Role of Intervention on Laboratory Performance: Evaluation of Quality Indicators in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Quality in laboratory has huge impact on diagnosis and patient management as 80–90% of all diagnosis is made on the basis of laboratory tests. Monitoring of quality indicators covering the critical areas of pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases like sample misidentification, sample rejection, random and systemic errors, critical value reporting and TATs have a significant impact on performance of laboratory. This study was conducted in diagnostic laboratories receiving approximately 42,562 samples for clinical chemistry, hematology and serology. The list of quality indicators was developed for the steps of total testing process for which errors are frequent and improvements are possible. The trend was observed for all the QI before and after sensitisation of the staff over the period of 12 months. Incomplete test requisition form received in the lab was the most poor quality indicator observed (7.89%), followed by sample rejection rate (4.91%). Most significant improvement was found in pre- and post-analytical phase after sensitisation of staff but did not have much impact on analytical phase. Use of quality indicators to assess and monitor the quality system of the clinical laboratory services is extremely valuable tool in keeping the total testing process under control in a systematic and transparent way.     

Students’ perceptions of a blended web-based learning environment

The enhanced accessibility, affordability and capability of the Internet has created enormous possibilities in terms of designing, developing and implementing innovative teaching methods in the classroom. As existing pedagogies are revamped and new ones are added, there is a need to assess the effectiveness of these approaches from the students’ perspective. For more than three decades, proven qualitative and quantitative research methods associated with learning environments research have yielded productive results for educators. This article presents the findings of a study in which Getsmart, a teacher-designed website, was blended into science and physics lessons at an Australian high school. Students’ perceptions of this environment were investigated, together with differences in the perceptions of students in junior and senior years of schooling. The article also explores the impact of teachers in such an environment. The investigation undertaken in this study also gave an indication of how effective Getsmart was as a teaching model in such environments.     

The shanai, the pseudosphere and other imaginings: envisioning culturally contextualised mathematics education

Adopting a self-conscious form of co-generative writing and employing a bricolage of visual images and literary genres we draw on a recent critical auto/ethnographic inquiry to engage our readers in pedagogical thoughtfulness about the problem of culturally decontextualised mathematics education in Nepal, a country rich in cultural and linguistic diversity. Combining transformative, critical mathematics and ethnomathematical perspectives we develop a critical cultural perspective on the need for a culturally contextualized mathematics education that enables Nepalese students to develop (rather than abandon) their cultural capital. We illustrate this perspective by means of an ethnodrama which portrays a pre-service teacher’s point of view of the universalist pedagogy of Dr. Euclid, a semi-fictive professor of undergraduate mathematics. We deconstruct the naivety of this conventional Western mathematics pedagogy arguing that it fails to incorporate salient aspects of Nepali culture. Subsequently we employ metaphorical imagining to envision a culturally inclusive mathematics education for enabling Nepalese teachers to (i) excavate multiple mathematical knowledge systems embedded in the daily practices of rural and remote villages across the country, and (ii) develop contextualized pedagogical perspectives to serve the diverse interests and aspirations of Nepali school children.

Letter to the Editor

In the Summer 2007 issue of The Educational Forum, the Open Forum article “An Inconvenient Curriculum” by Marcus Ford and Peter Friederici magnificently focused on the nature of curriculum in higher education in an ever-changing environment in the present globalized world. By highlighting the inevitability of a multidisciplinary curriculum largely focusing on the immediate issues of global and regional concerns, that article showed the base of discursive thought in this regard.     

