Jurors and the use of extraneous material during deliberations: comparing the issues raised by two recent cases from England and Wales and New South Wales

This article explores the problem of jurors conducting their own research and using extraneous material during deliberations. While such cases are rarely reported, they do arise. This is despite efforts in many jurisdictions to deter jury misconduct through the use of jury notices, judicial warnings to jurors, and the creation of specific criminal offences of jury misconduct. This article explores the approaches taken by the courts in cases involving jurors conducting research. It then considers the themes raised in two recent cases in England and Wales and New South Wales, namely R v Smith (Jason) [2023] EWCA Crim 1256 and R v Tembeleski (No 2) [2024] NSWDC 504. These two cases demonstrate the contemporary relevance and cross-jurisdictional nature of this type of jury misconduct. Finally, this article proposes the creation of a new offence in England and Wales of failing to report jury misconduct and calls for further research into why jurors carry out their own research despite being warned not to

Accountability, scapegoating and encouraging rebellious joys: Teaching in England

This article suggests that the rise that we see in referrals for children seen as having specific educational needs in England is the inevitable outcome of a system with ever rising expectations and accountability. It suggests two key reasons for this. The first is that the increased pressures upon teachers lead to them needing a ‘scapegoat’ to point the finger at when they fail to meet those unreasonable expectations. The child being ‘unable to perform’ is the last get out clause available to them. The second is that the toxicity created by ever mounting pressures placed upon teachers is, inevitably, impacting significantly upon teacher wellbeing. Tired, fraught and harried teachers are not in a position to offer a safe and secure learning environment for the children that they teach. The optimal conditions for the successful performance of both teacher and child, those based upon potential, unconditional positive regard, and care, are totally eroded from the heart of education. Children are not failing, the system is failing them. In light of this, this article encourages all educators to rebelliously see the positive potential of all children that they work with, and to be strengthened by those ‘moments of light’ that can be celebrated in even the smallest steps taken towards positive development

Editorial: Urticaria and mimickers of urticaria

Editorial on the Research Topic: Urticaria and mimickers of urticaria Sec. Skin Allerg

Submission to Select Committee 5b: Health and Child Development

What evidence is there that TV and video content that children watch, and how they watch it can contribute negatively to their health, learning and development and what can be done

Tactical behaviors in men’s and women’s middle-distance global championship track finals

Purpose: To analyze tactical behaviors associated with performance in track middle- distance global championship finals. Methods: Finalists’ season-best (SB), finishing race time (RT), 100m section times, and intermediate positions were obtained from 800-m and 1500-m men’s and women’s finals in two Olympic Games and five World Championships. Differences between medalists (M), fourth to eighth (T8), and ninth to 12th/13th (T12) ranked finalists in relative performance (relative to SB), RT and section times were determined. Pearson correlations between intermediate position and section speed with final position, and probability of winning a medal at each race point were calculated. Results: A very high correlation was found between intermediate and final position at first 100m in the women’s 800-m (r = 0.84;p = 0.008), which was maintained throughout the race. M were relatively faster than T8 in men’s and women’s 800-m finals (p = 0.006;d = 0.87, and p = 0.039;d = 0.59, respectively). Differences in relative performance between groups in 1500-m finals appeared at the end of the race, although they arose earlier in women’s races. Probability of winning a medal decreased with lower intermediate positions, especially in the latest race stages. Conclusions: A high intermediate position as well as the ability to run fast in the latest race stages seem critical to medaling in track middle-distance global championship finals. The abilities to adopt leading positions for the whole 800-m event, and to generate an endspurt, relatively faster than the rest of competitors, in the 1500-m event, are critical

Understanding the Scale and Nature of Parent/Guardian Telephone Calls to a Tertiary Children’s Cardiac Centre: A Service Evaluation

