The effects of using the L1 in comparison to the L2 to teach target language vocabulary items in primary or secondary school settings: a systematic review

There has long been debate about what role – if any – the first language (L1) ought to assume in second or foreign language (L2) classrooms, and following the multilingual turn in language teaching, recent pedagogical advice has seen its use widely advocated. Generally, theoretical justifications are offered in support of this while empirical justifications are lacking, however, and so this review aims to remedy this by establishing the nature and extent of experimental research relevant to these claims. It builds on an earlier systematic review by Chalmers (2019) into the educational effects of using L1-mediated teaching approaches in L2 classrooms with primary and pre-primary learners by narrowing the focus to L1-mediated vocabulary teaching approaches in particular, and it also expands the range of L2 learners examined by identifying research at both the primary and secondary levels. Most importantly, it requires L1-mediated vocabulary teaching approaches to be directly compared to L2-mediated vocabulary teaching approaches, and for outcomes to be quantitative measures of L2 vocabulary acquisition. In addition, all of the included studies must record intervention research with typical student populations in formal educational environments, and have been published between 1980 and 2023. Altogether, systematic searches of five online databases uncovered 45 studies that met these inclusion criteria, and although the vocabulary teaching interventions that they explored varied, they can be broadly defined as having investigated six key types. Within these, studies tended to favour L1 use – thereby providing support for recommendations to include it in L2 lessons – but this support is tentative on account of the studies (1) having a generally high risk of bias, (2) being relatively small-scale, and (3) being interpreted by only one reviewer. There were also several that produced conflicting findings, while seven that were selected for Stage two screening could not be located, and so the need for additional and more readily available research is clear. Finally, this review also highlighted the ubiquity of ambiguous or incomplete reporting in education research, and the lack of studies using individual randomisation

Food Security & Civil Society

Findings from an in-depth qualitative investigation of Food Security with people from civil society organisations. A ‘boots on the ground’ perspective, which reveals the concerns about food security, and stakeholder evaluations of what they think needs to be done

“That Night”: Unlocking the Memories of Loss on Canvey Island in 1953

The need to tell or correct a narrative about a totemic moment in the history of a place is brought to the fore in this article. It tells the story of a series of meetings in 2015 with older residents of Canvey Island in Essex who had asked for a chance to share individual experiences of ‘that night’ of flooding in 1953. A need to seize one last chance to tell the story, or tell it for the first time, is found in the recollections of other older people experiencing traumatic events. The article details the gathering of profound and painful narratives that had previously remained hidden and were fragile to loss forever. It reflects on the importance of protecting the older persons’ narrative when gathering collective memory. The events at the heart of the narratives occurred in 1953 but their potency is not diminished by the passing of time

Deicing Impacts on the Danforth Campus, Fall 2020

De-Icing Impacts on the Danforth Campus, Sustainability Exchange, Washington University in St. Louis, Fall 2020

Understanding Lung Cancer Resources and Barriers among Worksites with Mostly Male Employees in Eight Rural Kentucky Counties: A Focus Group Discussion

Kentucky has the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the United States, and lung cancer is Kentucky\u27s leading cause of cancer deaths. Males in Kentucky have higher lung incidence and mortality rates than females. Through support from the SelfMade Health Network, Kentucky developed a Regional Resource Lead Organization that collaboratively developed a multi-component worksite intervention on lung cancer among male populations. The intervention targets eight Kentucky counties. The first component and focus of this manuscript included focus group meetings with organizational representatives in each county that provide health, educational, and social services to men and worksites. The focus groups discussed four distinct areas: (a) lung cancer-related resources and services in each county; (b) perceived ways men in worksites learn about and access health-related services; (c) identification of potential challenges and barriers to reaching men in worksites; and (d) creation of linkages and potential partnerships between community organizations and worksites. Forty-five organizational representatives participated in the eight focus groups. Most resources and services discussed were related to tobacco treatment. Employers were the most commonly perceived way men learn about and access health-related services, while attitudes and behaviors were the most commonly perceived barriers preventing men from accessing services. The most common potential linkages and partnerships across all areas were community organizations and groups, employers, health-care providers, and mass media. Partnering with employers may provide an opportunity to reach males with lung cancer prevention and control resources and services

