New TESOL graduates’ employment experiences and views of teacher education: Report to the Wintec Research Committee following poster presentation at the 9th Community Languages and ESOL (CLESOL) conference, 24—27 September, 2004, Christchurch

In 2003 a new 12-week full time Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programme called Certificate in English Language Teaching (Cert ELT) was offered by the Department of Education at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) for the first time. While other TESOL programmes offered by Wintec are for trained teachers and teacher-aides, the new Cert ELT programme is for those with little or no previous teaching experience. The curriculum development and delivery of Wintec’s TESOL programmes are informed by a constructivist view of learning which has held a prominent focus in educational literature since the late 1980s. This theory of learning sees learners as active participants in the processes of incorporating, synthesising and constructing knowledge within their previous experience (Arlidge, 2000; Zepke, Nugent & Leach 2003). Of particular relevance within TESOL literature is the social constructivist view which claims that a key element in the learning process is that knowledge is socially constructed through dialogue and interaction with others (Randall & Thornton, 2001; Malderez & Bodoczky, 1999; James, 2001). Also relevant is the reflective model of TESOL teacher education as outlined by Wallace (1993) in which trainees participate in a continuous cycle of teaching, observation, reflection and discussion in order to become reflective practitioners. A lack of information concerning what happens to the Cert ELT students once they graduate from the programme motivated the research discussed in this paper. Data collection included a questionnaire and individual interviews. The questionnaire gathered information concerning the graduates' employment destinations, and the interviews focussed on the graduates' retrospective views of those components of the programme associated with a social constructivist view of learning. These components included experiential learning, reflective practice and collaborative practice. It is expected that insights gained from this project will be of interest to other TESOL professionals and teacher educators

Beyond the DSM-IV: Assumptions, Alternatives, and Alterations

Current diagnostic processes reflect the limitations and utility of the framework of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Clinical information in the DSM-IV\u27s 5-axis system almost exclusively focuses on weaknesses and pathology and is summarized in a flawed categorical system. Hence, the authors describe 3 adjunctive, or alternative, means of conceptualizing behavior; several means of altering the current DSM-IV system; and 2 future directions in the diagnosis of strengths

Standardised longline lobster CPUE from Inaccessible Island for the 1996-2005 period

The commercial CPUE series of a resource is often used as an index of population density and consequently population abundance when modelling the dynamics of the underlying population. It is known, however, that a number of other factors besides density may influence the recorded values of CPUE. Where sufficient data exist, General Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) standardisation is able to take some of these further effects into account, thereby producing a more reliable index of abundance. This document reports the application of a GLMM standardisation to Jasus tristiani lobster catch and effort data from around Inaccessible Island for the period 1996- 2005

Expression of RUNX1 correlates with poor patient prognosis in triple negative breast cancer

The RUNX1 transcription factor is widely recognised for its tumour suppressor effects in leukaemia. Recently a putative link to breast cancer has started to emerge, however the function of RUNX1 in breast cancer is still unknown. To investigate if RUNX1 expression was important to clinical outcome in primary breast tumours a tissue microarray (TMA) containing biopsies from 483 patients with primary operable invasive ductal breast cancer was stained by immunohistochemistry. RUNX1 was associated with progesterone receptor (PR)-positive tumours (P<0.05), more tumour CD4+(P<0.05) and CD8+(P<0.01) T-lymphocytic infiltrate, increased tumour CD138+plasma cell (P<0.01) and more CD68+macrophage infiltrate (P<0.001). RUNX1 expression did not influence outcome of oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive or HER2-positive disease, however on univariate analysis a high RUNX1 protein was significantly associated with poorer cancer-specific survival in patients with ER-negative (P<0.05) and with triple negative (TN) invasive breast cancer (P<0.05). Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis of cancer-specific survival showed a trend towards significance in ER-negative patients (P<0.1) and was significant in triple negative patients (P<0.05). Of relevance, triple negative breast cancer currently lacks good biomarkers and patients with this subtype do not benefit from the option of targeted therapy unlike patients with ER-positive or HER2-positive disease. Using multivariate analysis RUNX1 was identified as an independent prognostic marker in the triple negative subgroup. Overall, our study identifies RUNX1 as a new prognostic indicator correlating with poor prognosis specifically in the triple negative subtype of human breast cancer

