Applying Solution Focused Approaches as a participatory method to amplify student voice in a Higher Education context.

This paper reports an evaluation of the application of participatory method Solution Focused Approaches (SFA) to develop student voice within a HE setting. The work of Seale (2010; 2015; 2016) and their call to ‘amplify’ student voice processes through the trialing of participatory methods was responded to. SFA was positioned as a participatory method that would allow for students to be treated as equal partners in student voice processes. The research evaluation gathered qualitative data through focus groups with staff (course leads) and student representatives (course reps). Thematic analysis was used to develop five themes; SFA is active and involved, relationships are important, student apathy and disengagement from feedback, course rep experience, and feedback systems. The research was instigated due to difficulties with meaningful collaboration that existed within student voice work and has proceeded to provide a potential solution to those problems. Outcomes are discussed in light of recommendations for further research and HE practice

Study South Africa

[Message from the President of IEASA, Dr Roshen Kishun]: The fourth edition of Study South Africa; Guide to South African Tertiary Education coincides with a momentous event in the history of South Africa. It is the 10th anniversary of the democracy after the 1994 elections that ended apartheid. It is time to celebrate the achievements, the development strides, and the reintegration of South Africa into the world community. The International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) welcomes the new Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor, elected to the Cabinet after the April 2004 elections. We wish her well in her new and demanding portfolio. We are confident that the Minister will support the tertiary education sector to develop linkages between international education, skilled migration and the transition to knowledge economies. While we believe that a free and democratic country may be the most powerful attraction for international students wishing to study in South Africa there are other reasons. South Africa is rated as a technological powerhouse on the African continent. Comparatively South Africa’s educational infrastructure can be compared with the best in the world. Its research sector is by far the strongest in Africa. The country has adopted English as one of its official languages and it is the main medium of instruction in the tertiary education sector. A significant factor which makes South African qualifications attractive is the relatively lower cost of study. Study in South Africa offers the best of both worlds to international students, combining the experience of living in Africa with the opportunity to obtain quality education at a fraction of the cost. In the ten years since 1994, the opening-up of the tertiary education sector in South Africa is evidenced by the dramatic increase of international students studying in the South African public education sector from about 13 000 to more than 47 000 in 2002. While the headcount numbers include distance education students, it is possible that South Africa is currently the leading host country for international students in Africa. An IDP report predicts that by 2025 almost eight million students will be educated trans-nationally. The growth in international student numbers presents South Africa with some exciting challenges in the global context. South Africa is expected to become one of the top nations in the world hosting international students in the next ten yean. Study South Africa is published in the middle of one of the most intense periods of change when the South African education system is being restructured to eliminate duplications created under the apartheid system. The number of public institutions is being reduced from 36 to 23 through mergers and incorporations. The binary divide that existed in the public higher education system pre- 2002, where there were 21 universities and 15 technikons is blurred by the creation of the universities of technology. In spite of the massive transformation, the South African higher education sector has much to offer in the form of quality education, advanced research facilities and internationally recognized qualifications. The information provided in this Guide introduces the individual institutions, their academic offerings, support services provided and other relevant details needed to make a choice of study destination Study South Africa is also a useful tool in the development of a strategy to market South African higher education into the competitive world of international education. The decision by IEASA to develop a marketing strategy is not only a reaction to global higher education pressures, but is also an acknowledgement of South Africa’s return to the global higher education community and in identified geographical areas. IEASA realised that past isolation can only be overturned by conscious new strategies. This 'marketing initiative’ meant that the presence of South Africa was highly visible at some of the leading forums dealing with international education in the world. Study South Africa is undertaken by IEASA in association with the South African Vice-Chancellors Association (SAUVCA) and the Committee of Technikon Principals (CTP). These organizations themselves are set to merge in the near future. We appreciate the support of the Council on Higher Education (CHE), the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), Unitech (Higher Education professional body for marketing, communication and development), and Professor T Mthembu. We are most grarefril to Karen MacGregor, our specialist writer, who compiled the excellent articles in this publication on achievements during the ten years of transformation. I wish to take this opportunity of thanking all those who made contributions for their support and all the tertiary education institutions in the public education sector for their participation. We are grateful to the Department of Foreign Affairs for the distribution of the Guide abroad and to members of the IEASA publications committee for their input. We appreciate the support of Artworks Publishing for working under pressure to meet publications deadline. Special thanks are due to Zandile Wanda for the work in coordinating the response from the tertiary education sector and to Alexandra van Essche for compiling and producing the Guide. Without their efforts it would not have been possible to publish the Guide

Western Australian food security project

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of the Western Australian (WA) Food Security Project was to conduct a preliminary investigation into issues relating to food security in one region within the Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia. The first phase of the project involved a food audit in one lower income area that was typical of the region, to identify the range, variety and availability of foods in the region.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A comprehensive food audit survey was provided to all food outlet owners/operators in one lower socio-economic region within the City of Mandurah (n = 132 outlets). The purpose of the survey was to investigate the range, variety and availability of foods in the Mandurah region as well as examining specific in-store characteristics such as the types of clientele and in-store promotions offered. Surveys were competed for 99 outlets (response rate = 75%).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The range of foods available were predominantly pre-prepared with more than half of the outlets pre-preparing the majority of their food. Sandwiches and rolls were the most popular items sold in the outlets surveyed (n = 51 outlets) followed by pastries such as pies, sausage rolls and pasties (n = 33 outlets). Outlets considered their healthiest food options were sandwiches or rolls (n = 51 outlets), salads (n- = 50 outlets), fruit and vegetables (n = 40 outlets), seafood (n = 27 outlets), meats such as chicken (n = 26 outlets and hot foods such as curries, soups or quiches (n = 23 outlets). The majority of outlets surveyed considered pre-prepared food including sandwiches, rolls and salads, as healthy food options regardless of the content of the filling or dressings used. Few outlets (n = 28%) offered a choice of bread type other than white or wholemeal. High fat pastries and dressings were popular client choices (n = 77%) as were carbonated drinks (n = 88%) and flavoured milks (n = 46%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings clearly indicate the need for further investigation of the impact of access to quality, healthy foods at reasonable cost (food security) on public health, particularly in lower socio-economic areas.</p

Global population divergence and admixture of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Native to China and Mongolia, the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) now enjoys a worldwide distribution. While black rats and the house mouse tracked the regional development of human agricultural settlements, brown rats did not appear in Europe until the 1500s, suggesting their range expansion was a response to relatively recent increases in global trade. We inferred the global phylogeography of brown rats using 32 k SNPs, and detected 13 evolutionary clusters within five expansion routes. One cluster arose following a southward expansion into Southeast Asia. Three additional clusters arose from two independent eastward expansions: one expansion from Russia to the Aleutian Archipelago, and a second to western North America. Westward expansion resulted in the colonization of Europe from which subsequent rapid colonization of Africa, the Americas and Australasia occurred, and multiple evolutionary clusters were detected. An astonishing degree of fine-grained clustering between and within sampling sites underscored the extent to which urban heterogeneity shaped genetic structure of commensal rodents. Surprisingly, few individuals were recent migrants, suggesting that recruitment into established populations is limited. Understanding the global population structure of R. norvegicus offers novel perspectives on the forces driving the spread of zoonotic disease, and aids in development of rat eradication programmes

Salivary testosterone and cortisol levels in borderline personality disorder before and after a 12-week group dialectical behavior therapy intervention

BackgroundBorderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a chronic, debilitating, and difficult to treat condition. BPD has recently been linked to steroid hormone dysregulation and medical conditions characterized by disturbed androgen metabolism. This study aimed to investigate cortisol and testosterone levels in BPD, and changes in hormones following psychological treatment.MethodsParticipants with BPD (n = 33) completed a 12-week Dialectical Behavior Therapy group program. Pre and post salivary testosterone and cortisol were analyzed. Baseline hormones in the BPD group were compared to age-and-sex matched controls (n = 33). Non-parametric tests were utilized to investigate group differences, pre-post treatment hormone and symptom changes, and associations between symptoms and hormone levels.ResultsParticipants with BPD had significantly higher testosterone levels than controls. Mean testosterone levels in females with BPD were double that of female controls. Testosterone and cortisol levels were related, and some BPD symptoms were associated with with hormone levels. BPD symptoms reduced significantly with treatment, however pre to post hormone levels did not change.ConclusionsThis study supports an association between BPD symptoms and neuroendocrine dysfunction at baseline, however we found no reduction in hormone dysfunction post treatment. Further research into relationships between stress signaling and neuroendocrine disturbances in BPD may inform aetiological and treatment models.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000477224. Registered on 3 April 2018

Modulation of Cell Adhesion and Migration by the Histone Methyltransferase Subunit mDpy-30 and Its Interacting Proteins