CBT for difficult-to-treat depression: self-regulation model

Background:Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for depression but a significant minority of clients do not complete therapy, do not respond to it, or subsequently relapse. Non-responders, and those at risk of relapse, are more likely to have adverse childhood experiences, early-onset depression, co-morbidities, interpersonal problems and heightened risk. This is a heterogeneous group of clients who are currently difficult to treat.Aim:The aim was to develop a CBT model of depression that will be effective for difficult-to-treat clients who have not responded to standard CBT.Method:The method was to unify theory, evidence and clinical strategies within the field of CBT to develop an integrated CBT model. Single case methods were used to develop the treatment components.Results:A self-regulation model of depression has been developed. It proposes that depression is maintained by repeated interactions of self-identity disruption, impaired motivation, disengagement, rumination, intrusive memories and passive life goals. Depression is more difficult to treat when these processes become interlocked. Treatment based on the model builds self-regulation skills and restructures self-identity, rather than target negative beliefs. A bespoke therapy plan is formed out of ten treatment components, based on an individual case formulation.Conclusions:A self-regulation model of depression is proposed that integrates theory, evidence and practice within the field of CBT. It has been developed with difficult-to-treat cases as its primary purpose. A case example is described in a concurrent article (Barton et al., 2022) and further empirical tests are on-going

Point-of-care C-reactive protein-based tuberculosis screening for people living with HIV: a diagnostic accuracy study.

BackgroundSymptom-based screening for tuberculosis is recommended for all people living with HIV. This recommendation results in unnecessary Xpert MTB/RIF testing in many individuals living in tuberculosis-endemic areas and thus poor implementation of intensified case finding and tuberculosis preventive therapy. Novel approaches to tuberculosis screening are needed to help achieve global targets for tuberculosis elimination. We assessed the performance of C-reactive protein (CRP) measured with a point-of-care assay as a screening tool for active pulmonary tuberculosis.MethodsFor this prospective study, we enrolled adults (aged ≥18 years) living with HIV with CD4 cell count less than or equal to 350 cells per μL who were initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) from two HIV/AIDS clinics in Uganda. CRP concentrations were measured at study entry with a point-of-care assay using whole blood obtained by fingerprick (concentration ≥10 mg/L defined as screen positive for tuberculosis). Sputum samples were collected for Xpert MTB/RIF testing and culture. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of point-of-care CRP and WHO symptom-based screening in reference to culture results. We repeated the sensitivity analysis with Xpert MTB/RIF as the reference standard.FindingsBetween July 8, 2013, and Dec 15, 2015, 1237 HIV-infected adults were enrolled and underwent point-of-care CRP testing. 60 (5%) patients with incomplete or contaminated cultures were excluded from the analysis. Of the remaining 1177 patients (median CD4 count 165 cells per μL [IQR 75-271]), 163 (14%) had culture-confirmed tuberculosis. Point-of-care CRP testing had 89% sensitivity (145 of 163, 95% CI 83-93) and 72% specificity (731 of 1014, 95% CI 69-75) for culture-confirmed tuberculosis. Compared with WHO symptom-based screening, point-of-care CRP testing had lower sensitivity (difference -7%, 95% CI -12 to -2; p=0·002) but substantially higher specificity (difference 58%, 95% CI 55 to 61; p<0·0001). When Xpert MTB/RIF results were used as the reference standard, sensitivity of point-of-care CRP and WHO symptom-based screening were similar (94% [79 of 84] vs 99% [83 of 84], respectively; difference -5%, 95% CI -12 to 2; p=0·10).InterpretationThe performance characteristics of CRP support its use as a tuberculosis screening test for people living with HIV with CD4 count less than or equal to 350 cells per μL who are initiating ART. HIV/AIDS programmes should consider point-of-care CRP-based tuberculosis screening to improve the efficiency of intensified case finding and increase uptake of tuberculosis preventive therapy.FundingNational Institutes of Health; President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief; University of California, San Francisco, Nina Ireland Program for Lung Health

Randomised trial of cord clamping at very preterm birth: outcomes at 2 years

Objective: To report outcomes at 2 years corrected age for children of women recruited to a trial comparing alternative policies for timing of cord clamping and immediate neonatal care at very preterm birth. Design: Parallel group randomised (1:1) trial. Setting: Eight UK tertiary maternity units. Participants: Two hundred and seventy six babies born to 261 women expected to have a livebirth before 32+0 weeks gestation. Interventions: Deferred cord clamping (≥2 minutes) and immediate neonatal care with cord intact, or immediate (≤20 seconds) clamping and immediate neonatal care after clamping. Main outcome measure: Composite of death or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age. Results: Six babies born after 35+6 weeks were excluded. At 2 years corrected age, outcome data were not available for a further 52 children, leaving 218 for analysis (115 deferred clamping, 103 immediate clamping). Overall, 24/115 (21%) children allocated deferred clamping died or had an adverse neurodevelopmental outcome compared with 35/103 (34%) allocated immediate clamping; relative risk (RR) 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39 to 0.96); risk difference (RD) -13% (95% CI -25% to -1%). Multiple imputation for missing data gave a RR 0.69 (95% CI 0.44 to 1.09) and RD -9% (95% CI -21% to 2%). Conclusions: Deferred clamping and immediate neonatal care with cord intact may reduce the risk of death or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age for children born very premature. Confirmation in larger studies is needed to determine the real benefits and harms