A human approach to restructuring the education system: why schools in England need social pedagogy

In this article, we contend that the current schools’ system in England needs to be carefully reconsidered if we are to offer opportunities for success (in its broadest sense) to those whom our current, technocratic education system excludes. With a focus on social pedagogy and human-centred learning systems, we argue that continued modifications to the existing education system are no longer sufficient and that an ideology overhaul is needed before any significant positive progress can be made. To this end, we suggest various ways that schools might work towards developing healthier and more inclusive communities, built on the key social pedagogical foundations of positive relationships, democracy, inclusion, creativity and pedagogical love. We also make recommendations for an education system in which the teacher, as a highly trained professional, can enjoy a professional autonomy commensurate with their level of qualification. Finally, we dispel some of the myths that have prevented radical, community-focused change to date

Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and antenatal human B cell lymphopoiesis: Expression of SDF-1 by mesothelial cells and biliary ductal plate epithelial cells

The chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) stimulates the growth of pre-B cells in vitro, and mice with a disrupted SDF-1 gene have abnormal fetal liver B cell lymphopoiesis. The origin of SDF-1 production has not been determined yet. Using an anti-SDF-1 mAb, we performed immunohistochemical studies in four human embryos and five fetuses to define which cells express the SDF-1 protein at sites of antenatal B cell lymphopoiesis. All mesothelial cells contained SDF-1 at all stages of development, including in the intraembryonic splanchnopleuric mesoderm early into gestation. In fetal lungs and kidneys, SDF-1 was expressed by epithelial cells, and a few B lymphoid precursors, expressing V pre-B chains, were also detected. In the fetal liver, in addition to mesothelial cells, biliary epithelial cells were the only cells to contain SDF-1. Pre-B cells expressing V chains were abundant and exclusively located around the edge of portal spaces, in close contact with biliary ductal plate epithelial cells. They did not colocalize with biliary collecting ducts. Biliary ductal plate epithelial cells and liver B cell lymphopoiesis display a parallel development and disappearance during fetal life. These results indicate that early B cell lymphopoiesis in the splanchnopleura may be triggered by mesothelial cells producing SDF-1. Later into gestation, biliary ductal plate epithelial cells may support B cell lymphopoiesis, thus playing a role similar to that of epithelial cells in the avian bursa of Fabricius, and of thymic epithelial cells for T cell lymphopoiesis

Breaking the Silence: Providing Authentic Opportunities for Parents to be Heard

Within Western society over the past 30 years a vivid picture has emerged of exactly what a ‘good parent’ looks like. This ideal parent works hard in order to contribute to the economic wellbeing of the nation at the same time as having abundant time for the nurture and educational development of their child. This parent does not question or challenge, but rather silently supports the superior knowledge of researchers, policy makers and educationalists. This parent is ‘valued’ as the child’s first educator, yet, we argue in this piece, has no voice. In this literature-based article we explore the silencing of parents within educational systems and look at the possibility of creating more authentic partnerships between them and educational settings. We challenge notions of parental conformity and instead encourage educational cultures where parents are invited to suggest and challenge, inspire and educate. We look at ways of opening positive channels of communication between parents and educationalists, where knowledge and perceptions of quality can be genuinely shared, recognising and respecting the multiple dimensions of school and family life

Integrated Multiscale Chemical Product Design using Property Clustering and Decomposition Techniques in a Reverse Problem Formulation

In recent years, chemical engineers in the Process Systems Engineering (PSE) community have increasingly been using their skill set to solve problems in areas beyond the chemical manufacturing processes, focusing instead on the chemical products themselves. This trend reflects a movement within the field to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive and global consumer products marketplace that stresses being the first to market in conjunction with being the highest volume and lowest cost manufacturer. By definition, chemically formulated products deliver specific attributes to the consumer by manipulating a multitude of separate and often competing mechanisms in molecular architecture that operate over a wide range of length and time scales. Examples of chemical products include performance chemicals, paints, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, proteins, semi-conductors, and foods, among others. Like process design, computer aided chemical product design is a complex programming problem. Generating, integrating, and managing the information, data, and knowledge at multiple length scales for use in various types of product design problems is a significant undertaking. The traditional approach to managing the complexity of this problem has been to compute information at smaller length scales and pass it to models at larger length scales by removing degrees of freedom (coarse-graining) with the objective being to predict macroscopic properties from molecular information. While often the most accurate method for predicting properties, this simulated approach has two limitations: (1) it has an immense computational cost due to hierarchical nesting and (2) it utilizes a priori knowledge of the molecular architecture (i.e. the number and types of atoms or electrons present). This dissertation covers the development of a novel, alternative approach that allows for the simultaneous design of a chemical product's molecular architecture across multiple scales using a reverse problem formulation, property clustering, and decomposition techniques. The developed framework is specifically designed to utilize experimental data, parameters, and models since the effectiveness of a chemical product is most often determined by consumer attributes based on consumer preference tests. In this work, three specific methodologies are developed. The first method, Attribute Computer Aided Mixture (Blend) Design (aCAMbD) is an extension of Computer Aided Mixture (Blend) Design (CAMbD) and includes experimental data and regression models, specifically, Scheffe canonical and Cox polynomial models. Necessary adjustments to the original clustering algorithm are identified and the design method is rewritten accordingly. The end result is a method capable of performing a mixture design on any chemical constituent data set across multiple length scales, as long as accurate attribute-component models can be established. A case study mixture design of spun yarn is presented to illustrate the method. The second method developed is Attribute Computer Aided Molecular Design (aCAMD). It is an extension of Computer Aided Molecular Design (CAMD) to include experimental data and regression models, while continuing to use group contribution method (GCM) based property models. The technique uses design of experiments (DOE) to generate an attribute-property relationship and maps the attribute information into a property domain where molecular design can proceed. Adjustments to the property clustering algorithm are made to reflect the new design approach. The result is a method capable of performing molecular design on any attribute data set as long as a strong relationship between attribute and property models can be established. A case study involving the molecular design of environmentally benign refrigerants is presented to illustrate the method. The third method developed is Characterization Based Computer Aided Molecular Design (cCAMD). It is a wholly new method that addresses the limitations of aCAMbD and aCAMD, namely difficulty in finding suitable attribute-component and attribute-property models for complex chemical products. The method uses characterization tools like infrared and near-infrared spectroscopy (IR/NIR) to generate a set of data from a chemical constituent training set and then applies decomposition algorithms like principal component analysis (PCA) to find the underlying latent variable data structure. A parameterization of the data structure into a characterization based group contribution method (cGCM) follows. Attribute data is then mapped into the latent domain using a separate principal component regression (PCR) or partial linear regression on to latent surfaces (PLS) model. A molecular design is then performed in the latent domain. The resulting method is capable of performing structured molecular design across multiple scales for any system of attributes whose molecular architecture can be adequately described by characterization methods. A case study on the particle design of pharmaceutical excipients for an acetaminophen tablet is presented to illustrate the method

A Whole School Approach to Language Development in the Early Years: Professional Development in Action

This article presents findings from a staged evaluation of a three year longitudinal research project, now at the end of its second year, undertaken by the University of Worcester in collaboration with North Town Primary School, situated in Southern England. It uses an action research approach to foreground intervention strategies used to support children entering school with speech and language delay. Data collection took an interpretivist approach, acknowledging the diverse range of variables present in a child’s life, and sought to focus upon the lived experience of practitioners supporting children’s language development within the study school. The following paper reflects upon the impact of the project so far. It indicates a shift in culture at the school, with a greater emphasis and value being placed upon tools to support children’s language enrichment, recognizing the impact that these can have on a child’s confidence and independence. Conversely it also identifies some fundamental issues which remain; the most concerning being that the skills needed to support the development of children’s speech and language remain lacking within initial teacher training. It highlights the necessity for professional development within speech, language and communication to be fully acknowledged at policy level if we are to adequately cater for the needs of our children, especially those who are most vulnerable