a vaginal birth of a single infant and had sufficient English to complete the trial materials. We used a combination of affective (anxiety, satisfaction and participation in decision-making) and behavioural outcomes (intention and analgesia use) to assess the impact of the decision aid, which were assessed before labour. 596 women were randomised (395 decision aid group, 201 pamphlet group). There were significant differences in knowledge scores between the decision aid group and the pamphlet group (mean difference 8.6, 95% CI 3.70, 13.40). There were no differences between decisional conflict scores (mean difference -0.99 (95% CI -3.07, 1.07), or anxiety (mean difference 0.3, 95% CI -2.15, 1.50). The decision aid group were significantly more likely to consider their care providers opinion (RR 1.28 95%CI 0.64, 0.95). There were no differences in analgesia use and poor follow through between antenatal analgesia intentions and use. This decision aid improves women's labour analgesia knowledge without increasing anxiety. Significantly, the decision aid group were more informed of labour analgesia options, and considered the opinion of their care providers more often when making their analgesia decisions, thus improving informed decision making. Trial registration no: ISRCTN52287533.

Randomised controlled trial of labouring in water compared with standard of augmentation for management of dystocia in first stage of labour

PubMed Central

Cluett, Elizabeth R; Pickering, Ruth M; Getliffe, Kathryn; Saunders, Nigel James St George

2004-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the impact of labouring in water during first stage of labour on rates of epidural analgesia and operative delivery in nulliparous women with dystocia. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting University teaching hospital in southern England. Participants 99 nulliparous women with dystocia (cervical dilation rate < 1 cm/hour in active labour) at low risk of complications. Interventions Immersion in water in birth pool or standard augmentation for dystocia (amniotomy and intravenous oxytocin). Main outcome measures Primary: epidural analgesia and operative delivery rates. Secondary: augmentation rates with amniotomy and oxytocin, length of labour, maternal and neonatal morbidity including infections, maternal pain score, and maternal satisfaction with care. Results Women randomised to immersion in water had a lower rate of epidural analgesia than women allocated to augmentation (47% v 66%, relative risk 0.71 (95% confidence interval 0.49 to 1.01), number needed to treat for benefit (NNT) 5). They showed no difference in rates of operative delivery (49% v 50%, 0.98 (0.65 to 1.47), NNT 98), but significantly fewer received augmentation (71% v 96%, 0.74 (0.59 to 0.88), NNT 4) or any form of obstetric intervention (amniotomy, oxytocin, epidural, or operative delivery) (80% v 98%, 0.81 (0.67 to 0.92), NNT 5). More neonates of women in the water group were admitted to the neonatal unit (6 v 0, P = 0.013), but there was no difference in Apgar score, infection rates, or umbilical cord pH. Conclusions Labouring in water under midwifery care may be an option for slow progress in labour, reducing the need for obstetric intervention, and offering an alternative pain management strategy. PMID:14744822

True grit and genetics: predicting academic achievement from personality

PubMed Central

Rimfeld, Kaili; Kovas, Yulia; Dale, Philip S.; Plomin, Robert

2015-01-01

Grit -- perseverance and passion for long-term goals -- has been shown to be a significant predictor of academic success, even after controlling for other personality factors. Here, for the first time, we use a UK-representative sample and a genetically sensitive design to unpack the etiology of grit and its prediction of academic achievement in comparison to well-established personality traits. For 4,642 16-year-olds (2,321 twin pairs), we used the Grit-S scale (Perseverance of Effort and Consistency of Interest), along with the Big-5 personality traits, to predict scores on the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams, which are administered UK-wide at the end of compulsory education. Twin analyses of Grit Perseverance yielded a heritability estimate of 37% (20% for Consistency of Interest) and no evidence for shared environmental influence. Personality, primarily Conscientiousness, predicts about 6% of the variance in GCSE scores, but Grit adds little to this prediction. Moreover, multivariate twin analyses showed that roughly two-thirds of the GCSE prediction is mediated genetically. Grit Perseverance of Effort and Big-5 Conscientiousness are to a large extent the same trait both phenotypically (r=0.53) and genetically (genetic correlation = 0. 86). We conclude that the etiology of Grit is highly similar to other personality traits, not only in showing substantial genetic influence but also in showing no influence of shared environmental factors. Personality significantly predicts academic achievement, but Grit adds little phenotypically or genetically to the prediction of academic achievement beyond traditional personality factors, especially Conscientiousness. PMID:26867111

Whisper It Softly, Professors Are Really Academic Developers Too

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macfarlane, Bruce

2012-01-01

The university system has expanded worldwide and with it the number of those holding a full professorial title. Around a third of US academics eventually become full professors, and the title is used still more exclusively in an Australasian and UK context, representing around 10-12% of university faculty. The professoriate undertake a range of…

Victorian paramedics' encounters and management of women in labour: an epidemiological study.

PubMed

McLelland, Gayle; Morgans, Amee; McKenna, Lisa

2015-02-05

Although it is generally accepted that paramedics attend unexpected births, there is a paucity of literature about their management of women in labour. This study aimed to investigate the caseload of women in labour attended by a statewide ambulance service in Australia during one year and the management provided by paramedics. Retrospective clinical data collected on-scene by paramedics via in-field electronic patient care records were provided by Ambulance Victoria. Patient case reports were electronically extracted from the Ambulance Victoria's Clinical Data Warehouse via comprehensive filtering followed by manual sorting. Descriptive statistics were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v.19). Over a 12-month period, paramedics were called to 1517 labouring women. Two thirds of women were at full-term gestation, and 40% of pre-term pregnancies were less than 32 weeks gestation. Paramedics documented 630 case reports of women in early labour and a further 767 in established labour. There were 204 women thought to be second stage labour, including 134 who progressed to childbirth under paramedic care. When paramedics assisted with births, the on-scene time was significantly greater than those patients transported in labour. Pain relief was provided significantly more often to women in established labour than in early labour. Oxygen was given to significantly more women in preterm labour. While paramedics performed a range of procedures including intravenous cannulation, administration of analgesia and oxygen, most women required minimal intervention. Paramedics needed to manage numerous obstetric and medical complications during their management. Paramedics provide emergency care and transportation for women in labour. Most of the women were documented to be at term gestation with minimal complications. To enable appropriate decision making about management and transportation, paramedics require a range of clinical assessment skills

Gove's Offensive and the Failure of Labour's Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatcher, Richard

2012-01-01

In this article the author examines the response of the Labour leadership to the Conservative-led Government's policies for restructuring and re-agenting the school system. His focus is on the role of local authorities and local democracy. He identifies two contradictory dynamics in Labour's current thinking. One promises to enhance local…

Women's experiences of becoming a mother after prolonged labour.

PubMed

Nystedt, Astrid; Högberg, Ulf; Lundman, Berit

2008-08-01

This paper is a report of a study to explore women's experiences of becoming a mother after prolonged labour. The negativity associated with a complicated labour such as prolonged labour can lead to a struggle to become a healthy mother and could restrict the process of becoming a mother. Interviews were conducted in 2004 with 10 mothers who had been through a prolonged labour with assisted vaginal or caesarean delivery 1-3 months previously. Thematic content analysis was used. Three themes were formulated, describing women's experiences as fumbling in the dark, struggling for motherhood and achieving confidence in being a mother. The difficulties and suffering involved in becoming a mother after a prolonged labour were interpreted to be like 'fumbling in the dark'. Women experienced bodily fatigue, accompanied by feelings of illness and detachment from the child. Having the child when in this condition entailed a struggle to become a mother. In spite of these experiences and the desire to achieve confidence in being a mother, the reassurance of these women regarding their capacity for motherhood was crucial: it was central to their happiness as mothers, encouraged interaction and relationship with the child, and contributed to their adaptation to motherhood. Women experiencing prolonged labour may be comparable with the experience of and recovery from illness, which could contribute to difficulties transitioning to motherhood and limit a woman's ability to be emotionally available for the child.

Operating theatre nurses: emotional labour and the hostess role.

PubMed

Timmons, Stephen; Tanner, Judith

2005-04-01

Emotional labour has been established as a significant factor in nursing work, although no studies have been done looking at emotional labour specifically in an operating theatre nursing context. Theatre staff (17 nurses and three Operating Department Practitioners (technicians) were observed in practice over a period of nine months by one of the authors. Each of the staff was subsequently interviewed. The transcriptions of the observation fieldwork notes and the semistructured interviews were analysed for themes and content. The (predominantly female) nurses perceived that one of their responsibilities was 'looking after the surgeons'. We have described this as the 'hostess' role. This role consisted of two major areas of activity: 'keeping the surgeons happy' and 'not upsetting the surgeons'. Examples are given of how this was accomplished through talk and actions. The (predominantly male) operating department practitioners did not see this as part of their work. This 'hostess' role is a kind of emotional labour, but performed with coworkers rather than patients. Like other forms of emotional labour, it is strongly gendered. The emotional labour performed by the theatre nurses was necessary to maintain what has been called elsewhere the 'sentimental order'.

Perceptions of the UK's Research Excellence Framework 2014: A Small Survey of Academics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Tony; Sage, Daniel

2015-01-01

Earlier work inspired by a body of literature raised important questions about the workings of the UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF) and its predecessor the Research Assessment Framework (RAE), and noted the possible adverse outcomes of such processes. This paper builds on this by examining the findings of a small survey of social science…

Women Graduates and the Workplace: Continuing Challenges for Academic Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Maureen

2016-01-01

This article discusses the persistence of a gender gap among university-based academics, despite the development of equity policies and "family-friendly" initiatives. Over four decades of research are reviewed from the liberal states of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA and the UK, including my own qualitative interviews in Canada in…

The Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth Study making sense of labour and birth - Experiences of women, partners and midwives of a complementary medicine antenatal education course.

PubMed

Levett, K M; Smith, C A; Bensoussan, A; Dahlen, H G

2016-09-01

to gain insight into the experiences of women, partners and midwives who participated in the Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth Study, an evidence based complementary medicine (CM) antenatal education course. qualitative in-depth interviews and a focus group as part of the Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth Study. thirteen low risk primiparous women and seven partners who had participated in the study group of a randomised controlled trial of the complementary therapies for labour and birth study, and 12 midwives caring for these women. The trial was conducted at two public hospitals, and through the Western Sydney University in Sydney, Australia. the Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth (CTLB) protocol, based on the She Births® course and the Acupressure for labour and birth protocol, incorporated six evidence-based complementary medicine (CM) techniques; acupressure, relaxation, visualisation, breathing, massage, yoga techniques and incorporated facilitated partner support. Randomisation to the trial occurred at 24-36 weeks' gestation, and participants attended a two-day antenatal education programme, plus standard care, or standard care alone. the overarching theme identified in the qualitative data was making sense of labour and birth. Women used information about normal birth physiology from the course to make sense of labour, and to utilise the CM techniques to support normal birth and reduce interventions in labour. Women's, partners' and midwives' experience of the course and its use during birth gave rise to supporting themes such as: working for normal; having a toolkit; and finding what works. the Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth Study provided women and their partners with knowledge to understand the physiology of normal labour and birth and enabled them to use evidence-based CM tools to support birth and reduce interventions. the Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth Study introduces concepts of what

Re-thinking skilled international labour migration: world cities and banking organisations.

PubMed

Beaverstock, J V

1994-08-01

"Highly skilled professional and managerial labour migration has become an important facet of the contemporary world economy. The operations of transnational corporations have created more opportunities for skilled migrants to work abroad.... There is a growing interest amongst economic geographers to examine this form of migration through an appreciation of global economic restructuring, labour market change and world cities. Consequently, this paper introduces a new conceptual framework...[which] is based on the rationale that world cities, and the patterns of labour market demand that exist within them, are of paramount importance in influencing highly skilled professional and managerial labour migration within the world economy. The author uses an example of highly skilled labour migration within the transnational banking sector [in London] to illustrate this new conceptual framework." excerpt

Female Academics' Research Capacities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Socio-Cultural Issues, Personal Factors and Institutional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masika, Rachel; Wisker, Gina; Dabbagh, Lanja; Akreyi, Kawther Jameel; Golmohamad, Hediyeh; Bendixen, Lone; Crawford, Kirstin

2014-01-01

In October 2010, an interdisciplinary group of female academics from a university in the Kurdistan region of Iraq initiated a collaborative research project with a UK university to investigate opportunities and challenges for female academics' research leadership in universities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The project aimed to develop female…

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain management in labour

PubMed Central

Dowswell, Therese; Bedwell, Carol; Lavender, Tina; Neilson, James P

2014-01-01

Background Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) has been proposed as a means of reducing pain in labour. The TENS unit emits low-voltage electrical impulses which vary in frequency and intensity. During labour, TENS electrodes are generally placed on the lower back, although TENS may be used to stimulate acupuncture points or other parts of the body. The physiological mechanisms whereby TENS relieves pain are uncertain. TENS machines are frequently operated by women, which may increase a sense of control in labour. Objectives To assess the effects of TENS on pain in labour. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register (30 April 2011) and reference lists of retrieved papers. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials comparing women receiving TENS for pain management in labour versus routine care, alternative non-pharmacological methods of pain relief, or placebo devices. We included all types of TENS machines. Data collection and analysis Two review authors assessed for inclusion all trials identified by the search strategy, carried out data extraction and assessed risk of bias. We have recorded reasons for excluding studies. Main results Seventeen trials with 1466 women contribute data to the review. Thirteen examined TENS applied to the back, two to acupuncture points, and two to the cranium. Overall, there was little difference in pain ratings between TENS and control groups, although women receiving TENS to acupuncture points were less likely to report severe pain (average risk ratio 0.41, 95% confidence interval 0.31 to 0.54; measured in two studies). The majority of women using TENS said they would be willing to use it again in a future labour. Where TENS was used as an adjunct to epidural analgesia there was no evidence that it reduced pain. There was no consistent evidence that TENS had any impact on interventions and outcomes in labour. There was little information on outcomes for mothers and babies. No

Observations on gender equality in a UK Earth Sciences department

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imber, Jonathan; Allen, Mark; Chamberlain, Katy; Foulger, Gillian; Gregory, Emma; Hoult, Jill; Macpherson, Colin; Winship, Sarah

2016-04-01

The progress of women to senior positions within UK higher education institutes has been slow. Women are worst represented in science, engineering and technology disciplines, where, in 2011, only 15% of professors were female. The national position is reflected in the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University. The Department's gender profile shows steadily increasing proportions of females from undergraduate (ca. 38%) to postgraduate (ca. 42%) to postdoctoral (ca. 45%) levels, before dropping sharply with increasing seniority to 33% (n=1), 14% (n=1), 14% (n=1) and 13% (n=2), respectively, of lecturers, senior lecturers, readers and professors. The data suggest there is no shortage of talented female postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers; however, females are not applying, not being shortlisted, or not being appointed to academic roles in the expected proportions. Analysis of applications to academic positions in the Department during the period 2010-2015 suggests that "head hunting" senior academics, in some cases driven by external factors such as the UK Research Excellence Framework, resulted in a small proportion (between 0% and 11%) of female applicants. These results can be explained by the small number of senior female Earth Scientists nationally and, probably, internationally. Junior lectureship positions attracted between 24% and 33% female applicants, with the greatest proportion of females applying where the specialism within Earth Sciences was deliberately left open. In addition to these externally advertised posts, the Department has had some success converting independent research Fellowships, held by female colleagues, into permanent academic positions (n=2 between 2010 and 2015). Data for academic promotions show there is a significant negative correlation between year of appointment to first academic position within the Department (r=0.81, n=19, p<0.01), and the time taken to achieve first promotion at Durham. Data for our promoted

New Labour and Education: An Evidence-Based Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galton, Maurice

2007-01-01

This article looks at the evidence concerning performance and progress in the primary school over the lifetime of New Labour's tenure in government since 1997. It examines the claims made by New Labour that the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been an outstanding success and have changed the ways that teachers teach. On the evidence of the…

Government Research Evaluations and Academic Freedom: A UK and Australian Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Sardesai, Ann; Irvine, Helen; Tooley, Stuart; Guthrie, James

2017-01-01

Performance management systems have been an inevitable consequence of the development of government research evaluations (GREs) of university research, and have also inevitably affected the working life of academics. The aim of this paper is to track the development of GREs over the past 25 years, by critically evaluating their adoption in the UK…

Artistry and Analysis: Student Experiences of UK Practice-Based Doctorates in Art and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collinson, Jacquelyn Allen

2005-01-01

During the last decade, doctoral education has been the focus of much international academic attention. This period has also witnessed the rapid growth of practice-based research degrees in art and design in the UK. To date, however, there has been no extensive empirical research on the subjective experiences of students undertaking this form of…

Accountability, Transparency, Redundancy: Academic Identities in an Era of "Excellence"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Cate

2011-01-01

Higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK and elsewhere are having a hard time, pushed into the marketplace with the turn to "academic capitalism" and now suffering the effects of the economic downturn. Increasingly, the discourse of "excellence" is being invoked as HEIs are held to account and public funding for research…

Different Students, Same Difference? A Comparison of UK and International Students' Understandings of "Effective Teaching"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartram, Brendan; Bailey, Carol

2009-01-01

Recent years have seen a considerable growth in the numbers of international students coming to study in the UK. In an attempt to identify the extent to which differences in understandings and expectations of "effective teaching practice" might impede their successful integration into academic life, the following article offers a…

PROM and Labour Effects on Urinary Metabolome: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Meloni, Alessandra; Palmas, Francesco; Mereu, Rossella; Deiana, Sara Francesca; Fais, Maria Francesca; Mussap, Michele; Ragusa, Antonio; Pintus, Roberta; Fanos, Vassilios; Melis, Gian Benedetto

2018-01-01

Since pathologies and complications occurring during pregnancy and/or during labour may cause adverse outcomes for both newborns and mothers, there is a growing interest in metabolomic applications on pregnancy investigation. In fact, metabolomics has proved to be an efficient strategy for the description of several perinatal conditions. In particular, this study focuses on premature rupture of membranes (PROM) in pregnancy at term. For this project, urine samples were collected at three different clinical conditions: out of labour before PROM occurrence (Ph1), out of labour with PROM (Ph2), and during labour with PROM (Ph3). GC-MS analysis, followed by univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, was able to discriminate among the different classes, highlighting the metabolites most involved in the discrimination. PMID:29511388

'It's The Sun Wot Won It': Evidence of media influence on political attitudes and voting from a UK quasi-natural experiment.

PubMed

Reeves, Aaron; McKee, Martin; Stuckler, David

2016-03-01

Do print media significantly impact political attitudes and party identification? To examine this question, we draw on a rare quasi-natural experiment that occurred when The Sun, a right-leaning UK tabloid, shifted its support to the Labour party in 1997 and back to the Conservative party in 2010. We compared changes in party identification and political attitudes among Sun readers with non-readers and other newspaper readerships. We find that The Sun's endorsements were associated with a significant increase in readers' support for Labour in 1997, approximately 525,000 votes, and its switch back was associated with about 550,000 extra votes for the Conservatives in 2010. Although we observed changes in readers' party preference, there was no effect on underlying political preferences. The magnitude of these changes, about 2% of the popular vote, would have been unable to alter the outcome of the 1997 General Election, but may have affected the 2010 Election. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Castor oil for induction of labour: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Neri, Isabella; Dante, Giulia; Pignatti, Lucrezia; Salvioli, Chiara; Facchinetti, Fabio

2018-08-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of castor oil to induce labour. A retrospective observational case control study was conducted over five years. Castor oil was proposed to women referred to the Birth Centre (Castor Oil group (COG)). They were compared to women who chose to be followed by the traditional doctor-led unit (control group (CG)). Castor oil was administered in a 60 ml single dose in 200 ml of warm water. Inclusion criteria were gestational age between 40 and 41 weeks plus premature rupture of membranes between 12 and 18 hours or amniotic fluid index ≤4 or Bishop Score of ≤4 or absence of spontaneous labour over 41 + 4 weeks. Pharmacological induction of labour was required for 18 women in the COG (45%) and 36 in the CG (90%) (p < .001). The mode of delivery differed significantly between groups: women assuming castor oil showed a higher incidence of vaginal delivery, whereas the incidence of caesarean section was lower in the COG, but no statistical significance was reached. The use of castor oil is related to a higher probability of labour initiation within 24 hours. Castor oil can be considered a safe non-pharmacological method for labour induction.

