ImpacT2 project: preliminary study 1: establishing the relationship between networked technology and attainment

This report explored teaching practices, beliefs and teaching styles and their influences on ICT use and implementation by pupils. Additional factors explored included the value of school and LEA policies and teacher competence in the use of ICT in classroom settings. ImpaCT2 was a major longitudinal study (1999-2002) involving 60 schools in England, its aims were to: identify the impact of networked technologies on the school and out-of-school environment; determine whether or not this impact affected the educational attainment of pupils aged 816 years (at Key Stages 2, 3, and 4); and provide information that would assist in the formation of national, local and school policies on the deployment of IC

Effect of environment on plant response to DPX-PE350 [sodium 2-chloro-6-(4,5-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-ylthio)benzoate]

Environmental conditions at the time of spraying can affect the activity of foliar-applied herbicides. Evaluation of environmental effect on experimental herbicides is one important area of research. DPX-PE350 is a potential cotton herbicide for postemergence broadleaf weed control. Greenhouse and growth chamber studies were conducted to determine the DPX-PE350 rate causing 50% growth reduction (GR50) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) and sicklepod (Cassia obtusifolia), the effect of time until rainfall on DPX-PE350 activity on velvetleaf, and the effect of soil moisture on root uptake from foliar-applied DPX-PE350. Additional experiments were conducted with formulated and radiolabeled DPX-PE350 to determine the effect of soil moisture and ambient temperature on DPX-PE350 activity on cotton and velvetleaf. In whole-plant studies, data were collected 2 to 4 wk after treatment (WAT). Foliar chlorosis and stunting were visually evaluated, and plant heights and/or fresh weights were recorded. In 14C experiments, absorption and translocation were measured 6, 24, and 72 h after treatment With 14C-DPX-PE350. 14C was detected with liquid scintillation spectroscopy. Velvetleaf GR50 at 2 WAT occurred with DPX-PE350 at 70 g ai ha-1. A GR50 for sicklepod and cotton was not observed at the examined rates because of high tolerance to DPX-PE350. Velvetleaf injury was greatest when 5 h lapsed before a 5 mm simulated rainfall event. Injury was observed when 0.08 h lapsed before the rainfall event, possibly because DPX-PE350 moved from foliage into the soil where uptake by plant roots could occur. DPX-PE350 applied to velvetleaf foliage accounted for most injury, although root uptake contributed to herbicide activity at -0.03 MPa soil moisture. Velvetleaf injury was greatest when DPX-PE350 was applied to plants growing at soil moistures of -0.03 MPa compared to -1 MPa, and when DPX-PE350 was applied simultaneously to foliage and soil. DPX-PE350 injury to cotton was \u3c20% 2 WAT on plants grown at 25/23, 30/28, or 35/33 C, at soil moistures of -0.03, -0.5, or -1 MPa. DPX-PE350 injured velvetleaf less at lower soil moistures. Cotton and velvetleaf absorbed more 14C-DPX-PE350 at 30/28 or 35/33 C than at 25/23 C. Cotton absorbed more herbicide than velvetleaf at all temperatures and soil moistures but translocated \u3c3% of absorbed material. At warmer temperatures, velvetleaf absorbed and translocated less 14C when soil was dry (-1.0 MPa) than when plants were watered to field capacity (-0.03 MPa). This decrease in absorption and translocation may partially explain reduced DPX-PE350 activity on velvetleaf growing in dry soil

Warning: This Is a Must Read : Participation and Disruption in Social Artifacts and Spaces

As I show in three separate case studies, content, technology, and participant relationships are key components in the design of social artifacts and spaces. One study highlights the invention and evolution of content across multiple spaces. The second shows content used as leverage for authority. The last case study examines the relationship between content and technological interfaces and how disruption may not always be successful. All of these components make up what I refer to as disruption. Disruption describes participant acts that are executed to change existing power-based structures of information sharing. Using the insights gained from this research, I develop the concept of disruption as a component of design that emphasizes the value of participant work and the ability of participants to alter existing structures of information sharing

Chronically Ill Canadians\u27 Experiences of Being Unattached To a Family Doctor: A Qualitative Study of Marginalized Patients in British Columbia

