An evaluation of the success of the ‘Heart-Fit’ phase IV cardiac rehabilitation programme in Newark, Nottinghamshire: a mixed-method approach

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in England and Wales, with cardiac rehabilitation being one of the best examples of long term condition management for CVD patients (Pluss et al., 2011: Clinical Rehabilitation, 25, 79-87). Phase IV cardiac rehabilitation involves the long term maintenance of health in the form of exercise programmes, such as ‘Heart-Fit’. It has been recommended that mixed methods are required to evaluate CVD prevention programmes (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2010), therefore this case study aimed to evaluate the success of a phase IV cardiac rehabilitation programme, both qualitatively and quantitatively, outlining the impact on participants. After ethical clearance from an institutional committee, eleven members (age = 71.2, stature = 1.71m, weight = 79.8kg) of the programme (male = 6, female = 5) volunteered to take part in the study. For eligibility purposes, participants attended the programme once a week. Physical measurements of blood pressure (BP), resting heart rate (RHR), Body Mass Index (BMI) were recorded before and after a twelve week intervention period. Both physical activity levels and smoking status were also recorded by a lifestyle questionnaire. Two focus groups (n = 6 & 5) were held to gain participant perceptions on their experiences relating to the performance of the programme. Paired-sample t-tests indicated statistically significant differences (P = 0.05) pre and post intervention. Using a process of thematic analysis, participants revealed six main themes as being important factors during the 12-week programme. These included the instructor’s influence, the social nature of the group, the availability of clinical observation, psychological development and the perceived beneficial physical improvements made. The CVD risk factors influenced by the programme, in accordance to past literature, were systolic and diastolic BP and BMI. Similar themes have been identified in studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of other exercise referral schemes. Qualitative data collection should be considered alongside quantitative measures in evaluations of similar interventions. Future phase IV cardiac rehabilitation programmes need to gain a greater insight into the patient experience. This will enable health planners and policy makers to generate a sense of context on how these programmes operate at local levels and develop models of best-practice

Realizing the Principle of Fairness: Standards to Bring it to Life throughout the Organic Supply Chain

Led by farmer Elizabeth Henderson, participants in this workshop will exchange ideas about what this principle means to their farming. Elizabeth will tell the story of the Agricultural Justice Project (a domestic fair trade labeling initiative in North America). Workshop will conclude with participant reports on their experiences, questions and discussion

A Mindful Education Course for Preservice Teachers

Abstract Currently, there are few opportunities for preservice teacher instruction in mindful education or mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) despite research that has shown the possibility of positive benefits such as increased attention, focus, self-awareness, emotional-regulation, self-efficacy, and compassion, as well as a reduction in the negative aspects of unhealthy stress, tension, and burnout. A course in mindful education specifically designed for inclusion in teacher education programs would address this educational gap and could be a significant benefit to teacher candidates, early-career teachers, and their future students. This creative thesis is a college course on the theory, research, and practice of mindful education based in learning-centered and contemplative pedagogies. The purpose of this project is to add value and content to preservice teacher education by informing teacher candidates of the possibilities of benefit that can come from both a personal mindfulness practice and introduction of mindful techniques to students

Water vapor Uptake Across the Cocoon Wall of the introduced Pine Sawfly Diprion similis (Hartig) (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae

For many Holarctic insect species, overwintering in a tightly spun cocoon provides protection against predators and pathogens, physical damage, and extreme fluctuations in environmental conditions. Research with insect cocoons has shown that the physical properties of the cocoon wall play an important role in regulating the diffusion of water vapor and respiratory gases. In an attempt to better understand properties of water vapor diffusion across the cocoon wall, we measured relative amounts of water uptake or loss in overwintering cocoons of the Introduced Pine Sawfly (Diprion similis (Hartig)) in Maine. We also characterized the relative density of silk fibers arranged along the interior and exterior cocoon wall

