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Background. To date, there has been no attempt to describe or compare physical therapy as practiced globally, nor any evidence that an international data set exists to support this effort. It is known that research evidence can be used in strategic and tactical ways, especially within the highly politicized context of the policy arena. The International Private Practitioners Association recognized the potential value a global evidence base could have in influencing policy and supporting professional development in a number of countries, yet it lacked a mechanism to achieve these aims. Objectives. The purposes of this study were: (1) to identify and test an international data set, definitions, and means of data collection and (2) to establish views in relation to the value of international collaborations. Design. A mixed, prospective design was used in the study. Method. Phase 1 (2006-2007) involved the development of a data set, definitions, and Web-based and paper-based data collection options involving 98 physical therapists from 68 physical therapy practices in 7 countries. Phase 2 (2008-2009) involved testing of the data set in 34 practices involving 3,195 patient episodes and included physical therapist feedback of experience, local relevance of the data set, and value of international collaborations. Results. Testing confirmed the relevance and reliability of the data set and definitions and a preference for Web-based data collection (74.0%). Physical therapist feedback supported these findings. Most respondents (60.0%-100.0%) reported the value of further international collaborations for their profession nationally or internationally. Limitations. Although a true international collaboration, the limited sample size should be recognized. Conclusions. It is possible to develop an agreed-upon international data set and means of data collection. Testing appears to support its acceptability and relevance for use in practice. Participants highly valued the opportunity to undertake international collaborations that may benefit their profession nationally and internationally. Further testing and use of the data set are advocated before final validation is sought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK has long experienced a shortage of social workers and has recruited internationally to meet demand. There have been few specific data quantifying the scale of social work mobility to the UK through which such experiences can be set in context. The analysis reported in this article uses data from October 2008, relating to registered social workers working in England. As part of a wider study of migrant social care workers in England, the article reports analysis of data records of over 7,000 non-UK social workers registered to work in England and compares their characteristics to UK-qualified social workers. These analyses are supplemented by analysis of more recent application and registration data from the General Social Care Council pertaining to social workers qualified within and outside the European Union during 2008 and 2009. The findings highlight several important observations in terms of non-UK-qualified social workers' profile as well as some possible trends in migration and variations in rates of qualification verification. Over half of all international social workers in England were trained in four countries: Australia, South Africa, India and the USA. Findings are contextualised with qualitative data obtained from the wider study and policy debates. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Veríssimo, A., McDowell, J. R., and Graves, J. E. 2011. Population structure of a deep-water squaloid shark, the Portuguese dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepis). – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: .The genetic population structure of the deep-water squaloid Centroscymnus coelolepis (the Portuguese dogfish) in the eastern Atlantic was investigated using eight polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers and a 496-bp fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region (mtDNA CR). Samples (20–50 individuals per location) were collected off Ireland, Portugal, Madeira, Mauritania, South Africa, and the Azores (Mid-Atlantic Ridge). High levels of genetic diversity were found at the nuclear microsatellite loci (mean A = 17.3; overall Ho = 0.77), although there was low diversity at the mtDNA CR (h = 0.65, π = 0.0018). Genetic diversity for the Portuguese dogfish was homogeneously distributed among sampling locations, resulting in low and non-significant indices of genetic differentiation (e.g. FST = −0.0013 to 0.0096, ΦST = −0.017 to 0.033; p > 0.5), consistent with the absence of population structure within the area sampled. The results indicate that C. coelolepis has a high dispersal potential within the eastern Atlantic, and its apparent spatial segregation by size and maturity stage suggest large-scale migration associated with the reproductive cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]