Background: Unattached patients do not have a regular primary care provider. Initiatives are being developed toincrease attachment rates across Canada. Most existing attention paid to patient unattachment has focused onquantifying the problem and health system costs. Our purpose is to qualitatively identify the implications ofchronically ill patients’ experiences of unattachment for health policy and planning to provide policy-relevantinsights for Canadian attachment initiatives.Methods: Three focus groups were conducted with marginalized chronically ill individuals residing in a mid-sized city inBritish Columbia who are unattached to a family doctor. We use the term marginalized as a descriptor to acknowledgethat by virtue of their low socio-economic status and lack of attachment the participants are marginalized in Canada’shealth care system Focus groups were structured as an open conversation organized around a series of probingquestions. They were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was employed.Results: Twenty-six individuals participated in the focus groups. The most common chronic illnesses reported were activedrug addiction or recovery (and their associated symptoms), depression, arthritis, and hepatitis C. Participants identifiedlife transitions as being the root cause for not having a family doctor. There was a strong sense that unsuccessfulattempts to get a family doctor reflected that they were undesirable patients. Participants wanted to experience having atrusting relationship with a regular family doctor as they believed it would encourage greater honesty and transparency.One of the main health concerns regarding lack of access to a regular family doctor is that participants lacked access topreventative care. Participants were also concerned about having a discontinuous medical record due to unattachment.Conclusions: Participants perceived that there are many benefits to be had by having attachment to a regular familydoctor and that experiencing unattachment challenged their health and access to health care. We encourage moreresearch to be done on the lived experience of unattachment in order to provide on-the-ground insights thatpolicy-makers require in order to develop responsive, patient-centred supports and programs

Pharmacological interventions for challenging behaviour in children with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Psychotropic medications are frequently used to treat challenging behaviour in children with intellectual disabilities, despite a lack of evidence for their efficacy. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of pharmacological interventions for challenging behaviour among children with intellectual disabilities. Methods Electronic databases were searched and supplemented with a hand search of reference lists and trial registries. Randomised controlled trials of pharmacological interventions for challenging behaviour among children with intellectual disabilities were included. Data were analysed using meta-analysis or described narratively if meta-analysis was not possible. For quality assessment, the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach were used. Results Fourteen studies including 912 participants met inclusion criteria. Antipsychotic medication reduced challenging behaviour among children with intellectual disabilities in the short-term (SMD = −1.09, p < 0.001 for risperidone; SMD = −0.64, p <0.001 for aripiprazole). However, there were significant side-effects including elevated prolactin levels (SMD = 3.22, p < 0.001) and weight gain (SMD = 0.82, p < 0.001). Evidence was inconclusive regarding the effectiveness of anticonvulsants and antioxidants for reducing challenging behaviour. The quality of all evidence was low and there were no long term follow up studies. Conclusions Antipsychotic medications appear to be effective for reducing challenging behaviour in the short-term among children with intellectual disabilities, but they carry a risk of significant side effects. Findings from this review must be interpreted with caution as studies were typically of low quality and most outcomes were based on a small number of studies. Further long-term, high-quality research is needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of psychotropic medication for reducing challenging behaviour

ImpaCT2: pupils' and teachers' perceptions of ICT in the home, school and community

The Strand 2 report of the ImpaCT 2 research describes the results of applying a range of research methods to explore, how pupils use ICT, in particular out of school and what had been gained from this use. ImpaCT2 was a major longitudinal study (1999-2002) involving 60 schools in England, its aims were to: identify the impact of networked technologies on the school and out-of-school environment; determine whether or not this impact affected the educational attainment of pupils aged 8 - 16 years (at Key Stages 2, 3, and 4); and provide information that would assist in the formation of national, local and school policies on the deployment of ICT

End-of-life priorities of older adults with terminal illness and caregivers: A qualitative consultation

Abstract Background As older adults approach the end‐of‐life (EOL), many are faced with complex decisions including whether to use medical advances to prolong life. Limited information exists on the priorities of older adults at the EOL. Objective This study aimed to explore patient and family experiences and identify factors deemed important to quality EOL care. Method A descriptive qualitative study involving three focus group discussions (n = 18) and six in‐depth interviews with older adults suffering from either a terminal condition and/or caregivers were conducted in NSW, Australia. Data were analysed thematically. Results Seven major themes were identified as follows: quality as a priority, sense of control, life on hold, need for health system support, being at home, talking about death and competent and caring health professionals. An underpinning priority throughout the seven themes was knowing and adhering to patient's wishes. Conclusion Our study highlights that to better adhere to EOL patient's wishes a reorganization of care needs is required. The readiness of the health system to cater for this expectation is questionable as real choices may not be available in acute hospital settings. With an ageing population, a reorganization of care which influences the way we manage terminal patients is required

