Deployment and Impact of Support Staff in Schools : The Impact of Support Staff in Schools (Results from Strand 2, Wave 2)

This study was designed to obtain up to date and reliable data on the deployment and characteristics of support staff and the impact of support staff on pupil outcomes and teacher workloads. The study covered schools in England and Wales. It involved large scale surveys (Strand 1), followed by a multi-method and multi informant approach (Strand 2). It provided detailed baseline data by which to assess change and progress over time. It sought to understand the processes in schools which lead to the effective use of support staff. The DISS project was funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Welsh Assembly Government (WAG)

Growth in the Lower Limb Following Chemotherapy for a Malignant Primary Bone Tumour: A Straight-Line Graph

Purpose. The aim of this paper was to assess the growth in the unaffected lower limb of children who had received chemotherapy for a malignant primary bone tumour around the knee

Rapid analysis of formic acid, acetic acid, and furfural in pretreated wheat straw hydrolysates and ethanol in a bioethanol fermentation using atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry.

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) offers advantages as a rapid analytical technique for the quantification of three biomass degradation products (acetic acid, formic acid and furfural) within pretreated wheat straw hydrolysates and the analysis of ethanol during fermentation. The data we obtained using APCI-MS correlated significantly with high-performance liquid chromatography analysis whilst offering the analyst minimal sample preparation and faster sample throughput

The peatland vegetation burning debate: keep scientific critique in perspective. A response to Brownet al. and Douglaset al.

Invited reply

Considering the Influence of Coronary Motion on Artery‑Specific Biomechanics Using Fluid–Structure Interaction Simulation

The endothelium in the coronary arteries is subject to wall shear stress and vessel wall strain, which influences the biology of the arterial wall. This study presents vessel-specific fluid–structure interaction (FSI) models of three coronary arteries, using directly measured experimental geometries and boundary conditions. FSI models are used to provide a more physiologically complete representation of vessel biomechanics, and have been extended to include coronary bending to investigate its effect on shear and strain. FSI both without- and with-bending resulted in significant changes in all computed shear stress metrics compared to CFD (p = 0.0001). Inclusion of bending within the FSI model produced highly significant changes in Time Averaged Wall Shear Stress (TAWSS) + 9.8% LAD, + 8.8% LCx, − 2.0% RCA; Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) + 208% LAD, 0% LCx, + 2600% RCA; and transverse wall Shear Stress (tSS) + 180% LAD, + 150% LCx and + 200% RCA (all p \u3c 0.0001). Vessel wall strain was homogenous in all directions without-bending but became highly anisotropic under bending. Changes in median cyclic strain magnitude were seen for all three vessels in every direction. Changes shown in the magnitude and distribution of shear stress and wall strain suggest that bending should be considered on a vessel-specific basis in analyses of coronary artery biomechanics

Evaluating sustainability: a retrospective cohort analysis of the Oxfordshire therapeutic community

Background: Therapeutic communities (TCs) could reduce the health care use of people with personality disorder (Davies S, Campling P and Ryan K, Psychiatrist 23:79–83, 1999; Barr W, Kirkcaldy A, Horne A, Hodge S, Hellin K and Göpfert M, J Ment Health 19:412–421, 2010) and in turn reduce the financial and environmental costs of services. Our hypothesis is that 3 years following entry to a TC service, patients have reduced subsequent health care use and associated reductions in financial costs and carbon footprint. Methods: A retrospective 4-year cohort study examined changes in health care use following entry to the Oxfordshire TC service. Comparative analysis was undertaken on a treated (n = 40) and a control group (referred but who declined treatment; n = 45). Financial costs and carbon footprint of health care use were calculated using national tariffs and standard carbon conversion factors. Mean changes in these outcomes were compared over 1, 2 and 3 years and adjusted for costs and carbon footprints in the year prior to joining the TC service. Results: Compared to baseline, the group receiving TC care had greater reductions in financial costs and carbon footprint associated with A&E attendances (p = 0.04) and crisis mental health appointments (p = 0.04) than the control group. There were significantly greater reductions in carbon footprint for all secondary health care use, both physical and mental health care, after 3 years (p = 0.04) in the TC group. Conclusions: TC services may have the potential to reduce the financial cost and carbon footprint of health car