Coaching for Teachers

The Purpose of this Booklet This booklet is intended to provide succinct guidance to teachers, leaders and other practitioners in schools on current research and methodologies related to coaching. Coaching is increasingly seen as an important, key element in practitioner professional learning. The Welsh Government’s recent publication ‘Investing in excellence: Our national workforce development plan 2019–21’ (Welsh Government, 2019) includes commitments to: • a dedicated programme of coaching and mentoring and a set of standards for mentor support along with a programme of common professional learning for mentors. (designed for) practitioners in the early career stages • the introduction of an enhanced programme that includes coaching, mentoring and a high-level development programme (to support leadership and succession planning) The national professional learning model (NAPL) is the government’s vehicle for the design and delivery of professional learning (https://gov.wales/national-approach-professional-learning-napl ). In the context of practitioner coaching and mentoring, the following design features are particularly pertinent: The professional learner is near the centre of our national approach. Professional Learning should be intended and designed to be a personalised response to individual professional learners’ needs, taking into account their experience, expertise and aspirations. (Welsh Government, 2019) There are clearly links to effective teaching and learning also, and hence to the Welsh Government’s professional standards for teaching and leadership (Welsh Government, 2018). Whilst the focus in this booklet is on the teaching profession, coaching has already been shown to be truly beneficial for the development of a wide range of professions, and for activities both inside and outside work (Passmore & Fillery-Travis, 2011). Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplas

Hyfforddi i Athrawon

Bwriad y llyfryn hwn yw rhoi cyfarwyddyd cryno i athrawon,arweinwyr ac ymarferwyr eraill mewn ysgolion ynghylch ymchwil cyfredol a methodolegau’n gysylltiedig â hyfforddi

Discovery of Inhibitors of Leishmania β-1,2-Mannosyltransferases Using a Click-Chemistry-Derived Guanosine Monophosphate Library

Leishmania spp. are a medically important group of protozoan parasites that synthesize a novel intracellular carbohydrate reserve polymer termed mannogen. Mannogen is a soluble homopolymer of β-1,2-linked mannose residues that accumulates in the major pathogenic stages in the sandfly vector and mammalian host. While several steps in mannogen biosynthesis have been defined, none of the enzymes have been isolated or characterized. We report the development of a simple assay for the GDP-mannose–dependent β-1,2-mannosyltransferases involved in mannogen synthesis. This assay utilizes octyl α-d-mannopyranoside to prime the formation of short mannogen oligomers up to 5 mannose residues. This assay was used to screen a focussed library of 44 GMP-triazole adducts for inhibitors. Several compounds provided effective inhibition of mannogen β-1,2-mannosyltransferases in a cell-free membrane preparation. This assay and inhibitor compounds will be useful for dissecting the role of different mannosyltransferases in regulating de novo biosynthesis and elongation reactions in mannogen metabolism

Adjunctive rifampicin for Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (ARREST): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia is a common cause of severe community-acquired and hospital-acquired infection worldwide. We tested the hypothesis that adjunctive rifampicin would reduce bacteriologically confirmed treatment failure or disease recurrence, or death, by enhancing early S aureus killing, sterilising infected foci and blood faster, and reducing risks of dissemination and metastatic infection. METHODS: In this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults (≥18 years) with S aureus bacteraemia who had received ≤96 h of active antibiotic therapy were recruited from 29 UK hospitals. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a computer-generated sequential randomisation list to receive 2 weeks of adjunctive rifampicin (600 mg or 900 mg per day according to weight, oral or intravenous) versus identical placebo, together with standard antibiotic therapy. Randomisation was stratified by centre. Patients, investigators, and those caring for the patients were masked to group allocation. The primary outcome was time to bacteriologically confirmed treatment failure or disease recurrence, or death (all-cause), from randomisation to 12 weeks, adjudicated by an independent review committee masked to the treatment. Analysis was intention to treat. This trial was registered, number ISRCTN37666216, and is closed to new participants. FINDINGS: Between Dec 10, 2012, and Oct 25, 2016, 758 eligible participants were randomly assigned: 370 to rifampicin and 388 to placebo. 485 (64%) participants had community-acquired S aureus infections, and 132 (17%) had nosocomial S aureus infections. 47 (6%) had meticillin-resistant infections. 301 (40%) participants had an initial deep infection focus. Standard antibiotics were given for 29 (IQR 18-45) days; 619 (82%) participants received flucloxacillin. By week 12, 62 (17%) of participants who received rifampicin versus 71 (18%) who received placebo experienced treatment failure or disease recurrence, or died (absolute risk difference -1·4%, 95% CI -7·0 to 4·3; hazard ratio 0·96, 0·68-1·35, p=0·81). From randomisation to 12 weeks, no evidence of differences in serious (p=0·17) or grade 3-4 (p=0·36) adverse events were observed; however, 63 (17%) participants in the rifampicin group versus 39 (10%) in the placebo group had antibiotic or trial drug-modifying adverse events (p=0·004), and 24 (6%) versus six (2%) had drug interactions (p=0·0005). INTERPRETATION: Adjunctive rifampicin provided no overall benefit over standard antibiotic therapy in adults with S aureus bacteraemia. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment

A service evaluation and implementation of the Warwick Holistic Health Questionnaire (WHHQ-25) in a National Health Service (NHS) oncology department using complementary and integrative approaches to healthcare in the UK

Introduction: Evaluating healthcare services is multifaceted, the need to monitor quality, effectiveness of services, improving patient care and outcomes are essential. This paper reports on the implementation of the Warwick Holistic Health Questionnaire (WHHQ-25) for a complementary therapy service (CTS) evaluation within a UK National Health Service oncology setting. Methods: Implementation of the WHHQ-25 was documented and evaluated. Pragmatic approaches to CTS delivery were used as part of the routine clinical care. WHHQ-25 and Measure Yourself Concern and Wellbeing (MYCAW) were completed at baseline and at the end of treatment six. Comparative statistics were generated. MYCAW and WHHQ-25 results were compared. Results: Between the start of November 2020 and the end of January 2021 35 patient outcomes - 29 (83%) female and 6 (17%) male - were reported. Ages ranged from 25 years to over 65. Nine types of cancer were represented. WHHQ-25 pre (T1 = 60.31, SD = 15.3) and post (T2 = 69.11, SD = 13.3) intervention showed changes in wellbeing resulting in a significant improvement (df = 34, t=5.13, p <0.05). MYCAW pre (T1 = 5.03, SD = 0.98) and post (T2 = 2.45, SD=1.34) intervention showed changes in concern 1 resulting in a significant improvement (df = 32, t = 11.17, p<0.05). Pre (T1 = 5.06, SD =1.19) and post (T2 = 2.36, SD = 1.27) intervention showed changes in concern 2 resulting in a significant improvement (df = 32, t = 9.62, p<0.05). MYCAW wellbeing scores pre (T1 = 4.15, SD = 1.43) and post (T2 = 2.18, SD = 1.18) intervention showed a significant improvement (df = 32, t = 8.79, p<0.05). Discussion: Planning and documenting the process of patient reported outcome measure (PROM) implementation can be a pragmatic and useful exercise. To mitigate against barriers to implementation, it is recommended to provide training for clinicians or guidance on how to implement PROMs into workflows. This is the first time WHHQ-25 has been used in an oncology setting. Both WHHQ-25 and MYCAW results showed improvements in patient wellbeing. Conclusion: WHHQ-25 proved to be a useful addition to evaluate the CTS as its complementary use alongside the MYCAW widened the discussion with patients beyond their concerns

Heterologous expression of heterotrophic nitrification genes

Paracoccus denitrificans is a heterotrophic organism capable of oxidizing ammonia to nitrite during growth on an organic carbon and energy source. This pathway, termed heterotrophic nitrification, requires the concerted action of an ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) and hydroxylamine oxidase (HAO). The genes required for heterotrophic nitrification have been isolated by introducing a Pa. denitrificans genomic library into Pseudomonas putida and screening for the accumulation of nitrite. In contrast to the situation in chemolithoautotrophic ammonia oxidizers, the genes encoding AMO and HAO are present in single linked copies in the genome of Pa. denitrificans. AMO from Pa. denitrificans expressed in Ps. putida is capable of oxidizing ethene (ethylene) to epoxyethane (ethylene oxide), which is indicative of a relaxed substrate specificity. Further, when expressed in the methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1, the AMO endows on this organism the ability to grow on ethene and methane. Thus, the Pa. denitrificans AMO is capable of oxidizing methane to methanol, as is the case for the AMO from Nitrosomonas europaea. The heterotrophic nitrification genes are moderately toxic in M. extorquens, more toxic in Ps. putida, and non-toxic in Escherichia coli. Toxicity is due to the activity of the gene products in M. extorquens, and both expression and activity in Ps. putida. This is the first time that the genes encoding an active AMO have been expressed in a heterologous host