Heart defects are the second most common congenital anomaly in babies born in the UK and standards state families should have access to a children’s cardiac nurse specialist telephone advice service. However, there is little published information to describe the nature of calls and the workload associated with telephone support. We conducted a prospective service evaluation of telephone calls received at one UK specialist children’s cardiac surgical center from parents/carers (April–June 2019). All inpatient cardiac teams (cardiology secretaries, inpatient cardiac wards, outpatient department and Clinical Nurse Specialist team) were asked to record calls on a purpose-designed template. This included recording of call duration and reason (from pre-defined categories), with the aim to identify the volume and nature of phone calls. Actions and time taken to resolve issues were not recorded. Data was entered into Excel and analyzed using descriptive statistics. In a seven-week period, 204 telephone calls were received; 41% (n = 83) to the clinical nurse specialist team, 25% (n = 51) to medical secretaries, 20% (n = 42) to cardiac ward staff and 14% (n = 28) to the cardiac outpatient department. The mean length of calls was 6.08 mins (SD 5.07 mins). Across all groups phone call duration totaled 20.8 hours. Sixty-two calls (31% of all calls) reflected 70 concerns/queries about a current health issue. The most common reasons included respiratory (n = 13), heart rate or rhythm (n = 12) and chest pain/pallor (n = 11). Sixty-five calls (32% of all calls) related to issues surrounding medications, with 23% (n = 15) related to dose queries and 49% (n = 32) related to repeat prescription requests or challenges obtaining prescriptions. The results demonstrated a high telephone support need for current health issues or medication queries which required timely assessment and support from health care professionals working across cardiac services. Further research is required to identify the time implications of dealing with phone calls and interventions to support parent/guardian assessment and communication about their concerns and medication management

Constructing Culturally Safe Learning Spaces for International Students

This commentary explores the intersection of cultural safety and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to establish inclusive and supportive educational environments for international students in UK higher education. Reflecting on our transition from international students to educators, we share insights derived from literature, academic discussions, and practical experiences, including the development of a staff workshop for the Power of Potential Conference (2024). We propose a Model of Evolving Cultural Competence that underscores cultural humility and continuous learning as pivotal to creating culturally safe learning spaces. Through an analysis of three UDL checkpoints—sustaining effort and persistence, language and symbols, and expression and communication—we offer actionable strategies for educators to foster engagement, representation, and participation. These include integrating diverse student perspectives, leveraging multimodal resources and providing inclusive assessment methods to empower international students. Our approach challenges normative biases, promotes cultural curiosity, and addresses power imbalances, emphasising the co-creation of knowledge and mutual learning. By combining cultural safety and UDL principles, this paper advocates for a dynamic and reflective pedagogy that enhances student belonging, inclusivity, and equitable engagement. These practices aim to benefit both students and educators, fostering transformative learning environments that support diversity and cultural competence

Innovative, appreciative, and impactful research for practice

This chapter identifies significant links between research and quality improvement. By taking an appreciative approach, it aims to support practitioners in evaluating practice and initiating small changes within their settings, based upon engagement with theory and research. It empowers practitioners to understand practice/work-based enquiry. Within this chapter, there is a strong emphasis on improving quality and ensuring that conducting research is purposeful either to the setting, to children’s experiences or your own professional development

A Chitinase Gene Belonging to Serratia marcescens GBS19 Reveals Horizontal Gene Transfer within Bacterial Strains Besides its Biocontrol Potential Against Myzus persicae

Microorganisms produce diverse enzymes with applications in biological control and pest management. Chitinase enzymes degrade chitin, a structural component of insect exoskeletons and fungal cell walls, offering sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for agricultural pest and pathogen management. This study focused on the chiA gene from our original strain belonging to Serratia marcescens identified using multi locus sequencing and ribosomal DNA analysis, amplified via PCR, cloned into expression vectors, and expressed as a recombinant protein. The chiA enzyme was purified using His-tag affinity chromatography and showed optimal activity at 40 °C and pH 5. The purified chiA enzyme exhibited strong insecticidal activity against Myzus persicae, with an lethal dose50 of 15.8 ppm. The comparative genomic analysis using MUMMER4 and MAUVE, identified horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events and genomic rearrangements within reference strain and our strain GBS19. The recombinant chiA enzyme exhibited 98.4% similarity with reference chiA sequences, highlighting its evolutionary conservation. Molecular docking studies confirmed a binding affinity of − 5.74 kcal/mol between the enzyme and chitin monomers, supported by interaction studies with modeled chitin layer. In addition, we have also predicted the most variable mutations required for enzyme stability and enzymatic activity enhancement in cloned amino acid sequence using protein AI tool, which will also guide us further studies linked to site-directed mutagenesis. This study demonstrates the potential of S. marcescens chitinase as an effective biocontrol agent against Myzus persicae. It underscores the importance of recombinant DNA technology in sustainable agriculture and sheds light on the evolutionary adaptation of chitinase genes through HGT and mutational events

We hear from those teaching Psychology at pre-university level: 'We can make the educational experience not just intellectually enriching but also personally transformative'

Eight teachers share how they got their start in and their love for Psychology education