The public's knowledge about child sexual abuse influences its perceptions of prevention and associated policies.

BACKGROUND: Child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention requires efforts from all members of society. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to examine factors associated with (1) perceptions of CSA as unpreventable and (2) support for policies to prevent CSA and to punish people who perpetrated CSA. We focused on the roles of knowledge and misperceptions about child sexual abuse. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: We collected survey data online from a large (N = 5068), nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. RESULTS: Analyses revealed factors promoting perceptions of CSA as unpreventable. Support for or against policies that aim to prevent CSA or to punish perpetrators of CSA were associated with individual factors such as older age (B = 0.08, -0.13), Republican political affiliation (B = 0.10, 0.07), and misperceptions about CSA (B = 0.15, 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight malleable factors that could be targeted to collectivize calls for CSA prevention and to promote support for effective policies to prevent CSA. In particular, ensuring accurate knowledge about CSA, and collective responsibility and government efficacy specific to CSA prevention, were identified as helping shape views of CSA as preventable.

Supporting (or not) the career development of culturally and linguistically diverse migrants and refugees in universities: insights from Australia.

The present study used a mixed-methods approach to understand the challenges faced by Australian higher education institutions in supporting the career development of students from culturally and linguistically diverse migrant and refugee backgrounds. Specifically, this project included a desktop audit of all Australian universities, data from a survey (n = 32) and interviews with staff in various functions (n = 10). Four main challenges were identified: (1) difficulties in identifying and engaging with students; (2) a lack of targeted resources and programs; (3) difficulties faced by students in engaging with employers; and (4) a lack of work-readiness and unfamiliarity of Australian work culture.

Soutenir (ou non) le développement de la carrière des personnes migrantes et des réfugiées culturellement et linguistiquement différentes dans les universités: aperçu de l'Australie La présente étude a utilisé une approche à méthodes mixtes pour comprendre les défis auxquels sont confrontés les établissements d'enseignement supérieur australiens pour soutenir le développement de carrière des étudiantes issues de milieux migrants et réfugiés, culturellement et linguistiquement divers. Plus précisément, ce projet comprenait un audit de documentation de toutes les universités australiennes, des données provenant d'une enquête (n = 32) et des entretiens avec le personnel de diverses fonctions (n = 10). Quatre défis principaux ont été identifiés: (1) des difficultés à identifier les étudiantes et à nouer le dialogue avec eux; (2) un manque de ressources et de programmes ciblés; (3) des difficultés rencontrées par les étudiantes pour entamer le dialogue avec les employeurs; et (4) un manque de préparation au travail et une méconnaissance de la culture professionnelle australienne.

Apoyando (o no) el desarrollo de la Carrera de los emigrantes y refugiados cultural y llinguísticamente diversos en las universidades: percepciones desde Australia El presente studio usó un enfoque de métodos mixtos para entender los desafíos afrontados por las instituciones de educación superior australianas en el apoyo al desarrollo de la Carrera de estudiantes provinentes de contextos migración y refugio linguisticamente diversos. Específicamente, este proyecto incluyo una aditoria de escritorio para todas las universidades autralianas, los datos del estudio (n = 32) y las entrevistas a trabajadores en distintas funciones (n = 10). Cuatro grandes desafíos fueron indentificados: (1) dificultades en la identifcación e involucración con los estudiantes; (2) falta de recursos y programas específicos; (3) difcultades afrontadas por estudiantes para involucrarse con los empleadores y (4) una falta de preparación para el trabajo y una falta de familiarización con la cultura del trabajo autraliana.

Predictors of diastolic-to-wedge gradient in patients evaluated for pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Differentiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary venous hypertension (PVH) often requires right heart catheterization (RHC). We sought to determine whether a combination of clinical and echocardiographic variables could predict the pulmonary diastolic to wedge (PAd-PWP) gradient and thus differentiate patients with PAH and PVH. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 108 patients presenting for PH evaluation. We developed a multivariate model to predict PAd-PWP gradient and validated this model using bootstrapping technique. RESULTS: PAH patients had worse hemodynamics and were more likely to have evidence of right ventricular dilation and dysfunction whereas patients with PVH were older and more likely to have features of the metabolic syndrome. PAd-PWP gradient of ≥ 6 mm Hg accurately discriminated patients with PAH compared to PVH. Our model including clinical and echocardiographic variables was highly accurate for the prediction of PAd-PWP gradient with a slope 0.89 (slope of 1 represents perfect prediction). CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective study of patients referred for PH evaluation, a model of readily available clinical parameters and simple echocardiographic measurements accurately predicted the PAd-PWP gradient, allowing discrimination of patients with PAH and PVH. This model requires validation in a larger cohort, but may afford clinicians more parsimony with referral for invasive testing in the evaluation of PH.

Exposure to the field of renal transplantation during undergraduate medical education in the UK.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of surgeons in the field of renal transplantation, with a predicted shortage of over 20 consultants by the year 2005. Early positive exposure to the field, commencing at undergraduate level, has been identified as being vital to improving rates of recruitment. This study was performed to assess the exposure of undergraduates to the field of renal transplantation during medical education in the UK. METHODS: In October 2004 a questionnaire was sent to the clinical deans of all UK medical schools regarding undergraduate exposure to renal transplantation. RESULTS: Twenty-five replies were received, giving a response rate of 96%. All but one school had a centre for renal transplantation in their region. Three schools (12%) gave no formal lecture or tutorial on the subject during the entire course. Of the remainder, between one to four formal sessions were provided, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours duration. Six medical schools (24%) provided no compulsory clinical exposure to renal transplantation, with a further five (20%) saying that students may receive exposure by chance. The average length of attachment was three weeks. Twenty-one medical schools (84%) provided between 1-10% of students a choice to study renal transplantation, as part of electives and special study modules. CONCLUSION: This study reveals a variation between, and within, medical schools in the levels of formal teaching. If the trends in recruitment to renal transplantation are to be reversed, we have an obligation to improve upon the medical education that students currently receive.