The online multi-agency support barometer

This report presents the findings of a small feasibility study which sought to investigate the use of an online risk management Barometer. The barometer was developed with a view to helping multiple agencies communicate about vulnerable and 'at risk' patients within mental health settings.The Barometer is an online tool which allows staff from multiple agencies to access and share information with other staff if a patient is at risk.The key aims and objectives of this small research project were i) to evaluating how professionals felt about their current risk assessment tools, ii) to assess the ease of use and the relevance of questions within the Barometer tool and iii) to discuss some potential modifications/problem areas of incorporating the Barometer tool within mental health services and across a multi-disciplinary perspective.The research was conducted in three mental services within the South Essex Partnership Trust (2 x CAMHS and 2 x Adult Services) using a mixed-methods approach

The teaching of grammar in grades 7-8-9-10

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

The effects of emotional arousal on item and associative memory

Although the conclusions of research examining the impact of emotional arousal on associative memory are mixed (e.g., Mather & Nesmith, 2008; Zimmerman & Kelley, 2010), it has recently been suggested that associative memory should be enhanced by arousal when encoding is intentional rather than incidental (Mather & Sutherland, 2011). Research has also suggested that arousing items are more subject to interference effects in memory than non-arousing items. These predictions were explored across two experiments. In both experiments, participants intentionally encoded a series of picture pairs that consisted of two neutral pictures, two negatively arousing pictures, or one neutral picture and one negatively arousing picture. A recognition test assessed participants’ associative memory for picture pairs as well as item memory for individual pictures. In Experiment 1 it was found that, even with intentional encoding, emotional arousal did not enhance associative recognition. In addition, arousal did not interact with the effects of interference. However, the results did show that repetition enhanced memory for neutral pictures more than arousing pictures. Research concerning the impact of arousal on memory typically finds that the enhancing effect of emotional arousal on memory is usually more apparent after a delay because of improved consolidation (e.g., McGaugh, 2004). Experiment 2 investigated the effect of emotional arousal on associative memory performance after a 48-hour delay. Emotional arousal led to poorer associative recognition. As in Experiment 1, repetition appeared to disproportionally enhance memory for neutral items. Overall, these studies found no evidence that associative recognition is enhanced by emotional arousal

Legumes in antiquity: A micromorphological investigation of seeds of the Vicieae.

Early evidence for the importance of legumes in nutrition is limited by difficulties in the identification and interpretation of pulse remains from archaeological contexts. The main aims of this work are to seek in a detailed survey of legume seed micromorphology, criteria that can be used ii) for the identification of species and, ii) as evidence of cultivation. Assessment of the role of SEM in archaeobotany is a supplementary aim. Archaeological evidence of pulses in the Old World is first reviewed, followed by the rationale for the selection of members of the tribe Vicieae as the species researched. The second part of the thesis is a background study of the Vicieae and its four major genera Vicia, Lathvrus, Lens and Pisum. Brief accounts of their taxonomy, seed morphology and geographical distribution are followed by an examination of traditional Old World systems of pulse agronomy. Chapter three concerns the material and methods of research. The results are described qualitatively in chapter four, and following multivariate analysis in chapters five and six. The seventh chapter describes some miscellaneous procedures. The eighth chapter is a discussion of the results. Identifications down to species level using seed micromorphology are restricted to certain taxa, contrary to some published reports; but allocation of specimens to a higher taxonomic rank, using an array of criteria, is usually more realistic. Most useful characters are found in features in the hilar region. Clear evidence of cultivation has only been observed in the genus Pisum. Using SEM, similar data may be recorded equally in fresh seeds and fragments of charred archaeological specimens. It is concluded that seeds of the Vicieae usually do not exhibit sufficient morphological differences for species identification. Evidence for cultivation may rather be sought in biochemical changes that facilitate control of the germination in seeds of cultigens. Future research into pulse biochemistry and agronomy is anticipated

Awareness-raising of landscape in practice.

Awareness-raising is one of the measures which signatories to the European Landscape Convention are expected to realise, yet it is unclear what awareness-raising entails when related to an ambiguous subject such as landscape. Our study builds a conceptual understanding of awareness-raising of landscape, recognising that it cannot be a purely top-down process but needs to be seen as a “multi-directional transfer of knowledge” or “co-creation of meaning”. We have used this conceptual understanding as a lens for analysing practices which in some form help raise awareness of landscape. Document studies of Landscape Character Assessments undertaken in England since 2007 and interviews with key actors involved in Landscape Character Assessments were carried out in order to understand how awareness-raising is addressed. The findings suggest that while often overlooked or recognised as a top down endeavour landscape assessments have potential to develop co-creation of meaning

Comprehensive Internationalization: Examining The What, Why, and How at Community Colleges

Community colleges enroll nearly half of the total U.S. undergraduates, have the most diverse student population, and serve as the only contact with postsecondary education for many students. Community colleges have engaged in internationalization efforts for decades. Most rely on study abroad and international students as the only methods to internationalize their campuses. A focus on study abroad is not an effective method to internationalize the campus and provide all students with the global awareness and skills necessary to be successful in today’s society. The American Council on Education Model for Comprehensive Internationalization (2012a), Knight’s (1997) rationales framework, and Knight’s (2004) approaches framework to form the conceptual model to analyze the what (meanings), why (rationales/motivations), and how (strategies and models) of community colleges’ internationalization efforts. College sites for the study included Montgomery College, Tidewater Community College, and Orange Coast College. All site colleges participated in one of the American Council on Education’s (ACE) comprehensive internationalization projects. This qualitative collective case study sought to describe the experience and process of comprehensive internationalization in the community college sector, to identify the perceived rationales and motivations to internationalize, to determine the successes and challenges of the comprehensive internationalization process, and to identify the priority placed on intercultural learning and global awareness across the curriculum. The findings revealed several themes on how comprehensive internationalization is being operationalized on the three college campuses. Three frames emerged, global humanities; intercultural learning; and multicultural and international. The interviews also revealed changes to becoming more comprehensive in their approach, both multiple motivations/rationales, programmatic and sustainability challenges and success, and revealed evidence of student learning as a priority for internationalizing the campus. The findings also showed the influence of domestic international diversity, governance, continuity, start and stops on the internationalization process

Radiopharmaceuticals and the PET probe in the detection of Ductal Carcinoma in situ of the breast

The use of a hand-held positron emission tomography (PET) probe during breast surgery can potentially reduce the rate of second operations, having a number of implications. The PET probe tested in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) surgery demonstrated to be 96.5% accurate when compared to pathology. This research examines the current technology available, the epidemiology of DCIS in Western Australia, testing of the radiopharmaceutical used with the probe and the PET probe itself