The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with maintenance monotherapy in the UK

Susan C Edwards,1 Sian E Fairbrother,2 Anna Scowcroft,3 Gavin Chiu,4 Andrew Ternouth,3 Brian J Lipworth5 1Department of Market Access Pricing & Outcomes Research, 2Department of Medical Affairs - Respiratory, 3Department of Market Access, 4Department of Prescription Medicine - Respiratory, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bracknell, UK; 5Asthma and Allergy Research Group, Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK Background: This study characterized a cohort of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy for ≥6 months to establish their disease burden, measured by health care utilization.Methods: Data were extracted from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and linked to Hospital Episode Statistics. The monotherapy period spanned the first prescription of a long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist or a long-acting muscarinic antagonist until the end of the study (December 31, 2013) or until step up to dual/triple therapy, for example, addition of another long-acting bronchodilator, an inhaled corticosteroid, or both. A minimum of four consecutive prescriptions and 6 months on continuous monotherapy were required. Patients <50 years old at first COPD diagnosis or with another significant respiratory disease before starting monotherapy were excluded. Disease burden was evaluated by measuring patients’ rate of face-to-face interactions with a health care professional (HCP), COPD-related exacerbations, hospitalizations, and referrals.Results: A cohort of 8,811 COPD patients (95% Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage A/B) on maintenance monotherapy was identified between 2002 and 2013; 45% of these patients were still on monotherapy by the end of the study. Median time from first COPD diagnosis to first monotherapy prescription was 56 days, while the median time on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy was 2 years. The median number of prescriptions was 14. On average, patients had 15 HCP interactions per year, and one in ten patients experienced a COPD exacerbation (N=8,811). One in 50 patients were hospitalized for COPD per year (n=4,848).Conclusion: The average monotherapy-treated patient had a higher than average HCP interaction rate. We also identified a large cohort of patients who were stepped up to triple therapy despite a low rate of exacerbations. The use of the new class of long-acting muscarinic antagonist/long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist fixed-dose combinations may provide a useful step-up treatment option in such monotherapy patients, before the use of inhaled corticosteroids. Keywords: COPD, UK primary care setting, bronchodilators, prescribing patterns, monotherap

Neural circuits underlying nest building in male zebra finches

SDH thanks SICB for financial support and the work described here was conducted with the support of EASTBIO DTP from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, to SE), the School of Biology and NSERC (to ZJH), MARIE CURIE (Ares(2016)5869884 to EI), and BBSRC Roslin Institute strategic grant funding (BB/P013759/1, to SLM). EN was supported by the Erasmus Plus student exchange program to SLM.Nest building consists of a series of motor actions, which are concomitant with activity in regions of the anterior motor pathway, the social behaviour network and the reward circuity in nest building adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). It is not clear, however, whether this activity is due to nest building, collection and/or manipulation of nest material. To identify which areas of the brain are specifically involved, we used immunohistochemistry to quantify the immediate early gene c-fos in male zebra finches that were nest building (Building), birds given a nestbox but could interact only with tied down nest material (Fixed), and birds that were not given a nestbox or nest material (Control). We investigated the following brain regions: the anterior motor pathway (anterior ventral mesopallium (AMV), anterior nidopallium (AN), anterior striatium (ASt)), areas of the social behaviour network (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, dorsomedial sub division (BSTmd), lateral septum (LS)), the dopaminergic reward circuitry (ventral tegmental area (VTA)) and the cerebellum. We found that there was greater Fos-ir expression in the BSTmd, LS and AMV with increased material deposition; in LS, AMV ASt and folia VI with increased material carrying; in LS, AMV and ASt with increased nest material tucking; and in LS and all folia (except folium VIII) with increased tugging at tied down material. These data confirm a functional role for areas of the anterior motor pathway, social behaviour network and the cerebellum in nest material collection and manipulation by birdsPostprintPeer reviewe

