A psychological approach to providing self-management education for people with type 2 diabetes : the diabetes manual

Background: The objectives of this study were twofold (i) to develop the Diabetes Manual, a selfmanagement educational intervention aimed at improving biomedical and psychosocial outcomes (ii) to produce early phase evidence relating to validity and clinical feasibility to inform future research and systematic reviews. Methods: Using the UK Medical Research Council's complex intervention framework, the Diabetes Manual and associated self management interventions were developed through preclinical, and phase I evaluation phases guided by adult-learning and self-efficacy theories, clinical feasibility and health policy protocols. A qualitative needs assessment and an RCT contributed data to the pre-clinical phase. Phase I incorporated intervention development informed by the preclinical phase and a feasibility survey. Results: The pre-clinical and phase I studies resulted in the production in the Diabetes Manual programme for trial evaluation as delivered within routine primary care consultations. Conclusion: This complex intervention shows early feasibility and face validity for both diabetes health professionals and people with diabetes. Randomised trial will determine effectiveness against clinical and psychological outcomes. Further study of some component parts, delivered in alternative combinations, is recommended

Accounting for human rights : doxic health and safety practices - the accounting lesson from ICL

This paper is concerned with a specific human right - the right to work in a safe environment. It sets out a case for developing a new form of account of health and safety in any organisational setting. It draws upon the theoretical insights of Pierre Bourdieu taking inspiration from his assertion that in order to understand the "logic" of the worlds we live in we need to immerse ourselves into the particularity of an empirical reality. In this case the paper, analyses a preventable industrial disaster which occurred in Glasgow, Scotland which killed nine people and injured 33 others. From this special case of what is possible, the paper unearths the underlying structures of symbolic violence of the UK State, the Health and Safety Executive and capital with respect to health and safety at work. While dealing with one specific country (Scotland), the analysis can be used to question health and safety regimes and other forms of symbolic violence across the globe

Conservation of Arabidopsis thaliana photoperiodic flowering time genes in onion (Allium cepa L.)

The genetics underlying onion development is poorly understood. Here the characterisation of onion homologues of Arabidopsis photoperiodic flowering pathway genes is reported with the end goal of accelerating onion breeding programmes by understanding the genetic basis of adaptation to different latitudes. The expression of onion GI, FKF1 and ZTL homologues under SD and LD conditions was examined using quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of AcGI and AcFKF1 was examined in onion varieties which exhibit different daylength responses. Phylogenetic trees were constructed to confirm the identity of the homologues. AcGI and AcFKF1 showed diurnal expression patterns similar to their Arabidopsis counterparts while AcZTL was found to be constitutively expressed. AcGI showed similar expression patterns in varieties which exhibit different daylength responses whereas AcFKF1 showed differences. It is proposed that these differences could contribute to the different daylength responses in these varieties. Phylogenetic analyses showed that all the genes isolated are very closely related to their proposed homologues. The results presented here show that key genes controlling photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis are conserved in onion and a role for these genes in the photoperiodic control of bulb initiation is predicted. This theory is supported by expression and phylogenetic data

The Impact of Increased Ethanol Production on Corn Basis in South Dakota

A basis model is used to empirically estimate the impact of ethanol production on the South Dakota corn basis on the district and State levels. Monthly data is used to estimate basis as a function of futures price, supply, demand, storage, and transportation costs. The independent variables used are corn futures prices, corn production, corn usage for ethanol production, corn usage by cattle, Midwest No. 2 Diesel retail sales prices, storage availability, and unit train transportation The regression results show the impact on corn basis varies by district from $0.04 to$0.27 per bushel, with a State impact of $0.24 in 2005. The impact from an additional 40 million gallon per year (MGY) ethanol plant ranges from$0.06 to $0.16 per bushel, with a State impact of$0.03. The impact from an additional 100 MGY ethanol plant ranges from $0.16 to$0.40 per bushel, with a State impact of $0.08.Crop Production/Industries,

IceCube Neutrinos from Hadronically Powered Gamma-Ray Galaxies

In this work we use a multi-messenger approach to determine if the high energy diffuse neutrino flux observed by the IceCube Observatory can originate from $\gamma$-ray sources powered by Cosmic Rays interactions with gas. Typical representatives of such sources are Starburst and Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies. Using the three most recent calculations of the non-blazar contribution to the extragalactic $\gamma$-ray background measured by the Fermi-LAT collaboration, we find that a hard power-law spectrum with spectral index $\alpha \leq 2.12$ is compatible with all the estimations for the allowed contribution from non-blazar sources, within 1$\sigma$. Using such a spectrum we are able to interpret the IceCube results, showing that various classes of hadronically powered $\gamma$-ray galaxies can provide the dominant contribution to the astrophysical signal above 100 TeV and about half of the contribution to the energy flux between 10-100 TeV. With the addition of neutrinos from the Galactic plane, it is possible to saturate the IceCube signal at high energy. Our result shows that these sources are still well motivated candidates.Comment: Accepted for publication on JCA

Editorial Introduction to a Collection from the 2003 BSA Conference 'Social Futures: Desire, Excess and Waste' the Consumption and Waste Stream

Review of: Williams, Karel, Colin Haslam, Sukhdev Johal and John Williams (1994) Cars. New York: Bergbahn Books.Book Review

On polarization of vector light beams: origin of Berry phase

When generalized from plane waves to general vector beams, the notion of polarization described by the Stokes parameters turns out to be defined in a momentum-associated system that is fixed by the so-called Stratton vector. As the true intrinsic degree of freedom in the language of quantum mechanics, the polarization of light beams in any fixed momentum-associated system is able to characterize their vectorial feature in the laboratory reference system. The Stratton vector is therefore the degree of freedom to distinguish the vectorial feature of light beams that have the same "polarization". Such an observable effect of the Stratton vector helps to understand why plane waves of the same helicity and the same momentum can be different by a Berry phase. This might be the first time to reveal the physical origin of the Berry phase.Comment: 13 pages and 1 figure. A discussion about the relation between the Poincar\'e vectors in different MAS's is adde

Vestiges of glory: Iraq's universities and female students in the midst of tyranny, sanctions and war.

This historical dissertation examines the intersectionality of sanctions, war and autocratic rule as it manifested itself on Iraqi university campuses and, more specifically, the impact on female students. While much has been written on Iraq, we have yet to understand the academic, personal and professional toll it took on university students between the onset of the Saddam regime in 1979 and 2005, three years after the Allied Invasion. This is a unique opportunity to study a higher education system that once held an esteemed regional reputation and is now greatly eroded. Our ability to generate historical research on this population enhances our knowledge of the role political and economic events play on university campuses. The historical method was employed in this dissertation and expanded upon by Iraqi women's narratives. Primary and contextual sources were collected, coded and reconstructed thematically and chronologically. Findings included increasing obstacles and restrictions placed on academic freedom and women's higher education opportunities as the regime increased its power. Iraqi women reported that the decade of sanctions was the most damaging to their college learning but that current civil unrest and rising Islamist factions are greatly hindering their ability to achieve academic goals. The intersectionality of three wars (First Gulf, Iran-Iraq and Second Gulf Wars), shifting Saddamist law concerning women's rights, and international sanctions diminished women's learning, social and professional engagements at Iraqi universities. Efforts to rehabilitate Iraqi higher education must include international partnerships, expatriate alumni participation, gender integration and authentic student advocacy opportunities

Adult Learning Theories in Context: A Quick Guide for Healthcare Professional Educators.

Adult learning theories play a pivotal role in the design and implementation of education programs, including healthcare professional programs. There is a variation in the use of theories in healthcare professional education programs and this is may be in part due to a lack of understanding of the range of learning theories available and paucity of specific, in-context examples, to help educators in considering alternative theories relevant to their teaching setting. This article seeks to synthesize key learning theories applicable in the learning and teaching of healthcare professionals and to provide examples of their use in context. A literature review was conducted in 2015 and 2016 using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC academic databases. Search terms used identified a range of relevant literature about learning theories, and their utilization in different healthcare professional education programs. The findings were synthesized and presented in a table format, illustrating the learning theory, specific examples from health and medical education, and a very brief critique of the theory. The literature synthesis provides a quick and easy-to-use summary of key theories and examples of their use to help healthcare professional educators access a wider range of learning theories to inform their instructional strategies, learning objectives, and evaluation approaches. This will ultimately result in educational program enhancement and improvement in student learning experiences.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This article is part of the PhD research of the corresponding author. The PhD was sponsored by Qatar University