Gender, family status and physician labour supply.

PubMed

Wang, Chao; Sweetman, Arthur

2013-10-01

With the increasing participation of women in the physician workforce, it is important to understand the sources of differences between male and female physicians' market labour supply for developing effective human resource policies in the health care sector. Gendered associations between family status and physician labour supply are explored in the Canadian labour market, where physicians are paid according to a common fee schedule and have substantial discretion in setting their hours of work. Canadian 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006 twenty percent census files with 22,407 physician observations are used for the analysis. Although both male and female physicians have statistically indistinguishable hours of market work when never married and without children, married male physicians have higher market hours, and their hours are unchanged or increased with parenthood. In contrast, female physicians have lower market hours when married, and much lower hours when a parent. Little change over time in these patterns is observed for males, but for females two offsetting trends are observed: the magnitude of the marriage-hours effect declined, whereas that for motherhood increased. Preferences and/or social norms induce substantially different labour market outcomes. In terms of work at home, the presence of children is associated with higher hours for male physicians, but for females the hours increase is at least twice as large. A male physician's spouse is much less likely to be employed, and if employed, has lower market hours in the presence of children. In contrast, a female physician's spouse is more likely to be employed if there are three or more children. Both male and female physicians have lower hours of work when married to another physician. Overall, there is no gender difference in physician market labour supply after controlling for family status and demographics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Usefulness of elastography in predicting the outcome of Foley catheter labour induction.

PubMed

Wozniak, Slawomir; Czuczwar, Piotr; Szkodziak, Piotr; Paszkowski, Tomasz

2015-06-01

Incorrect selection of women for labour induction may increase the risk of caesarean section and other postpartum and neonatal complications. It has been recently shown that elastography of the uterine cervix holds the potential to predict the outcome of pharmacological labour induction. There are no data on the usefulness of elastography in predicting the outcome of mechanical induction of labour. To assess the usefulness of elastographic cervical assessment in predicting the success of Foley catheter labour induction. This prospective observational study included 39 pregnant women at term with an unfavourable cervix (Bishop score ≤ 6) suitable for Foley catheter labour induction. Before labour induction the following data were recorded: Bishop score, cervical length (measured by ultrasound) and the stiffness of cervical internal os, canal and external os assessed by elastography (elastography index - EI). Statistical relationships between pre-interventional assessment of the cervix and outcome of Foley catheter labour induction (successful induction, time to delivery and route of delivery) were analysed. EI's of internal cervical os and cervical canal were significantly lower (softer) in women with successful labour induction and vaginal delivery, while EI's of the external cervical os, Bishop score and cervix length were not significantly different. Time to vaginal delivery was significantly correlated with the EI's of internal cervical os, cervical canal and Bishop score, but not with EI's of the external cervical os and cervix length. Elastography has the potential to predict the outcome of Foley catheter labour induction. © 2015 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Into the Dark Domain: The UK Web Archive as a Source for the Contemporary History of Public Health

PubMed Central

Gorsky, Martin

2015-01-01

With the migration of the written record from paper to digital format, archivists and historians must urgently consider how web content should be conserved, retrieved and analysed. The British Library has recently acquired a large number of UK domain websites, captured 1996–2010, which is colloquially termed the Dark Domain Archive while technical issues surrounding user access are resolved. This article reports the results of an invited pilot project that explores methodological issues surrounding use of this archive. It asks how the relationship between UK public health and local government was represented on the web, drawing on the ‘declinist’ historiography to frame its questions. It points up some difficulties in developing an aggregate picture of web content due to duplication of sites. It also highlights their potential for thematic and discourse analysis, using both text and image, illustrated through an argument about the contradictory rationale for public health policy under New Labour. PMID:26217072

Labour Market Driven Learning Analytics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kobayashi, Vladimer; Mol, Stefan T.; Kismihók, Gábor

2014-01-01

This paper briefly outlines a project about integrating labour market information in a learning analytics goal-setting application that provides guidance to students in their transition from education to employment.

Influence of timing of admission in labour and management of labour on method of birth: results from a randomised controlled trial of caseload midwifery (COSMOS trial).

PubMed

Davey, Mary-Ann; McLachlan, Helen L; Forster, Della; Flood, Margaret

2013-12-01

to explore the relationship between the degree to which labour is established on admission to hospital and method of birth. a recent randomised controlled trial found fewer caesarean sections (CS) in women allocated to caseload midwifery (19.4%) compared with standard care (24.9%). There is interest in exploring what specific aspects of the care might have resulted in this reduction. a large tertiary-level maternity service in Melbourne, Australia. English-speaking women with no previous caesarean section at low risk of complications in pregnancy were recruited to a randomised controlled trial. Trial participants whose management did not include a planned caesarean and who were admitted to hospital in spontaneous labour were included in this secondary analysis of trial data (n=1532). this secondary analysis included women admitted to hospital in spontaneous labour who were randomised to caseload midwifery compared with those randomised to standard care with regard to timing of admission in labour, augmentation of labour and use of epidural analgesia. In a further analysis randomised groups were pooled to examine predictors of caesarean section for first births only using multiple logistic regression. nulliparous women randomised to standard care were more likely to have labour augmented than those having caseload care (54.2% and 45.5% respectively, p=0.008), but were no more likely to use epidural analgesia. They were admitted earlier in labour, spending 1.1 hours longer than those in the caseload arm in hospital before the birth (p=0.003). Parous women allocated to standard care were more likely than those in the caseload arm to use epidural analgesia (10.0% and 5.3% respectively, p=0.047), but were no more likely to have labour augmented. They were also admitted earlier in labour, with a median cervical dilatation of 4 cm compared with 5 cm in the caseload arm (p=0.012). Pooling the two randomised groups of nulliparous women, and after adjusting for randomised

The future population and the future labour force.

PubMed

Young, C

1994-01-01

"The combination of two recent publications by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provides a useful insight into feasible future trends in the population, the labour force and dependency ratios. In addition, earlier ABS census data and its regular publications from the Labour Force Surveys clarify the historical trends in the relative number of dependants and nondependants. These various sources of data are brought together in this paper.... Official population projections...highlight the fact that the combination of annual zero net migration and 10 per cent below replacement fertility would not produce an immediate decline in Australia's population.... The conventional labour-force dependency ratio suggests that the dependency situation in Australia in 2041 will be no worse than it was in the early 1980s." excerpt

[Child labour].

PubMed

Marsella, L T; Savastano, L; Saracino, V; Del Vecchio, R

2005-01-01

The authors emphasize the violation of children's and adolescents' rights as a result of the exploitation of child labour. Besides the legal aspect, they pointed out the medical features related to the delicate growing process of the child in the phases of development and adaptation of the main organs to hard work. Currently the problem is being supervised by those states that recognize the right for minors to be protected against any kind of physical, mental, spiritual and moral risk.

Use of Non-invasive Uterine Electromyography in the Diagnosis of Preterm Labour

PubMed Central

Lucovnik, M.; Novak-Antolic, Z.; Garfield, R.E.

2012-01-01

Predictive values of methods currently used in the clinics to diagnose preterm labour are low. This leads to missed opportunities to improve neonatal outcomes and, on the other hand, to unnecessary hospitalizations and treatments. In addition, research of new and potentially more effective preterm labour treatments is hindered by the inability to include only patients in true preterm labour into studies. Uterine electromyography (EMG) detects changes in cell excitability and coupling required for labour and has higher predictive values for preterm delivery than currently available methods. This methodology could also provide a better means to evaluate various therapeutic interventions for preterm labour. Our manuscript presents a review of uterine EMG studies examining the potential clinical value that this technology possesses over what is available to physicians currently. We also evaluated the impact that uterine EMG could have on investigation of preterm labour treatments by calculating sample sizes for studies using EMG vs. current methods to enrol women. Besides helping clinicians to make safer and more cost-effective decisions when managing patients with preterm contractions, implementation of uterine EMG for diagnosis of preterm labour would also greatly reduce sample sizes required for studies of treatments. PMID:24753891

75 Years of the International Labour Review: A Retrospective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Albert; And Others

1996-01-01

Contains 18 articles published in International Labour Review from 1921-1975 that discuss the International Labour Organisation, international labor movement and law, economics and the labor market, family security, full employment, population growth, industrial welfare, trade policy and employment growth, and income expectations and rural-urban…

Gender and migration on the labour market: Additive or interacting disadvantages in Germany?

PubMed

Fleischmann, Fenella; Höhne, Jutta

2013-09-01

Despite substantial differences in labour market attainment according to gender and migration status, gender and ethnic differences in labour market behaviour are most often studied separately. In contrast, this study describes and analyses interactions between gender, ethnic background and immigrant generation with regard to labour market participation, part-time work, and occupational status. The double comparison aims to reveal whether gender gaps in these labour market outcomes among the majority population generalise to ethnic minorities. Moreover, we ask whether variation in gender gaps in labour market behaviour follows the patterns in migrants' origin countries, and whether gender gaps show signs of intergenerational assimilation. Our heterogeneous choice and OLS regressions of 2009 German Microcensus data reveal considerable variation in gender gaps in labour market behaviour between East and West Germany, across ethnic groups and across generations. Intergenerational comparisons show that most ethnic minorities assimilate towards German patterns of gendered labour market attainment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Women's experiences of outpatient induction of labour with remote continuous monitoring.

PubMed

O'Brien, Ediri; Rauf, Zubair; Alfirevic, Zarko; Lavender, Tina

2013-04-01

to gain insight into women's experiences and preferences for induction in the home as part of a trial investigating the feasibility and acceptability of outpatient induction of labour with remote monitoring. a qualitative study using semi-structured individual interviews. Interview transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis to identify the dominant themes regarding women's experiences of outpatient induction. a large maternity hospital in the North West of England. fifteen women who participated in the main trial of outpatient induction of labour with remote continuous monitoring. three main themes were identified; the need for women to 'labour within their comfort zone'; their desire to achieve 'the next best thing to a normal labour' and the importance of a 'virtual presence' to offer remote reassurance. women's preference for the outpatient setting of induction of labour is dominated by their need to labour within their comfort zone. Outpatient induction offered women the familiarity and freedom of the home environment, and the resulting physical and emotional comforts helped women cope better with their labour and improved their birth experiences. While remote monitoring offered some reassurance, women still depended on effective communication from hospital staff to provide the virtual presence of a health professional in the home. the combination of slow-release prostaglandin and a remote monitoring device may provide low risk women with an improved induction and labour experience. While ongoing studies continue to explore further the safety of interventions at home, this study has importantly considered women's views and confirmed that induction at home is not only acceptable to women but also that the outpatient experience is preferable to long inpatient inductions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preterm labour: an overview of current and emerging therapeutics.

PubMed

Schwarz, Matthias K; Page, Patrick

2003-08-01

Preterm labour is a major cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity. However, during the past 40 years of clinical studies and despite the use of multiple therapeutic agents, the rate of preterm birth has not drastically declined. In 1991, it was estimated that in the US approximately 116,000 women admitted with acute episodes of preterm labour were treated each year with ritodrine, which is the first drug approved by the US FDA and still remains the standard therapy for treating preterm labour. Ritodrine (Yutopar( trade mark )) stimulates the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor throughout the body, causing an inhibitory action in different tissues that, among other side effects, also leads to an attenuation of uterine contractility. More recently, a new therapeutic agent, atosiban (Tractocile( trade mark )), a peptidic oxytocin receptor antagonist, has been introduced to the market. However, the use of the various pharmacological agents to treat preterm labour remains restricted, due to lack of uterine selectivity, low efficacy and potentially serious side effects for the mother or the foetus. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop drugs with myometrial selectivity that would allow long-lasting inhibition of labour and prolong pregnancy up to a stage when good foetal maturation raises the chances of survival. One of the major obstacles hampering the development of new therapeutic agents is the marked inter-species difference in terms of preterm labour physiology, which complicates the preclinical evaluation of new candidate molecules in animal models of disease. In this review, the authors will provide a comprehensive update of past, current and new approaches for the management of preterm labour, including beta(2)-adrenergic agonists, calcium channel blockers, oxytocin antagonists, prostaglandin antagonists and other potential therapeutics. For each of the therapies used today, the review will cover the mechanism of action, benefit and adverse effects, and

Immersion in water during labour and birth.

PubMed

Cluett, Elizabeth R; Burns, Ethel; Cuthbert, Anna

2018-05-16

Water immersion during labour and birth is increasingly popular and is becoming widely accepted across many countries, and particularly in midwifery-led care settings. However, there are concerns around neonatal water inhalation, increased requirement for admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), maternal and/or neonatal infection, and obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS). This is an update of a review last published in 2011. To assess the effects of water immersion during labour and/or birth (first, second and third stage of labour) on women and their infants. We searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials Register, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (18 July 2017), and reference lists of retrieved trials. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing water immersion with no immersion, or other non-pharmacological forms of pain management during labour and/or birth in healthy low-risk women at term gestation with a singleton fetus. Quasi-RCTs and cluster-RCTs were eligible for inclusion but none were identified. Cross-over trials were not eligible for inclusion. Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. Two review authors assessed the quality of the evidence using the GRADE approach. This review includes 15 trials conducted between 1990 and 2015 (3663 women): eight involved water immersion during the first stage of labour; two during the second stage only; four during the first and second stages of labour, and one comparing early versus late immersion during the first stage of labour. No trials evaluated different baths/pools, or third-stage labour management. All trials were undertaken in a hospital labour ward setting, with a varying degree of medical intervention considered as routine practice. No study was carried out in a midwifery-led care setting. Most trial authors did not specify the

Social Security Contribution to Productivity and Wages in Labour Organization Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Supriadi, Y. N.

2017-03-01

This research is investigating the discrepancy fulfilment of the right to social security and decent wages to increase labour productivity in the perspective of labour organizations, in which the company provides social security, and wages have not been able to meet the needs of workers, on the other hand, the workers are always required to increase productivity. Therefore, this study aims to identify the social security and wages that affect labour productivity. So this research will provide input to the company to undertake effective measures and efficient for the company’s sustainability. This research was conducted using a survey method approach and quantitative data analysis techniques that are causal comparative sample of 223 respondents from 504 study population includes all labour organization’s District and municipal in Banten Province. The results showed the significant influence of social security and wages to increase labour productivity. Therefore, companies are required to act strategically in maintaining prohibitionists labour through re-design of the work environment, increase workers’ participation, intervention, and satisfy the needs of workers whose impact will be realized understanding between workers and companies in maintaining the company’s business.

Prophylactic versus therapeutic amnioinfusion for oligohydramnios in labour.

PubMed

Novikova, Natalia; Hofmeyr, G Justus; Essilfie-Appiah, George

2012-09-12

Amnioinfusion aims to relieve umbilical cord compression during labour by infusing a liquid into the uterine cavity. The objective of this review was to assess the effects of prophylactic amnioinfusion for women in labour with oligohydramnios, but not fetal heart deceleration, compared with therapeutic amnioinfusion only if fetal heart rate decelerations or thick meconium-staining of the liquor occur. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (28 February 2012). Randomised trials comparing prophylactic amnioinfusion in women in labour with oligohydramnios but not fetal heart rate deceleration in labour with therapeutic amnioinfusion. The authors assessed trial quality and extracted data. One randomized trial of 116 women was included. No differences were found in the rate of caesarean section (risk ratio 1.29, 95% confidence interval 0.60 to 2.74). There were no differences in cord arterial pH, oxytocin augmentation, neonatal pneumonia or postpartum endometritis. Prophylactic amnioinfusion was associated with increased intrapartum fever (risk ratio 3.48, 95% confidence interval 1.21 to 10.05). There appears to be no advantage of prophylactic amnioinfusion over therapeutic amnioinfusion carried out only when fetal heart rate decelerations or thick meconium-staining of the liquor occur.

The Interaction between Higher Education and Labour Market in Changing Economic Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gravite, Aija

2015-01-01

This paper explores challenges higher education institutions face while ensuring one of the quality assurance criteria--meeting the demands of labour market. The relationship between labour market and higher education institutions becomes even more complicated during the periods of rapid changes in labour market caused by economic collisions. In…

Sociodemographic differences in women's experience of early labour care: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Henderson, Jane; Redshaw, Maggie

2017-07-13

To explore women's experiences of early labour care focusing on sociodemographic differences, and to examine the effect of antenatal education, using mixed methods. England, 2014. Women who completed postal questionnaires about their experience of maternity care, including questions about antenatal education, early labour and sociodemographic factors, included space for free-text comments. Worries about labour, contact with midwives in early labour and subsequent care. This study was based on secondary analysis of a national maternity survey carried out in England in 2014. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression; qualitative data were analysed using a thematic content analytic approach. Completed questionnaires were received from 4578 women (47% response rate). There were significant differences by sociodemographic factors, particularly ethnicity, in women's worries about early labour. Compared with white women, women from black or minority ethnic groups had an adjusted OR of 1.93 (95% CI 1.56 to 2.39) of feeling worried about not knowing when labour would start. Among women who contacted a midwife at the start of labour, 84% perceived their advice as appropriate, more in older and multiparous women. Overall, 64% of women were asked to come to the hospital at this time, more in multiparous women (adjusted OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.96). Those who did not have access to antenatal education experienced greater worry about early labour. Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: 'Differentiating between early and active labour', 'Staff attitudes', 'Not being allowed…', 'Previous labours' and 'Perceived consequences for women'. These findings reinforce the importance of providing reassurance to women in early labour, taking care that women do not feel neglected or dismissed. In particular, primiparous and ethnic minority women reported greater worry about early labour and require additional reassurance. �

The journals of importance to UK clinicians: a questionnaire survey of surgeons

PubMed Central

Jones, Teresa H; Hanney, Steve; Buxton, Martin J

2006-01-01

Background Peer-reviewed journals are seen as a major vehicle in the transmission of research findings to clinicians. Perspectives on the importance of individual journals vary and the use of impact factors to assess research is criticised. Other surveys of clinicians suggest a few key journals within a specialty, and sub-specialties, are widely read. Journals with high impact factors are not always widely read or perceived as important. In order to determine whether UK surgeons consider peer-reviewed journals to be important information sources and which journals they read and consider important to inform their clinical practice, we conducted a postal questionnaire survey and then compared the findings with those from a survey of US surgeons. Methods A questionnaire survey sent to 2,660 UK surgeons asked which information sources they considered to be important and which peer-reviewed journals they read, and perceived as important, to inform their clinical practice. Comparisons were made with numbers of UK NHS-funded surgery publications, journal impact factors and other similar surveys. Results Peer-reviewed journals were considered to be the second most important information source for UK surgeons. A mode of four journals read was found with academics reading more than non-academics. Two journals, the BMJ and the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, are prominent across all sub-specialties and others within sub-specialties. The British Journal of Surgery plays a key role within three sub-specialties. UK journals are generally preferred and readership patterns are influenced by membership journals. Some of the journals viewed by surgeons as being most important, for example the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, do not have high impact factors. Conclusion Combining the findings from this study with comparable studies highlights the importance of national journals and of membership journals. Our study also illustrates the complexity

Knowing Me, Knowing You: UK and Japanese Academic Developer Identities at Two Research-Intensive Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadha, Deesha; Sato, Hiroaki

2015-01-01

In 2004, Ray Land produced extensive literature on the 12 orientations of academic developers. These orientations provided academic developers with a useful tool through which they have been able to better articulate their roles and their place in academia. We have used the orientations model to establish, compare, and contrast the identity of…

The launch of the first UK charity devoted to radiotherapy: ACORRN -- Action Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Price, P

2011-01-01

The Academic Clinical Oncology and Radiobiology Research Network (ACORRN) was set up to support research and development in radiotherapy in the UK. This innovative networking initiative was launched initially by the National Cancer Research Institute in 2005 to harness the power of the radiation research base in the UK. Through an interactive website a co-ordinated network of multidisciplinary radiation researchers has been established. The network has developed to a stage where it can be self-funding and dedicated to improving radiotherapy for cancer. A patient interactive section and extended support for service development will ensure that anyone treated in the UK will have immediate access to the best knowledge in the country. This provides a solution for cost-effectiveness and future improvement of cancer care and is seen as a new model to support healthcare development and delivery. The charity ACORRN - Action Radiotherapy aims to support radiotherapy research and development and was launched in the House of Lords in July 2010.

