Chilli-briquettes modify the temporal behaviour of elephants, but not their numbers

Crop loss to foraging elephants is one of the most significant causes of conflict between people and elephants in areas where wild elephants share resources with people. Effective solutions to reduce the effects of human-elephant conflict on local livelihoods are thus essential to foster coexistence between elephants and people. We assessed the effectiveness of chilli-briquettes (bricks made of dry chilli, elephant dung and water) in altering elephants use of space in the eastern Okavango Panhandle, Botswana. We burned > 600 briquettes during the night over a 2-month period to test five treatments: frequent burning of (1) chilli and (2) chilli-free briquettes, occasional burning of (3) chilli and (4) chilli-free briquettes, and (5) a control treatment. Using camera traps and footprint surveys we assessed the number of elephants that used experimental sites, and the times at which they did so. We found elephants changed their movement behaviour from predominantly nocturnal to diurnal in areas where chilli-briquettes were burned throughout the night; however, there was no difference in the mean numbers of individuals between treatments with and without chillies. In other words, chilli-briquettes had a repellent but not a deterrent effect on elephants, keeping them away only at times when chilli-briquettes were smouldering. Based on these findings we recommend the use of chilli-briquettes as a method to deter elephants in the short term. In the long term, chilli-briquettes should be applied in combination with other larger-scale mitigation approaches, such as land management and cooperative community-based tools

Determining baselines for human-elephant conflict: A matter of time

Elephant crop raiding is one of the most relevant forms of human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Africa. Northern Botswana holds the largest population of African elephants in the world, and in the eastern Okavango Panhandle, 16,000 people share and compete for resources with more than 11,000 elephants. Hence, it is not surprising this area represents a HEC ‘hotspot’ in the region. Crop-raiding impacts lead to negative perceptions of elephants by local communities, which can strongly undermine conservation efforts. Therefore, assessing trends in conflict levels is essential to developing successful management strategies. In this context, we investigated the trend in the number of reported raiding incidents as one of the indicators of the level of HEC, and assessed its relationship to trends in human and elephant population size, as well as land-use in the study area. For each of these factors, we considered data spanning historical (since the 1970s) and contemporary (2008–2015) time frames, with the aim of comparing subsequent inferences on the drivers of crop raiding and predictions for the future. We find that the level of reported crop raiding by elephants in the eastern Panhandle appears to have decreased since 2008, which seems to be related to the reduction in agricultural land allocated to people in recent years, more than with human and elephant population size. We show that inferences regarding the drivers of HEC and predictions for the future are dependent on the time span of the data used. Although our study represents a first step in developing a HEC baseline in the eastern Panhandle, it highlights the need for additional multi-scale analyses that consider progress in conservation conflict to better understand and predict drivers of HEC in the region

Improving confidence in hands-on scientific skills post-pandemic

BACKGROUND AND AIMS For undergraduate science classes, practical activities serve to reinforce theory; familiarise students with a scientific laboratory; promote laboratory techniques and technical dexterity; and facilitate peer-to-peer learning and interaction (Kemm & Dantas, 2007; Rice et al., 2009). In comparison to other disciplines, practical classes and hands-on skills are an essential part of face-to-face teaching (Anderton et al., 2021). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is now obvious in science-based disciplines with some students having studied two thirds of their degree online. The consequence of not providing opportunities to use equipment, handle instruments, and physically see reactions and specimens while learning online, has increased anxiety and knocked confidence of students returning to face-to-face study.  Academics are having to teach basic hands-on skills that students were not able to practice early in their programs. This project, funded by the Australian Council of Deans of Science, aimed to identify the key core competencies for scientific skills across disciplines from a student and academic perspective; co-create appropriate resources to supplement and support learning of hands-on skills for these competencies; and improve student confidence in developing their hands-on skills. DESIGN AND METHODS Core scientific skills and preference of learning style during the pandemic were identified by surveying academics and students in science-based disciplines. This information was used to inform a co-creation workshop where academics and students worked together to blueprint resources to support learning of key hands-on skills. Researchers of this project supported the development of resources in their scientific discipline with expertise from professional staff. The effectiveness of resources, in supporting learning of core hands-on scientific skills to improve student confidence, will be reviewed in a focus group where students will trial the resources while completing scientific tasks. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Students and academics ranked lab safety, calculations, keeping a lab book and data analysis as the most required hands-on scientific skills. The most favoured resources to support them were instructional videos produced by staff or peers, hands-on practice sessions outside of structured class time and quizzes. Students also found text resources and regular Zoom meetings important to their online learning. Interestingly, the required hands-on skills did not explicitly need to be taught face-to-face for students to master the skill. In addition, academics also used data sets, photos and computer simulations to teach hands-on skills online with an overall 50% engagement from students. Students were most impacted by not being able to handle equipment (45.5%) which caused a lack of confidence (44%) in their hands-on skills. Both academics and students believed this could be supported by authentic videos and practice sessions where there is no time limit or assessment pressure to learn a skill. This may improve student engagement in scientific courses and reduce the skills gap for those students who studied during the pandemic. REFERENCES Anderton, R. S., Vitali, J., Blackmore, C., W. & Bakeberg, M.C. (2021). Flexible Teaching and Learning Modalities in Undergraduate Science amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Frontiers in Education, 5:609703. Kemm R. E., & Dantas, A. M. (2007). Research-led learning in biological science practical activities: supported by student-centered e-learning. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 21, A220–A220. Rice, J. W., Thomas, S. M., O’Toole, P., & Pannizon, D. (2009). Tertiary Science Education in the 21st Century (pp. 136). Melbourne, Australia: Australian Learning and Teaching Council

