Word mastery in oral reading, telling versus sounding of unknown words in grade two.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

The influence of mental illness on prescribing practices of anti-retrovirals (ART)

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment for the degree of MMED Psychiatry. Johannesburg 2015Evidence has shown that there is an increase in psychiatric co-morbidity amongst HIV-infected patients. However, there is limited data on prescribing of Antiretrovirals in this population, specifically in developing countries and South Africa. Furthermore, there are no guidelines as to which regimen should be prescribed for this group. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the ART regimen of patients attending the HIV Neuropsychiatric Clinic at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and to ascertain if these patients were prescribed in accordance with the South African National Guidelines for Adults. Methods: A retrospective record review was conducted of all new adult patients with both HIV and a mental illness that attended the hospital’s Neuropsychiatric Clinic from 1st April 2010 until 30th August 2012. The demographic information, clinical characteristics and psychotropic medication were examined and the prescribing practices of ART were reviewed to ascertain if these patients were following the National Guidelines for initiation of ART in the general adult population. If prescriptions were shown to deviate, the reasons for this were examined. Results: 197 patient records met the criteria over the study period. 81% of the patients were prescribed the National Guidelines. Those not on these regimens were more likely to be male, have renal dysfunction, anaemia or, importantly, a diagnosis of HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorder. 77% of patients were started on a regimen containing Efavirenz, even with a concomitant mental illness. Conclusion: In conclusion, the majority of patients with both mental illness and HIV were prescribed the regimens suggested for the general population. However, there was a subset of patients that required more tailored care. This audit can form the basis of future research into the long-term outcomes of patients on regimens that deviate due to a diagnosis of HAND, as well as the use of Efavirenz in this population

Editors\u27 Note - Action, Scene, And Voice: 21st-Century Dialogues With Edward Gordon Craig

A roadmap to this Special Issue of Mime Journal. This issue emphasizes the tissue of influences that shaped Craig’s own work and continue to impact contemporary theater and performance. By focusing on the historical contexts in which his ideas were developed and those in which they have been received, the essays counter the widely held perception of Craig as the solitary genius of the “Art of the Theatre.” His claims of originality and singularity have too often obscured the connections between his work and that of other artists—especially the dancer Isadora Duncan, upon whom two of the pieces included here focus. Our contributors are actors, directors, corporeal mimes, puppeteers, dancers, and scholars of theater, performance, dance, mime, puppetry, and print culture. All have been shaped by Craig’s vision; all have reckoned with his imperious and impassioned demands; all have probed his weaknesses—personal and professional—and resisted his prejudices. All respond provocatively to Craig’s work, making a strong claim for his continuing relevance even as they critique his life and career. Far from a hagiographic tribute to Craig, this issue takes up Craig’s contested legacy and contests it further

Contents - Edward Gordon Craig Special Issue 2017

Cover, front matter, and contents for Mime Journal Special Issue, Action, Scene, and Voice: 21st-Century Dialogues with Edward Gordon Craig. Guest editors: Jennifer Buckley and Annie Holt

Communication enhancement: a process dividend for the organisation and the HRM department?

Quality has become a key issue for organisations seeking competitive advantage and coping with ever changing market demands. Evidence suggests that the human resource implications of such initiatives are frequently underestimated and neglected Powell, 1995). The present study surveyed 133 Irish organisations implementing Quality Initiatives (QIs), focusing particularly on the impact of these initiatives on internal communication processes and the role played by the human resource (HR) function in these changes. Results indicate the overall success of the QIs in enhancing internal communication processes, but highlight two issues: the surprising absence of HR function involvement in the deliverance of these communication enhancements and the perception by most respondents that while the stated tangible QI objectives have been achieved, there is still some distance to be travelled to fulfil employee expectations on the more intangible communication based needs. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the changing face of the HR function and the long term success of QIs

Gaining competitive advantage through a quality culture: the role of human resource management