Halcyornis toliapicus (aves: Lower Eocene, England) indicates advanced neuromorphology in Mesozoic Neornithes

Our recent X-ray micro computer-tomographic (μCT) investigations of Prophaethon shrubsolei and Odontopteryx toliapica from the Lower Eocene London Clay Formation of England revealed the avian brain to have been essentially modern in form by 55 Ma, but that an important vision-related synapomorphy of living birds, the eminentia sagittalis of the telencephalon, was poorly developed. This evidence suggested that the feature probably appeared close to the end of the Mesozoic. Here we use μCT analysis to describe the endocranium of Halcyornis toliapicus, also from the London Clay Formation. The affinities of Halcyornis have been hotly debated, with the taxon referred to the Charadriiformes (Laridae), Coraciiformes (Alcedinidae, and its own family Halcyornithidae) and most recently that Halcyornithidae may be a possible senior synonym of Pseudasturidae (Pan-Psittaciformes). Unlike Prophaethon and Odontopteryx, the eminentia sagittalis of Halcyornis is strongly developed and comparable to that of living species. Like those London Clay taxa, the eminentia sagittalis occupies a rostral position on the telencephalon. The senses of Halcyornis appear to have been well developed. The length of the cochlear duct of the inner ear indicates a hearing sensitivity within the upper range of living species, and enlarged olfactory lobes suggest a reasonable reliance on sense of smell. The optic nerves were especially well developed which, together with the strong development of the eminentia sagittalis, indicates a high degree of visual specialization in Halcyornis. The advanced development of the eminentia sagittalis further supports a Mesozoic age for the appearance of this structure and associated neural architectural complexity found in extant Aves. The eminentia sagittalis of living Psittaciformes is situated caudally on the telencephalon, making a Pan-Psittaciformes relationship unlikely for Halcyorni

Identification and evaluation of inhibitors targeting the HIV-1 integrase-LEDGF/p75 interaction

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in MedicineThe human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) facilitates the irreversible integration of the viral chromosome into the host DNA in a two-step reaction process consisting of 3’ end processing and strand transfer. The pre-integration complex (PIC) is a nucleoprotein complex consisting of HIV-1 IN, reverse transcriptase, matrix, nucleocapsid, viral protein R (Vpr) and various cellular host proteins. The dominant host protein that forms part of the PIC is known as lens epithelium derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75) that is ubiquitously expressed in the nucleus. The integration of HIV-1 into chromatinised template is stimulated by LEDGF/p75, while LEDGF/p75 stabilizes HIV-1 IN subunit-subunit interactions and promotes HIV-1 IN tetramerisation. This study aimed to identify and evaluate potential inhibitors of the HIV-1 IN-LEDGF/p75 interaction. A compound library (NCC-202) comprised of 281 compounds obtained from the NIH clinical collection was screened through an HIV-1 IN-LEDGF/p75 molecular model prepared on Accelrys Discovery StudioTM 3.1. Recombinant HIV-1 IN and LEDGF/p75 were expressed in bacterial cells and purified by nickel affinity and cation exchange chromatography, and used to establish an AlphaScreen assay for compound screening. A total of twelve compounds were identified as possible HIV-1 IN-LEDGF/p75 inhibitors. Biochemical screening using an AlphaScreen assay was used and a total of six of the twelve inhibitors displaying inhibition above 50 % were identified. The best compound with an IC50 of 1.97 μM was identified as lovastatin. Lovastatin was found to have an EC50 of 6.54 μM in the antiviral assay but activity was likely attributed to cytotoxicity with a CC50 of 5.31 μM. Based on information from structurally similar statins, we hypothesised that a closed lactone ring in combination with a methyl group on the naphthalene structure elicited the likely inhibitory profile and that the lactone ring induced a large part of the cytotoxic effect of the compounds screened. Overall, we identified statins as potential inhibitors of the HIV-1 IN-LEDGF/p75 interaction, however the overlap of toxicity with antiviral effects renders statins in their current form unsuitable for antiretroviral treatment