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Background: A novel method using a moving threshold (r‐PLTmt) to determine canine r‐PLTs (reticulated platelets) has been introduced for ADVIA 2120 software v6.11.7. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate absolute (ar‐PLTmt) and percent (%r‐PLTmt) prior to and after visual inspection of scattergrams (ar‐PLTmtv, %rPLTmtv) compared with flow cytometry (flow) and to determine reference intervals (RIs) in 120 dogs. Methods: For method comparison, 42 blood samples of healthy and thrombocytopenic dogs were included. Calculation of Spearman's rho, Bland–Altman, and Passing‐Bablok analysis was performed. Coefficients of variation (CVs) were determined for three concentration levels. Results: Moderate correlations between %r‐PLTmt and %r‐PLTmtv (rs 0.75–0.76) were seen compared with flow cytometry. The CV for medium %r‐PLTs counts assessed with flow cytometry was 12.9%. Comparable CVs were obtained for ar‐PLTmt (14.4%) and %r‐PLTmt (15.7%), and ar‐PLTmtv and %r‐PLTmtv (10.9% and 12.9%, respectively). At low and high concentration levels, CVs for % and absolute r‐PLTmt/rPLTmtv ranged between 23%–30% and 15%–20%. In patients with microcytic hypochromic erythrocytes, CVs for ar‐PLTmt and %r‐PLTmt were 36%–66%. Visual inspection of scattergrams resulted in a marked decrease in CV ranging between 15% and 20%. A proportional bias of 10.8% between %r‐PLTmt and flow cytometry became lower (9.7%) after visual validation of scattergrams. Passing‐Bablok analysis showed proportional and constant error. RIs for r‐PLTmt and r‐PLTmtv were 0.2%–3.8% and 0.6–10.2 × 109/L and 0.3%–4.5% and 1.1–10.3 × 109/L, respectively. Median values for %r‐PLTmtv were higher in young adults (≤2 years) than in older dogs (P = 0.03). Conclusions: r‐PLTmt and r‐PLTmtv were moderately correlated with flow cytometry. Visual inspection of scattergrams is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a study related to the automated detection of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) using an ADVIA 2120i. It mentions that APL is a medical and hematological emergency and studies have shown that early death rates still remain high despite treatment with all‐trans retinoic acid .

This paper reports aspects of an international study of leadership of teaching in 19 departments with outstanding teaching records in 11 research-intensive universities. Leadership was found to take different forms in different discipline areas, in different organisational cultures, and in response to major problems affecting the department. While most of the heads conceived of leadership of teaching in similarly sophisticated ways, and there were other common themes across contexts, how these conceptions were evident in action to support and develop teaching was highly context-dependent. To illustrate this point, two departments are contrasted in terms of leadership activities found most frequently across all 19 departments. It is clear from this comparison that teaching excellence was achieved in entirely different ways involving widely contrasting leadership behaviour. The paper argues that advice and guidance for heads of department on their leadership of teaching should pay careful attention to the context rather than make assumptions about the general applicability of leadership theory or advice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy and practice in child welfare and protection has been significantly influenced by public inquiries or commissions which follow highly publicised child tragedies. Whilst there has been considerable comment on the final reports, there has been little research on the evidence gathered for such inquiries. Large amounts of testimony are collected which are increasingly available on inquiry websites. Such evidence offers new forms of readily available data about professional practice across a wide range of topics. Suggestions are made about research methods and search functions, and links to some sites provided. However, the data must be understood in the context in which it was produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the commentary by M. M. Finkelstein concerning the health effects on the exposure of talc miners on tremolitic talc in New York.

A reprint of no. 40 idea from "53 Powerful Ideas Teachers Should Know About," by Graham Gibbs, published on the Website and blog of Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) in 2015, is presented.