First-time mothers' experiences of early labour in Italian maternity care services.

PubMed

Cappelletti, Giulia; Nespoli, Antonella; Fumagalli, Simona; Borrelli, Sara E

2016-03-01

The aim of this study is to explore first-time mothers' experiences of early labour in Italian maternity care services when admitted to hospital or advised to return home after maternity triage assessment. The study was conducted in a second-level maternity hospital in northern Italy with an obstetric unit for both low- and high-risk women. The participants included 15 first-time mothers in good general health with spontaneous labour at term of a low-risk pregnancy who accessed maternity triage during early labour, and were either admitted to hospital or advised to return home. A qualitative interpretive phenomenological study was conducted. A face-to-face recorded semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant 48-72h after birth. Four key themes emerged from the interviews: (a) recognising signs of early labour; (b) coping with pain at home; (c) seeking reassurance from healthcare professionals; and (d) being admitted to hospital versus returning home. Uncertainty about the progression of labour and the need for reassurance were cited by women as the main reasons for hospital visit in early labour. An ambivalent feeling was reported by the participants when admitted to hospital in early labour. In fact, while the women felt reassured in the first instance, some women subsequently felt dissatisfied due to the absence of one-to-one dedicated care during early labour. When advised to return home, a number of women reported feelings of disappointment, anger, fear, discouragement and anxiety about not being admitted to hospital; however, some of these women reported a subsequent feeling of comfort due to being at home and putting in place the suggestions made by the midwives during the maternity triage assessment. The guidance provided by midwives during triage assessment seemed to be the key factor influencing women׳s satisfaction when advised either to return home or to stay at the hospital during early labour. During antenatal classes and clinics

Complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour.

PubMed

Smith, C A; Collins, C T; Cyna, A M; Crowther, C A

2006-10-18

Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour and this may contribute towards the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence supporting the use of alternative and complementary therapies for pain management in labour. To examine the effects of complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour on maternal and perinatal morbidity. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (February 2006), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2006, Issue 1), MEDLINE (1966 to February 2006), EMBASE (1980 to February 2006) and CINAHL (1980 to February 2006). The inclusion criteria included published and unpublished randomised controlled trials comparing complementary and alternative therapies (but not biofeedback) with placebo, no treatment or pharmacological forms of pain management in labour. All women whether primiparous or multiparous, and in spontaneous or induced labour, in the first and second stage of labour were included. Meta-analysis was performed using relative risks for dichotomous outcomes and mean differences for continuous outcomes. The outcome measures were maternal satisfaction, use of pharmacological pain relief and maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes. Fourteen trials were included in the review with data reporting on 1537 women using different modalities of pain management; 1448 women were included in the meta-analysis. Three trials involved acupuncture (n = 496), one audio-analgesia (n = 24), two trials acupressure (n = 172), one aromatherapy (n = 22), five trials hypnosis (n = 729), one trial of massage (n = 60), and relaxation (n = 34). The trials of acupuncture showed a decreased need for pain relief (relative risk (RR) 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49 to 1.00, two trials 288 women). Women taught self-hypnosis had decreased requirements for pharmacological

Exploiting Patient Labour at Kew Cottages, Australia, 1887-1950

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monk, Lee-Ann

2010-01-01

This article examines the exploitation of patient labour at Kew Cottages, Australia's first purpose-built state institution for people with learning disabilities. Analysing historical evidence for the period 1887-1950 shows that unpaid patient labour contributed significantly to the economy of the Cottages and so to the government department of…

Workers with Disabilities and the Challenges of Emotional Labour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilton, Robert D.

2008-01-01

This paper explores the implications of emotional labour for workers with disabilities, drawing on qualitative data from interviews with 59 respondents who had disabilities and who worked in service sector occupations. The analysis illustrates that employer demands for emotional labour may prove difficult for workers with a range of disabilities,…

The interference of paid work with household demands in different social policy contexts: perceived work-household conflict in Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

PubMed

Strandh, Mattias; Nordenmark, Mikael

2006-12-01

The article explores whether people experiences a lower level of work-household conflict in a context that is characterized by extensive family policies (Sweden and to some extent Hungary and Czech Republic) aimed at facilitating participation in the labour market. This is done by studying perceived work-household conflict among women and men living in Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. The analyses are based on the answers to a questionnaire distributed to nearly 6,000 randomly selected individuals within the framework of the European Union financed 'Household, Work, and Flexibility' (HWF) study. The results show that women in Sweden experience conflicts between work and household demands to a higher degree than any other category in all five countries. The differences between Swedish women and women living in the Netherlands and the UK are explained by variables indicating qualifications and workload in the main job, but the lower degree of work-household conflict among Czech and Hungarian women is still significant when controlling for household composition and working conditions. Data indicate that a possible explanation for this can be found in the interplay between men's and women's attitudes toward gender roles and the actual situation in terms of division of labour.

International labour migration statistics in Asia: an appraisal.

PubMed

Athukorala, P C; Wickramasekara, P

1996-01-01

"The present paper attempts a critical review of the data systems of seven major labour-exporting countries--Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand--which account for over 90 per cent of labour outflows from Asia....Data...are discussed under separate sections focusing on limitations as well as potential for further exploitation.... For all countries reviewed here, these data significantly understate total labour outflows, and the magnitude of the error seems to vary between countries and reflect both differences relating to the coverage and efficiency of the approval and monitoring procedure. This throws serious doubts on the appropriateness of official outmigration series for cross country comparison. Frequent changes in reporting procedures also make for discrete changes and spurious shifts in data which render trend analysis quite hazardous." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) excerpt

Restricting oral fluid and food intake during labour.

PubMed

Singata, Mandisa; Tranmer, Joan; Gyte, Gillian M L

2013-08-22

Restricting fluids and foods during labour is common practice across many birth settings with some women only being allowed sips of water or ice chips. Restriction of oral intake may be unpleasant for some women, and may adversely influence their experience of labour. To determine the benefits and harms of oral fluid or food restriction during labour. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 June 2013) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs of restricting fluids and food for women in labour compared with women free to eat and drink. Two review authors independently assessed the studies for inclusion, assessed risk of bias and carried out data extraction. We identified 19 studies of which we included five, involving 3130 women. We excluded eight studies, one awaits classification and five are ongoing studies. All the included studies looked at women in active labour and at low risk of potentially requiring a general anaesthetic. One study looked at complete restriction versus giving women the freedom to eat and drink at will; two studies looked at water only versus giving women specific fluids and foods and two studies looked at water only versus giving women carbohydrate drinks.When comparing any restriction of fluids and food versus women given some nutrition in labour, the meta-analysis was dominated by one study undertaken in a highly medicalised environment. There were no statistically significant differences identified in: caesarean section (average risk ratio (RR) 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63 to 1.25, five studies, 3103 women), operative vaginal births (average RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.10, five studies, 3103 women) and Apgar scores less than seven at five minutes (average RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.77 to 2.68, four studies, 2902 infants), nor in any of the other outcomes assessed. Women's views were not assessed. The pooled data were insufficient to assess the

Assembling the evidence jigsaw: insights from a systematic review of UK studies of individual-focused return to work initiatives for disabled and long-term ill people

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Employment rates of long-term ill and disabled people in the UK are low and 2.63 million are on disability-related state benefits. Since the mid-1990 s, UK governments have experimented with a range of active labour market policies aimed to move disabled people off benefits and into work to reduce the risk of poverty and social exclusion. This systematic review asks what employment impact have these interventions had and how might they work better? Methods A systematic review of observational and qualitative empirical studies and systematic reviews published between 2002 and mid-2008 reporting employment effects and/or process evaluations of national UK government interventions focused on helping long-term sick or disabled people (aged 16-64) into the open labour market. This built on our previous systematic review which covered the years 1970 to 2001. Results Searches identified 42 studies, 31 of which evaluated initiatives with an individual focus (improving an individual's employability or providing financial support in returning to work) while 11 evaluated initiatives with an environmental focus (directed at the employment environment or changing the behaviour of employers). This paper synthesises evidence from the 31 studies with an individual focus. The use of personal advisors and individual case management in these schemes helped some participants back to work. Qualitative studies, however, revealed that time pressures and job outcome targets influenced advisors to select 'easier-to-place' claimants into programmes and also inhibited the development of mutual trust, which was needed for individual case management to work effectively. Financial incentives can help with lasting transitions into work, but the incentives were often set too low or were too short-term to have an effect. Many of the studies suffered from selection bias into these programmes of more work-ready claimants. Even though these were national programmes, they had very low

Computerised interpretation of fetal heart rate during labour (INFANT): a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

2017-04-29

Continuous electronic fetal heart-rate monitoring is widely used during labour, and computerised interpretation could increase its usefulness. We aimed to establish whether the addition of decision-support software to assist in the interpretation of cardiotocographs affected the number of poor neonatal outcomes. In this unmasked randomised controlled trial, we recruited women in labour aged 16 years or older having continuous electronic fetal monitoring, with a singleton or twin pregnancy, and at 35 weeks' gestation or more at 24 maternity units in the UK and Ireland. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to decision support with the INFANT system or no decision support via a computer-generated stratified block randomisation schedule. The primary outcomes were poor neonatal outcome (intrapartum stillbirth or early neonatal death excluding lethal congenital anomalies, or neonatal encephalopathy, admission to the neonatal unit within 24 h for ≥48 h with evidence of feeding difficulties, respiratory illness, or encephalopathy with evidence of compromise at birth), and developmental assessment at age 2 years in a subset of surviving children. Analyses were done by intention to treat. This trial is completed and is registered with the ISRCTN Registry, number 98680152. Between Jan 6, 2010, and Aug 31, 2013, 47 062 women were randomly assigned (23 515 in the decision-support group and 23 547 in the no-decision-support group) and 46 042 were analysed (22 987 in the decision-support group and 23 055 in the no-decision-support group). We noted no difference in the incidence of poor neonatal outcome between the groups-172 (0·7%) babies in the decision-support group compared with 171 (0·7%) babies in the no-decision-support group (adjusted risk ratio 1·01, 95% CI 0·82-1·25). At 2 years, no significant differences were noted in terms of developmental assessment. Use of computerised interpretation of cardiotocographs in women who have continuous electronic fetal

Exploring Action Learning for Academic Development in Research Intensive Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stocks, Claire; Trevitt, Chris; Hughes, Joseph

2018-01-01

The potential of action learning (AL) for academic development has not received a lot of attention. Building from two case studies in which AL has been used in different ways in research-intensive universities in Australia and the UK, we suggest that the approach may be of benefit to developers in the changing landscape in which they are expected…

Chronic disease and labour force participation among older Australians.

PubMed

Schofield, Deborah J; Shrestha, Rupendra N; Passey, Megan E; Earnest, Arul; Fletcher, Susan L

2008-10-20

To examine the association between long-term health conditions and being out of the labour force among older Australians. Retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers for people aged 45-64 years. Rates of premature retirement associated with ill health; odds ratios of being out of the labour force associated with each long-term health condition and number of conditions; weighted population estimates; estimates of gross domestic product lost as a result. 9198 people surveyed were aged 45-64 years, 3010 of whom were not in the labour force. Of these, 1373 (45.6%) had retired because of a chronic health condition, most commonly a back problem (10.4%), or arthritis and related disorders (8.6%). When adjusted for age and sex, all conditions studied except diseases of the ear and mastoid process, other endocrine/nutritional and metabolic disorders, noise-induced deafness or hearing loss, and high cholesterol were significantly associated with being out of the labour force. Extrapolating from these results, an estimated 663 235 older Australians were not working because of ill health, reducing Australia's gross domestic product by around $14.7 billion per annum. Prevention of long-term health conditions may help older Australians remain in the labour force longer, thereby increasing revenue to fund health care for the ageing population.

Ethnicity and Occupational Pension Membership in the UK

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Abstract Reflecting a relatively low‐value Basic State Pension, occupational pensions have historically been a key aspect of pension protection within Britain. Existing research shows that minority ethnic groups are less likely to benefit from such pensions and are more likely to face poverty in later life, as a result of the interaction of their labour market participation and pension membership patterns. However, the lack of adequate data on ethnic minorities has so far prevented the direct comparison of different ethnic groups, as well as their comparison to the White British group. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, this article explores patterns of employment and the odds ratios of membership in an employer's pension scheme among working‐age individuals from minority ethnic groups and the White British population, taking into account factors not used by previous research, such as one's migration history and sector of employment (public/private). The analysis provides new empirical evidence confirming that ethnicity remains a strong determinant of one's pension protection prospects through being in paid work, being an employee and working for an employer who offers a pension scheme. However, once an individual is working for an employer offering a pension scheme, the effect of ethnicity on that person's odds of being a member of that scheme reduces, except among Pakistani and Bangladeshi individuals for whom the differentials remain. The article also provides evidence on the pension protection of Polish individuals, a relatively ‘new’ minority group in the UK. PMID:27563161

The Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS-62): Acceptance, feasibility, and initial psychometric properties in a UK student population.

PubMed

Broglia, Emma; Millings, Abigail; Barkham, Michael

2017-09-01

The burden and severity of student mental health continue to increase in parallel with increasing financial pressures on students and services alike. There is a need for a student-specific measure of distress that acknowledges their unique context. This study examined the feasibility, acceptance, and initial psychometric properties of a US measure, the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS), in a UK student sample. A sample of 294 UK help-seeking students from two universities completed the CCAPS-62 and Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-10) as a comparator. The factor solution and reliability of the CCAPS-62 were examined. Correlations and clinical boundaries were determined between the CCAPS-62 subscales and CORE-10, and comparisons were made with US published norms. The CCAPS-62 demonstrated a strong factor solution that matched the intended subscales. All subscales had good reliability and correlated significantly with the CORE-10. The agreement on caseness between the two measures was 92.8% with 86.3% reaching clinical threshold on both the CCAPS-62 and CORE-10. Severity was most noticeable for academic distress, depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. Compared to US data, UK students showed higher clinical severity for all psychological symptoms. The CCAPS-62 is a reliable and psychometrically valid assessment measure to use with UK students without revision. The overall distress indicated is similar to that of the CORE-10, but the individual subscales are more informative of specific student concerns including academic distress, social anxiety, and substance abuse. Potential benefits of administering a student-focused assessment measure in student counselling services are discussed. University students attending counselling in the UK demonstrate clinical severity for academic distress, depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. Compared to university students in the US, UK students present with higher clinical severity on

The Globalisation of Higher Education and the Sojourner Academic: Insights into Challenges Experienced by Newly Appointed International Academic Staff in a UK University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Patricia

2015-01-01

The increasingly diverse nature of the higher education academic community in the United Kingdom is under-researched and under-theorised. This article presents an exploratory study of the lived experiences of newly appointed international academic staff as expressed in their written reflections on their professional practice and interpreted by the…

China: surplus labour and migration.

PubMed

Banister, J; Taylor, J R

1989-12-01

Surplus labor force and migration trends in China are examined, with emphasis on the impact of underemployment in rural areas. "Government policy encourages surplus labourers to transfer out of crop farming into agricultural sidelines or non-agricultural work. Peasants are urged to stay where they are, shifting jobs without shifting location; however, many rural areas are poorly endowed for providing alternative employment, so their surplus workers must also leave the village to find work. Many do not formally migrate, but rather move on a seasonal basis or set up 'temporary' residence in an urban place. This 'floating' population has been escalating rapidly in recent years....[The authors argue] that China's cities and towns can absorb millions of surplus labourers from rural areas each year, to the mutual benefit of sending and receiving areas." excerpt

Challenges of University Adjustment in the UK: A Study of East Asian Master's Degree Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Wenli; Hammond, Michael

2011-01-01

This paper reports on the adjustment of East Asian Master's level students who came to study at a campus-based university in the UK during 2004-05. International students face challenges in respect to language proficiency, academic expectations and social participation. In this longitudinal study the experiences of a group of students from East…

Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students' Perceptions of Successful Classroom Practices in a UK Graduate Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rich, Sarah

2005-01-01

In this paper, I present the findings of a longitudinal study into the perceptions of linguistically and culturally diverse practicing teachers in a graduate program in the United Kingdom (UK) with regard to pedagogic practices deemed successful in helping them negotiate access to an academic community of practice. It is argued that an approach…

At the crossroads of anthropology and epidemiology: current research in cultural psychiatry in the UK.

PubMed

Dein, Simon; Bhui, Kamaldeep Singh

2013-12-01

Cultural psychiatry research in the UK comprises a broad range of diverse methodologies, academic disciplines, and subject areas. Methodologies range from epidemiological to anthropological/ethnographic to health services research; mixed methods research is becoming increasingly popular, as are public health and health promotional topics. After briefly outlining the history of cultural psychiatry in the UK we will discuss contemporary research. Prominent themes include: the epidemiology of schizophrenia among Africans/Afro-Caribbeans, migration and mental health, racism and mental health, cultural identity, pathways to care, explanatory models of mental illness, cultural competence, and the subjective experiences of healthcare provision among specific ethnic groups such as Bangladeshis and Pakistanis. Another strand of research that is attracting increasing academic attention focuses upon the relationship between religion, spirituality, and mental health, in particular, the phenomenology of religious experience and its mental health ramifications, as well as recent work examining the complex links between theology and psychiatry. The paper ends by appraising the contributions of British cultural psychiatrists to the discipline of cultural psychiatry and suggesting promising areas for future research.

At the crossroads of anthropology and epidemiology: Current research in cultural psychiatry in the UK

PubMed Central

Bhui, Kamaldeep Singh

2013-01-01

Cultural psychiatry research in the UK comprises a broad range of diverse methodologies, academic disciplines, and subject areas. Methodologies range from epidemiological to anthropological/ethnographic to health services research; mixed methods research is becoming increasingly popular, as are public health and health promotional topics. After briefly outlining the history of cultural psychiatry in the UK we will discuss contemporary research. Prominent themes include: the epidemiology of schizophrenia among Africans/Afro-Caribbeans, migration and mental health, racism and mental health, cultural identity, pathways to care, explanatory models of mental illness, cultural competence, and the subjective experiences of healthcare provision among specific ethnic groups such as Bangladeshis and Pakistanis. Another strand of research that is attracting increasing academic attention focuses upon the relationship between religion, spirituality, and mental health, in particular, the phenomenology of religious experience and its mental health ramifications, as well as recent work examining the complex links between theology and psychiatry. The paper ends by appraising the contributions of British cultural psychiatrists to the discipline of cultural psychiatry and suggesting promising areas for future research. PMID:24114263

Stigma, Tensions, and Apprehension: The Academic Writing Experience of International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maringe, Felix; Jenkins, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper examines the experiences of engaging with academic writing of international doctoral students in the schools of humanities and education at a UK university. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the real accounts of international students whose cultural and language backgrounds are often marginalised and considered, not as…

Aromatherapy for pain management in labour.

