Respiratory effects in two-dimensional Fourier transform MR imaging

Respiratory and other regular motions during two-dimensional Fourier transform magnetic resonance imaging produce image artifacts consisting of local blurring and more or less regularly spaced "ghost" images propagating along the direction of the phase-encoding magnetic field gradient. The patterns of these ghost artifacts can be understood in terms of the technique of image production and basic properties of the discrete Fourier transform. This understanding permits, without respiratory gating, production of images of improved quality in body regions in which there is significant respiratory motion. In particular, the ghosts can be maximally separated from the primary image by choosing intervals between phase-encoding gradient pulse increments that are equal to one-half the respiratory period; they can be minimally separated by choosing an interval equal to the respiratory period. Increasing the number of signal averages between each phase-encoding increment decreases the intensity of the ghosts.     

Radiology curriculum for medical students: Clinicians’ perspectives

This study was conducted to establish clinicians’ perspectives of a set of radiology curriculum topics for medical student teaching, which were held to be important by radiologists. A questionnaire was sent to clinicians in all specialties. Forty‐six clinicians (51.1%) out of 90 returned the questionnaires. All curriculum topics were scored above an average of 4 (agree). The five highest ranking curriculum topics in order of importance were: developing a system for viewing chest radiographs (5.59), developing a system for viewing abdominal radiographs (5.56), developing a system for viewing bone and joint radiographs (5.33), distinguishing normal structures from abnormal in chest and abdominal radiographs (5.33) and identifying gross bone or joint abnormalities in skeletal radiographs (5.22). Correlative analysis between speciality groups showed surgical and medical specialities were significantly different in their responses of two learning outcomes: basic knowledge about the contrast media benefits and risks (P= 0.01) and ability to select the most appropriate and the most cost‐effective methods of radiological investigations for clinical situations (P= 0.03). Acute specialities were not significantly different from the other two groups for these two learning outcomes. There was no statistically significant difference for other learning outcomes between the three speciality groups.     

A Cross-Cultural Tool To Identify Continuing Education Needs

Cost-controlled health reforms have created the need for training nurses to provide evidence-based care in new contexts. Planning for nurses' continuing education must thus target the appropriate personnel and simultaneously consider local healthcare needs and training requirements. To plan such educational programmes, a training needs analysis instrument was developed in the UK and used to compare the training needs of nurses in Australia, the USA and the UK. Below, the findings of this survey.     

Clinical role activities of nurse teachers in Project 2000 programmes

This paper presents the findings related to the clinical role activities of nurse teachers in Project 2000 programmes Data were collected by a Delphi survey of 25 colleges of nursing that had implemented Project 2000 between September 1989 and April 1991 The findings from the Delphi survey were explored more fully through in-depth interviews with a sample of the respondents The findings identified a very strong commitment of the respondents to a clinical liaison role But they did not perceive their role to be one of teaching students through 'hands on care', they felt this was the role of the qualified staff in the clinical areas The respondents considered it important to maintain their clinical credibility through theoretical updating rather than being able to perform as an expert practitioner