This paper is a detailed critical analysis of T.S.Eliot's well known poem, 'The Waste Land'. Focusing on the relationship between movement and stasis which is evident throughout the text, the author reviews the poem in light of the social context of the time.
Background The pathophysiology of delirium is incompletely understood, including what molecular pathways are involved in brain vulnerability to delirium. This study examined whether preoperative plasma neurodegeneration markers were elevated in patients who subsequently developed postoperative delirium through a retrospective case-control study. Methods Inclusion criteria were patients of 65 yr of age or older, undergoing elective noncardiac surgery with a hospital stay of 2 days or more. Concentrations of preoperative plasma P-Tau181, neurofilament light chain, amyloid β1-42 (Aβ42), and glial fibrillary acidic protein were measured with a digital immunoassay platform. The primary outcome was postoperative delirium measured by the Confusion Assessment Method. The study included propensity score matching by age and sex with nearest neighbor, such that each patient in the delirium group was matched by age and sex with a patient in the no-delirium group. Results The initial cohort consists of 189 patients with no delirium and 102 patients who developed postoperative delirium. Of 291 patients aged 72.5 ± 5.8 yr, 50.5% were women, and 102 (35%) developed postoperative delirium. The final cohort in the analysis consisted of a no-delirium group (n = 102) and a delirium group (n = 102) matched by age and sex using the propensity score method. Of the four biomarkers assayed, the median value for neurofilament light chain was 32.05 pg/ml for the delirium group versus 23.7 pg/ml in the no-delirium group. The distribution of biomarker values significantly differed between the delirium and no-delirium groups (P = 0.02 by the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test) with the largest cumulative probability difference appearing at the biomarker value of 32.05 pg/ml. Conclusions These results suggest that patients who subsequently developed delirium are more likely to be experiencing clinically silent neurodegenerative changes before surgery, reflected by changes in plasma neurofilament light chain biomarker concentrations, which may identify individuals with a preoperative vulnerability to subsequent cognitive decline. Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New
Compass has, like most other academic journals, traditionally reflected the reviews and voices of staff in Higher Education, even though postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are encouraged to submit work to it. In the interests of creating a more inclusive journal, a behind-the-scenes effort to increase student interaction with it led to an email invitation to PGRs to act, in collaboration with staff, as student reviewers.An application process was implemented as part of the recruitment stage. PGRs had to select a published text from the Compass archives and review the piece, using a standard review form. Each application was peer reviewed and individuals were then informed of the decision. Three PGRs and an Intern eventually participated in a training session which introduced them more explicitly to the scope and aims of the journal. It has been found that being student reviewers for Compass has helped these PGRs to develop their professional identity. The role which PGR student reviewers now play in Compass also increases their evidence of impact and introduces them to a research publication context with which they were not previously familiar.
In today’s UK HE sector, individuals applying for academic positions require a teaching qualification. Some years ago, it was considered adequate if a lecturer had either sufficient experience within a particular discipline, or an academic qualification such as a PhD within the subject area, in order to teach it at HE level. The importance of possessing teaching skills has in recent years started to take on more value. The debates surrounding this shift were discussed in Eric Sotto’s Times Higher Education article, ‘You can lecture, but can you teach?’ (2010). It can be argued that such a shift has helped to develop conversations around what makes a professional academic and professional conduct.
The desire to employ more lecturers trained in teaching led to teaching qualifications that were previously noted as being ‘desirable’ on academic job descriptions, to being listed as an ‘essential’ requirement. This may be evidenced via a completed PGCertHE or fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, or equivalent. Different institutions have their own regulations, with many asking for applicants to either have a teaching qualification before joining, or to complete a relevant course once they have started their post with the aim of achieving a teaching qualification within a set number of years.