PubMed

Smith, Caroline A; Collins, Carmel T; Crowther, Caroline A

2011-07-06

Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour and this may contribute towards the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence supporting the use of aromatherapy for pain management in labour. To examine the effects of aromatherapy for pain management in labour on maternal and perinatal morbidity. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 October 2010), The Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field's Trials Register (October 2010), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2010, Issue 4), MEDLINE (1966 to 31 October 2010), CINAHL (1980 to 31 October 2010), the Australian and New Zealand Trials Registry (31 October 2010), Chinese Clinical Trial Register (31 October 2010), Current Controlled Trials (31 October 2010), ClinicalTrials.gov (31 October 2010), ISRCTN Register (31 October 2010), National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (31 October 2010) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (31 October 2010). Randomised controlled trials comparing aromatherapy with placebo, no treatment or other non-pharmacological forms of pain management in labour. Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted study authors for additional information. We included two trials (535 women) in the review. The trials found no difference between groups for the primary outcomes of pain intensity, assisted vaginal birth (risk ratio (RR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48 to 2.28, one trial, 513 women; RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.06 to 11.70, one trial, 22 women), and caesarean section (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.94, one trial, 513 women; RR 2.54, 95% CI 0.11 to 56.25, one trial, 22 women); there were more babies admitted to neonatal intensive care in the control group of one trial (RR 0.08, 95% CI 0.00 to 1.42, one trial, 513 women) but this

The Impact of Learning on Women's Labour Market Transitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haasler, Simone R.

2014-01-01

Women play an increasingly important role in the labour market and as wage earners. Moreover, in many countries, young women have outperformed men in terms of educational attainment and qualification. Still, women's human capital investment does not pay off as it does for men as they are still significantly disadvantaged on the labour market.…

Labour market income inequality and mortality in North American metropolitan areas.

PubMed

Sanmartin, C; Ross, N A; Tremblay, S; Wolfson, M; Dunn, J R; Lynch, J

2003-10-01

To investigate relations between labour market income inequality and mortality in North American metropolitan areas. An ecological cross sectional study of relations between income inequality and working age (25-64 years) mortality in 53 Canadian (1991) and 282 US (1990) metropolitan areas using four measures of income inequality. Two labour market income concepts were used: labour market income for households with non-trivial attachment to the labour market and labour market income for all households, including those with zero and negative incomes. Relations were assessed with weighted and unweighted bivariate and multiple regression analyses. US metropolitan areas were more unequal than their Canadian counterparts, across inequality measures and income concepts. The association between labour market income inequality and working age mortality was robust in the US to both the inequality measure and income concept, but the association was inconsistent in Canada. Three of four inequality measures were significantly related to mortality in Canada when households with zero and negative incomes were included. In North American models, increases in earnings inequality were associated with hypothetical increases in working age mortality rates of between 23 and 33 deaths per 100 000, even after adjustment for median metropolitan incomes. This analysis of labour market inequality provides more evidence regarding the robust nature of the relation between income inequality and mortality in the US. It also provides a more refined understanding of the nature of the relation in Canada, pointing to the role of unemployment in generating Canadian metropolitan level health inequalities.

Elective induction versus spontaneous labour in Latin America

PubMed Central

Guerra, Gláucia Virgínia; Souza, João Paulo; Faúndes, Aníbal; Morais, Sirlei Siani; Gülmezoglu, Ahmet Metin; Passini, Renato; Parpinelli, Mary Angela; Carroli, Guillermo

2011-01-01

Abstract Objective To assess the frequency of elective induction of labour and its determinants in selected Latin America countries; quantify success in attaining vaginal delivery, and compare rates of caesarean and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes after elective induction versus spontaneous labour in low-risk pregnancies. Methods Of 37 444 deliveries in women with low-risk pregnancies, 1847 (4.9%) were electively induced. The factors associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes among cases of spontaneous and induced onset of labour were compared. Odds ratios for factors potentially associated with adverse outcomes were calculated, as were the relative risks of having an adverse maternal or perinatal outcome (both with their 95% confidence intervals). Adjustment using multiple logistic regression models followed these analyses. Findings Of 11 077 cases of induced labour, 1847 (16.7%) were elective. Elective inductions occurred in 4.9% of women with low-risk pregnancies (37 444). Oxytocin was the most common method used (83% of cases), either alone or combined with another. Of induced deliveries, 88.2% were vaginal. The most common maternal adverse events were: (i) a higher postpartum need for uterotonic drugs, (ii) a nearly threefold risk of admission to the intensive care unit; (iii) a fivefold risk of postpartum hysterectomy, and (iv) an increased need for anaesthesia/analgesia. Perinatal outcomes were satisfactory except for a 22% higher risk of delayed breastfeeding (i.e. initiation between 1 hour and 7 days postpartum). Conclusion Caution is mandatory when indicating elective labour induction because the increased risk of maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes is not outweighed by clear benefits. PMID:21897486

Managing the Tensions between Maintaining Academic Standards and the Commercial Imperative in a UK Private Sector Higher Education Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitcher, Graham Simons

2013-01-01

In a changing landscape of higher education, universities have been moving towards a market-led approach to strategic management. This paper examines the case of a UK private sector education provider that gained degree-awarding powers following changes made in 2004 by the UK Government to the accreditation criteria for recognised degree-awarding…

The influence of learning styles, enrollment status and gender on academic performance of optometry undergraduates.

PubMed

Prajapati, Bhavna; Dunne, Mark; Bartlett, Hannah; Cubbidge, Robert

2011-01-01

This cross-sectional study was designed to determine whether the academic performance of optometry undergraduates is influenced by enrollment status, learning style or gender. Three hundred and sixty undergraduates in all 3 years of the optometry degree course at Aston University during 2008-2009 were asked for their informed consent to participate in this study. Enrollment status was known from admissions records. An Index of Learning Styles (http://www4.nscu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Learning-Styles.html) determined learning style preference with respect to four different learning style axes; active-reflective, sensing-intuitive, visual-verbal and sequential-global. The influence of these factors on academic performance was investigated. Two hundred and seventy students agreed to take part (75% of the cohort). 63% of the sample was female. There were 213 home non-graduates (entrants from the UK or European Union without a bachelor's degree or higher), 14 home graduates (entrants from the UK or European Union with a bachelor's degree or higher), 28 international non-graduates (entrants from outside the UK or European Union without a bachelor's degree or higher) and 15 international graduates (entrants from outside the UK or European Union with a bachelor's degree or higher). The majority of students were balanced learners (between 48% and 64% across four learning style axes). Any preferences were towards active, sensing, visual and sequential learning styles. Of the factors investigated in this study, learning styles were influenced by gender; females expressed a disproportionate preference for the reflective and visual learning styles. Academic performance was influenced by enrollment status; international graduates (95% confidence limits: 64-72%) outperformed all other student groups (home non graduates, 60-62%; international non graduates, 55-63%) apart from home graduates (57-69%). Our research has shown that the majority of optometry students

Teaching fellowships for UK foundation doctors.

PubMed

Qureshi, Shaun

2015-01-01

Teaching Fellowships for junior doctors in their second post-graduate (FY2) year should be considered by medical students and junior doctors in UK. FY2 Teaching Fellowships are available in many foundation schools as part of the UK Academic Foundation Programme. Although programme structures differ between schools, they are designed to allow junior trainees to take time out from clinical practice to develop their teaching skills and gain insights into medication education careers. The advantages of an FY2 teaching fellowship include valuable experience of teaching and formal feedback not available to other trainees; the opportunity to further develop your portfolio; further development of the trainee's own knowledge and skills; the stimulation of working with students. Potential drawbacks to be considered are reduced direct clinical contact; reduced salary; difficulty carrying out education research in the allocated time frame; occasional difficulties establishing the teacher-student relationship while the trainee is at a relatively junior level. Experience of medical education as an FY2 trainee provides a helpful stepping stone whether or not the trainee further pursues education as a career, because the teaching skills are transferable to any specialty, and the unique experience enhances the trainee's confidence as a role model for junior colleagues.

Massage, reflexology and other manual methods for pain management in labour.

PubMed

Smith, Caroline A; Levett, Kate M; Collins, Carmel T; Jones, Leanne

2012-02-15

Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour, and this may contribute towards the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence supporting the use of manual healing methods including massage and reflexology for pain management in labour. To examine the effects of manual healing methods including massage and reflexology for pain management in labour on maternal and perinatal morbidity. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 June 2011), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 2 of 4), MEDLINE (1966 to 30 June 2011), CINAHL (1980 to 30 June 2011), the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (30 June 2011), Chinese Clinical Trial Register (30 June 2011), Current Controlled Trials (30 June 2011), ClinicalTrials.gov, (30 June 2011) ISRCTN Register (30 June 2011), National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (30 June 2011) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (30 June 2011). Randomised controlled trials comparing manual healing methods with standard care, no treatment, other non-pharmacological forms of pain management in labour or placebo. Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We attempted to contact study authors for additional information. We included six trials, with data reporting on five trials and 326 women in the meta-analysis. We found trials for massage only. Less pain during labour was reported from massage compared with usual care during the first stage of labour (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.17 to -0.47), four trials, 225 women), and labour pain was reduced in one trial of massage compared with music (risk ratio (RR) 0.40, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.89, 101 women). One trial of massage compared with usual care found reduced anxiety during

Hypnosis for pain management during labour and childbirth.

PubMed

Madden, Kelly; Middleton, Philippa; Cyna, Allan M; Matthewson, Mandy; Jones, Leanne

2012-11-14

This review is one in a series of Cochrane Reviews investigating pain management for childbirth. These reviews all contribute to an overview of systematic reviews of pain management for women in labour, and share a generic protocol. We examined the current evidence regarding the use of hypnosis for pain management during labour and childbirth. This review updates the findings regarding hypnosis from an earlier review of complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour into a stand-alone review. To examine the effectiveness and safety of hypnosis for pain management during labour and childbirth. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (11 January 2012) and the reference lists of primary studies and review articles. Randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing preparation for labour using hypnosis and/or use of hypnosis during labour, with or without concurrent use of pharmacological or non-pharmacological pain relief methods versus placebo, no treatment or any analgesic drug or technique. Two assessors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality. Where possible we contacted study authors seeking additional information about data and methodology. We included seven trials randomising a total of 1213 women. All but one of the trials were at moderate to high risk of bias. Although six of the seven trials assessed antenatal hypnotherapy, there were considerable differences between these trials in timing and technique. One trial provided hypnotherapy during labour. No significant differences between women in the hypnosis group and those in the control group were found for the primary outcomes: use of pharmacological pain relief (average risk ratio (RR) 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39 to 1.01, six studies, 1032 women), spontaneous vaginal birth (average RR 1.35, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.96, four studies, 472 women) or satisfaction with pain relief (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.94 to 1

Welcome to 2012: Australian Academic Developers and Student-Driven University Funding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling, Peter; Fraser, Kym; Gosling, David

2013-01-01

Are there consequences for academic development arising from the move to student-driven funding in the Australian higher education sector from 2012? In a move that has similarities to the UK, Australian government-supported student university funding will, from 2012, attach to students who can select a programme at the university of their choice…

The impact on health of employment and welfare transitions for those receiving out-of-work disability benefits in the UK.

PubMed

Curnock, Esther; Leyland, Alastair H; Popham, Frank

2016-08-01

Employment status has a dynamic relationship with health and disability. There has been a striking increase in the working age population receiving out-of-work disability benefits in many countries, including the UK. In response, recent UK welfare reforms have tightened eligibility criteria and introduced new conditions for benefit receipt linked to participation in return-to-work activities. Positive and negative impacts have been suggested but there is a lack of high quality evidence of the health impact when those receiving disability benefits move towards labour market participation. Using four waves of the UK's Understanding Society panel survey (2009-2013) three different types of employment and welfare transition were analysed in order to identify their impact on health. A difference-in-difference approach was used to compare change between treatment and control groups in mental and physical health using the SF-12. To strengthen causal inference, sensitivity checks for common trends used pre-baseline data and propensity score matching. Transitions from disability benefits to employment (n = 124) were associated on average with an improvement in the SF12 mental health score of 5.94 points (95% CI = 3.52-8.36), and an improvement in the physical health score of 2.83 points (95% CI = 0.85-4.81) compared with those remaining on disability benefits (n = 1545). Transitions to unemployed status (n = 153) were associated with a significant improvement in mental health (3.14, 95% CI = 1.17-5.11) but not physical health. No health differences were detected for those who moved on to the new out-of-work disability benefit. It remains rare for disability benefit recipients to return to the labour market, but our results indicate that for those that do, such transitions may improve health, particularly mental health. Understanding the mechanisms behind this relationship will be important for informing policies to ensure both work and welfare are 'good for

Emotional Labour of Caregivers Confronted With Aggressive Brain-injured Patients.

PubMed

Huet, Magali; Dany, Lionel; Apostolidis, Thémistoklis

2018-06-01

Aggressive behaviours are common with people who have suffered brain injuries and induce difficult emotions among certified nursing assistants and medical-psychological assistants who take care of them. These caregivers carry out emotional labour whose content and strategies are little known. The study explores the emotional labour of certified nursing assistants and medical-psychological assistants faced with the aggressive behaviours of brain-injured patients. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 caregivers. Interviews were analysed via a thematic content analysis. The analysis shows that the emotional labour of caregivers varies in accordance with the state of "consciousness" or "non-consciousness" that they attribute to the brain-injured patient with regard to this aggressive behaviour. This is a deep acting strategy. Moreover, caregivers shut off their emotions in order not to transmit them to the patient. This surface acting has the first objective for the caregiver of maintaining control of the situation and a second objective of protecting the patient emotionally and therefore of being perceived as a "good" caregiver. Emotional labour also meets a need to preserve the professional self-image and professional status negatively affected in the interaction with the aggressive brain-injured patient. Our study specifies the different strategies of the emotional labour of caregivers and their circumstances of use when they are confronted with aggressive behaviour by brain-injured patients. Targeted support for this emotional labour, such as training and practical analysis, is essential for the development of care practices promoting a caring relationship. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Labour induction with gestational hypertension: A great obstetric challenge.

PubMed

Khaskheli, Meharun-Nissa; Baloch, Shahla; Sheeba, Aneela; Baloch, Sarmad; Khan, Fahad

2017-01-01

To observe the fetomaternal morbidity and mortality with induction of labour in pregnant women with gestational hypertension. The subjected study population included was 138 pregnant women with gestational hypertension. These pregnant women were between 34-40 weeks of gestational period in whom labour was induced, while the pregnant women who had labour induction for other reasons were excluded. These women were registered on the predesigned proforma. The data was collected and analyzed on SPSS version 21. Out of the 138 cases, mean age of the women was 25.93±5.037, prim gravid women were 78(56.5%), gestational period in majority of these women 71(51.4%) varied between 35-38 weeks. The common presenting symptoms were oedema 119(86.23%), headache 90(65.21%). Labour induction in majority of the cases 81(58.7%) was carried with prosten pessary. The Caesarean section was needed in 39(28.3%) women in emergency due to maternal and fetal reasons or due to failed induction. Maternal complications were uncontrolled hypertension 23(16.7%), intensive care unit admission 21(15.2%), fits 15(10.9%), post partum haemorrhage 13(9.4%). Fetal complications were birth asphyxia 49(35.5%), neonatal intensive care unit admission 17(12.3%), neonatal death 14(10.1%). The emergency Caesarean section rate was quite high with induction of labour in pregnant women with gestational diabetes. The maternal morbidity as well as fetal morbidity and mortality rate was also high.

Incoherence in the South African Labour Market for Intermediate Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraak, Andre

2008-01-01

This article is concerned with the production and employment of technically skilled labour at the intermediate level in South Africa. Three differing labour market pathways to intermediate skilling are identified. These are: the traditional apprenticeship route, the new "Learnerships" pathway (similar to the "modern…

All in This Together? HRM and the Individualisation of the Academic Worker

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waring, Matthew

2013-01-01

In the context of neoliberal government policymaking in the UK, universities have become increasingly managerial in their approach. Growing market pressures and a commodification of higher education (HE) has had a significant effect on the work of academics, as producers and providers of HE. Human Resource Management -- a management tool that…

Reductions in labour capacity from heat stress under climate warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunne, John P.; Stouffer, Ronald J.; John, Jasmin G.

2013-06-01

A fundamental aspect of greenhouse-gas-induced warming is a global-scale increase in absolute humidity. Under continued warming, this response has been shown to pose increasingly severe limitations on human activity in tropical and mid-latitudes during peak months of heat stress. One heat-stress metric with broad occupational health applications is wet-bulb globe temperature. We combine wet-bulb globe temperatures from global climate historical reanalysis and Earth System Model (ESM2M) projections with industrial and military guidelines for an acclimated individual's occupational capacity to safely perform sustained labour under environmental heat stress (labour capacity)--here defined as a global population-weighted metric temporally fixed at the 2010 distribution. We estimate that environmental heat stress has reduced labour capacity to 90% in peak months over the past few decades. ESM2M projects labour capacity reduction to 80% in peak months by 2050. Under the highest scenario considered (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5), ESM2M projects labour capacity reduction to less than 40% by 2200 in peak months, with most tropical and mid-latitudes experiencing extreme climatological heat stress. Uncertainties and caveats associated with these projections include climate sensitivity, climate warming patterns, CO2 emissions, future population distributions, and technological and societal change.

Demographic and socio-economic associations with academic attainment (UCAS tariff scores) in applicants to medical school.

PubMed

Powis, David; James, David; Ferguson, Eamonn

2007-03-01

In the United Kingdom medical students are selected predominantly on their academic merit. Their academic achievement marks are equated via the tariff point score structure administered by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). We studied the applicant databases for 1998-2003 for one English medical school to determine the factors that predict high tariff point scores. Complete demographic data and relative socio-economic status, educational institution attended and tariff point score was available for 8997 UK applicants aged 21 years or younger to the 5-year Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (BM BS) course at Nottingham University medical school (and partially complete data for a further 1891 applicants). The data were subjected to standard univariate and multivariate analyses and to path analysis. In these samples, the independent predictors of a high tariff point score were being younger and male. The effect sizes were small, although significant. Higher tariff point scores were achieved by those from households less materially disadvantaged. Ethnicity was also a predictor with white, Chinese and those of mixed ethnic origin achieving higher tariff point scores than those from other groups. Finally, the type of school attended predicted academic achievement with applicants from further education colleges, independent schools and grant-maintained schools achieving higher tariff point scores. Notwithstanding the relatively homogeneous (predominantly young, white, high academic achievers) applicant pool to a single UK medical school we identified consistent significant predictors of high tariff point scores. As high tariff point scores are still the major entry criterion to UK medical schools, our findings will be of value in informing policy decisions concerning 'widening access' schemes being established at government request.

The Right to Education for Children in Domestic Labour: Empirical Evidence from Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munene, Ishmael I.; Ruto, Sara J.

2010-02-01

Since 1948, various UN conventions have recognised basic education as a human right. Yet this right continues to be denied to many child labourers across the world. This articles draws on the results of a study examining how children in domestic labour in Kenya access and participate in education. Three issues were explored: (1) the correlates of child domestic labourers; (2) their working conditions and contexts; and (3) the right to education. Interviews and group discussions held in one city and two rural districts elicited data from 91 child domestic labourers and 84 adults. The results indicated that child labour was both poverty-induced and adult-initiated, and that children worked in hazardous environments characterised by economic exploitation. Most did not attend school; those who did had to contend with a rigid school structure and an authoritarian class environment. Children in domestic labour often skipped school, and their participation in classes was low.

From Labour Market to Labour Process: Finding a Basis for Curriculum in TVET

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gamble, Jeanne

2016-01-01

In the sociology of education the relation between education and work is analysed in many ways and, since the rise of neoliberalism, increasingly in market terms. Skills are the dominant labour market currency, described in terms of competence profiles that seek to link educational qualifications directly to work. Contrary to the widespread appeal…

Maintaining power: women's experiences from labour onset before admittance to maternity ward.

PubMed

Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Ziegert, Kristina; Sahlberg-Blom, Eva; Nissen, Eva

2012-02-01

In Sweden pregnant women are encouraged to remain at home until the active phase of labour. Recommendation is based on evidence, that women who seek care and are admitted in the latent phase of labour are subjected to more obstetric interventions and suffer more complications than women who remain at home until the active phase of labour. The aim of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of how women, who remain at home until the active phase of labour, experience the period from labour onset until admission to labour ward. Interviews were conducted with 19 women after they had given birth to their first child. A Constructivist Grounded theory method was used. 'Maintaining power' was identified as the core category, explaining the women's experience of having enough power, when the labour started. Four related categories: 'to share the experience with another', 'to listen to the rhythm of the body', 'to distract oneself' and 'to be encased in a glass vessel', explained how the women coped and thereby maintained power. The first time mothers in this study, who managed to stay at home during the latent phase of labour, had a sense of power that was expressed as a driving force towards the birth, a bodily and mental strength and the right to decide over their own bodies. This implies that women who maintain power have the ability to make choices during the birth process. The professionals need to be sensitive, supportive and respectful to women's own preferences in the health-care encounter, to promote the existing power throughout the birthing process. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating the sustainability of careers in academic primary care in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Adams, Ann; Lester, Helen; Reeve, Joanne; Roberts, Jane; Wilson, Andrew

2014-07-01

The UK Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) is re-examining the sustainability of careers in academic primary care (APC). The motivation for this is a number of significant changes within the context of APC since the last such investigation (SAPC, 2003). It is now timely to review the current situation. As a first phase, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 15 SAPC members from different disciplines and career stages. Findings show that lack of clarity about APC career pathways persist, but important factors linked with sustainability were identified at individual and organisational levels. These include being proactive, developing resilience, mentorship and a positive organisational culture with a strong shared vision about why APC is important. FURTHER RESEARCH: Sustainability is undermined by funding difficulties, lack of integration of members of different APC disciplines, leading to disparities in career progression and lack of clarity about what APC is. Phase 2 will comprise a UK-wide survey.

The UK's Draft Guidance for Health in SEA in light of HIA community priorities and the UNECE SEA Protocol

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Posas, Paula J., E-mail: pjposas@gmail.co

2011-04-15

The Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Espoo Convention came into force on 11 July 2010. This Protocol, to which the European Union is party, gives a legal basis for enhanced attention to human health in the SEA process. In this context, the United Kingdom's (UK's) 2007 Draft Guidance on Health in Strategic Environmental Assessment represents an important early government-led effort to bring health issues and public health considerations more significantly into the SEA process. Since the UK is a worldwide leader in environmental and various other types of impact assessment,more » and since other countries may eventually consider its example in efforts to meet UNECE SEA Protocol requirements, scrutiny of its outputs is warranted. This paper thus examines the UK's Draft Guidance from both HIA academic and practitioner perspectives. First it assesses the extent to which the Draft Guidance reflects recent issues and lessons learned in the academic literature. In order to make the assessment, a meta-analysis of 70 HIA-related peer-reviewed articles was undertaken to extract authors' priority recommendations. These recommendations were subsequently compared with the contents of the Draft Guidance. Secondly, the Draft Guidance was assessed for its accordance with recommendations of the UNECE SEA Protocol background paper written by two HIA practitioners. Overall, the Draft Guidance's accordance with both sets of recommendations was found to be high, with only a few easily-remedied gaps. This evaluation suggests that the UK's Draft Guidance can be a useful starting point in the creation of future guidance on health in SEA in both the UK and other countries.« less

Outcomes of elective induction of labour compared with expectant management: population based study

PubMed Central

Ferguson, Evelyn; Duffy, Andrew; Ford, Ian; Chalmers, James; Norman, Jane E

2012-01-01

Objective To determine neonatal outcomes (perinatal mortality and special care unit admission) and maternal outcomes (mode of delivery, delivery complications) of elective induction of labour compared with expectant management. Design Retrospective cohort study using an unselected population database. Setting Consultant and midwife led obstetric units in Scotland 1981-2007. Participants 1 271 549 women with singleton pregnancies of 37 weeks or more gestation. Interventions Outcomes of elective induction of labour (induction of labour with no recognised medical indication) at 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 weeks’ gestation compared with those of expectant management (continuation of pregnancy to either spontaneous labour, induction of labour or caesarean section at a later gestation). Main outcome measures Extended perinatal mortality, mode of delivery, postpartum haemorrhage, obstetric anal sphincter injury, and admission to a neonatal or special care baby unit. Outcomes were adjusted for age at delivery, parity, year of birth, birth weight, deprivation category, and, where appropriate, mode of delivery. Results At each gestation between 37 and 41 completed weeks, elective induction of labour was associated with a decreased odds of perinatal mortality compared with expectant management (at 40 weeks’ gestation 0.08% (37/44 764) in the induction of labour group versus 0.18% (627/350 643) in the expectant management group; adjusted odds ratio 0.39, 99% confidence interval 0.24 to 0.63), without a reduction in the odds of spontaneous vertex delivery (at 40 weeks’ gestation 79.9% (35 775/44 778) in the induction of labour group versus 73.7% (258 665/350 791) in the expectant management group; adjusted odds ratio 1.26, 1.22 to 1.31). Admission to a neonatal unit was, however, increased in association with elective induction of labour at all gestations before 41 weeks (at 40 weeks’ gestation 8.0% (3605/44 778) in the induction of labour group compared

Labour analgesia with intrathecal fentanyl decreases maternal stress.

PubMed

Cascio, M; Pygon, B; Bernett, C; Ramanathan, S

1997-06-01

Lumbar epidural analgesia (LEA) decreases maternal stress as measured by maternal circulating plasma catecholamine concentrations. Intrathecal fentanyl (ITF) provides effective labour analgesia but its effect on maternal epinephrine (Epi) and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations is not known. This study assesses whether ITF reduces maternal stress in the same manner as conventional LEA. Twenty-four healthy women in active labour received either 25 micrograms ITF (n = 12) or epidural lidocaine 1.5% (n = 12) for analgesia. Venous blood samples were collected before anaesthesia and at five minute intervals for 30 min following anaesthesia for the measurement of plasma Epi and NE by high performance liquid chromatography. Maternal blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), visual analog scores (VAS) to pain and pruritus were recorded at the same time. Both ITF and LEA decreased pain VAS scores, maternal BP, and plasma Epi concentrations with only minimal effects on plasma NE concentrations. Intrathecal fentanyl (ITF) and LEA reduced plasma epi to a similar extent, with ITF reducing the levels slightly faster than LEA. Intrathecal fentanyl(ITF) and LEA reduced plasma Epi concentrations by 52% and 51%, respectively (P value < 0.01). We conclude that ITF is as effective as LEA in producing pain relief in the labouring patient. Intrathecal Fentanyl (ITF) is also capable of reducing maternal plasma epinephrine concentration, thus avoiding the possibly deleterious side effects of excess amounts of this catecholamine during labour.

Challenges and opportunities for early-career Teaching-Focussed academics in the biosciences.

PubMed

Hubbard, Katharine; Gretton, Sarah; Jones, Katherine; Tallents, Lucy

2015-01-01

Twenty-seven percent of academics in UK Higher Education (HE) are in Teaching-Focussed positions, making major contributions to undergraduate programmes in an era of high student expectations when it comes to teaching quality. However, institutional support for Teaching-Focussed academics is often limited, both in terms of peer networking and opportunities for career development. As four early-career stage Teaching-Focussed academics working in a variety of institutions, we explore what motivated our choices to make teaching our primary academic activity, and the challenges that we have faced in doing so. In addition to highlighting the need for universities to fully recognise the achievements of teaching staff, we discuss the role that the various biosciences learned societies have in supporting Teaching-Focussed academics. We identify that there is a need for the learned societies to come together and pool their expertise in this area. The fragmented nature of the Teaching-Focussed academic community means that clear sources of national support are needed in order to best enable the next generation of bioscience educators to reach their full potential.

Challenges and opportunities for early-career Teaching-Focussed academics in the biosciences

PubMed Central

Hubbard, Katharine; Gretton, Sarah; Jones, Katherine; Tallents, Lucy

2015-01-01

Twenty-seven percent of academics in UK Higher Education (HE) are in Teaching-Focussed positions, making major contributions to undergraduate programmes in an era of high student expectations when it comes to teaching quality. However, institutional support for Teaching-Focussed academics is often limited, both in terms of peer networking and opportunities for career development. As four early-career stage Teaching-Focussed academics working in a variety of institutions, we explore what motivated our choices to make teaching our primary academic activity, and the challenges that we have faced in doing so. In addition to highlighting the need for universities to fully recognise the achievements of teaching staff, we discuss the role that the various biosciences learned societies have in supporting Teaching-Focussed academics. We identify that there is a need for the learned societies to come together and pool their expertise in this area. The fragmented nature of the Teaching-Focussed academic community means that clear sources of national support are needed in order to best enable the next generation of bioscience educators to reach their full potential. PMID:25977754

New and Not so New Horizons: Brief Encounters between UK Undergraduate Native-Speaker and Non-Native-Speaker Englishes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Juliet

2011-01-01

This paper explores the apparent contradiction between the valuing and promoting of diverse literacies in most UK HEIs, and the discursive construction of spoken native-speaker English as the medium of good grades and prestige academic knowledge. During group interviews on their experiences of university internationalisation, 38 undergraduate…

Written Assessment and Feedback Practices in Postgraduate Taught Courses in the UK: Staff and International Students' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guillen Solano, Victor

2016-01-01

In recent years UK universities have attracted an increasing number of international students. Their socialisation into different academic practices greatly depends on their ability to write in English since writing is the main way in which students demonstrate their learning at university. This paper looks into the widely-shared view that tutor…

Performing Labour in Look Left Look Right's "Above and Beyond"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alston, Adam

2015-01-01

This article looks at the theme of "performing labour" in Look Left Look Right's "Above and Beyond" (2013). In this performance, individual audience members participate as a generic staff member in a fully functioning five star hotel in London. I consider three modes of performing labour in "Above and Beyond":…

Sources and Resources Into the Dark Domain: The UK Web Archive as a Source for the Contemporary History of Public Health.

PubMed

Gorsky, Martin

2015-08-01

With the migration of the written record from paper to digital format, archivists and historians must urgently consider how web content should be conserved, retrieved and analysed. The British Library has recently acquired a large number of UK domain websites, captured 1996-2010, which is colloquially termed the Dark Domain Archive while technical issues surrounding user access are resolved. This article reports the results of an invited pilot project that explores methodological issues surrounding use of this archive. It asks how the relationship between UK public health and local government was represented on the web, drawing on the 'declinist' historiography to frame its questions. It points up some difficulties in developing an aggregate picture of web content due to duplication of sites. It also highlights their potential for thematic and discourse analysis, using both text and image, illustrated through an argument about the contradictory rationale for public health policy under New Labour.

A survey of the barriers associated with academic-based cancer research commercialization.

PubMed

Vanderford, Nathan L; Weiss, L Todd; Weiss, Heidi L

2013-01-01

Commercialization within the academic setting is associated with many challenges and barriers. Previous studies investigating these challenges/barriers have, in general, broadly focused on multiple disciplines and, oftentimes, several institutions simultaneously. The goal of the study presented here was to analyze a range of barriers that may be broadly associated with commercializing academic-based cancer research. This goal was addressed via a study of the barriers associated with cancer research commercialization at the University of Kentucky (UK). To this end, a research instrument in the form of an electronic survey was developed. General demographic information was collected on study participants and two research questions were addressed: 1) What are the general barriers inhibiting cancer research commercialization at UK? and 2) Would mitigation of the barriers potentially enhance faculty engagement in commercialization activities? Descriptive and statistical analysis of the data reveal that multiple barriers likely inhibit cancer research commercialization at UK with expense, time, infrastructure, and lack of industry partnerships being among the most commonly cited factors. The potential alleviation of these factors in addition to revised University policies/procedures, risk mitigation, more emphasis on commercialization by academia research field, and increased information on how to commercialize significantly correlated with the potential for increased commercialization activity. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression modeling demonstrated that research commercialization would incrementally increase as barriers to the process are removed and that PhD-holding respondents and respondents in commercialization-supportive research fields would be more likely to commercialize their research upon barrier removal. Overall, as with other disciplines, these data suggest that for innovations derived from academic cancer-research to move more effectively and

A Survey of the Barriers Associated with Academic-based Cancer Research Commercialization

PubMed Central

Vanderford, Nathan L.; Weiss, L. Todd; Weiss, Heidi L.

2013-01-01

Commercialization within the academic setting is associated with many challenges and barriers. Previous studies investigating these challenges/barriers have, in general, broadly focused on multiple disciplines and, oftentimes, several institutions simultaneously. The goal of the study presented here was to analyze a range of barriers that may be broadly associated with commercializing academic-based cancer research. This goal was addressed via a study of the barriers associated with cancer research commercialization at the University of Kentucky (UK). To this end, a research instrument in the form of an electronic survey was developed. General demographic information was collected on study participants and two research questions were addressed: 1) What are the general barriers inhibiting cancer research commercialization at UK? and 2) Would mitigation of the barriers potentially enhance faculty engagement in commercialization activities? Descriptive and statistical analysis of the data reveal that multiple barriers likely inhibit cancer research commercialization at UK with expense, time, infrastructure, and lack of industry partnerships being among the most commonly cited factors. The potential alleviation of these factors in addition to revised University policies/procedures, risk mitigation, more emphasis on commercialization by academia research field, and increased information on how to commercialize significantly correlated with the potential for increased commercialization activity. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression modeling demonstrated that research commercialization would incrementally increase as barriers to the process are removed and that PhD-holding respondents and respondents in commercialization-supportive research fields would be more likely to commercialize their research upon barrier removal. Overall, as with other disciplines, these data suggest that for innovations derived from academic cancer-research to move more effectively and

The influence of labour on the pharmacokinetics of intravenously administered amoxicillin in pregnant women

PubMed Central

Muller, Anouk E; Dörr, P Joep; Mouton, Johan W; De Jongh, Joost; Oostvogel, Paul M; Steegers, Eric A P; Voskuyl, Rob A; Danhof, Meindert

2008-01-01

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECTExamples exist that pharmacokinetics of drugs in pregnant women can differ from that in non-pregnant individuals.In pregnant women before the onset of labour, the pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin is similar to that in non-pregnant individuals, but for women during labour this is unknown. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDSLabour influences the pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin.During labour and even more in the immediate postpartum period, the peripheral volume of distribution was decreased compared with pregnant women before the onset of labour.The volume of distribution increases with an increasing amount of oedema. AIMS Many physiological changes take place during pregnancy and labour. These might change the pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin, necessitating adjustment of the dose for prevention of neonatal infections. We investigated the influence of labour on the pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin. METHODS Pregnant women before and during labour were recruited and treated with amoxicillin intravenously. A postpartum dose was offered. Blood samples were obtained and amoxicillin concentrations were determined using high-pressure liquid chromatography. The pharmacokinetics were characterized by nonlinear mixed-effects modelling using NONMEM. RESULTS The pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin in 34 patients was best described by a three-compartment model. Moderate interindividual variability was identified in CL, central and peripheral volumes of distribution. The volume of distribution (V) increased with an increasing amount of oedema. Labour influenced the parameter estimate of peripheral volume of distribution (V2). V2 was decreased during labour, and even more in the immediate postpartum period. For all patients the population estimates (mean ± SE) for CL and V were 21.1 ± 4.1 l h−1 (CL), 8.7 ± 6.6 l (V1), 11.8 ± 7.7 l (V2) and 20.5 ± 15.4 l (V3) respectively. CONCLUSIONS The peripheral distribution volume of amoxicillin in pregnant women during

The UK National Quantum Technologies Hub in sensors and metrology (Keynote Paper)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bongs, K.; Boyer, V.; Cruise, M. A.; Freise, A.; Holynski, M.; Hughes, J.; Kaushik, A.; Lien, Y.-H.; Niggebaum, A.; Perea-Ortiz, M.; Petrov, P.; Plant, S.; Singh, Y.; Stabrawa, A.; Paul, D. J.; Sorel, M.; Cumming, D. R. S.; Marsh, J. H.; Bowtell, R. W.; Bason, M. G.; Beardsley, R. P.; Campion, R. P.; Brookes, M. J.; Fernholz, T.; Fromhold, T. M.; Hackermuller, L.; Krüger, P.; Li, X.; Maclean, J. O.; Mellor, C. J.; Novikov, S. V.; Orucevic, F.; Rushforth, A. W.; Welch, N.; Benson, T. M.; Wildman, R. D.; Freegarde, T.; Himsworth, M.; Ruostekoski, J.; Smith, P.; Tropper, A.; Griffin, P. F.; Arnold, A. S.; Riis, E.; Hastie, J. E.; Paboeuf, D.; Parrotta, D. C.; Garraway, B. M.; Pasquazi, A.; Peccianti, M.; Hensinger, W.; Potter, E.; Nizamani, A. H.; Bostock, H.; Rodriguez Blanco, A.; Sinuco-Leon, G.; Hill, I. R.; Williams, R. A.; Gill, P.; Hempler, N.; Malcolm, G. P. A.; Cross, T.; Kock, B. O.; Maddox, S.; John, P.

2016-04-01

The UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Metrology is one of four flagship initiatives in the UK National of Quantum Technology Program. As part of a 20-year vision it translates laboratory demonstrations to deployable practical devices, with game-changing miniaturized components and prototypes that transform the state-of-the-art for quantum sensors and metrology. It brings together experts from the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Southampton, Strathclyde and Sussex, NPL and currently links to over 15 leading international academic institutions and over 70 companies to build the supply chains and routes to market needed to bring 10-1000x improvements in sensing applications. It seeks, and is open to, additional partners for new application development and creates a point of easy open access to the facilities and supply chains that it stimulates or nurtures.

The Relationship between Habitual Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents

PubMed Central

Adolphus, Katie; Lawton, Clare L.; Dye, Louise

2015-01-01

Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11–13 years (n = 292; males: 53.8%) completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0–2 days), occasional (3–4 days), or frequent (5–7 days). Participants’ CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS) for verbal, non-verbal, quantitative reasoning, and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language, and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted). However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research, were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance. PMID:26000270

The Relationship between Habitual Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents.

PubMed

Adolphus, Katie; Lawton, Clare L; Dye, Louise

2015-01-01

Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11-13 years (n = 292; males: 53.8%) completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0-2 days), occasional (3-4 days), or frequent (5-7 days). Participants' CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS) for verbal, non-verbal, quantitative reasoning, and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language, and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted). However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research, were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance.

Computing Careers and Irish Higher Education: A Labour Market Anomaly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Simon; O'Donnell, David; McCusker, Paul

2007-01-01

This paper explores the impact of developments in the Irish economy and labour market on computing course development in the higher education (HE) sector. Extant computing courses change, or new courses are introduced, in attempts to match labour market demands. The conclusion reached here, however, is that Irish HE is producing insufficient…

Students' Experiences of Academic Success with Dyslexia: A Call for Alternative Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soni, Anita

2017-01-01

This article describes a small-scale study exploring the perspectives of five undergraduate students with dyslexia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in two universities in the UK. The interviews explored participants' perceptions of their dyslexia label and how it had affected their academic success. The aim of the research was to…

Stress, pre-term labour and birth outcomes.

PubMed

MacKey, M C; Williams, C A; Tiller, C M

2000-09-01

Stress, pre-term labour and birth outcomes Preliminary studies have suggested that stress may be associated with the onset, treatment and outcomes of pre-term labour; however, a systematic comparison of the stress of women with and without pre-term labour has not been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this exploratory study was to compare the stress (daily hassles and mood states) and birth outcomes of black and white women who experienced pre-term labour (PTL) during pregnancy with those who did not. The convenience sample consisted of 35 pregnant women hospitalized in 1996-1997 for the treatment of PTL (24-35 weeks gestation) and 35 controls matched on age, race, parity, gestational age and method of hospital payment. Women in the PTL group had significantly higher tension-anxiety and depression-dejection on the Profile of Mood States (POMS), lower mean birthweight and mean gestational age, and a higher percentage of babies born <37 weeks and weighing 2500 g or less. Black women in the PTL group and white women in the control group had significantly higher scores on the fatigue sub-scale of the POMS and the work and future security sub-scales of the Daily Hassles Scale. Women in the PTL group whose babies weighed 2500 g or less had significantly higher scores on the health, inner concern and financial responsibility sub-scales of the Daily Hassles Scale. The findings from this study indicate the need for further exploration of the interaction of race and stress in understanding and preventing PTL and low birthweight and the need to examine the role of social support in preventing pre-term birth after an episode of PTL.

South Carolina Shipyards: Labour, Logistics, Lumber and Ladies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Lynn

2010-10-01

Southern shipyards, like Hobcaw and Mars Bluff, were established at locations chosen primarily for convenient access to transportation networks, building materials, clientele and labour. The historical record reveals a home front role played by local plantation owners and slaves as shipyard labour. Women served as project fundraisers, shipyard dilettantes, shipwright’s wives and possibly slave mistresses with a paucity of material culture to confirm their presence in the archaeological record. Archaeological investigations on land and underwater yield evidence of artefacts associated with diet, shipbuilding, warfare and ethnicity.

Birth "Out-of-Hours": An Evaluation of Obstetric Practice and Outcome According to the Presence of Senior Obstetricians on the Labour Ward.

PubMed

Knight, Hannah E; van der Meulen, Jan H; Gurol-Urganci, Ipek; Smith, Gordon C; Kiran, Amit; Thornton, Steve; Richmond, David; Cameron, Alan; Cromwell, David A

2016-04-01

provides some reassurance that the current organisation of maternity care in the UK allows for good planning and risk management. However there is a need for more robust evidence on the quality of care afforded by different models of labour ward staffing.

Emotional Labour in University Lecturers: Considerations for Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, Karen; Cassidy, Simon

2013-01-01

Emotional labour is a state that exists when there is a discrepancy between the emotional demeanour that an individual displays and the genuinely felt emotions that would be inappropriate to display (Mann 1999b).The study examined levels of emotional labour in university lecturers and compared these data to other occupations. Employing a mixed…

Human Capital Linkages to Labour Productivity: Implications from Thai Manufacturers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rukumnuaykit, Pungpond; Pholphirul, Piriya

2016-01-01

Human capital investment is a necessary condition for improving labour market outcomes in most countries. Empirical studies to investigate human capital and its linkages on the labour demand side are, however, relatively scarce due to limitations of firm-level data-sets. Using firm-level data from the Thai manufacturing sector, this paper aims to…

Parenteral opioids for maternal pain management in labour

PubMed Central

Ullman, Roz; Smith, Lesley A; Burns, Ethel; Mori, Rintaro; Dowswell, Therese

2014-01-01

Background Parenteral opioids are used for pain relief in labour in many countries throughout the world. Objectives To assess the acceptability, effectiveness and safety of different types, doses and modes of administration of parenteral opioids given to women in labour. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register (30 April 2011) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials examining the use of intramuscular or intravenous opioids (including patient controlled analgesia) for women in labour. We looked at studies comparing an opioid with another opioid, placebo, other non-pharmacological interventions (TENS) or inhaled analgesia. Data collection and analysis At least two review authors independently assessed study eligibility, collected data and assessed risk of bias. Main results We included 57 studies involving more than 7000 women that compared an opioid with placebo, another opioid administered intramuscularly or intravenously or compared with TENS to the back. The 57 studies reported on 29 different comparisons, and for many outcomes only one study contributed data. Overall, the evidence was of poor quality regarding the analgesic effect of opioids, satisfaction with analgesia, adverse effects and harm to women and babies. There were few statistically significant results. Many of the studies had small sample sizes, and low statistical power. Overall findings indicated that parenteral opioids provided some pain relief and moderate satisfaction with analgesia in labour, although up to two-thirds of women who received opioids reported moderate or severe pain and/or poor or moderate pain relief one or two hours after administration. Opioid drugs were associated with maternal nausea, vomiting and drowsiness, although different opioid drugs were associated with different adverse effects. There was no clear evidence of adverse effects of opioids on the newborn. We

An Introduction to ESERO-UK, the UK Space Education Office

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, Allan; Mather, Edward

2012-01-01

This article introduces the UK branch of the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO-UK), also known as the UK Space Education Office. It is a teaching project designed to use space to enthuse primary and secondary students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. The office is funded by the European Space…

Availability of Skilled Labour in Selected Occupations in Western Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Chandra; Cooney, Richard; Long, Michael; Burke, Gerald

2005-01-01

This report investigates the future supply of and demand for certain types of skilled labour at the trades and sub-trades levels that will be required for these projects up to 2010. In particular, it focuses on skilled labour in the mechanical, fabrication and electrical trades and mobile plant operators and construction workers in the sub-trades.…

UK Hazard Assessment for a Laki-type Volcanic Eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witham, Claire; Felton, Chris; Daud, Sophie; Aspinall, Willy; Braban, Christine; Loughlin, Sue; Hort, Matthew; Schmidt, Anja; Vieno, Massimo

2014-05-01

Following the impacts of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in 2010, two types of volcanic eruption have been added to the UK Government's National Risk Register for Civil Emergencies. One of these, a large gas-rich volcanic eruption, was identified as a high impact natural hazard, one of the three highest priority natural hazards faced by the UK. This eruption scenario is typified by the Laki eruption in Iceland in 1783-1784. The Civil Contingency Secretariat (CCS) of the UK's Cabinet Office, responsible for Civil Protection in the UK, has since been working on quantifying the risk and better understanding its potential impacts. This involves cross-cutting work across UK Government departments and the wider scientific community in order to identify the capabilities needed to respond to an effusive eruption, to exercise the response and develop increased resilience where possible. As part of its current work, CCS has been working closely with the UK Met Office and other UK agencies and academics (represented by the co-authors and others) to generate and assess the impacts of a 'reasonable worst case scenario', which can be used for decision making and preparation in advance of an eruption. Information from the literature and the findings of an expert elicitation have been synthesised to determine appropriate eruption source term parameters and associated uncertainties. This scenario is then being used to create a limited ensemble of model simulations of the dispersion and chemical conversion of the emissions of volcanic gases during such an eruption. The UK Met Office's NAME Lagrangian dispersion model and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology's EMEP4UK Eulerian model are both being used. Modelling outputs will address the likelihood of near-surface concentrations of sulphur and halogen species being above specified health thresholds. Concentrations at aviation relevant altitudes will also be evaluated, as well as the effects of acid deposition of volcanic species on

Dentist education and labour market in Mexico: elements for policy definition

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Here, the educational and labour market characteristics of Mexican dentists are revised. Dentistry is a health profession that has been scarcely studied in developing countries. This analysis attempts to understand the relationships and gaps between the supply and demand of dentists in the country. Around 5000 new dentists graduate every year looking for a place in the labour market. Methods A cross-sectional study with exploratory, descriptive and correlational scope was carried out between 2006 and 2008. Analyses of quantitative data on dentists from national surveys and occupational statistics were complemented with qualitative information provided by 43 key informants in five Mexican states. Results The 2008 dentist labour market can be characterized as follows: 75% worked in the private sector, most of them independently; more than two-thirds were women; the proportion of specialists was low (slightly more than 10%); unemployment was more than 20% and labour wastage was nearly 40%, with most wastage corresponding with female dentists. The increase in the number of dentists entering the labour market during the last two decades is more related to the educational market than to the population’s health needs and the number of dentists actually required to meet them. Conclusions The problems identified in the Mexican dentist labour market necessitate urgent intervention on behalf of regulatory bodies in order to balance the tendencies of supply and demand in the number of trained professionals as well as in their incorporation into different market areas. Adequate policies are required to increase the likelihood of achieving this objective. PMID:22974344

Dentist education and labour market in Mexico: elements for policy definition.

PubMed

González-Robledo, Luz María; González-Robledo, María Cecilia; Nigenda, Gustavo

2012-09-13

Here, the educational and labour market characteristics of Mexican dentists are revised. Dentistry is a health profession that has been scarcely studied in developing countries. This analysis attempts to understand the relationships and gaps between the supply and demand of dentists in the country. Around 5000 new dentists graduate every year looking for a place in the labour market. A cross-sectional study with exploratory, descriptive and correlational scope was carried out between 2006 and 2008. Analyses of quantitative data on dentists from national surveys and occupational statistics were complemented with qualitative information provided by 43 key informants in five Mexican states. The 2008 dentist labour market can be characterized as follows: 75% worked in the private sector, most of them independently; more than two-thirds were women; the proportion of specialists was low (slightly more than 10%); unemployment was more than 20% and labour wastage was nearly 40%, with most wastage corresponding with female dentists. The increase in the number of dentists entering the labour market during the last two decades is more related to the educational market than to the population's health needs and the number of dentists actually required to meet them. The problems identified in the Mexican dentist labour market necessitate urgent intervention on behalf of regulatory bodies in order to balance the tendencies of supply and demand in the number of trained professionals as well as in their incorporation into different market areas. Adequate policies are required to increase the likelihood of achieving this objective.

Do health partnerships with organisations in lower income countries benefit the UK partner? A review of the literature.

PubMed

Jones, Felicity Ae; Knights, Daniel Ph; Sinclair, Vita Fe; Baraitser, Paula

2013-08-30

Health partnerships between institutions in the UK and Low or Lower- middle Income Countries are an increasingly important model of development, yet analysis of partnerships has focused on benefits and costs to the Low and Lower- Middle Income partner. We reviewed the evidence on benefits and costs of health partnerships to UK individuals, institutions & the NHS and sought to understand how volunteering within partnerships might impact on workforce development and service delivery. A systematic review of both published literature and grey literature was conducted. Content relating to costs or benefits to the UK at an individual, institutional or system level was extracted and analysed by thematic synthesis. The benefits of volunteering described were mapped to the key outcome indicators for five different UK professional development structures. A framework was developed to demonstrate the link between volunteer experience within partnerships and improved UK service delivery outcomes. The literature review (including citation mapping) returned 9 published papers and 32 pieces of grey literature that met all inclusion criteria. 95% of sources cited benefits and 32% cited costs. Most literature does not meet high standards of formal academic rigor. Forty initial individual benefits codes were elicited. These were then grouped into 7 key domains: clinical skills; management skills; communication & teamwork; patient experience & dignity; policy; academic skills; and personal satisfaction & interest. A high degree of concordance was shown between professional benefits cited and professional development indicators within UK work force development frameworks. A theoretical trajectory from volunteer experience to UK service delivery outcomes was demonstrated in most areas, but not all. 32% of sources cited costs, yielding 15 initial codes which were grouped into 5 domains: financial; reputational; health & security; loss of staff; and opportunity costs. There is little

Primiparous women's preferences for care during a prolonged latent phase of labour.

PubMed

Ängeby, Karin; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil; Hildingsson, Ingegerd; Sandin-Bojö, Ann-Kristin

2015-10-01

To investigate primiparous women's preferences for care during a prolonged latent phase of labour. A qualitative study based on focus groups and individual interviews and analysed with inductive content analysis. Sixteen primiparous women with a prolonged latent phase of labour >18 hours were interviewed in five focus groups (n = 11) or individually (n = 5). One main category emerged "Beyond normality - a need of individual adapted guidance in order to understand and manage an extended latent phase of labour" which covers the women's preferences during the prolonged latent phase. Five categories were generated from the data: "A welcoming manner and not being rejected", "Individually adapted care", "Important information which prepares for reality and coping", "Participation and need for feedback" and "Staying nearby the labour ward or being admitted for midwifery support". Women with a prolonged latent phase of labour sought to use their own resources, but their needs for professional support increased as time passed. A welcoming attitude from an available midwife during the latent phase created a feeling of security, and personally adapted care was perceived positively. Women with a prolonged latent phase of labour preferred woman-centred care. Midwives play an important role in supporting these women. Women's need for midwifery-support increases as the time spent in latent phase increases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biology Fieldwork in Schools and Colleges in the UK: An Analysis of Empirical Research from 1963 to 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lock, Roger

2010-01-01

Between 1963 and 2009, there have been 13 published studies offering empirical evidence on biology fieldwork in schools and colleges in the UK. This paper considers the evidence from these studies relating to work with 16-19 year old students undertaking academic study beyond the compulsory years of schooling; advanced ("A") level. It…

Educational Aspirations, Child Labour Imperatives and Structural Inequality in the South African Agricultural Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Norman; Bowman, Brett

2008-01-01

Despite the widespread condemnation of the practice of child labour, it remains a pervasive phenomenon in developing countries. In such contexts, labour and education often represent competing activities for children. Drawing on a study of child labour located within the critical social science tradition, this article explores insider accounts of…

Landlordism, Rent Regulation and the Labour Party in mid-twentieth century Britain, 1950-64.

PubMed

Child, Phil

2018-03-01

This article examines the politics of private renting in 1950s and early 1960s Britain, through the radical approach taken by Labour Party towards private landlords. Through setting the radical aims of Labour in a mid-twentieth-century context of decrepit housing, rising rents and sluggish public housing programmes, Labour's rationale in arguing for the 'abolition' of the private landlord is more transparent. This article takes a chronological approach, investigating what actions Labour actors took, at local and national level, and what effect this had on the wider housing market. Part one takes a long view of Labour attitudes to the private rented sector. Part two explores the policy of 'municipalization'-the attempt to place rented homes under local authority control. Part three discusses the post-1962 policy shift to state-sponsored 'improvement' of private rented housing, prior to Labour's victory at the 1964 general election. Three key arguments are made: that Labour's radicalism hastened the collapse of the post-war private rented sector; that rental market weaknesses indicated the confused place of renting in the 'tenurial pattern'; and that the proposed 'abolition' of private landlords had a direct effect on slum clearance and the composition of British cities. The conclusion suggests that Labour's pursuit of the private landlord can shed light on the vast urban transformations of the post-war period. It invites greater attention to be paid to the effects that political ideas had on the composition of the twentieth-century British housing market.

Effects of music therapy on labour pain and anxiety in Taiwanese first-time mothers.

PubMed

Liu, Yu-Hsiang; Chang, Mei-Yueh; Chen, Chung-Hey

2010-04-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of music on pain reaction and anxiety during labour. Music therapy has been used on clinical medicine. Only few scientific studies validate the value on labour women. Randomised controlled trial. Sixty primiparas expected to have a normal spontaneous delivery were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 30) or the control group (n = 30). The experimental group received routine care and music therapy, whereas the control group received routine care only. A self-report visual analogue scale for pain and a nurse-rated present behavioural intensity were used to measure labour pain. Anxiety was measured with a visual analogue scale for anxiety and finger temperature. Pain and anxiety between groups were compared during the latent phase (2-4 cm cervical dilation) and active phase (5-7 cm) separately. Our results revealed that compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly lower pain, anxiety and a higher finger temperature during the latent phase of labour. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups on all outcome measures during the active phase. This study provides evidence for the use of music as an empirically based intervention of women for labour pain and anxiety during the latent phase of labour. The findings support that music listening is an acceptable and non-medical coping strategy for labouring women. Especially, apply in reducing the pain and anxiety for women who are at the early phase of labour.

Refuting the "Nimble Fingers" Argument [and] Working Together against Child Labour.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World of Work, 1996

1996-01-01

An International Labour Organization study refutes one of the most common arguments of apologists for child labor in the hand-woven carpet industry--the so-called nimble fingers argument. Excerpts from presentations at an International Labour Organization meeting highlight the commitment to eradicating child labor. (JOW)

Domestic labour, paid employment and women's health: analysis of life course data.

PubMed

Blane, D; Berney, L; Montgomery, S M

2001-03-01

The relationship between the amount of domestic labour performed by a woman during her lifetime and a variety of self-reported and objective measures of her health in early old age was examined in the female members (n = 155) of a data set containing considerable life course information, including full household, residential and occupational histories. Domestic labour, on its own, proved a weak predictor of health. The relationship strengthened when domestic labour was combined with the hazards of the formal paid employment which the woman had performed. This suggests that it is the combination of domestic labour plus paid employment which influences women's health. The robustness of this conclusion is indicated by its agreement with other studies which reached the same conclusion through an analysis of data with markedly different characteristics.

Who cares? Offering emotion work as a 'gift' in the nursing labour process.

PubMed

Bolton, S C

2000-09-01

Who cares? Offering emotion work as a 'gift' in the nursing labour process The emotional elements of the nursing labour process are being recognized increasingly. Many commentators stress that nurses' 'emotional labour' is hard and productive work and should be valued in the same way as physical or technical labour. However, the term 'emotional labour' fails to conceptualize the many occasions when nurses not only work hard on their emotions in order to present the detached face of a professional carer, but also to offer authentic caring behaviour to patients in their care. Using qualitative data collected from a group of gynaecology nurses in an English National Health Service (NHS) Trust hospital, this paper argues that nursing work is emotionally complex and may be better understood by utilizing a combination of Hochschild's concepts: emotion work as a 'gift' in addition to 'emotional labour'. The gynaecology nurses in this study describe their work as 'emotionful' and therefore it could be said that this particular group of nurses represent a distinct example. Nevertheless, though it is impossible to generalize from limited data, the research presented in this paper does highlight the emotional complexity of the nursing labour process, expands the current conceptual analysis, and offers a path for future research. The examination further emphasizes the need to understand and value the motivations behind nurses' emotion work and their wish to maintain caring as a central value in professional nursing.

Sociodemographic differences in women’s experience of early labour care: a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

Henderson, Jane; Redshaw, Maggie

2017-01-01

Objectives To explore women’s experiences of early labour care focusing on sociodemographic differences, and to examine the effect of antenatal education, using mixed methods. Setting England, 2014. Participants Women who completed postal questionnaires about their experience of maternity care, including questions about antenatal education, early labour and sociodemographic factors, included space for free-text comments. Outcome measures Worries about labour, contact with midwives in early labour and subsequent care. Methods This study was based on secondary analysis of a national maternity survey carried out in England in 2014. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression; qualitative data were analysed using a thematic content analytic approach. Results Completed questionnaires were received from 4578 women (47% response rate). There were significant differences by sociodemographic factors, particularly ethnicity, in women’s worries about early labour. Compared with white women, women from black or minority ethnic groups had an adjusted OR of 1.93 (95% CI 1.56 to 2.39) of feeling worried about not knowing when labour would start. Among women who contacted a midwife at the start of labour, 84% perceived their advice as appropriate, more in older and multiparous women. Overall, 64% of women were asked to come to the hospital at this time, more in multiparous women (adjusted OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.96). Those who did not have access to antenatal education experienced greater worry about early labour. Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: ‘Differentiating between early and active labour’, ‘Staff attitudes’, ‘Not being allowed…’, ‘Previous labours’ and ‘Perceived consequences for women’. Conclusion These findings reinforce the importance of providing reassurance to women in early labour, taking care that women do not feel neglected or dismissed. In particular, primiparous and

Birth “Out-of-Hours”: An Evaluation of Obstetric Practice and Outcome According to the Presence of Senior Obstetricians on the Labour Ward

PubMed Central

Knight, Hannah E.; van der Meulen, Jan H.; Gurol-Urganci, Ipek; Smith, Gordon C.; Kiran, Amit; Thornton, Steve; Cameron, Alan; Cromwell, David A.

2016-01-01

out-of-hours. Taken together, the available evidence provides some reassurance that the current organisation of maternity care in the UK allows for good planning and risk management. However there is a need for more robust evidence on the quality of care afforded by different models of labour ward staffing. PMID:27093698

Using Action Research to Explore the Role of the International Academic Consultant: Drawing on Participants' Perceptions in a Teacher Development Project in Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargreaves, Eleanore

2018-01-01

This paper problematises the involvement of the UK academic consultant in professional development projects among teachers in a developing, low-income nation. The context for this exploration was a four-year project in Pakistan in which I gave input as a UK consultant. My over-arching research question was: "What was the value of my work as…

Library Applications of a Wide Area Network: Promoting JANET to UK Academic Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacColl, John A.

1990-01-01

Describes Project Jupiter, which was developed to promote the United Kingdom's Joint Academic Network (JANET) to its member libraries. Library uses of JANET are described, including online catalogs, commercial services, and electronic mail; the convergence of local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) is discussed; and future…

Debate: Race, Labour and the Archbishop, or the Currency of Race.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanford, Jacqui

2001-01-01

Explores how race is exploited to serve political agendas in Britain, examining the Labour Government's orientation to race. Argues that the Labour Government manipulates issues to suggest concern while actually removing race from the policy agenda in education. Reflects on the Archbishop of Canterbury's "Jesus 2000" to support the…

Progression of the first stage of spontaneous labour: A prospective cohort study in two sub-Saharan African countries

PubMed Central

Fawole, Bukola; Mugerwa, Kidza; Alves, Domingos; Souza, Hayala; Reis, Rodrigo; Oliveira-Ciabati, Livia; Maiorano, Alexandre; Akintan, Adesina; Alu, Francis E.; Oyeneyin, Lawal; Adebayo, Amos; Byamugisha, Josaphat; Idris, Hadiza A.; Okike, Ola; Althabe, Fernando; Hundley, Vanora; Pattinson, Robert; Sanghvi, Harshadkumar C.; Tunçalp, Özge; Vogel, Joshua P.; Stanton, Mary Ellen; Liljestrand, Jerker; ten Hoope-Bender, Petra; Mathai, Matthews; Bahl, Rajiv

2018-01-01

Background Escalation in the global rates of labour interventions, particularly cesarean section and oxytocin augmentation, has renewed interest in a better understanding of natural labour progression. Methodological advancements in statistical and computational techniques addressing the limitations of pioneer studies have led to novel findings and triggered a re-evaluation of current labour practices. As part of the World Health Organization's Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) project, which aimed to develop a new labour monitoring-to-action tool, we examined the patterns of labour progression as depicted by cervical dilatation over time in a cohort of women in Nigeria and Uganda who gave birth vaginally following a spontaneous labour onset. Methods and findings This was a prospective, multicentre, cohort study of 5,606 women with singleton, vertex, term gestation who presented at ≤ 6 cm of cervical dilatation following a spontaneous labour onset that resulted in a vaginal birth with no adverse birth outcomes in 13 hospitals across Nigeria and Uganda. We independently applied survival analysis and multistate Markov models to estimate the duration of labour centimetre by centimetre until 10 cm and the cumulative duration of labour from the cervical dilatation at admission through 10 cm. Multistate Markov and nonlinear mixed models were separately used to construct average labour curves. All analyses were conducted according to three parity groups: parity = 0 (n = 2,166), parity = 1 (n = 1,488), and parity = 2+ (n = 1,952). We performed sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of oxytocin augmentation on labour progression by re-examining the progression patterns after excluding women with augmented labours. Labour was augmented with oxytocin in 40% of nulliparous and 28% of multiparous women. The median time to advance by 1 cm exceeded 1 hour until 5 cm was reached in both nulliparous and multiparous women. Based on a 95th percentile threshold

Self-reflection, growth goals, and academic outcomes: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Travers, Cheryl J; Morisano, Dominique; Locke, Edwin A

2015-06-01

Goal-setting theory continues to be among the most popular and influential theories of motivation and performance, although there have been limited academic applications relative to applications in other domains, such as organizational psychology. This paper summarizes existing quantitative research and then employs a qualitative approach to exploring academic growth via an in-depth reflective growth goal-setting methodology. The study focuses on 92 UK final-year students enrolled in an elective advanced interpersonal skills and personal development module, with self-reflection and growth goal setting at its core. Qualitative data in the form of regular reflective written diary entries and qualitative questionnaires were collected from students during, on completion of, and 6 months following the personal growth goal-setting programme. About 20% of students' self-set growth goals directly related to academic growth and performance; students reported that these had a strong impact on their achievement both during and following the reflective programme. Growth goals that were indirectly related to achievement (e.g., stress management) appeared to positively impact academic growth and other outcomes (e.g., well-being). A follow-up survey revealed that growth goal setting continued to impact academic growth factors (e.g., self-efficacy, academic performance) beyond the reflective programme itself. Academic growth can result from both academically direct and indirect growth goals, and growth goal setting appears to be aided by the process of simultaneous growth reflection. The implications for promoting academic growth via this unique learning and development approach are discussed. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Previous anxiety and depression as risk factors for early labour force exit.

PubMed

Rudolph, Kara E; Eaton, William W

2016-04-01

Individuals with a history of mental illness have lower earnings than individuals without. A possible reason is that those with prior anxiety or depression may be more likely to exit the labour force prior to retirement age, but evidence has been mixed and limited. Our objective was to compare risk of early labour force exit between employed adults with a history of depression or anxiety versus those without, separately for men and women. We used data from the Baltimore Epidemiological Catchment Area Follow-up Cohort, which collected baseline data in 1981 and follow-up data 1993-1996 and 2004-2005. Cox proportional hazards models estimated the relative risk of labour force exit comparing those with versus without prior history of anxiety or depressive disorders. Women with prior anxiety or depression are at 37% increased risk of dropping out of the labour force as compared to women without, controlling for age, socioeconomic status, race and marital status (HR: 1.37, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.79). Men with prior anxiety or depression are 18% more likely to subsequently drop out of the labour force as compared to men without, controlling for the above confounders as well as veteran status, but this association is not statistically significant (HR: 1.18, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.27). Prior anxiety or depression increases risk of early labour force exit for women. These findings may help explain previously reported lower earnings among female individuals with a history of mental illness and highlight the importance of considering anxiety and depressive disorders in policies supporting labour force participation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

The effect of colour and design in labour and delivery: A scientific approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duncan, Jane

2011-03-01

This study was part of a broader three year research project at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, "A Study of the Effect of the Visual and Performing Arts in Healthcare", exploring whether visual and performing arts have any measurable effect on physiological, psychological and biological outcomes of clinical significance on patient recovery, and providing a potential cost saving benefit to the NHS. In this specific study of women in labour, two measurements were identified as having clinical significance for achieving optimal outcomes during labour and delivery: length of labour and frequency of requirement for analgesia. A screen was designed to hide emergency equipment with the joint aim of reducing women's anxieties and (through visual art) acting as a focal point of attention and distraction during labour, thus diminishing requirements for analgesia. Results demonstrated, in the presence of the screen, a statistically significant shortening of the duration of labour by 2.1h with frequency of requests for epidural analgesia 7% lower in the study group than in the control group. The significant clinical outcomes of this research provide the evidence of the value of integrating visual art into the environment of a labour and delivery room, improving the quality of the maternity service and potentially delivering real cost savings benefits to Hospitals.

Complementary therapies for labour and birth study: a randomised controlled trial of antenatal integrative medicine for pain management in labour.

PubMed

Levett, Kate M; Smith, C A; Bensoussan, A; Dahlen, H G

2016-07-12

To evaluate the effect of an antenatal integrative medicine education programme in addition to usual care for nulliparous women on intrapartum epidural use. Open-label, assessor blind, randomised controlled trial. 2 public hospitals in Sydney, Australia. 176 nulliparous women with low-risk pregnancies, attending hospital-based antenatal clinics. The Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth protocol, based on the She Births and acupressure for labour and birth courses, incorporated 6 evidence-based complementary medicine techniques: acupressure, visualisation and relaxation, breathing, massage, yoga techniques, and facilitated partner support. Randomisation occurred at 24-36 weeks' gestation, and participants attended a 2-day antenatal education programme plus standard care, or standard care alone. Rate of analgesic epidural use. Secondary: onset of labour, augmentation, mode of birth, newborn outcomes. There was a significant difference in epidural use between the 2 groups: study group (23.9%) standard care (68.7%; risk ratio (RR) 0.37 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.55), p≤0.001). The study group participants reported a reduced rate of augmentation (RR=0.54 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.77), p<0.0001); caesarean section (RR=0.52 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.87), p=0.017); length of second stage (mean difference=-0.32 (95% CI -0.64 to 0.002), p=0.05); any perineal trauma (0.88 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.98), p=0.02) and resuscitation of the newborn (RR=0.47 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.87), p≤0.015). There were no statistically significant differences found in spontaneous onset of labour, pethidine use, rate of postpartum haemorrhage, major perineal trauma (third and fourth degree tears/episiotomy), or admission to special care nursery/neonatal intensive care unit (p=0.25). The Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth study protocol significantly reduced epidural use and caesarean section. This study provides evidence for integrative medicine as an effective adjunct to antenatal education, and contributes

Complementary therapies for labour and birth study: a randomised controlled trial of antenatal integrative medicine for pain management in labour

PubMed Central

Levett, Kate M; Smith, C A; Bensoussan, A; Dahlen, H G

2016-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effect of an antenatal integrative medicine education programme in addition to usual care for nulliparous women on intrapartum epidural use. Design Open-label, assessor blind, randomised controlled trial. Setting 2 public hospitals in Sydney, Australia. Population 176 nulliparous women with low-risk pregnancies, attending hospital-based antenatal clinics. Methods and intervention The Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth protocol, based on the She Births and acupressure for labour and birth courses, incorporated 6 evidence-based complementary medicine techniques: acupressure, visualisation and relaxation, breathing, massage, yoga techniques, and facilitated partner support. Randomisation occurred at 24–36 weeks’ gestation, and participants attended a 2-day antenatal education programme plus standard care, or standard care alone. Main outcome measures Rate of analgesic epidural use. Secondary: onset of labour, augmentation, mode of birth, newborn outcomes. Results There was a significant difference in epidural use between the 2 groups: study group (23.9%) standard care (68.7%; risk ratio (RR) 0.37 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.55), p≤0.001). The study group participants reported a reduced rate of augmentation (RR=0.54 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.77), p<0.0001); caesarean section (RR=0.52 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.87), p=0.017); length of second stage (mean difference=−0.32 (95% CI −0.64 to 0.002), p=0.05); any perineal trauma (0.88 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.98), p=0.02) and resuscitation of the newborn (RR=0.47 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.87), p≤0.015). There were no statistically significant differences found in spontaneous onset of labour, pethidine use, rate of postpartum haemorrhage, major perineal trauma (third and fourth degree tears/episiotomy), or admission to special care nursery/neonatal intensive care unit (p=0.25). Conclusions The Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth study protocol significantly reduced epidural use and caesarean section. This

Mark Olssen on Neoliberalisation of Higher Education and Academic Lives: An Interview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raaper, Rille; Olssen, Mark

2016-01-01

This article is based on an interview conducted with Mark Olssen in October 2014, and the subsequent discussions. These conversations invited Olssen to reflect on his experiences of neoliberalism as a practising academic who has worked in the UK for some 14 years, and also to comment as a researcher and writer who is well known for his work on…

Conception, complicated pregnancy, and labour of gods and heroes in Greek mythology.

PubMed

Iavazzo, Christos; Trompoukis, Constantinos; Sardi, Thalia; Falagas, Matthew E

2008-01-01

Pregnancy and labour are holy moments in a woman's life. Even in Greek mythology we can find descriptions of them. We searched in the Greek myths to find descriptions of labours of ancient heroes and gods. We identified descriptions of extracorporeal fertilization, superfecundation, ectopic pregnancy, preterm labour, prolonged pregnancy and Caesarean section. The use of imagination could help the reader to find similarities in present or future developments in the field of obstetrics. It could be concluded that various aspects of modern obstetrical practice are described in Greek mythology.

[Attitude of pregnant women towards labour--study of forms of preparation and preferences].

PubMed

Kosińska, Katarzyna; Krychowska, Alina; Wielgoś, Mirosław; Myszewska, Aleksandra; Przyboś, Andrzej

2005-12-01

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of alternative delivery techniques among pregnant women and their preferences concerning the course of labour. 275 woman hospitalizated in obstetric wards in Puck and Ist Clinic in Warsaw were questionnaired in the period of July 2003 - February 2004. The mean age of women was 26 +/- 4.9. 55.7% of them were nulliparous, 44.3% multiparous. T-Student test was used for statistical analysis. The majority of questionnaired women knew alternative positions during delivery and possible analgetic techniques. 25.1% of women attended labour school. 81.2% wanted to give birth in the hospital, 10% at home and 8.8% in the delivery room. 51.1% preferred waterbirth and 22.5% obstetric chair--most of them came from the big cities, were better educated and attended labour school. Almost half of all women are in favour of epidural anaesthesia of delivery. Caesarean section on request was supported by 13.8%. For 67.4% the presence of intimates during labour was important. Labour school has a significant influence on women's knowledge and their preferences. Waterbirth and other modern delivery techniques are very popular among better educated women from big cities, while those with lower education from small cities and villages prefer "classic" labour. Therefore promotion of modern delivery methods and active participation in labour should be concentrated on these groups of women. Nowadays obstetric departments should ensure not only safety of giving birth but also complete personal comfort for pregnant women.

More academics in regular schools? The effect of regular versus special school placement on academic skills in Dutch primary school students with Down syndrome.

PubMed

de Graaf, G; van Hove, G; Haveman, M

2013-01-01

Studies from the UK have shown that children with Down syndrome acquire more academic skills in regular education. Does this likewise hold true for the Dutch situation, even after the effect of selective placement has been taken into account? In 2006, an extensive questionnaire was sent to 160 parents of (specially and regularly placed) children with Down syndrome (born 1993-2000) in primary education in the Netherlands with a response rate of 76%. Questions were related to the child's school history, academic and non-academic skills, intelligence quotient, parental educational level, the extent to which parents worked on academics with their child at home, and the amount of academic instructional time at school. Academic skills were predicted with the other variables as independents. For the children in regular schools much more time proved to be spent on academics. Academic performance appeared to be predicted reasonably well on the basis of age, non-academic skills, parental educational level and the extent to which parents worked at home on academics. However, more variance could be predicted when the total amount of years that the child spent in regular education was added, especially regarding reading and to a lesser extent regarding writing and math. In addition, we could prove that this finding could not be accounted for by endogenity. Regularly placed children with Down syndrome learn more academics. However, this is not a straight consequence of inclusive placement and age alone, but is also determined by factors such as cognitive functioning, non-academic skills, parental educational level and the extent to which parents worked at home on academics. Nevertheless, it could be proven that the more advanced academic skills of the regularly placed children are not only due to selective placement. The positive effect of regular school on academics appeared to be most pronounced for reading skills. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability

University and Vocational Education, and Youth Labour Market Outcomes in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, Gary N.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of university and vocational education, and other influences on a variety of labour market outcomes for Australian youths aged between 16 and 25. The six labour market outcomes investigated are: occupational status, hourly and weekly earnings, employment, unemployment and full-time work. The…

Cross-National Variations in Student Employment and Academic Performance: The Roles of National Context and International Law*

PubMed Central

Byun, Soo-yong; Henck, Adrienne; Post, David

2014-01-01

Most existing research indicates that working students perform more poorly than do full-time students on standardized achievement tests. However, we know there are wide international variations in this gap. This article shows that national and international contexts help to explain the gap in the academic performance between working and non-working middle-school students. We combined data from the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) eighth-grade assessment with the country specific information on socioeconomic and educational conditions, as well as the timing of each country's ratification of an international treaty regulating child labor. Our multilevel analyses show that, while student employment was generally negatively associated with academic performance, this negative association is smaller in countries that by 1995 had ratified the International Labour Organization's Convention No. 138 on child labor. These findings highlight the role of national and international policy in structuring the consequences of student employment for academic performance. PMID:25632163

Impact of social factors on labour discrimination of disabled women.

PubMed

Mondéjar-Jiménez, José; Vargas-Vargas, Manuel; Meseguer-Santamaría, María-Leticia; Mondéjar-Jiménez, Juan-Antonio

2009-01-01

Disabled women suffer from a double labour discrimination due to their gender and their disability. In rural areas, in addition, they also suffer from a lack of specific services, the isolation of the disabled associations, problems with public transport, the dispersion of population centres, and a limited access to information that could improve their chances of entering the labour market. The current work adopts a constructivist perspective on disability and offers a preliminary examination of the influence of social factors, such as the rural or urban nature of the disabled women's place of residence, the assistance they receive from their family or outside the family, the quantity of information they receive about the labour market, and their educational level, on the activity and employment status of this group of people.

Placental heat shock proteins: no immunohistochemical evidence for a differential stress response in preterm labour.

PubMed

Divers, M J; Bulmer, J N; Miller, D; Lilford, R J

1995-01-01

The aetiology of idiopathic preterm labour remains obscure. The hypothesis that a stress response induced by low-grade bacterial infection in utero-placental tissues was investigated. Distribution of cognate and inducible isoforms of heat shock proteins (HSP) 70 kD, HSP 60 kD and HSP 90 kD were investigated in an immunohistochemical study of placental and decidual tissues before and after labour at varying gestations. Subjects were pregnant women undergoing singleton delivery after idiopathic preterm labour at less than 34 weeks' gestation (n = 23); spontaneous term labour at 37-42 weeks' gestation (n =24); preterm caesarean sections at less than 34 weeks' gestation for preeclampsia or intrauterine growth retardation (n=14); elective caesarean section at 37-42 weeks' gestation for cephalopelvic disproportion (n = 6). HSP expression was constant throughout the third trimester of pregnancy and did not change following the onset of labour, regardless of gestational age. A stress response in decidual tissues as determined by immunohistochemical analysis is apparently not associated with preterm labour.

Pleiotropy across academic subjects at the end of compulsory education

PubMed Central

Rimfeld, Kaili; Kovas, Yulia; Dale, Philip S.; Plomin, Robert

2015-01-01

Research has shown that genes play an important role in educational achievement. A key question is the extent to which the same genes affect different academic subjects before and after controlling for general intelligence. The present study investigated genetic and environmental influences on, and links between, the various subjects of the age-16 UK-wide standardized GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) examination results for 12,632 twins. Using the twin method that compares identical and non-identical twins, we found that all GCSE subjects were substantially heritable, and that various academic subjects correlated substantially both phenotypically and genetically, even after controlling for intelligence. Further evidence for pleiotropy in academic achievement was found using a method based directly on DNA from unrelated individuals. We conclude that performance differences for all subjects are highly heritable at the end of compulsory education and that many of the same genes affect different subjects independent of intelligence. PMID:26203819

Inter-institutional Variation in Use of Caesarean Delivery for Labour Dystocia.

