Border crossings : in/exclusion and higher education in art and design

This study explores ideas of inclusion and exclusion - in/exclusion - within art and education contexts, more specifically how they shift and alter within the processes of selection to one Scottish institution of Higher Education in Art and Design. The empirical focus of selection is told through detailed narratives that follow the thinking and responses of a diversity of selectors to the visual and written submissions of wide ranging applicants. These discussions make visible the ways in which candidates are deliberated into and out of the institution and are layered further by a broader quantitative look, exploring how this detail plays out more widely in the chances of in/exclusion across all applicants. This research has implications for a number of areas, including policy and practice on social in/exclusion, particularly as it relates to the arts and Higher Education. However, it is not solely an access or admissions study; it tries to extend understanding and approaches to in/exclusion by questioning what people are being included into as well as the ways of in/excluding. It gets inside and lays open a process of decision-making that has not previously been explored in this kind of depth and is made visible here through an often troubling, personal, methodological and theoretical assemblage of stories and crossings. My own shifts as a learner, artist and educator en/unfold with selection narratives and rich visual images that confront and question issues of representation, difference and risk as they surface within the research. It is this very detail of insight, getting inside those areas that are often unspoken and unseen that makes this investigation so unusual, adding new layers of questioning and understanding to the many approaches that exist in thinking and acting on in/exclusion. If there was any sense that in/exclusion to Higher Education in the Arts and Design might be determined or resolved simply by altering indicators and numbers in terms of social class, education or the spatiality of where an individual lives, then this study offers a different kind of view. It reveals a more complex process of looking and decision-making, in which selectors often try to see beyond the surface of the visual and written in search of the individual. It shows the shifting balance in what is looked for in a process that is fraught with chance, ethics, trust and emotional dilemmas. In doing so, it makes the case for a more reflexive and ontological engagement in approaches to in/exclusion. Nothing is certain. In/exclusion becomes an assemblage of elements that displace across selectors, taking new forms and combinations that are rooted in qualities that applicants bring with them as well as what selectors bring into the process. How these fold together can lead to very different outcomes

Transcriptional Regulation of the CO 2 - Concentrating Mechanism in a Euryhaline, Coastal Marine Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC 7002: Role of NdhR/CcmR

Cyanobacterial photosynthesis occurs in radically diverse habitats and utilizes various forms of a CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) featuring multiple inorganic carbon (Ci) transporters. Cyanobacteria from dynamic environments can transform CCM activit

Effects of copper sprays on microbial communities in kiwifruit orchard soils

There has been a significant increase in the use of antimicrobial copper sprays on kiwifruit orchards in the Western Bay of Plenty (WBOP) since the first outbreak of the bacterial vine disease Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa-V) in 2010. Studies have revealed that an accumulation of copper in soil may adversely affect soil microorganisms, which are pivotal in essential soil functions such as nutrient assimilation. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the use of copper sprays on WBOP kiwifruit orchards has had detrimental effects on soil microorganisms and if this has resulted in changes to the structure of soil microbiological communities. Soil was sampled from ten WBOP kiwifruit orchards with varying levels of copper but with similar physicochemical properties. These included five sets of two adjacent orchards, of which one was organic and the other conventional, and for which data was available on soil copper levels for 2011. DNA extracted from each soil was amplified with PCR and sequenced using Ion Torrent Sequencing technology. The resulting bacterial and archaeal sequences were binned into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and the phylogeny of each was determined using the Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) Classifier. Soils were also analysed for a number of physicochemical properties including total, bioavailable and free ionic copper. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and Multi-Response Permutation Procedures (MRPP) were used to examine dissimilarities between microbial communities in relation to soil copper levels, management practices and other physicochemical variables. Indicator species analyses were conducted on OTU abundance data to determine if particular OTUs were indicative of soils with the lowest and highest copper levels. Community data were also compared using a number of measures of diversity. Differences in physicochemical parameters between soils were analysed for significance using ANOVA and t-tests. Results revealed that levels of total copper in soils have increased since 2011, with significant differences measured between each pair of orchards. Significant differences in soil microbial communities were also revealed, with pH identified as the main driver of community composition within and between orchards and differences between orchards were also largely explained by management practices. Relative abundances of Archaea were significantly higher in conventional orchards and in soils with the highest levels of copper. However, overall community dissimilarities were not found to be related to soil copper levels. Indicator species analysis revealed that soils with 60 mg kg-1 had a higher representation of Chlamydiae, Chloroflexi, and Thaumarchaeota. The conclusions of this research are that current copper levels in the study orchard soils have not significantly influenced soil microbial community composition and associated functions. However, the high number of influential variables confounded attempts at identifying differences due to copper alone. In addition, the lack of knowledge on the specific functions of individual taxa, make it very difficult to reveal the long-term implications of even subtle differences in community composition as a result of copper use

Pseudotumor cerebri syndrome in childhood : incidence, clinical profile and risk factors in a national prospective population-based cohort study

Aim To investigate the epidemiology, clinical profile and risk factors of pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PTCS) in children aged 1-16 years. Methods A national prospective population-based cohort study over 25 months. Newly diagnosed PTCS cases notified via British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) were ascertained using classical diagnostic criteria and categorised according to 2013 revised diagnostic criteria. We derived national age, sex and weight-specific annual incidence rates and assessed effects of sex and weight category. Results We identified 185 PTCS cases of which 166 also fulfilled revised diagnostic criteria. The national annual incidence (95% CI) of childhood PTCS aged 1-16 years was 0.71 (0.57- 0.87) per 100,000 population increasing with age and weight to 4.18 and 10.7 per 100,000 in obese 12-15 year old boys and girls respectively. Incidence rates under 7 years were similar in both sexes. From 7 years onwards, the incidence in girls was double that in boys, but only in overweight (including obese) children. In 12-15 year old children, an estimated 82% of the incidence of PTCS was attributable to obesity. Two subgroups of PTCS were apparent: 168 (91%) cases aged from 7 years frequently presented on medication and with headache, and were predominantly female and obese. The remaining 17 (9%) cases under 7 years often lacked these risk factors and commonly presented with new onset squint. Conclusions This uniquely largest population-based study of childhood PTCS will inform the design of future intervention studies. It suggests that weight reduction is central to the prevention of PTCS

Women’s experiences of needing abortion care whilst incarcerated: A systematic review of the international literature

Incarcerated women are confined in institutions designed to punish. These sites often ignore the complex mental and physical health needs of people who are incarcerated. Despite the World Health Organization stressing the need for access to reproductive healthcare in carceral institutions, stigma surrounding abortion care and health inequalities create contextually specific issues for incarcerated people seeking to access these services. There is also a dearth of research conducted directly with incarcerated women, trans men and non-binary people to examine their experiences of abortion. A systematic review of international peer-reviewed and grey literature was completed to summarise existing evidence from research conducted on the experiences of needing abortion care whilst incarcerated. Various experiences were identified including: conditions of confinement shaping abortion decisions; bureaucratic obstacles to accessing abortion services; incarcerated women, carceral staff and carceral healthcare staff’s lack of understanding of abortion rights and procedures; and a scarcity of support and empathy, including experiences of stigmatisation and lack of confidentiality. There exists a significant gap in research examining the experiences of incarcerated people who may need an abortion, emphasising the need for international collaboration and advocacy to address systemic issues that extend beyond local contexts

Infaunalization and resource partitioning during the Mesozoic marine revolution

Infaunalization has been regarded as representing a response to increased predation pressures and is therefore central to the Mesozoic marine revolution, which gives pre-eminence to the role that enemy-directed evolution has played as a driving force of biotic change. Our ichnologic compilation from 39 Middle Triassic to Late Jurassic shallow-marine siliciclastic units allows us to evaluate the vertical partitioning of the infaunal ecospace through the application of the ichnoguild concept. This study shows that infaunal communities experienced a marked increase in ecospace utilization during the Early Jurassic, reaching a plateau during the rest of the Jurassic. This trend is expressed by an increase in the maximum number of ichnoguilds per community and per tier and in the number of ichnotaxa per ichnoguild. This pattern shows important partitioning of the infaunal ecospace into a series of tiers and that several organisms were able to exploit the same resources available at discrete sediment zones below the sea bottom. The increase in the maximum number of ichnoguilds per community and per tier suggests that niche partitioning was a key factor in a more efficient use of the infaunal ecospace and in driving alpha diversity. However, the increase in the number of ichnotaxa per ichnoguild indicates that ichnoguilds were packed with organisms exploiting similar resources, arguing against the role of competitive exclusion in structuring communities. Because several episodes of predation increase took place during the Mesozoic, an unequivocal link between predation pressures and infaunalization cannot be demonstrated empirically.Fil: Buatois, Luis Alberto. University of Saskatchewan; Canadá. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Mángano, M. Gabriela. University of Saskatchewan; CanadáFil: Desai, Bhawanisingh. Pandit Deendayal Energy University; IndiaFil: Carmona, Noelia Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; ArgentinaFil: Burns, Fiona. Firmground; AustraliaFil: Meek, Dean. University of Saskatchewan; CanadáFil: Eglington, Bruce. University of Saskatchewan; Canad

In their own words: Perspectives of IPV survivors on obtaining support within the healthcare system.

BACKGROUND: Almost half of all women in the US experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends IPV screening paired with intervention for women of reproductive age. We aim to understand clinical practices and policies that are beneficial, detrimental, or insufficient to support survivors of IPV in a safety-net healthcare system. METHODS: We sampled 45 women who were 18-64 years old, had experienced IPV within the prior year and were patients in the San Francisco Health Network. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews to elicit their perspectives on disclosing IPV and obtaining support within the healthcare system. We analyzed our data using thematic analysis and grounded theory practices informed by ecological systems theory. FINDINGS: We identified four themes regarding factors that impeded or facilitated discussing and addressing IPV across interpersonal and systemic levels relating to relationship-building, respect, autonomy and resources. (1) Interpersonal barriers included insufficient attention to relationship-building, lack of respect or concern for survivor circumstances, and feeling pressured to disclose IPV or to comply with clinicians recommended interventions. (2) Interpersonal facilitators consisted of patient-centered IPV inquiry, attentive listening, strength-based counseling and transparency regarding confidentiality. (3) Systemic barriers such as visit time limitations, clinician turn-over and feared loss of autonomy from involvement of governmental systems leading to separation from children or harm to partners, negatively affected interpersonal dynamics. (4) Systemic facilitators involved provision of resources through IPV universal education, on-site access to IPV services, and community partnerships. CONCLUSIONS: Women experiencing IPV in our study reported that relationship-building, respect, autonomy, and IPV-related resources were essential components to providing support, promoting safety, and enabling healing in the healthcare setting. Successful trauma-informed transformation of healthcare systems must optimize interpersonal and systemic factors that improve survivor wellbeing while eliminating barriers

UPAYA MENINGKATKAN KESADARAN MASYARAKAT TERHADAP PENTINGNYA ALBUMIN DALAM PENYEMBUHAN LUKA PADA LANSIA

Secara global, populasi individu lanjut usia kian meningkat seiring waktu. Salah satu masalah yang sering dihadapi ketika beranjak lanjut usia adalah hipoalbuminemia. Prevalensi hipoalbuminemia lebih tinggi tidak hanya pada pasien rawat inap dan pasien sakit kritis, namun juga individu lanjut usia. Ulkus dekubitus merupakan tanda hipoalbuminemia dan merupakan masalah kesehatan yang signifikan di seluruh dunia, dan umum terjadi pada lansia. Pengelolaannya memakan biaya miliaran dolar per tahun, sehingga membebani perekonomian kesehatan. Albumin dan asupan nutrisi memainkan peran penting dalam penyembuhan luka dan merupakan faktor penting yang tidak dapat diabaikan dalam penyembuhan luka pada lansia. Upaya peningkatan kesadaran masyarakat terhadap albumin dalam PKM ini dilakukan melalui penyuluhan dan skrining atau deteksi dini penyakit pada kelompok lanjut usia. Pada kegiatan pengabdian ini digunakan tahapan kegiatan PDCA agar acara dapat berlangsung dengan baik dan efisien. Kegiatan ini mencakup 50 responden lanjut usia dengan rerata usia 75,92 (±11,14) tahun. Didapatkan 14% dari responden memiliki kadar albumin darah yang rendah (<3,5 g/dL). Dengan terlaksananya program ini diharapkan terdapat peningkatan kesadaran masyarakat terhadap pentingnya albumin dalam penyembuhan luka pada lansia, sehingga kedepannya terdapat peningkatan kualitas hidup komunitas lansia dan mengurangi beban ekonomi akibat biaya perawatan akibat masalah perawatan luka