Tools of the profession submission (for AIAEE) European Seminar in Extension Education perspective of a first-time seminar participant

Abstract

The threats to traditional cultural landscapes and the concomitant demands from society for remedial landscape management represent a new challenge for agricultural education. The research described here examined the extent to which relevant landscape management skills and knowledge are transferred to would-be farmers (if at all) within the Austrian agricultural school system. A plurilateral approach was taken, involving a standardised text evaluation of curricula (as defined in legislative documents), examination of further vocational training programmes for teachers, and investigation of the actual teaching situation in selected schools. This combination of methods produced a comprehensive overview of the situation in agricultural schools and academies with regard to landscape management teaching. The teaching programmes prescribed by law and the actual programmes carried out by teachers were compared with a theoretical ‘best-case’ programme for teaching landscape management, and this revealed considerable shortcomings in current teaching. The research also identified potential constraints to the integration of landscape management elements within the agricultural school system.     

Insulin Resistance in Young Obese Subjects and Its Relation to Smoking (A Pilot Study)

Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells fail to respond to the normal actions of insulin. Dietary fat, obesity and smoking have been attributed to increase insulin resistance. However, the prevalence of insulin resistance in young obese subjects and its relation to smoking is not well established. This study comprising seventy-five healthy young adults was undertaken to find insulin resistance in obese smokers and non smokers both. Present study showed an overall prevalence of raised homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance in 14.7 % otherwise healthy young subjects (20–30 years age group). Non-smokers did not show any significant correlation between insulin resistance and body mass index at either stage (normal, pre-obese as well as obese). Smokers also did not show any significant difference of insulin resistance in normal and pre-obese stages. However, marked increase in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance was observed in obese smokers. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance showed a linear trend in relation to body mass index and its values were found to be higher in smokers. Obesity combined with smoking demonstrated statistically significant increase in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance.     

Antinuclear Antibody Profiling in Patients of a Tertiary Care Centre in Central India

The incidence of autoimmune disorders that includes the connective tissue diseases has seen a rise in India in recent times. Antinuclear antibodies, the telltale sign of systemic autoimmune response, thus can be used as a screening tool and also to support the diagnosis of systemic autoimmune disease. The present retrospective cross- sectional analysis aimed to study the antinuclear antibodies profile (patterns and specific antibody reactivity) amongst suspected cases of auto-immune disorders at a tertiary care teaching hospital. The study retrieved and reviewed reports of 644 patients sent for ANA testing by indirect immunofluorescence assay over a period of 1 year by different specialty departments. Positive samples were further processed for anti-ds-DNA antibody and antibodies to extractable nuclear antigen. Data collected was statistically analysed. ANA pattern positivity was observed in 31% of cases and a positive antibody reactivity was seen in 66% of them. Female predominance (82%) was noted in both pattern positivity and antibody reactivity. High levels of pattern positivity and antibody reactivity was found in the young adults (45.9%). Amongst the ANA patterns, the nuclear homogenous pattern was found the commonest. The common antibodies associated with this pattern were anti-dsDNA and U1 Sm/RNP antibodies. A stronger fluorescence intensity on initial screening showed a higher confirmation rate for specific antibodies on immunoassay. High occurrence of positive ANA patterns in autoimmune disorders suggests its utilization as a screening tool for them and would also play an adjuvant to the diagnosis. Early knowledge about future autoimmunity will earn better prognostic achievements through better treatment interventions.     

Enhancing Research Capacity in Gerontological Social Work

There is an untapped potential of social work faculty to conduct aging research aimed at enhancing the well-being of older adults. To better exploit this resource, we have designed, implemented, and evaluated a postgraduate training program in aging research. The goal of the program is to build and sustain a community of social work faculty committed to conducting aging research, to incorporating recent advances in their courses, and to engaging their students in aging research. Program design includes an initial institute (which focuses on research methodology, selected content areas, and procedural matters related to preparation and submission of grant applications); ongoing consultation; and a midyear meeting during the intervening year and a follow-up institute that provide the participants with extended opportunities to discuss the proposals they develop. Evaluation data presented in this paper focus on the first two cohorts (who entered in summer 2004 and summer 2005). These data indicate that the program has been highly effective in expanding the pool of faculty engaged in aging research. Lessons learned with regard to program structure, content, recruitment, evaluation, and sustainability are shared.