PubMed

Riddell, Corinne A; Hutcheon, Jennifer A; Strumpf, Erin C; Abenhaim, Haim A; Kaufman, Jay S

2017-11-01

To establish the degree of variation across hospitals in the use of Caesarean delivery for the indication of labour dystocia before and after accounting for maternal, fetal, and hospital characteristics. This study was a retrospective, population-based cohort study of nulliparous women delivering term singletons in cephalic position following labour. Delivery visits were extracted from three provincial perinatal registries in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, from 2008-2012. Crude hospital-specific rates of Caesarean delivery for labour dystocia were reported, and these rates were then stabilized to account for hospitals with low delivery volumes. Rates were then adjusted for maternal, fetal, and hospital characteristics using hierarchical logistic regression. Among 403 205 women delivering at 170 hospitals, the overall Caesarean delivery rate was 21.0%, and the rate of Caesarean delivery for labour dystocia was 12.7%, indicating that 60% of all Caesarean deliveries were performed in part for this indication. The middle 95% of hospitals had Caesarean delivery rates for labour dystocia ranging from 4.5% to 24.7%. Differences in maternal case mix and hospital characteristics explained only a small proportion of this variation (95% central range 6.3%-21.7%). Considerable inter-hospital variation in rates of Caesarean delivery for labour dystocia remained after accounting for differences in maternal and hospital factors. Reporting systems that monitor variation in inter-institutional rates should incorporate stabilization and adjustment for case-mix differences and consider indication-specific rates of Caesarean delivery to more fairly compare hospital performance and better target interventions to reduce Caesarean delivery for specific indications. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/La Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Continuous Flow in Labour-Intensive Manufacturing Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacheco Eng., Jhonny; Carbajal MSc., Eduardo; Stoll-Ing., Cesar, Dr.

2017-06-01

A continuous-flow manufacturing represents the peak of standard production, and usually it means high production in a strict line production. Furthermore, low-tech industry demands high labour-intensive, in this context the efficient of the line production is tied at the job shop organization. Labour-intensive manufacturing processes are a common characteristic for developing countries. This research aims to propose a methodology for production planning in order to fulfilment a variable monthly production quota. The main idea is to use a clock as orchestra director in order to synchronize the rate time (takt time) of customer demand with the manufacturing time. In this way, the study is able to propose a stark reduction of stock in process, over-processing, and unnecessary variability.

Learning to Adapt: Does Returning to Education Improve Labour Market Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chesters, Jenny

2014-01-01

The transition into a post-industrial economy changed the nature of the Australian labour market extinguishing jobs in traditional industries and creating jobs in new industries. Workers displaced from the manufacturing sector and women seeking to re-enter the labour market after taking time out for family reasons need to retrain in order to…

Obstetric and psychological characteristics of women choosing epidural analgesia during labour: A cohort study.

PubMed

Sitras, Vasilis; Šaltytė Benth, Jūratė; Eberhard-Gran, Malin

2017-01-01

To investigate the obstetric and psychological characteristics of women who opt to use epidural analgesia (EDA) during labour and the impact of participating in labour preparation courses on women's decisions to use EDA. Longitudinal cohort study. Akershus University Hospital, Norway. 2596 women with singleton pregnancies and intended vaginal delivery. Data were collected using two self-completed questionnaires at pregnancy weeks 17 and 32. Fear of childbirth was assessed by the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQ). Symptoms of anxiety were measured by the Hopkins Symptom Check List (SCL-25) and depression by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Obstetric and socio-demographic information was retrieved from birth records at the maternity ward. Preference for EDA was indicated by the questionnaire item "I would prefer an epidural regardless" on a 4-point scale (1 = highly agree, 4 = highly disagree) at pregnancy week 32. Twenty-one percent of the women (540/2596) answered that they would choose EDA as the only alternative method of analgesia during labour. Counselling for fear of childbirth [OR 3.23 (95%CI 2.12; 4.92)] and W-DEQ sum score ≥ 85 [OR 2.95 (95%CI 2.06; 4.23)] were significantly (p<0.001) associated with choice of EDA. Participation in labour preparation courses was significantly (p = 0.008) associated with a reduction of intended use of EDA during labour [OR 0.67 (95%CI 0.49; 0.90)]. Fear of childbirth is significantly associated with women's choice of EDA during labour. On the other hand, women that participate in labour preparation courses would rather consider other methods of analgesia during labour.

Social Cohesion and the Labour Market: Societal Regimes of Civic Attitudes and Labour Market Regimes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimeglio, Isabelle; Janmaat, Jan Germen; Mehaut, Philippe

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper is to test the connections between the indicators used in the literature on social cohesion, which usually reflect "general" values or behaviours, and indicators specific to a particular space, namely the labour market. A key question is the stability of the social cohesion's indicators when moving from a societal…

The Development of Emotional and Behavioral Self-Regulation and Their Effects on Academic Achievement in Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edossa, Ashenafi Kassahun; Schroeders, Ulrich; Weinert, Sabine; Artelt, Cordula

2018-01-01

Self-regulation is an essential ability of children to cope with various developmental challenges. This study examines the developmental interplay between emotional and behavioral self-regulation during childhood and the relationship with academic achievement using data from the longitudinal Millennium Cohort Study (UK). Using cross-lagged panel…

Endoplasmic reticulum stress is induced in the human placenta during labour

PubMed Central

Veerbeek, J.H.W.; Tissot Van Patot, M.C.; Burton, G.J.; Yung, H.W.

2015-01-01

Placental endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been postulated in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), but its activation remains elusive. Oxidative stress induced by ischaemia/hypoxia-reoxygenation activates ER stress in vitro. Here, we explored whether exposure to labour represents an in vivo model for the study of acute placental ER stress. ER stress markers, GRP78, P-eIF2α and XBP-1, were significantly higher in laboured placentas than in Caesarean-delivered controls localised mainly in the syncytiotrophoblast. The similarities to changes observed in PE/IUGR placentas suggest exposure to labour can be used to investigate induction of ER stress in pathological placentas. PMID:25434970

Combination of three-dimensional ultrasound measurement of foetal adrenal gland enlargement and placental alpha microglobulin-1 for the prediction of the timing of delivery within seven days in women with threatened preterm labour and preterm labour.

PubMed

Santipap, Monchai; Phupong, Vorapong

2018-03-23

The aim of this study was to predict the timing of delivery within seven days in singleton pregnant women with threatened preterm labour and preterm labour by using a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound measurement of foetal adrenal gland volume enlargement, a foetal zone enlargement and cervicovaginal placental alpha microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1) test. This prospective cohort study included singleton pregnant women at 22-36 +6  weeks of gestation who presented with threatened preterm labour and with preterm labour. Transabdominal 3D ultrasound measurement of the whole foetal adrenal gland and of the foetal adrenal zone were performed. Qualitative cervicovaginal PAMG-1 detection was performed at the same time. One hundred and fifty-four pregnant women were included into the study. Eighty-four pregnant women had threatened preterm labour and seventy pregnant women had preterm labour. Twenty-nine pregnant women (18%) delivered within seven days. Use of foetal adrenal gland volume enlargement, foetal zone enlargement and the PAMG-1 test in combination increased sensitivity; if one parameter was positive, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 82.8%, 27.2%, 20.9% and 87.2%, respectively, in the prediction of the timing of delivery within seven days. The combination of foetal adrenal gland enlargement and PAMG-1 increased sensitivity for the prediction of the timing of delivery within seven days in pregnant women presenting with threatened preterm labour and preterm labour. Impact Statement What is already known on this subject? An increased foetal adrenal gland volume is significantly correlated with the risk of preterm birth. What do the results of this study add? The combination of a foetal adrenal gland enlargement and a placental alpha microglobulin-1 increased sensitivity for the prediction of the timing of delivery within seven days in pregnant women presenting with threatened preterm labour and preterm labour

Labour force participation and the influence of having arthritis on financial status.

PubMed

Schofield, Deborah J; Callander, Emily J; Shrestha, Rupendra N; Percival, Richard; Kelly, Simon J; Passey, Megan E

2015-07-01

The objective of this study was to quantify the impact that having arthritis has on income poverty status and accumulated wealth in Australia. Cross-sectional analysis of Health&WealthMOD, a microsimulation model built on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers and STINMOD, an income and savings microsimulation model. Across all categories of labour force participation status (employed full time, part time or not in the labour force at all), those with arthritis were significantly more likely to be in poverty. Those employed full time with no health condition had 0.82 times the odds of being in income poverty (95 % CI 0.80-0.84) compared with those employed full time with arthritis. Those not in the labour force with no chronic health conditions had 0.36 times the odds of being in income poverty compared with those not in the labour force due to arthritis (95 % CI 0.36-0.37). For people not in the labour force with no long-term health condition, the total value of their wealth was 211 % higher (95 % CI 38-618 %) than the amount of wealth accumulated by those not in the labour force due to arthritis. Similarly, those employed part time with no chronic health condition had 50 % more wealth than those employed part time with arthritis (95 % CI 3-116 %). Arthritis has a profound impact upon the economic circumstances of individuals, which adds a further dimension to the detrimental living standards of older individuals suffering from the condition.

Factors and outcomes associated with the induction of labour in Latin America.

PubMed

Guerra, G V; Cecatti, J G; Souza, J P; Faúndes, A; Morais, S S; Gülmezoglu, A M; Parpinelli, M A; Passini, R; Carroli, G

2009-12-01

To describe the prevalence of labour induction, together with its risk factors and outcomes in Latin America. Analysis of the 2005 WHO global survey database. Eight selected Latin American countries. All women who gave birth during the study period in 120 participating institutions. Bivariate and multivariate analyses. Indications for labour induction per country, success rate per method, risk factors for induction, and maternal and perinatal outcomes. Of the 97,095 deliveries included in the survey, 11,077 (11.4%) were induced, with 74.2% occurring in public institutions, 20.9% in social security hospitals and 4.9% in private institutions. Induction rates ranged from 5.1% in Peru to 20.1% in Cuba. The main indications were premature rupture of membranes (25.3%) and elective induction (28.9%). The success rate of vaginal delivery was very similar for oxytocin (69.9%) and misoprostol (74.8%), with an overall success rate of 70.4%. Induced labour was more common in women over 35 years of age. Maternal complications included higher rates of perineal laceration, need for uterotonic agents, hysterectomy, ICU admission, hospital stay>7 days and increased need for anaesthetic/analgesic procedures. Some adverse perinatal outcomes were also higher: low 5-minute Apgar score, very low birthweight, admission to neonatal ICU and delayed initiation of breastfeeding. In Latin America, labour was induced in slightly more than 10% of deliveries; success rates were high irrespective of the method used. Induced labour is, however, associated with poorer maternal and perinatal outcomes than spontaneous labour.

Early versus late initiation of epidural analgesia for labour.

PubMed

Sng, Ban Leong; Leong, Wan Ling; Zeng, Yanzhi; Siddiqui, Fahad Javaid; Assam, Pryseley N; Lim, Yvonne; Chan, Edwin S Y; Sia, Alex T

2014-10-09

Pain during childbirth is arguably the most severe pain some women may experience in their lifetime. Epidural analgesia is an effective form of pain relief during labour. Many women have concerns regarding its safety. Furthermore, epidural services and anaesthetic support may not be available consistently across all centres. Observational data suggest that early initiation of epidural may be associated with an increased risk of caesarean section, but the same findings were not seen in recent randomised controlled trials. More recent guidelines suggest that in the absence of a medical contraindication, maternal request is a sufficient medical indication for pain relief during labour. The choice of analgesic technique, agent, and dosage is based on many factors, including patient preference, medical status, and contraindications. There is no systematically reviewed evidence on the maternal and foetal outcomes and safety of this practice. This systematic review aimed to summarise the effectiveness and safety of early initiation versus late initiation of epidural analgesia in women. We considered the obstetric and fetal outcomes relevant to women and side effects of the treatments, including risk of caesarean section, instrumental birth and time to birth. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (12 February 2014), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2014, Issue 1), MEDLINE (January 1966 to February 2014), Embase (January 1980 to February 2014) and reference lists of retrieved studies. We included all randomised controlled trials involving women undergoing epidural labour analgesia that compared early initiation versus late initiation of epidural labour analgesia. Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion, extracted the data and assessed the trial quality. Data were checked for accuracy. We included nine studies with a total of 15,752 women.The overall risk of bias of

Panamanian women׳s experience of vaginal examination in labour: A questionnaire validation.

PubMed

Bonilla-Escobar, Francisco J; Ortega-Lenis, Delia; Rojas-Mirquez, Johanna C; Ortega-Loubon, Christian

2016-05-01

to validate a tool that allows healthcare providers to obtain accurate information regarding Panamanian women׳s thoughts and feelings about vaginal examination during labour that can be used in other Latin-American countries. validation study based on a database from a cross-sectional study carried out in two tertiary care hospitals in Panama City, Panama. Women in the immediate postpartum period who had spontaneous labour onset and uncomplicated deliveries were included in the study from April to August 2008. Researchers used a survey designed by Lewin et al. that included 20 questions related to a patient׳s experience during a vaginal examination. five constructs (factors) related to a patient׳s experience of vaginal examination during labour were identified: Approval (Alpha Cronbach׳s 0.72), Perception (0.67), Rejection (0.40), Consent (0.51), and Stress (0.20). it was demonstrated the validity of the scale and its constructs used to obtain information related to vaginal examination during labour, including patients' experiences with examination and healthcare staff performance. utilisation of the scale will allow institutions to identify items that need improvement and address these areas in order to promote the best care for patients in labour. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing stillbirths: interventions during labour

PubMed Central

Darmstadt, Gary L; Yakoob, Mohammad Yawar; Haws, Rachel A; Menezes, Esme V; Soomro, Tanya; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2009-01-01

Background Approximately one million stillbirths occur annually during labour; most of these stillbirths occur in low and middle-income countries and are associated with absent, inadequate, or delayed obstetric care. The low proportion of intrapartum stillbirths in high-income countries suggests that intrapartum stillbirths are largely preventable with quality intrapartum care, including prompt recognition and management of intrapartum complications. The evidence for impact of intrapartum interventions on stillbirth and perinatal mortality outcomes has not yet been systematically examined. Methods We undertook a systematic review of the published literature, searching PubMed and the Cochrane Library, of trials and reviews (N = 230) that reported stillbirth or perinatal mortality outcomes for eight interventions delivered during labour. Where eligible randomised controlled trials had been published after the most recent Cochrane review on any given intervention, we incorporated these new trial findings into a new meta-analysis with the Cochrane included studies. Results We found a paucity of studies reporting statistically significant evidence of impact on perinatal mortality, especially on stillbirths. Available evidence suggests that operative delivery, especially Caesarean section, contributes to decreased stillbirth rates. Induction of labour rather than expectant management in post-term pregnancies showed strong evidence of impact, though there was not enough evidence to suggest superior safety for the fetus of any given drug or drugs for induction of labour. Planned Caesarean section for term breech presentation has been shown in a large randomised trial to reduce stillbirths, but the feasibility and consequences of implementing this intervention routinely in low-/middle-income countries add caveats to recommending its use. Magnesium sulphate for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia is effective in preventing eclamptic seizures, but studies have not demonstrated impact

Short and long-term labour market consequences of coronary heart disease: a register-based follow-up study.

PubMed

Kruse, Marie; Sørensen, Jan; Davidsen, Michael; Gyrd-Hansen, Dorte

2009-06-01

The aim of this study was to analyse to what extent individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD) leave the labour market earlier than individuals without CHD and to discuss the implications for rehabilitation. Individuals with CHD were identified from the Danish National Cohort study and were followed from the year of their first hospital admission for CHD and onwards for up to 23 years. Individuals with CHD were individually matched with individuals without CHD. We analysed their short-term labour market participation and compared the long-term withdrawal risk for the two groups through Cox regression. In the year after the first CHD-related admission, 79% of individuals with CHD maintained their labour force participation compared with 93% of individuals without CHD. Individuals with CHD had a hazard ratio of 1.32 for withdrawal compared with their matched counterparts. This means that the individuals with CHD were on the labour market, on average, for 0.8 years less than the individuals without CHD. Stratified analyses showed that, in particular, individuals with CHD aged below 60 years and individuals employed as manual labour may benefit from cardiac rehabilitation, which aims to maintain labour market participation. Individuals with CHD have a significantly increased risk of withdrawing from the labour market. Especially younger individuals and those employed as manual labour seem to have greater problems in maintaining labour market participation. This suggests that greater focus in cardiac rehabilitation on returning these individuals to the labour market might be worthwhile.

Digital labour and development: impacts of global digital labour platforms and the gig economy on worker livelihoods.

PubMed

Graham, Mark; Hjorth, Isis; Lehdonvirta, Vili

2017-05-01

As ever more policy-makers, governments and organisations turn to the gig economy and digital labour as an economic development strategy to bring jobs to places that need them, it becomes important to understand better how this might influence the livelihoods of workers. Drawing on a multi-year study with digital workers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South-east Asia, this article highlights four key concerns for workers: bargaining power, economic inclusion, intermediated value chains, and upgrading. The article shows that although there are important and tangible benefits for a range of workers, there are also a range of risks and costs that unduly affect the livelihoods of digital workers. Building on those concerns, it then concludes with a reflection on four broad strategies - certification schemes, organising digital workers, regulatory strategies and democratic control of online labour platforms - that could be employed to improve conditions and livelihoods for digital workers.

Labour management and Obstetric outcomes among pregnant women admitted in latent phase compared to active phase of labour at Bugando Medical Centre in Tanzania.

PubMed

Chuma, Clotrida; Kihunrwa, Albert; Matovelo, Dismas; Mahendeka, Marietha

2014-02-12

Interventions given to women admitted in latent or active phase of labor may influence the outcomes of labor and ameliorate complications which can affect the mother and fetus. Labour management, maternal and fetal outcomes among low risk women presenting both in latent phase and active phase of labour in Tanzania have not recently been explored. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. It was done from February to April 2013. Case notes were collected serially until the sample size was reached. A structured checklist was used to extract data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. A p < 0.05 was considered significant at 95% confidence interval. Five hundred case notes of low risk pregnant women were collected, half of each presented in latent phase and active phase of labour. Key interventions including augmentation with oxytocin, artificial rupture of membranes and caesarean section were significantly higher in the latent phase group than the active phase group 84(33.6%) versus 52(20.8%) p < 0.05; 96(38.6%) versus 56(22.4%) p < 0.05 and 87(34.8%) versus 60(24.0%) p < 0.05 respectively. Spontaneous vertex delivery was higher among pregnant women admitted initially in active phase than in latent phase groups 180(72.0%), versus 153(61.2%) p > 0.01). There were more women in the active phase group who sustained genital tract tear and postpartum haemorrhage than in the latent phase group 101(18.6%), versus 38(15.6%) p < 0.01 and 46(18.4%), versus 17(6.6%) p < 0.05 respectively. Pregnant women admitted at BMC in latent phase of labour are subjected to more obstetric interventions than those admitted in the active phase. There is need to produce guidelines on management of women admitted in latent phase of labour at BMC to reduce the risk of unnecessary interventions.

Randomised trial of amnioinfusion during labour with meconium stained amniotic fluid.

PubMed

Rathor, Asmita Muthal; Singh, Ruchira; Ramji, S; Tripathi, Reva

2002-01-01

To assess the effect of amnioinfusion during labour with meconium stained amniotic fluid on caesarean section rate and perinatal outcome. Prospective randomised controlled study. A tertiary care teaching hospital in India. Women in labour at term with meconium stained amniotic fluid. Two hundred women in labour with > or = 37 weeks gestation, single cephalic presentation with moderate or thick meconium were randomised to control and amnioinfusion groups at a 1:1 ratio. Amnioinfusion was performed using 500 mL of normal saline over a period of 30 minutes in a study group. The control group received routine care. Both groups had intermittent auscultation of fetal heart rate during labour. The primary outcome measure was caesarean section rate. Secondary outcome measures were meconium aspiration syndrome, 1 minute and 5 minute apgar < 7, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, neonatal intensive care unit admission, meconium at the level of vocal cords. The caesarean section rate in the amnioinfusion group was less than the control group (RR 0.47; 95% CI 0.24-0.93). Amnioinfusion was associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of meconium at the vocal cords (P = 0.001); improvement in 1 minute apgar scores (P < 0.05), respiratory distress (P = 0.002) and fewer admissions to nursery compared with the controls. This sample size was inadequate to study the impact on meconium aspiration syndrome. Amnioinfusion in an under resourced labour ward decreases caesarean section rates and fetal morbidity.