1.21 Improving pesticide regulation by use of impact analyses: A case study for bees

When changes to regulatory guidance for risk assessment are proposed it is necessary to undertake an impact analysis to assess whether they bring the desired improvement to a risk assessment and reliability of the outcomes to inform decision making. In particular impact analyses should estimate the chances of getting both false negative (concluding low risk where more research is needed) and false positive outcomes (concluding high risks where the product is of low risk). Such analyses are also used to inform on future product development costs and workload for regulatory authorities. In this paper, we present the findings from an impact analysis conducted on the proposed EFSA bee guidance document (2013) and discuss whether the proposed guidance would provide for a cost effective and tiered approach toward the protection of bees due to the potential risks posed by the use of plant protection products. Following on from this a second impact assessment is presented based on new data generated by ECPA member companies regarding the assessment of chronic risk to bees. Critical areas are discussed and suggestions for the improvement of assess the risk assessment for plant protection products (PPP) to bees are presented.When changes to regulatory guidance for risk assessment are proposed it is necessary to undertake an impact analysis to assess whether they bring the desired improvement to a risk assessment and reliability of the outcomes to inform decision making. In particular impact analyses should estimate the chances of getting both false negative (concluding low risk where more research is needed) and false positive outcomes (concluding high risks where the product is of low risk). Such analyses are also used to inform on future product development costs and workload for regulatory authorities. In this paper, we present the findings from an impact analysis conducted on the proposed EFSA bee guidance document (2013) and discuss whether the proposed guidance would provide for a cost effective and tiered approach toward the protection of bees due to the potential risks posed by the use of plant protection products. Following on from this a second impact assessment is presented based on new data generated by ECPA member companies regarding the assessment of chronic risk to bees. Critical areas are discussed and suggestions for the improvement of assess the risk assessment for plant protection products (PPP) to bees are presented

Parents and carers' experiences of seeking health information and support online for long-term physical childhood conditions: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research

© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2020. Objective To systematically review and synthesise qualitative research exploring parents/carers' experiences of seeking online information and support for long-term physical childhood conditions. Design Systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research. Data sources Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO and the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences were searched from inception to September 2019. We used thematic synthesis to analyse findings. Eligibility criteria Primary research papers presenting qualitative data collection and analysis, focusing on parents/carers' experiences of seeking health information and support from online resources for long-term physical childhood health conditions. No language restrictions were placed. Results 23 studies from seven countries met inclusion criteria and were included in the synthesis. Included studies presented data collected through interviews/focus groups with 559 parents/carers; free-text surveys and essays with 26 parents/carers and 2407 messages from online support groups. Parents/carers developed a variety of strategies to obtain information and support online, based on personal preferences, appraisal of trustworthiness, perceived needs and previous experiences online. Many parents sought the benefits of online information and support, which included reassurance and validation from online communities, and feeling they had greater knowledge about their children's conditions. Some concerns and perceived risks were discussed, which often stemmed from prior unsatisfactory experiences of seeking information and support online, consultations with health professionals and seeing distressing stories online. Conclusion Most parents/carers were successful in obtaining information and support online. Many continued to share experiences with other parents/carers online. The need for information was particularly apparent early after diagnosis of the condition, whereas the need for peer support continued. The potential concerns and perceived risks with information and support online were especially apparent among parents/carers of children with life-limiting long-term conditions. Findings may be useful for health professionals to facilitate discussions regarding use of online resources, and researchers designing online health resources for parents/carers. PROSPERO registration number CRD42018096009

Are we developing career-readiness skills in science graduates?

