A study of mental imagery through detailed questioning

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Self-administering arithmetic enrichment activities for the more rapid learner

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

An exploration of anxiety problems in a secondary school

This research explores the identification of anxiety problems within the context of a girls’ secondary school in the South of England. A qualitative methodology was adopted using semi-structured interviews and group interviews to explore the perceptions of staff and pupils. These were transcribed and thematically analysed following the six-stage model as advocated by Braun and Clarke. Phase 1 involved exploring staff perceptions about how anxiety problems present and are identified in pupils, as well as what the facilitators and barriers are for this process. It was found that there was good understanding amongst staff about the presentation of anxiety problems and a clear understanding of the processes that followed when anxiety problems were identified. The main facilitator for identifying problems was the multiple information gathering that existed within the school and the main barrier was the fact that the school was not actively looking for anxiety problems. Phase 2 of the research involved carrying out semi-structured interviews with two groups of Year 11 pupils to explore if their perceptions were congruent with Phase 1. The biggest barriers to the pupils disclosing problems were the school’s policy to always inform parents and the stigma they felt was associated with having a mental health problem. They also expressed mixed views about the school’s efforts to provide mental health education and promote resilience showing a suspicion that the underlying agenda was still about educational outcomes. The research supports the introduction of universal screening approaches within schools to gather information over time which informs a comprehensive wellbeing strategy with a graduated response to need. It also highlights the importance of gathering the views of pupils around the practices and culture of school life. Educational psychologists are well placed to support schools in these endeavour

Insights into gambling : perspectives from self-identified problem gamblers

This study examines the issue of public gambling behavior from the perspective of six self-identified gamblers. All six participants were assessed to ensure that evidence of pathological gambling was present. In depth interviews were conducted with each respondent and the data was compiled and compared. The sample size is small due to the qualitative nature of this research and as such, the results are exploratory and preliminary. Findings from this study suggest that treatment approaches that focus on individual behavioral changes of the problem gambler may have limited effectiveness. The nature and etiology of problem gambling appears to be embedded and sustained in the extended family friend network. A substantial finding within this qualitative study is that family pressure, family participation, family encouragement and family introduction to gambling has an impact on whether or not a gambler develops and maintains a gambling problem. Hence, this study supports other research findings for a biopsychosocial approach to gambling behavior. Furthermore, findings indicate that these problem gamblers see no need to seek treatment which confirms the need to look at the biopsychosocial approach within an environmental context where decisions are made about the type, extensiveness and accessibility that society has to gambling opportunities. Government support for gambling as a significant revenue generator in this neoconservative era where the tax base is dwindling due to a complexity of factors such as aging population, technology replacing labour, and the decoupling of taxable capital assets from profits may prove to have many unintended consequences

Developing early years teachers' Dialogic Reading (DR) skills through the use of video enhanced self-reflection

The use of video within teacher training has been shown to increase motivational and emotional engagement and support teachers to ‘notice’ relevant teaching and learning events (van Es & Sherin, 2009), which can improve pedagogical practices (Tripp & Rich, 2012b). This study introduced video enhanced self-reflection into a Dialogic Reading (DR) training programme for teachers working within early years education. DR is an evidence-based intervention that aims to enhance oral language skill of pre-school children by increasing the complexity of adult-child interactions during shared book reading. The research employed a mixed-method nested case study design. Two participating teachers, working in different schools, delivered a 6-week DR intervention to one selected pre-school pupil from their class; giving two participating teacher-child dyads. Using video clips of their own DR practice, the participating teachers engaged in three self-reflection sessions. Qualitative analysis of their contributions indicated that video supported them to engage in productive reflection and apply the theoretical underpinnings of DR to their shared reading practice. Quantitative analyses of the language used by the participating pupils within pre- and post-test DR sessions demonstrated a positive effect for the intervention. The implications for theory and practice, regarding the use of video as a training tool, are discussed

Synthetic Sweden Mobility (SySMo) Model Documentation

This document describes a decision support framework using a combination of several state-of-the-art computing tools and techniques in synthetic information systems, and large-scale agent-based simulations. In this work, we create a synthetic population of Sweden and their mobility patterns that are composed of three major components: population synthesis, activity generation, and location assignment. The document describes the model structure, assumptions, and validation of results

Association of the resolvin precursor 17-HDHA, but not D- or E- series resolvins, with heat pain sensitivity and osteoarthritis pain in humans

Resolvins are omega-3 fatty acid derived potent bioactive lipids that resolve inflammation and modulate transient receptor potential channels. Exogenous administration of the resolvin precursor 17-HDHA shows a strong analgesic effect in animal models of osteoarthritis and acute inflammatory pain, but has not been studied in humans. Our aim was to assess the role of 17-HDHA and resolvins in heat pain sensitivity and in osteoarthritis pain in humans. Resolvins D1, D2, D3, D5, E1 and 17-HDHA, were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and tested for association with heat pain thresholds in 250 healthy volunteers who had undergone quantitative sensory testing. Resolvins D1, D2 and 17-HDHA were then tested in 62 individuals affected with knee osteoarthritis and 52 age matched controls and tested for association with knee pain. Circulating levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were also measured. Levels of 17-HDHA, but not those of the other 5 resolvins tested, were associated with increased heat pain thresholds (beta = 0.075; 95%CI 0.024, 0.126; p<0.0046). 17-DHDA was associated with lower pain scores in OA patients (beta -0.41; 95%CI-0.69, -0.12; p<0.005; adjusted for covariates) but not with osteoarthritis. The associations of 17-HDHA associations with heat pain sensitivity and osteoarthritis pain were independent of DHA levels

Practical Pharmacist-Led Interventions to Improve Antimicrobial Stewardship in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and others have identified, as a priority, the need to improve antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions as part of the effort to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). An international health partnership model, the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) programme, was established between selected countries in Africa (Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda) and the UK to support AMS. This was funded by UK aid under the Fleming Fund and managed by the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) and Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET). The primary aims were to develop local AMS teams and generate antimicrobial consumption surveillance data, quality improvement initiatives, infection prevention and control (IPC) and education/training to reduce AMR. Education and training were key components in achieving this, with pharmacists taking a lead role in developing and leading AMS interventions. Pharmacist-led interventions in Ghana improved access to national antimicrobial prescribing guidelines via the CwPAMS mobile app and improved compliance with policy from 18% to 70% initially for patients with pneumonia in one outpatient clinic. Capacity development on AMS and IPC were achieved in both Tanzania and Zambia, and a train-the-trainer model on the local production of alcohol hand rub in Uganda and Zambia. The model of pharmacy health partnerships has been identified as a model with great potential to be used in other low and middle income countries (LMICs) to support tackling AMR

Mating First, Mating More: Biological Market Fluctuation in a Wild Prosimian

In biology, economics, and politics, distributive power is the key for understanding asymmetrical relationships and it can be obtained by force (dominance) or trading (leverage). Whenever males cannot use force, they largely depend on females for breeding opportunities and the balance of power tilts in favour of females. Thus, males are expected not only to compete within their sex-class but also to exchange services with the opposite sex. Does this mating market, described for humans and apes, apply also to prosimians, the most ancestral primate group? To answer the question, we studied a scent-oriented and gregarious lemur, Propithecus verreauxi (sifaka), showing female dominance, promiscuous mating, and seasonal breeding. We collected 57 copulations involving 8 males and 4 females in the wild (Berenty Reserve, South Madagascar), and data (all occurrences) on grooming, aggressions, and marking behaviour. We performed the analyses via exact Spearman and matrix correlations. Male mating priority rank correlated with the frequency of male countermarking over female scents but not with the proportion of fights won by males over females. Thus, males competed in an olfactory tournament more than in an arena of aggressive encounters. The copulation frequency correlated neither with the proportion of fights won by males nor with the frequency of male countermarking on female scents. Male-to-female grooming correlated with female-to-male grooming only during premating. Instead, in the mating period male-to-female grooming correlated with the copulation frequency. In short, the biological market underwent seasonal fluctuations, since males bargained grooming for sex in the mating days and grooming for itself in the premating period. Top scent-releasers gained mating priority (they mated first) and top groomers ensured a higher number of renewed copulations (they mated more). In conclusion, males maximize their reproduction probability by adopting a double tactic and by following market fluctuations