We have previously shown that a subset of mDpy-30, an accessory subunit of the nuclear histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferase (H3K4MT) complex, also localizes at the trans-Golgi network (TGN), where its recruitment is mediated by the TGN-localized ARF guanine nucleotide exchange factor (ArfGEF) BIG1. Depletion of mDpy-30 inhibits the endosome-to-TGN transport of internalized CIMPR receptors and concurrently promotes their accumulation at the cell protrusion. These observations suggest mDpy-30 may play a novel role at the crossroads of endosomal trafficking, nuclear transcription and adhesion/migration. Here we provide novel mechanistic and functional insight into this association. First, we demonstrate a direct interaction between mDpy-30 and BIG1 and locate the binding region in the N-terminus of BIG1. Second, we provide evidence that the depletion or overexpression of mDpy-30 enhances or inhibits cellular adhesion/migration of glioma cells in vitro, respectively. A similar increase in cell adhesion/migration is observed in cells with reduced levels of BIG1 or other H3K4MT subunits. Third, knockdown of mDpy-30, BIG1, or the RbBP5 H3K4MT subunit increases the targeting of β1 integrin to cell protrusions, and suppression of H3K4MT activity by depleting mDpy-30 or RbBP5 leads to increased protein and mRNA levels of β1 integrin. Moreover, stimulation of cell adhesion/migration via mDpy-30 knockdown is abolished after treating cells with a function-blocking antibody to β1 integrin. Taken together, these data indicate that mDpy-30 and its interacting proteins function as a novel class of cellular adhesion/migration modulators partially by affecting the subcellular distribution of endosomal compartments as well as the expression of key adhesion/migration proteins such as β1 integrin

Long-term effects of evolocumab in participants with HIV and dyslipidemia: results from the open-label extension period

Objectives: People with HIV (PWH) are at an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Suboptimal responses to statin therapy in PWH may result from antiretroviral therapies (ARTs). This open-label extension study aimed to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of evolocumab up to 52\u200aweeks in PWH. Design: This final analysis of a multinational, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized phase 3 trial evaluated the effect of monthly subcutaneous evolocumab 420\u200amg on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) during the open-label period (OLP) following 24\u200aweeks of double-blind period in PWH with hypercholesterolemia/mixed dyslipidemia. All participants enrolled had elevated LDL-C or nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and were on stable maximally tolerated statin and stable ART. Methods: Efficacy was assessed by percentage change from baseline in LDL-C, triglycerides, and atherogenic lipoproteins. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were examined. Results: Of the 467 participants randomized in the double-blind period, 451 (96.6%) received at least one dose of evolocumab during the OLP (mean age of 56.4\u200ayears, 82.5% male, mean duration with HIV of 17.4\u200ayears). By the end of the 52-week OLP, the overall mean (SD) percentage change in LDL-C from baseline was -57.8% (22.8%). Evolocumab also reduced triglycerides, atherogenic lipid parameters (non-HDL-C, apolipoprotein B, total cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lipoprotein[a]), and increased HDL-C. TEAEs were similar between placebo and evolocumab during the OLP. Conclusion: Long-term administration of evolocumab lowered LDL-C and non-HDL-C, allowing more PWH to achieve recommended lipid goals with no serious adverse events. Trail registration: NCT02833844. Video abstract: http://links.lww.com/QAD/C441

Barriers and enablers for participation in healthy lifestyle programs by adolescents who are overweight: a qualitative study of the opinions of adolescents, their parents and community stakeholders

Background: Overweight or obesity during adolescence affects almost 25% of Australian youth, yet limited research exists regarding recruitment and engagement of adolescents in weight-management or healthy lifestyle interventions, or best-practice for encouraging long-term healthy behaviour change. A sound understanding of community perceptions, including views from adolescents, parents and community stakeholders, regarding barriers and enablers to entering and engaging meaningfully in an intervention is critical to improve the design of such programs. Methods: This paper reports findings from focus groups and semi-structured interviews conducted with adolescents (n=44), parents (n=12) and community stakeholders (n=39) in Western Australia. Three major topics were discussed to inform the design of more feasible and effective interventions: recruitment, retention in the program and maintenance of healthy change. Data were analysed using content and thematic analyses.Results: Data were categorised into barriers and enablers across the three main topics. For recruitment, identified barriers included: the stigma associated with overweight, difficulty defining overweight, a lack of current health services and broader social barriers. The enablers for recruitment included: strategic marketing, a positive approach and subsidising program costs. For retention, identified barriers included: location, timing, high level of commitment needed and social barriers. Enablers for retention included: making it fun and enjoyable for adolescents, involving the family, having an on-line component, recruiting good staff and making it easy for parents to attend. For maintenance, identified barriers included: the high degree of difficulty in sustaining change and limited services to support change. Enablers for maintenance included: on-going follow up, focusing on positive change, utilisation of electronic media and transition back to community services. Conclusions: This study highlights significant barriers for adolescents and parents to overcome to engage meaningfully with weight-management or healthy lifestyle programs. A number of enablers were identified to promote ongoing involvement with an intervention. This insight into specific contextual opinions from the local community can be used to inform the delivery of healthy lifestyle programs for overweight adolescents, with a focus on maximising acceptability and feasibility

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements