Teachers learning to use the iPad in Scotland and Wales: a new model of professional development

In learning to use a new technology like the iPad, primary teachers adopt a diverse range of experiential, informal and playful strategies contrasting sharply with traditional models underpinning professional development which emphasise formal courses and events led by ‘experts’ conducted in formal settings such as the school. Since post-PC devices like the iPad have been linked with transformational educational learning, there is an imperative to better understand how teachers can be encouraged to use them more effectively. Despite their growing popularity in schools, there is little research to indicate how and under what circumstances teachers learn to integrate these technologies into their daily practices. This paper uses data collected from two national studies of iPad use in Scotland and Wales to propose a new model of professional development. This model reflects findings that the teachers reject traditional models of sequential, or staged, professional development (often led by external providers or ‘experts’), in favour of a more nuanced and fluid model where they learn at their own pace, in a largely experiential fashion, alongside their pupils in a relationship which reverses the traditional power nexus. The model has the potential to inform professional development for both trainee and serving teachers in learning to use the iPad in the primary classroom

Pre-Victorian prudery: the family Shakespeare and the birth of Bowdlerism

This thesis is the first detailed study of The Family Shakespeare since Noel Perrin's Dr Bawdier's Legacy: A History of Expurgated Books in England and America (1969). It investigates the social forces which led to the publication of The Family Shakespeare. It begins with a discussion of the Bowdlers and the history of the edition, before dealing with the growth of literacy and changing reading habits in the early nineteenth century, particularly focusing on women reading and women reading Shakespeare. The third chapter deals with The Family Shakespeare in context and considers the influences of family, Evangelicalism, sensibility, Vice Societies and attitudes to sexuality may have had on Bowdler's edition. The fourth chapter discusses the expurgations that Thomas Bowdler made in light of these social forces, taking note of patterns and discrepancies. The conclusion discusses The Family Shakespeare's status as a piece of pre-Victorian prudery suggests that though it is generally disregarded, it deserves scholarly attention as an important resource. The appendix is a reference tool designed to make navigating the edition easy for new and experienced readers. It contains all the expurgations made, with references to The Family Shakespeare, its source edition and The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works

Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico

Working equids play an essential role in supporting livelihoods, providing resilience and income security to people around the world, yet their welfare is often poor. Consequently, animal welfare focussed NGOs employ a range of initiatives aimed at improving standards of working equid welfare. However, there is debate surrounding the efficacy of welfare initiatives utilised and long term monitoring and evaluation of initiatives is rarely undertaken. This study compares equid welfare and the social transmission of welfare information across Mexican communities that had previously received differing intervention histories (veterinary treatment plus educational initiatives, veterinary treatment only and control communities) in order to assess their efficacy. Indicators of equid welfare were assessed using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool and included body condition score, skin alterations, lameness, general health status and reaction to observer approach. Owners were interviewed about their involvement in previous welfare initiatives, beliefs regarding equid emotions and pain, and the social transmission of welfare knowledge, including whether they ask advice about their equid or discuss its health with others and whether there is a specific individual that they consider to be 'good with equids' in their community. In total 266 owners were interviewed from 25 communities across three states. Better welfare (specifically body condition and skin alteration scores) was seen in communities where a history of combined free veterinary treatment and educational initiatives had taken place compared to those that had only received veterinary treatment or control communities. The social transfer of welfare knowledge was also higher in these communities, suggesting that the discussion and transfer of equid welfare advice within communities can act as a mechanism to disseminate good welfare practices more widely. Our results suggest that using a combined approach may enhance the success of welfare initiatives, a finding that may impact future NGO programming

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2018

Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).Background: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15–59 years across SSA. Methods: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. Results: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. Conclusions: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA.Peer reviewe

Antibacterial, Remineralising and Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibiting Scandium-doped Phosphate Glasses for Treatment of Dental Caries

Objectives: Antibiotic resistance is increasingly a growing global threat. This study aimed to investigate the potential use of newly developed scandium-doped phosphate-based glasses (Sc-PBGs) as an antibacterial and anticariogenic agent through controlled release of Sc3+ ions. Methods: Sc-PBGs with various calcium and sodium oxide contents were produced and characterised using thermal and spectroscopic analysis. Degradation behaviour, ion release, antibacterial action against Streptococcus mutans, anti-matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity, remineralisation potential and in vivo biocompatibility were also investigated. Results: The developed glass system showed linear Sc3+ ions release over time. The released Sc3+ shows statistically significant inhibition of S. mutans biofilm (1.2 log10 CFU reduction at 6 h) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity, compared with Sc-free glass and positive control. When Sc-PBGs were mounted alongside enamel sections, subjected to acidic challenges, alternating hyper- and hypomineralisation layers consistent with periods of re- and demineralisation were observed demonstrating their potential remineralising action. Furthermore, Sc-PBGs produced a non-toxic response when implanted subcutaneously for 2 weeks in Sprague Dawley rats. Significance: Since Sc3+ ions might act on various enzymes essential to the biological mechanisms underlying caries, Sc-PBGs could be a promising therapeutic agent against cariogenic bacteria

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000-2018

Background Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15–59 years across SSA. Methods We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. Results We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. Conclusions As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA.publishedVersio