BACKGROUND As students transition from university education to employment, they require a range of skills and competencies to ensure future career readiness, including technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, effective communication, social network building, cultural awareness, resilience, and adaptability (Jackson, 2018; Roberts, 2016; Tomlinson, 2017). A number of these attributes are captured within the Threshold Learning Outcomes for Science graduates (Jones et al., 2011). The fluidity of careers also requires a greater emphasis on the development of metacognitive and reflective abilities so that graduates will have the capability, capacity, and confidence to use their personal resources appropriately and flexibly, regardless of environment. However, recent research has suggested that generic skill development is lacking in undergraduate science curricula (Sarkar et al., 2020). The work presented here aimed to understand more about the employability skills viewed as important by academics, students, graduates, and industry whilst also gauging perceived levels of attainment and confidence in those skills. DESIGN AND METHODS The confidence and capability of academics to prepare Science students to be career ready was explored by conducting surveys and community-of-practice style workshops. The perspectives of industry employers, students, and graduates was sought via surveys and focus groups. This information was then used in a co-creation workshop to identify effective ways of providing career pathways and industry connections to students as well as to develop employability skills. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Survey results identified four key employability skills that were deemed important by all groups, but which industry felt were underdeveloped in graduates, and in which students were not confident. These were: working in a team and acknowledging other viewpoints, effective time management, communication to various audiences and making confident decisions. Discussions held in the academic-specific workshop identified key roadblocks to the effective implementation of employability skill development. These were: lack of opportunity/time to integrate skills into existing curricula, engaging students to participate, and assessment of the skills. The co-creation workshop then captured industry and academic insights facilitating the development of potential methodologies to overcome these roadblocks to help in teaching the key skills identified. Outcomes will be used to develop national best-practice guidelines for the integration of employability skill development. This may facilitate changes to the Science curriculum to ensure graduates are career ready. REFERENCES Jackson, D. (2018). Developing graduate career readiness in Australia: Shifting from extra-curricular internships to work-integrated learning. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 19, 23-35. Jones, S., Yates, B., & Kelder, J. (2011). Science Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement. Australian Learning & Teaching Council, Sydney. Roberts, S. (2016). Capital limits: Social class, motivations for term-time job searching and the consequences of joblessness among UK university students. Journal of Youth Studies, 20, 1–18. Sarkar, M., Overton, T., Thompson, C. D., & Rayner, G. (2020). Academics’ perspectives of the teaching and development of generic employability skills in science curricula. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(2), 346–361. Tomlinson, M. (2017). Forms of graduate capital and their relationship to graduate employability. Education + Training, 59, 338-352

Parental experiences of eczema advice in online parenting forums: a qualitative interview study

Background: Parents of children with eczema are increasingly turning to online parenting forums for advice about how to manage it. Little is known about how parents make sense of advice about eczema treatments in online forums, and how it affects their management of childhood eczema.Aim: To explore how parents of children with eczema make sense of and act on advice about eczema treatments exchanged in online parenting forums.Design & setting: Qualitative interviews with parents of children with eczema from the UK.Method: Fifteen parents were recruited through online advertisements and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were carried out face to face or by telephone, and analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis.Results: When seeking advice from online parenting forums about eczema treatments, parents described appraising the credibility of advice and considering the potential suitability of treatments that were recommended in the forum. Parents proceeded to make sense of online advice through either reading advice and not engaging in online discussions, or actively engaging in online discussions to direct topics and seek most relevant advice. Parents discussed advice received online in subsequent consultations with their GP and requested prescriptions of recommended treatments. Some parents described trying new treatments without consulting their GP

Future-proofing career readiness in science graduates: where, when and how?

