598 research outputs found
Clery Act Needs Whistleblower Protection
In light of the apparent cover-up by the leadership at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) of a student rape and murder on campus, Congress should amend the Jeanne Clery Act. Specifically, a whistleblower protection section needs to be added to this landmark sunshine law
Lock & Load? The 2nd Amendment Arrives on Campus
Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Courtâs watershed decision regarding the Second Amendment in June, state lawmakers, university policymakers and campus safety personnel nationwide face a conundrum that must be answered in a prudent way. The solution will greatly impact the daily lives of everyone on campus
Hidden evidence of non-exponential nuclear decay
The framework to describe natural phenomena at their basics being quantum
mechanics, there exist a large number of common global phenomena occurring in
different branches of natural sciences. One such global phenomenon is
spontaneous quantum decay. However, its long time behaviour is experimentally
poorly known. Here we show, that by combining two genuine quantum mechanical
results, it is possible to infer on this large time behaviour, directly from
data. Specifically, we find evidence for non-exponential behaviour of alpha
decay of 8Be at large times from experiments.Comment: 12 pages LaTex, 3 figure
Body talk in the digital age: a controlled evaluation of a classroom-based intervention to reduce appearance commentary and improve body image
This research evaluates the efficacy of a classroom-based intervention â Body Talk in the Digital Age (BTIDA) â in reducing adolescentsâ appearance commentary and improving body image. British adolescents (N = 314; AgeRange = 12â14) were cluster randomised to intervention or waiting-list control groups. Measures of appearance commentary, appearance ideal internalisation, self-objectification and body satisfaction were completed at baseline (T1), then one-week (T2) and eight-week (T3) post-intervention. Multi-level modelling showed girls who received BTIDA reported less appearance commentary engagement and thin ideal internalisation at T2 and T3, than the control, supporting the partial efficacy of BTIDA for girls. No intervention effects were found among boys
Small eta-N scattering lengths favour eta-d and eta-alpha states
Unstable states of the eta meson and the 3He nucleus predicted using the time
delay method were found to be in agreement with a recent claim of eta-mesic 3He
states made by the TAPS collaboration. Here, we extend this method to a
speculative study of the unstable states occurring in the eta-d and eta-4He
elastic scattering. The T-matrix for eta-4He scattering is evaluated within the
Finite Rank Approximation (FRA) of few body equations. For the evaluation of
time delay in the eta-d case, we use a parameterization of an existing Faddeev
calculation and compare the results with those obtained from FRA. With an eta-N
scattering length, fm, we find an eta-d unstable
bound state around -16 MeV, within the Faddeev calculation. A similar state
within the FRA is found for a low value of , namely, fm. The existence of an eta-4He unstable bound state close to
threshold is hinted by fm, but is ruled out by
large scattering lengths.Comment: 21 pages, LaTex, 7 Figure
Patients as qualitative data analysts: developing a method for a process evaluation of the âImproving the Safety and Continuity Of Medicines management at care Transitionsâ (ISCOMAT) randomised controlled trial
Background
How to meaningfully partner with patients as data analysts remains obscure. A process evaluation of the âImproving the Safety and Continuity Of Medicines management at care Transitionsâ (ISCOMAT) cluster randomised control trial of an intervention for improving medicines use for people living with heart failure is being conducted. The intervention includes patient held information on heart medicines and care, enhanced communication between hospital and community pharmacists, and increased engagement of community pharmacists with patient care postâhospital discharge. ISCOMAT patients living with heart failure were interviewed about experiences with the intervention. We sought to gain insights from patients on data collected to enhance our understanding of experiences with the intervention.
Objective
To develop a method for involving patients as analysts of qualitative data in a process evaluation.
Design
Patients and researchers coâanalysed qualitative data. A framework method was applied involving; familiarisation, coding, developing an analytical framework and interpretation. The process was facilitated through home working and a workshop with a training component.
Results
The coâdesigned framework enabled researchers to map all further patient interview data. Patients' specialist knowledge enhanced understanding of how the ISCOMAT intervention can be best implemented.
Conclusions
Patientsâ unique experiences can enhance validity and rigour in data analysis through sharing their interpretations of qualitative data. The involvement process is crucial in elucidating knowledge and avoiding tokenism. As analysts, patients gain an appreciation of research processes, building trust between researchers and patients. Group dynamics and involving patients throughout the whole research process are important considerations
Planning ahead in public health? A qualitative study of the time horizons used in public health decision-making
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In order to better understand factors that influence decisions for public health, we undertook a qualitative study to explore issues relating to the time horizons used in decision-making.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. 33 individuals involved in the decision making process around coronary heart disease were purposively sampled from the UK National Health Service (national, regional and local levels), academia and voluntary organizations. Analysis was based on the framework method using N-VIVO software. Interviews were transcribed, coded and emergent themes identified.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Many participants suggested that the timescales for public health decision-making are too short. Commissioners and some practitioners working at the national level particularly felt constrained in terms of planning for the long-term. Furthermore respondents felt that longer term planning was needed to address the wider determinants of health and to achieve societal level changes. Three prominent 'systems' issues were identified as important drivers of short term thinking: the need to demonstrate impact within the 4 year political cycle; the requirement to 'balance the books' within the annual commissioning cycle and the disruption caused by frequent re-organisations within the health service. In addition respondents suggested that the tools and evidence base for longer term planning were not well established.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Many public health decision and policy makers feel that the timescales for decision-making are too short. Substantial systemic barriers to longer-term planning exist. Policy makers need to look beyond short-term targets and budget cycles to secure investment for long-term improvement in public health.</p
G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor (GPER) Expression in Normal and Abnormal Endometrium
Rapid estrogen effects are mediated by membrane receptors, and evidence suggests a role for both a membrane-associated form of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1; ERα) and G-protein coupled receptor 30 (GPER; GPR30). Considering estrogenâs importance in endometrial physiology and endometriosis pathophysiology, we hypothesized that GPER could be involved in both cyclic changes in endometrial estrogen action and that aberrant expression might be seen in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis. Using real-time reverse transcriptaseâpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical analysis of normal endometrium, endometrial samples demonstrated cycle-regulated expression of GPER, with maximal expression in the proliferative phase. Eutopic and ectopic endometrium from women with endometriosis overexpressed GPER as compared to eutopic endometrium of normal participants. Ishikawa cells, an adenocarcinoma cell line, expressed GPER, with increased expression upon treatment with estrogen or an ESR1 agonist, but not with a GPER-specific agonist. Decreased expression was seen in Ishikawa cells stably transfected with progesterone receptor A. Together, these data suggest that normal endometrial GPER expression is cyclic and regulated by nuclear estrogen and progesterone receptors, while expression is dysregulated in endometriosis
Re-establishing the âoutsidersâ: English press coverage of the 2015 FIFA Womenâs World Cup
In 2015, the England Womenâs national football team finished third at the Womenâs World Cup in Canada. Alongside the establishment of the Womenâs Super League in 2011, the success of the womenâs team posed a striking contrast to the recent failures of the England menâs team and in doing so presented a timely opportunity to examine the negotiation of hegemonic discourses on gender, sport and football. Drawing upon an âestablished-outsiderâ approach, this article examines how, in newspaper coverage of the England womenâs team, gendered constructions revealed processes of alteration, assimilation and resistance. Rather than suggesting that âestablishedâ discourses assume a normative connection between masculinity and football, the findings reveal how gendered âboundariesâ were both challenged and protected in newspaper coverage. Despite their success, the discursive positioning of the womenâs team as âoutsidersâ, served to (re)establish menâs football as superior, culturally salient and âbetterâ than the womenâs team/game. Accordingly, we contend that attempts to build and, in many instances, rediscover the history of womenâs football, can be used to challenge established cultural representations that draw exclusively from the history of the menâs game. In such instances, the 2015 Womenâs World Cup provides a historical moment from which the womenâs game can be relocated in a context of popular culture
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