132 research outputs found
Race and citizenship after 2000 : educational policy and practice
The thesis develops from the introduction and analysis of an heuristic methodology, to a dedicated chapter that considers the issues raised in respect of minority ethnic citizenship, particularly in relation to identity. This chapter includes questions of semiotics, discourse, and the development of a dynamic model of change incorporating these related concepts. A critical perspective on the Crick Report follows, and examines whether the report does in fact give 'due regard' (CRE, 2001, p7) to issues of anti-racism and minority ethnic citizenship. The data chapters then present the results of field study both from within the Local Education Authority (LEA) as an institution, and from various schools throughout the county. Both contain comprehensive case studies; the LEA chapter introducing a 'typology of engagement' in relation to the issues raised by minority ethnic citizenship, whilst the pupil data returns to further analysis of identity related issues. The concluding chapter endeavours to pull the research findings together, considering the implications for both policy and practice, with attention given to further research that might follow from the findings. At the same time consideration is given to various texts and contexts presented throughout the thesis in order that these may be considered in overview from a more holistic perspective.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
School peer victimization of young people with craniofacial conditions : A comparative study
Young people with and without craniofacial conditions were compared on perceived incidence and frequency of school-based peer victimization and resultant distress; the relationship of craniofacial disfigurement severity to victimization incidence and frequency was also assessed. A deliberately biased sample-over-representing greater disfigurement-of 85 young people (9 to 16 years of age), continuing or having completed treatment for a craniofacial condition, were rated on current disfigurement severity, and responded to an extended version of the Direct and Indirect Aggression Scale (DIAS) presented as a structured telephone interview. Fifty-five matched school peers without craniofacial conditions responded to the same interview. Greater craniofacial disfigurement was associated with greater likelihood and frequency of being targeted with certain aggressive behaviours identified from the craniofacial literature. However, no more young people with, than without, craniofacial conditions experienced frequent victimization, considerable emotional distress or references to their appearance. This study provides a social comparison for victimized young people with craniofacial conditions. Knowing that those without disfigurement are also victimized may help ease their disfigurement-related cognitions. This study highlights the limitations of surgical correction for disfigurement, and promotes a more realistic view for victimization experiences and intervention options. Ā© 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd.C
A Partnership\u27s Effort to Improve the Teaching of K-12 Mathematics in Rapid City, South Dakota
Over the span of ten years, a National Science Foundationāfunded partnership effort has collected and analyzed multiple forms of evidence, both direct and indirect, about improved teaching of mathematics within Rapid City Area Schools. This article describes the project\u27s impact on Kā12 teaching and factors contributing to that impact. The authors argue that improvements in teaching are attributable largely to a robust infrastructure established to support teacher growth. Direct evidence includes classroom observations conducted by the project\u27s external evaluation team. Indirect evidence exists in the form of data on student outcomes: achievement on the state\u27s multipleāchoice accountability measure and achievement on projectāadministered performance assessments
Association between essential tremor and blood lead concentration
Lead is a ubiquitous toxicant that causes tremor and cerebellar damage. Essential tremor (ET) is a highly prevalent neurologic disease associated with cerebellar involvement. Although environmental toxicants may play a role in ET etiology and their identification is a critical step in disease prevention, these toxicants have received little attention. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that ET is associated with lead exposure. Therefore, blood lead (BPb) concentrations were measured and a lifetime occupational history was assessed in ET patients and in controls. We frequency matched 100 ET patients and 143 controls on age, sex, and ethnicity. BPb concentrations were analyzed using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A lifetime occupational history was reviewed by an industrial hygienist. BPb concentrations were higher in ET patients than in controls (mean Ā± SD, 3.3 Ā± 2.4 and 2.6 Ā± 1.6 Āµg/dL, respectively; median, 2.7 and 2.3 Āµg/dL; p = 0.038). In a logistic regression model, BPb concentration was associated with diagnosis [control vs. ET patient, odds ratio (OR) per unit increase = 1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-1.39; p = 0.007]. BPb concentration was associated with diagnosis (OR per unit increase = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.03-1.37; p = 0.02) after adjusting for potential confounders. Prevalence of lifetime occupational lead exposure was similar in ET patients and controls. We report an association between BPb concentration and ET. Determining whether this association is due to increased exposure to lead or a difference in lead kinetics in ET patients requires further investigation
Mouse hitchhiker mutants have spina bifida, dorso-ventral patterning defects and polydactyly: identification of Tulp3 as a novel negative regulator of the Sonic hedgehog pathway
The mammalian Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signalling pathway is essential for embryonic development and the patterning of multiple organs. Disruption or activation of Shh signalling leads to multiple birth defects, including holoprosencephaly, neural tube defects and polydactyly, and in adults results in tumours of the skin or central nervous system. Genetic approaches with model organisms continue to identify novel components of the pathway, including key molecules that function as positive or negative regulators of Shh signalling. Data presented here define Tulp3 as a novel negative regulator of the Shh pathway. We have identified a new mouse mutant that is a strongly hypomorphic allele of Tulp3 and which exhibits expansion of ventral markers in the caudal spinal cord, as well as neural tube defects and preaxial polydactyly, consistent with increased Shh signalling. We demonstrate that Tulp3 acts genetically downstream of Shh and Smoothened (Smo) in neural tube patterning and exhibits a genetic interaction with Gli3 in limb development. We show that Tulp3 does not appear to alter expression or processing of Gli3, and we demonstrate that transcriptional regulation of other negative regulators (Rab23, Fkbp8, Thm1, Sufu and PKA) is not affected. We discuss the possible mechanism of action of Tulp3 in Shh-mediated signalling in light of these new data
From Clock Synchronization to Dark Matter as a Relativistic Inertial Effect
Lecture at BOSS2011 on relativistic metrology, on clock synchronization,
relativistic dynamics and non-inertial frames in Minkowski spacetime, on
relativistic atomic physics, on ADM canonical tetrad gravity in asymptotically
Minkowskian spacetimes, on the York canonical basis identifying the inertial
(gauge) and tidal degrees of freedom of the gravitational field, on the
Post-Minkowskian linearization in 3-orthogonal gauges, on the Post-Newtonian
limit of matter Hamilton equations, on the possibility to interpret dark matter
as a relativistic inertial effect connected with relativistic metrology (i.e.
clock synchronization) in Einstein GR.Comment: 90 pages. Lecture at BOSS201
BHPR research: qualitative1.āComplex reasoning determines patients' perception of outcome following foot surgery in rheumatoid arhtritis
Background: Foot surgery is common in patients with RA but research into surgical outcomes is limited and conceptually flawed as current outcome measures lack face validity: to date no one has asked patients what is important to them. This study aimed to determine which factors are important to patients when evaluating the success of foot surgery in RA Methods: Semi structured interviews of RA patients who had undergone foot surgery were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of interviews was conducted to explore issues that were important to patients. Results: 11 RA patients (9 ā, mean age 59, dis dur = 22yrs, mean of 3 yrs post op) with mixed experiences of foot surgery were interviewed. Patients interpreted outcome in respect to a multitude of factors, frequently positive change in one aspect contrasted with negative opinions about another. Overall, four major themes emerged. Function: Functional ability & participation in valued activities were very important to patients. Walking ability was a key concern but patients interpreted levels of activity in light of other aspects of their disease, reflecting on change in functional ability more than overall level. Positive feelings of improved mobility were often moderated by negative self perception ("I mean, I still walk like a waddling duckā). Appearance: Appearance was important to almost all patients but perhaps the most complex theme of all. Physical appearance, foot shape, and footwear were closely interlinked, yet patients saw these as distinct separate concepts. Patients need to legitimize these feelings was clear and they frequently entered into a defensive repertoire ("it's not cosmetic surgery; it's something that's more important than that, you know?ā). Clinician opinion: Surgeons' post operative evaluation of the procedure was very influential. The impact of this appraisal continued to affect patients' lasting impression irrespective of how the outcome compared to their initial goals ("when he'd done it ... he said that hasn't worked as good as he'd wanted to ... but the pain has goneā). Pain: Whilst pain was important to almost all patients, it appeared to be less important than the other themes. Pain was predominately raised when it influenced other themes, such as function; many still felt the need to legitimize their foot pain in order for health professionals to take it seriously ("in the end I went to my GP because it had happened a few times and I went to an orthopaedic surgeon who was quite dismissive of it, it was like what are you complaining aboutā). Conclusions: Patients interpret the outcome of foot surgery using a multitude of interrelated factors, particularly functional ability, appearance and surgeons' appraisal of the procedure. While pain was often noted, this appeared less important than other factors in the overall outcome of the surgery. Future research into foot surgery should incorporate the complexity of how patients determine their outcome Disclosure statement: All authors have declared no conflicts of interes
Varying constants, Gravitation and Cosmology
Fundamental constants are a cornerstone of our physical laws. Any constant
varying in space and/or time would reflect the existence of an almost massless
field that couples to matter. This will induce a violation of the universality
of free fall. It is thus of utmost importance for our understanding of gravity
and of the domain of validity of general relativity to test for their
constancy. We thus detail the relations between the constants, the tests of the
local position invariance and of the universality of free fall. We then review
the main experimental and observational constraints that have been obtained
from atomic clocks, the Oklo phenomenon, Solar system observations, meteorites
dating, quasar absorption spectra, stellar physics, pulsar timing, the cosmic
microwave background and big bang nucleosynthesis. At each step we describe the
basics of each system, its dependence with respect to the constants, the known
systematic effects and the most recent constraints that have been obtained. We
then describe the main theoretical frameworks in which the low-energy constants
may actually be varying and we focus on the unification mechanisms and the
relations between the variation of different constants. To finish, we discuss
the more speculative possibility of understanding their numerical values and
the apparent fine-tuning that they confront us with.Comment: 145 pages, 10 figures, Review for Living Reviews in Relativit
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