BACKGROUND To ensure future career readiness, students must develop a range of skills and capacities including technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, effective communication, social and professional network building, interpersonal and cultural awareness, resilience, and adaptability (Jackson, 2018; Roberts, 2016; Tomlinson, 2017) as well as develop a well-grounded self-identity (Jackson, 2017). Given that careers are continuously evolving and perpetually fluid (Starr-Glass, 2019), graduates also need to critically perceive, engage, and reflect on their own identity and self-efficacy (Sarkar et al., 2016). However, recent research has shown that there is a lack of generic skill development in undergraduate science curricula (Sarkar et al., 2020) and academics have expressed concerns about their ability to provide reflective practice opportunities for students. This project, funded by the Australian Council of Deans of Science, aims to enhance the confidence and capability of academics to enhance their students career readiness; promote collaborative curriculum development between industry partners, graduates, and students; and develop national best practice guidelines for the enhancement of science graduate employability skills. THE WORKSHOP You are invited to join us for a collaborative and interactive workshop to explore where, when, and how employability skills could be implemented within the Sciences curriculum. We have used insights from students, graduates, industry employers and academics to propose possible best practice guidelines. This workshop will specifically road-test the co-created guidelines while also providing an opportunity for participants to further explore the following aspects: development of generic skills identified as more difficult to teach (such as metacognitive and reflective abilities, resilience and adaptability) enhancing the knowledge of career pathways and connecting with employers scaffolding and integration of work integrated learning activities into the curriculum (both in the workplace and in the classroom). REFERENCES Jackson, D. (2017). Developing pre-professional identity in undergraduates through work-integrated learning. Higher Education, 74, 833–853. Jackson, D. (2018) Developing graduate career readiness in Australia: Shifting from extra-curricular internships to work-integrated learning. International J Work-Integrated Learning, 19, 23-35. Roberts, S. (2016). Capital limits: Social class, motivations for term-time job searching and the consequences of joblessness among UK university students. Journal of Youth Studies, 20, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2016.1260697 Sarkar, M., Overton, T., Thompson, C. D., & Rayner, G.  (2016) Graduate employability: View of recent science graduates and employers. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 24(3), 31-48. Sarkar, M., Overton, T., Thompson, C. D., & Rayner, G. (2020). Academics’ perspectives of the teaching and development of generic employability skills in science curricula. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(2), 346–361. Starr-Glass D (2019) Doing and being: future graduates, careers and Industry 4.0. On the Horizon, 27, 145–152. Tomlinson M (2017) Forms of graduate capital and their relationship to graduate employability. Education + Training, 59, 338-352

Association between rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, progression of functional limitation and long-term risk of orthopaedic surgery : Combined analysis of two prospective cohorts supports EULAR treat to target DAS thresholds

Objectives: To examine the association between disease activity in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), functional limitation and long-term orthopaedic episodes. Methods: Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability scores were collected from two longitudinal early RA inception cohorts in routine care; Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Study and Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Network from 1986 to 2012. The incidence of major and intermediate orthopaedic surgical episodes over 25 years was collected from national data sets. Disease activity was categorised by mean disease activity score (DAS28) annually between years 1 and 5; remission (RDAS≤2.6), low (LDAS>2.6-3.2), low-moderate (LMDAS≥3.2-4.19), high-moderate (HMDAS 4.2-5.1) and high (HDAS>5.1). Results: Data from 2045 patients were analysed. Patients in RDAS showed no HAQ progression over 5 years, whereas there was a significant relationship between rising DAS28 category and HAQ at 1 year, and the rate of HAQ progression between years 1 and 5. During 27 986 person-years follow-up, 392 intermediate and 591 major surgeries were observed. Compared with the RDAS category, there was a significantly increased cumulative incidence of intermediate surgery in HDAS (OR 2.59 CI 1.49 to 4.52) and HMDAS (OR 1.8 CI 1.05 to 3.11) categories, and for major surgery in HDAS (OR 2.48 CI 1.5 to 4.11), HMDAS (OR 2.16 CI 1.32 to 3.52) and LMDAS (OR 2.07 CI 1.28 to 3.33) categories. There was no significant difference in HAQ progression or orthopaedic episodes between RDAS and LDAS categories. Conclusions: There is an association between disease activity and both poor function and long-term orthopaedic episodes. This illustrates the far from benign consequences of persistent moderate disease activity, and supports European League Against Rheumatism treat to target recommendations to secure low disease activity or remission in all patients.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio