Developing Resilience through Collaborative Planning : A Case Study of Ferbane

Ph.D Thesis.The reshaping of the Irish economy over recent decades has threatened the resilience of small Irish towns previously dependent on resource extraction. This thesis focuses on one such town, Ferbane in Co. Offaly, made vulnerable when the winding-down of peat-fired electricity generation was announced in the late 1990s. In seeking to address such issues of rural decline, a model of collaborative planning called Integrated Area Planning (IAP) was developed and applied in Ferbane over the period 2001-2019. IAP had a deliberatively normative agenda, proposing that collaborative planning has the potential to prepare communities for innovation and ultimately for transformation. This thesis seeks to apply a resilience lens to the Integrated Area Planning framework, asking whether the process of IAP assisted in developing community resilience in Ferbane. Following a literature review, this question is operationalised by considering four key characteristics attributed to a resilient town. These are as follows: the town has implemented a development plan; the community has strong leadership; it displays a high degree of social capital; and it has the capacity to develop the local economy. In other words, the town possesses transformative capacity that allows it to invent new structure, enabling it to thrive in an unpredictable and changeable environment. Data presented ranges over the period 2001-2019 from qualitative, quantitative and documentary sources and was collected in parallel with the IAP, giving a rare longitudinal insight into this process. The thesis concludes that collaborative planning can stimulate pathways towards achieving transformative resilience. However, resilience cannot be achieved without a sympathetic policy and political environment. While the concept of resilience-building through collaborative planning was accepted in principle by elected representatives and state agencies in this case, it cannot be said to have succeeded in significantly changing planning systems and practices, such that many structural and institutional barriers remain

Comparison of cellular changes in cavalier King Charles spaniel and mixed breed dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine if there are differences in cellular changes in Cavalier King Charles spaniel (CKCS) myxomatous mitral valves compared to non-CKCS dogs. Animals: Cavalier King Charles spaniels (n = 6) and age-matched mixed breed (n = 6) with severe myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), and normal mixed breed (n = 4) dogs. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining and qualitative and quantitative analysis of mitral valves sections, examining for the presence of CD11c and CD45, vimentin, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and embryonic smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (Smemb), von Willebrand factor and CD31 and Ki-67. Results: Vimentin positive cell numbers were increased in the MMVD dogs and distributed throughout the valve with greatest density close to the endothelium. There were no significant differences in cell marker expression for the two diseased groups, but cell numbers were significantly increased compared to controls for α-SMA (CKCS only) and Smemb (CKCS and mixed breed: p < 0.05). Alpha smooth muscle actin+ cells were primarily located at the valve edge, with Smemb+ cells similarly located, but also present throughout the valve stroma. A small number of cells close to the valve edge co-expressed α-SMA and Smemb. Endothelial von Willebrand factor expression was identified in all valves, with evidence of disrupted endothelium in the diseased, but was also found in diseased valve stroma. There was no staining for CD11c, CD45 or CD31 in any valve. Ki-67+ cells formed linear clusters at the leaflet tip and were sparsely distributed throughout both myxomatous valve groups. Conclusions: The cellular changes notes with advanced stage MMVD appear similar for CKCS when compared to mixed breed dogs

The speaking vocabulary of kindergarten, grade I, grade II, and grade III

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

A Period and a Prediction for the Of?p Spectrum Alternator HD 191612

The observational picture of the enigmatic O-type spectrum variable HD191612 has been sharpened substantially. A symmetrical, low-amplitude light curve with a period near 540 d has recently been reported from Hipparcos photometry. This period satisfies all of the spectroscopy since at least 1982, including extensive new observations during 2003 and 2004, and it has predicted the next transition during September--October 2004. Measurements of the H alpha equivalent width reveal a sharp emission peak in the phase diagram, in contrast to the apparently sinusoidal light curve. The He II absorption-line strength is essentially constant, while He I varies strongly, possibly filled in by emission in the O6 state, thus producing the apparent spectral-type variations. The O8 state appears to be the "normal" one. Two intermediate O7 observations have been obtained, which fall at the expected phases, but these are the only modern observations of the transitions so far. The period is too long for rotation or pulsation; although there is no direct evidence as yet for a companion, a model in which tidally induced oscillations drive an enhanced wind near periastron of an eccentric orbit appears promising. Further observations during the now predictable transitions may provide a critical test. Ultraviolet and X-ray observations during both states will likely also prove illuminating.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; scheduled for the 2004 December 10 issue of ApJL, Vol. 617, No. 1. ApJ

An Evaluation of a Virtual Reality-Based Radiotherapy Environment (VERT) Experience for Medical Students

This poster will showcase a completed pre and post evaluation study investigating the effectiveness of using a 3-D virtual environment of radiotherapy (VERT) to provide training opportunities for Medical Students, in the area of Oncology and Radiotherapy. This study was conducted in February 2024; data analysis and synthesis still to be completed. The poster will present the study design, which involved distributing a questionnaire to 4th year medical students at the University of Liverpool, before and after the VERT-based radiotherapy environment experience training. To allow quantitative and qualitative data collection, the questionnaires utilised a combination of Likert scale and open-ended questions. Quantitative data will provide insights into students understanding and attitudes of radiotherapy and oncology concepts; with statistical analysis of the Likert scores revealing if the Radiotherapy Environment (VERT) Experience intervention led to statistically significant improvements in understanding. Thematic analysis of the open-ended questions will provide an appreciation of students’ experiences and may uncover recurring themes, challenges and potential areas for improvement for the VERT-based radiotherapy environment experience training

Development of an online palliative care medicines training series for health and social care staff

Aim or goal of work: Frontline support staff working in General Practice (GP) (i.e. receptionists), Community Pharmacies (CP) and Care Homes are likely to face issues concerning palliative care medicines amongst their patient group. Previous service evaluations by the authors found a need for sustainable and accessible palliative care training for these staff. A national online training resource on palliative medicines for health and social care staff was subsequently developed and is currently being evaluated. Design, methods & approach taken: Various education and training materials for these staff groups were consolidated and re-developed into one interactive course, comprised of Core sessions for all staff (e.g. Introduction to Palliative Care) and discipline specific sessions i.e. Pharmacy (e.g. Dispensing Opioids) and Care Home (e.g. Palliative Medicines & Risk of Falls) staff. User feedback was obtained via a questionnaire measuring satisfaction, usefulness and impact. Results: All 50 participants (11 staff from GP Practices, Community Pharmacies (n=9) and Care Homes (n=30)) agreed that the training was useful and with the correct degree of difficulty. Participants liked the delivery format and felt the training was “informative” and “easy to access”. Staff also reported that managers were supportive of them undertaking the training. The training provided a good introduction and, for some, a refresher to palliative care. Some participants provided real-life examples of how the training had been beneficial to (and applied by) them in the workplace. Conclusions and lessons learned: This new training resource provides education in an engaging, accessible format to frontline health and social care multi-disciplinary teams. It will be available nationally from November 2016 to support the provision of palliative care by frontline staff at the point of need

Development of the NES online palliative care medicines training series for health and social care support staff

Previous Macmillan Cancer Support and Health Board funded palliative care pharmacy service evaluations in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (urban) and NHS Highland (rural) (1-4) observed a steady integration of the community pharmacy team into local palliative care services. Frontline staff in General Practice, Community Pharmacies and Care Homes in these areas were found to lack knowledge about palliative care medicines amongst their patient group. Both evaluations resulted in the development and testing of training materials in a variety of face-to-face and online formats and for different support staff

Widespread reorganisation of pluripotent factor binding and gene regulatory interactions between human pluripotent states.

The transition from naive to primed pluripotency is accompanied by an extensive reorganisation of transcriptional and epigenetic programmes. However, the role of transcriptional enhancers and three-dimensional chromatin organisation in coordinating these developmental programmes remains incompletely understood. Here, we generate a high-resolution atlas of gene regulatory interactions, chromatin profiles and transcription factor occupancy in naive and primed human pluripotent stem cells, and develop a network-graph approach to examine the atlas at multiple spatial scales. We uncover highly connected promoter hubs that change substantially in interaction frequency and in transcriptional co-regulation between pluripotent states. Small hubs frequently merge to form larger networks in primed cells, often linked by newly-formed Polycomb-associated interactions. We identify widespread state-specific differences in enhancer activity and interactivity that correspond with an extensive reconfiguration of OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG binding and target gene expression. These findings provide multilayered insights into the chromatin-based gene regulatory control of human pluripotent states

Clinical and Echocardiographic Findings in an Aged Population of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common cardiac disease in dogs. It varies from dogs without clinical signs to those developing left-sided congestive heart failure, leading to death. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs) are particularly susceptible to MMVD. We hypothesised that within the elderly CKCS population, there is a sub-cohort of MMVD-affected dogs that do not have cardiac remodelling. The objectives of the present study were (i) to determine the prevalence and the degree of cardiac remodelling associated with MMVD; and (ii) assess the effect of age, gender, and body weight on echocardiographic status in a population of aged CKCSs. A total of 126 CKCSs ≥ 8 years old were prospectively included. They all had a physical and echocardiographic examination. A systolic murmur was detected in 89% of dogs; the presence of clinical signs was reported in 19% of them; and echocardiographic evidence of MMVD was described in 100%. Despite the high prevalence, 44.4% of the dogs were clear of echocardiographic signs of cardiac remodelling. Age was significantly associated with the presence and severity of cardiac remodelling and mitral valve prolapse. Our results showed that a proportion of elderly CKCS with confirmed MMVD did not undergo advanced stages of this pathology.This research was funded by the British CKCS Breed Club and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh