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 Mg/Ca–temperature relationship in brachiopod shells: calibrating a potential palaeoseasonality proxy

Brachiopods are long-lived, long-ranging, extant organisms, of which some groups precipitate a relatively diagenetically stable low magnesium calcite shell. Previous work has suggested that the incorporation of Mg into brachiopod calcite may be controlled by temperature (Brand et al., 2013). Here we build upon this work by using laser ablation sampling to define the intra-shell variations in two modern brachiopod species,Terebratulina retusa (Linnaeus, 1758) and Liothyrella neozelanica (Thomson, 1918). We studied three T. retusa shells collected live from the Firth of Lorne, Scotland, which witnessed annual temperature variations on the order of 7 °C, in addition to four L. neozelanica shells, which were dredged from a water depth transect (168–1488 m) off the north coast of New Zealand. The comparison of intra-shell Mg/Ca profiles with shell δ<sup>18</sup>O confirms a temperature control on brachiopod Mg/Ca and supports the use of brachiopod Mg/Ca as a palaeoseasonality indicator. Our preliminary temperature calibrations are Mg/Ca = 1.76 ± 0.27 e<sup>(0.16 ± 0.03)T</sup>, R<sup>2</sup> = 0.75, for T. retusa and Mg/Ca = 0.49 ± 1.27 e<sup>(0.2 ± 0.11)T</sup>, R<sup>2</sup> = 0.32, for L. neozelanica (errors are 95% confidence intervals)

"People make films about themselves": race, identity, and (re)writing history in Julie Dash's Illusions (1983) and Daughters Of The Dust (1991)

This thesis explores how history is (re)written alongside representations of race, place, and the “self” in Julie Dash's films Illusions (1983) and Daughters of the Dust (1991). Although Dash was the first Black American female filmmaker to have a feature film released theatrically in the United States, her work is often left out of traditional narratives of film history, signaling the continuation of racism and sexism in the mainstream film industry. Through a close analysis of Dash’s films, and her role in the Black independent film movement, I argue that Dash’s narrative approach creatively blends history, myth, and auto/biography, and thus works to reimagine, redefine, and rewrite the history of Black Americans. In an attempt to reinscribe Dash as a significant figure in U.S. history, this thesis puts Dash’s work in conversation with writers and thinkers from such fields as film studies, literature, and Black geographies, allowing for an interdisciplinary analysis of race, place, and Black feminist subjectivity in Dash's pivotal films

Assessing the impact of sustained professional development on middle school mathematics teachers

The study reported in this paper examines the impact of the Ohio Statewide Systemic Initiative (SSI) on participating mathematics teachers. Quantitative data from 90 SSI-trained teachers and 400 teachers without training, along with qualitative data collected from seven SSI teachers who were visited in their classrooms are presented. Analysis of the quantitative data showed that SSI and Non-SSI teachers reported significantly different frequencies of reformed teaching practices and held significantly different views about the nature and pedagogy of mathematics. Qualitative data from the interviews highlighted that the SSI professional development experience, the ability to find creative ways to overcome lack of resources, and the teacher support networks formed as a result of their participation in the SSI were three major factors which enabled the SSI teachers to make significant changes to their teaching practices, and to sustain those changes

Assessing the impact of sustained professional development on middle school mathematics teachers

The study reported in this paper examines the impact of the Ohio Statewide Systemic Initiative (SSI) on participating mathematics teachers. Quantitative data from 90 SSI-trained teachers and 400 teachers without training, along with qualitative data collected from seven SSI teachers who were visited in their classrooms are presented. Analysis of the quantitative data showed that SSI and Non-SSI teachers reported significantly different frequencies of reformed teaching practices and held significantly different views about the nature and pedagogy of mathematics. Qualitative data from the interviews highlighted that the SSI professional development experience, the ability to find creative ways to overcome lack of resources, and the teacher support networks formed as a result of their participation in the SSI were three major factors which enabled the SSI teachers to make significant changes to their teaching practices, and to sustain those changes

Polymorphisms in Methionine Synthase, Methionine Synthase Reductase and Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase, Folate and Alcohol Intake, and Colon Cancer Risk

Background/Aims - We examined associations among folate and alcohol intake, SNPs in genes involved in one-carbon metabolism and colon cancer risk. Methods - Colon cancer cases (294 African Americans and 349 whites) were frequency matched to population controls (437 African Americans and 611 whites) by age, race and sex from 33 North Carolina counties from 1996 to 2000. Folate and alcohol intakes were collected by dietary interview. Five SNPs were genotyped using DNA from whole blood: SHMT C1420T; MTRR A66G; MTR A2756G, and the previously-reported MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression. Results - An inverse association was observed for SHMT TT genotype as compared to CC genotype in whites (OR=0.6, 95%CI=0.4, 1.0), but not in African Americans. Inverse associations were observed for high folate intake in individuals carrying 0 or 1 variant allele [OR 0.2 (95%CI 0.06-0.8) for African Americans; OR 0.2 (95%CI 0.1-0.6) for whites] compared to low folate intake. Modest interactions between these SNPs and alcohol or folate intakes were observed. Conclusions - Our results are consistent with other findings and provide needed data on these associations among African Americans

Experiences of pregnant mothers using a social media based antenatal support service during the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK : findings from a user survey