There is a good deal of evidence that, as technological transfer becomes increasingly rapid, the source of competitive advantage for many companies now lies within their workforces (Pfeffer, 1994). However, the issue of how to sustain and promote this type of competitive advantage may be more problematic than one based on keeping up-to-date with changing machinery and techniques. For some companies, investment in people and in the appropriate human resource practices to foster their development and commitment requires a consideration of the ways in which they have usually tackled such matters. For the human resource function this represents the opportunity to become involved in major change initiatives, but it may require a rethinking oftraditional roles. This paper considers the implications for both the human resource function and for human resource practices of the changes wrought within companies involved in the implementation of quality initiatives. Quality has become a key issue for companies seeking competitive advantage and recent research indicates that a focus on the human resource implications of these quality initiatives, although frequently a neglected dimension, may be critical to their long term success (Powell, 1995). The paper begins by considering some of the literature on the impact of quality programmes on the human resource function in particular and on human resource practices in general before reporting on the findings of research in some Irish companies

The crux of the matter: did the ABC's Catalyst program change statin use in Australia?

This article argues that the ABC’s Catalyst program criticising statins affected people’s willingness to take these drugs. Abstract Objectives: To examine the impact of a two-part special edition of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation\u27s science journalism program Catalyst (titled Heart of the matter), aired in October 2013, that was critical of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (“statins”). Design, setting and participants: Population-based interrupted time-series analysis of a 10% sample of Australian long-term concessional beneficiaries who were dispensed statins under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (about 51% of all people who were dispensed a statin between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2014); dispensing of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) was used as a comparator. Main outcome measures: Change in weekly dispensings and discontinuation of use of statins and PPIs, adjusting for seasonal and long-term trends, overall and (for statins only) stratified by the use of cardiovascular and diabetes medicines. Results: In our sample, 191 833 people were dispensed an average of 26 946 statins weekly. Following the Catalyst program, there was a 2.60% (95% CI, 1.40%–3.77%; P < 0.001) reduction in statin dispensing, equivalent to 14 005 fewer dispensings Australia-wide every week. Dispensing decreased by 6.03% (95% CI, 3.73%–8.28%; P < 0.001) for people not dispensed other cardiovascular and diabetes medicines and 1.94% (0.42%–3.45%; P = 0.01) for those dispensed diabetes medicines. In the week the Catalyst program aired, there was a 28.8% (95% CI, 15.4%–43.7%; P < 0.001) increase in discontinuation of statin use, which decayed by 9% per week. An estimated 28 784 additional Australians ceased statin treatment. Discontinuation occurred regardless of the use of other cardiovascular and diabetes medicines. There were no significant changes in PPI use after the Catalyst program. Conclusions: Following airing of the Catalyst program, there was a temporary increase in discontinuation and a sustained decrease in overall statin dispensing. Up until 30 June 2014, there were 504 180 fewer dispensings of statins, and we estimate this to have affected 60 897 people

Food choices for hungry broiler breeders: do they prefer quantitative or qualitative dietary restriction?

This programme of research uses choice test methodologies to quantify hungry broiler breeder chickens’ preferences for qualitative or quantitative dietary restriction. It begins with an outline of quantitative dietary restriction, its severity and welfare implications before discussing methods of qualitative feed restriction and the difficulties ascertaining whether it represents a welfare improvement. Chapter two reviews the factors affecting diet preferences and discusses implications for feed restricted broiler breeder diet preferences. Chapter three outlines the use of a closed economy T-maze task to quantity the diet preferences of feed restricted broiler breeders. It concludes that broiler breeders can learn a food versus no food task but find it very difficult to learn a task in which both of the options are rewarded with food and this impeded diet preference quantification. Chapter four demonstrates that severity of feed restriction underlies these difficulties in learning. In Chapter five, a conditioned place preference task to identify the effects of diets on affective state (hunger versus satiety) is reported. A method validation group demonstrated that broilers show a state dependent preference for an environment associated with ad libitum access to food. However, birds failed to show a preference between an environment associated with quantitative dietary restriction and one associated with qualitative dietary restriction. Chapter six applies state- dependent learning (SDL) to quantifying the satiating effects of quantitative and qualitative dietary restriction. However, a validation group suggested that SDL preferences were probably an artefact of the test rather than a genuine state-led preference. Finally, the overall conclusion that no evidence was found that broiler breeders want, or that their welfare is improved by, qualitative feed restriction was drawn. However, the conditions under which a preference was reliably observed and the presence of hunger – state dependent effects on learning and expression of learnt preferences complicates the interpretation of any findings. Recommendations for further research are highlighted