Using computer algorithms to elucidate zebra finch reproductive behaviour

Birds that experience variation in climatic conditions must maintain a stable nest temperature during incubation for successful hatching of offspring. Varying nest structure and incubation behaviour may be the methods birds use to regulate nest temperature. We used a modeling approach to investigate how birds adjust incubation behaviour to ambient temperature. Hidden Markov Models (HMM) have been used previously to predict the spatial distribution of animals based on the models’ ability to classify movement behaviour. We used a HMM to predict zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) incubation behaviour and nest structure from a nest temperature data set. The full data set consisted of data logger nest temperature records and video recordings of incubation behaviour in two different temperature conditions. Nest temperature from data loggers was used to obtain predictions about the timing, duration and frequency of incubation which could then be compared to video recordings of incubation behaviour and the structure of nests. Predicted results would be that zebra finches in a colder temperature would incubate for longer periods of time than warmer temperatures, and that experience at those temperatures would play a role in how successful their breeding attempt will be. This research explores new uses of computational techniques in animal behaviour, animal cognition, and behavioural ecology, provides new information about behavioural regulation of nest temperature during incubation, and develops practical techniques for inferring behaviour from data loggers in the field and in the lab

Low dose intravenous minocycline is neuroprotective after middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion in rats

BACKGROUND: Minocycline, a semi-synthetic tetracycline antibiotic, is an effective neuroprotective agent in animal models of cerebral ischemia when given in high doses intraperitoneally. The aim of this study was to determine if minocycline was effective at reducing infarct size in a Temporary Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion model (TMCAO) when given at lower intravenous (IV) doses that correspond to human clinical exposure regimens. METHODS: Rats underwent 90 minutes of TMCAO. Minocycline or saline placebo was administered IV starting at 4, 5, or 6 hours post TMCAO. Infarct volume and neurofunctional tests were carried out at 24 hr after TMCAO using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) brain staining and Neurological Score evaluation. Pharmacokinetic studies and hemodynamic monitoring were performed on minocycline-treated rats. RESULTS: Minocycline at doses of 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg IV was effective at reducing infarct size when administered at 4 hours post TMCAO. At doses of 3 mg/kg, minocycline reduced infarct size by 42% while 10 mg/kg reduced infarct size by 56%. Minocycline at a dose of 10 mg/kg significantly reduced infarct size at 5 hours by 40% and the 3 mg/kg dose significantly reduced infarct size by 34%. With a 6 hour time window there was a non-significant trend in infarct reduction. There was a significant difference in neurological scores favoring minocycline in both the 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg doses at 4 hours and at the 10 mg/kg dose at 5 hours. Minocycline did not significantly affect hemodynamic and physiological variables. A 3 mg/kg IV dose of minocycline resulted in serum levels similar to that achieved in humans after a standard 200 mg dose. CONCLUSIONS: The neuroprotective action of minocycline at clinically suitable dosing regimens and at a therapeutic time window of at least 4–5 hours merits consideration of phase I trials in humans in view of developing this drug for treatment of stroke

Policy Brief #1: Child Care Assets: What are 14 Key Assets of Child Care Providers that Support Quality?

In 2000, university researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University, University of Kansas and the University of Missouri and state child care and early education program partners in four states (Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska) initiated the Midwest Child Care Research Consortium (MCCRC). The focus of the Consortium’s work is to conduct a multiyear study on a range of issues associated with child care quality and conditions. Across the four states, a stratified random selection of 2,022 child care providers participated in a telephone survey conducted by the Gallup Organization, representing licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes, registered child care homes, and subsidized care license exempt family and (in one state) license exempt center care. Providers responded to questions about background and practices often associated with quality. Of the providers responding to the phone survey, 365 were randomly selected for in-depth observations to assess quality, using conventional measures of child care quality (see back of this brief). This report shows the relation between observed quality and many provider characteristics and professional improvement efforts