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has seen unprecedented restrictions on face-to-face healthcare encounters. This has led to an increase in the use of online healthcare resources by service users. Pregnant women have always been a group particularly motivated to seek out information online. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of mothers who were using an existing National Health Service social media based antenatal support service during the early stages of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. Design: A short online survey with four closed questions (scale response) and one open-ended free-text question was given to pregnant women who were using the online service 3 weeks after the start of the UK lockdown. Descriptive statistics are used to present the closed question data. Thematic analysis was applied to the free-text responses. Results: 320 women were sent the survey. 156 completed it (49% response rate). Participants provided information relating to frequency of use, information access, relative level of antenatal care and ease of contact. 105 (66%) participants completed the open-ended free-text question. Key themes to emerge related to: (1) information provision and verification; (2) managing and reducing feelings of isolation; (3) service specific issues, including crisis adaptations; and (4) impact on routine care. Conclusions: The study suggests that that pregnant mothers found a social media based approach well positioned to provide antenatal care and support during the COVID-19 pandemic

Organic Waste in Newfoundland and Labrador: A Review of Available Agriculture, Fishery, Forestry and Municipal Waste Literature

Re-utilisation of organic waste is globally widely employed to maximise both economic and environmental sustainability of human activities. Re-utilisation of organic waste nutrients of biochars produced from such wastes do offer a critical element for enhancing soil fertility and thus supporting sustainable agriculture. Newfoundland and Labrador produces a variety of organic waste streams ranging from municipal to farm, fishery and timber production. We carried out a best estimate of the amount of these waste streams with a goal to understand the potential utility of each as a source of nutrients or biochar for sustaining agricultural activities in the province. Municipal sources, i.e. municipal organic waste streams and wastewaters, and fishery waste were estimated to offer the largest potential for nutrient recovery. Dairy industry is the largest producer of nutrient rich organic waste among agricultural activities. The dairy industry might possibly produce most of the nutrients required to fertilise their own land base; note that the dairies in the province still import a significant portion of their feed and that is reflected in the waste stream. Nutrients currently available in the estimated waste streams are likely sufficient to support most fertilisation needs of the current land-base, or nearly double the current land base in the case of phosphorus. Given the estimated balance of waste nutrients in the province any expansion in agricultural land base would require supplementary imports of fertilizers or, preferably, an integrated livestock and crop agriculture expansion. A secondary estimation was carried out to assess the value of the same organic waste streams for biochar production. This offered an alternative to nutrient reutilisation, an alternative that is also in support of soil fertility. Sawmill waste, that carried little nitrogen and phosphorus value, was also included in biochar estimates. The assessment has shown a significant potential for biochar production mainly for fishery and municipal organic waste. However, pursuing a biochar agenda for these materials would require a trade-off with the nutrients lost during pyrolysis. The assessment presented here confirms that organic wastes are a valuable resource for agricultural production and sustainability. However specific decisions would require a more detailed analysis of the geographic integration of waste streams and agricultural production

UGT1A1 and UGT1A9 functional variants, meat intake, and colon cancer, among Caucasians and African-Americans

Glucuronidation by the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes (UGTs) is one of the primary detoxification pathways of dietary heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In a population-based case-control study of 537 cases and 866 controls, we investigated whether colon cancer was associated with genetic variations in UGT1A1 and UGT1A9 genes and we determined if those variations modify the association between colon cancer and dietary HCA and PAH exposure. We measured functional UGT1A1 polymorphisms at positions −53 (*28; A(TA)6TAA to A(TA)7TAA), −3156 (G>A), −3279 (T>G) and the UGT1A9-275(T>A) polymorphism, and found no association with colon cancer overall. However, when stratified by race, the UGT1A1-3279 GG/TG intermediate/low activity genotypes were associated with an increased risk of colon cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.1–2.0) in Caucasians. This finding is also supported by haplotype analyses where the UGT1A1-3279G-allele-bearing haplotype is overrepresented in case group. Overall, UGT1A1-53 and -3156 genotypes modified the association between dietary benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and colon cancer (P for interaction=0.02 and 0.03, respectively). The strongest association was observed for those with <7.7 ng/day BaP exposure and the low activity genotypes, for both UGT1A1*28/*28 (OR=1.8, 95% CI=1.1–2.9) and −3156AA (OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.0–3.0), compared to ≥7.7 ng/day and combined high/intermediate genotypes. These data support a hypothesis that UGTs modify the association between meat-derived PAH exposure and colon cancer by their role in the elimination of dietary carcinogens

An ancestry informative marker set for determining continental origin: validation and extension using human genome diversity panels

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Case-control genetic studies of complex human diseases can be confounded by population stratification. This issue can be addressed using panels of ancestry informative markers (AIMs) that can provide substantial population substructure information. Previously, we described a panel of 128 SNP AIMs that were designed as a tool for ascertaining the origins of subjects from Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, and East Asia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, genotypes from Human Genome Diversity Panel populations were used to further evaluate a 93 SNP AIM panel, a subset of the 128 AIMS set, for distinguishing continental origins. Using both model-based and relatively model-independent methods, we here confirm the ability of this AIM set to distinguish diverse population groups that were not previously evaluated. This study included multiple population groups from Oceana, South Asia, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, North and South America, and Europe. In addition, the 93 AIM set provides population substructure information that can, for example, distinguish Arab and Ashkenazi from Northern European population groups and Pygmy from other Sub-Saharan African population groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data provide additional support for using the 93 AIM set to efficiently identify continental subject groups for genetic studies, to identify study population outliers, and to control for admixture in association studies.</p