Development of Novel Zika and Anthrax Viral Nanoparticle Vaccines

Vaccines protect against numerous infectious diseases and prevent millions of deaths annually, but there are still many infectious diseases for which no licensed vaccine exists. Developing a new vaccine requires balancing safety and efficacy, and viral nanoparticle (VNP) vaccines possess both of these characteristics. The work herein demonstrates how tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanoparticles can serve as a platform to create candidate vaccines for Zika virus (ZIKV) and anthrax. In the first study, a ZIKV-specific epitope was genetically fused to TMV to create a safe and inexpensive vaccine that proved highly immunogenic in mice and led to the discovery of ZIKV-specific neutralizing antibodies that may have applications in therapeutics and diagnostics. In the second study, anthrax toxin domains were expressed, purified, and conjugated to the outer surface of modified TMV nanoparticles. These VNPs were readily recognized by anthrax immune serum, but further studies will be necessary to ascertain their ability to induce a protective immune response. As demonstrated in these studies, genetic fusions and chemical conjugations to TMV each have distinct benefits and limitations. However, both methods result in the production of TMV-based VNPs, in which the TMV virion acts as both a scaffold and delivery mechanism, ensuring that the foreign antigens are taken up by DCs, transported to lymph nodes, and stimulate robust, antigen-specific B and T cell responses. In summation, this work shows how TMV VNPs displaying exogenous antigens can be used to create novel vaccines against both viral and bacterial pathogens

The Materiality of Climate Change and the Role of Voluntary Disclosure

Investor groups in both Canada and the U.S. have petitioned the Ontario Securities Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue statements clarifying the application of existing disclosure requirements to climate change-related risks. Even if issuers are meeting their current obligations with respect to disclosure of climate change risks, however, the “materiality” threshold for disclosure would likely leave a gap between what issuers are required to disclose under the law and what interested investors would like to know about how issuers are responding to the challenges posed by climate change. This is due to the fact that if an issuer has determined that climate change will not have a material impact on its financial results, it is under no obligation to disclose its reasons for reaching this conclusion. Investors interested in environmentally-responsible investing, however, may want to know these reasons. It may be relevant to their investment decisions, for example, whether the reason is because the issuer has already reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, rather than because it has purchased carbon credits on the futures market which it can use to meet any regulatory limits on emissions the government may seek to impose. But it does not necessarily follow that mandatory disclosure under securities regulation should provide this information. A preferable approach is for voluntary disclosure regimes, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), to fill this gap. Although take-up by corporations of the GRI standard for disclosure has been slow, environmental reporting in compliance with the standard can provide interested investors with credible and comparable information

Alpha suppression as a neural marker of task demands in voluntary vs involuntary retrieval in older and younger adults

Voluntary episodic memory relies on intentionally controlled retrieval, while involuntary episodic memory comes to mind automatically. Consistent with findings of reduced cognitive control with age, recent work suggests that voluntary memory declines with age while involuntary memory is relatively preserved. However, the neurophysiology underlying these age differences has yet to be established. The current study used EEG to test 31 young and 35 older adults during voluntary vs. involuntary retrieval (manipulated between-subjects). Participants first encoded sounds, half of which were paired with pictures, the other half unpaired. EEG was then recorded as they listened to the sounds, with participants in the involuntary group performing a sound localization task, and those in the voluntary group additionally attempting to recall the associated pictures. Participants later retrospectively reported which sounds brought the paired picture to mind during the sound task. Older adults said they remembered as many pictures as young adults, but their objective memory was lower on a final cued recall test. For the EEG analysis, older adults showed greater alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD; a neural marker of memory reactivation) for paired than unpaired sounds at occipital sites, possibly reflecting visual reactivation of the associated pictures. Young adults did not show memory-related alpha ERD effects. However, young adults did show greater alpha ERD during voluntary than involuntary retrieval at frontal and occipital sites, while older adults showed pronounced alpha ERD (indicative of effortful retrieval) regardless of condition. These data suggest that alpha ERD can be used as a neural marker of memory in older adults; however, a more naturalistic paradigm may be required to study true involuntary memory with age

The effect of metals on growth, reproduction and attachment of zoosporic true fungi

Zoosporic fungi (chytrids) are common within soils. Chytrids contribute to the soil carbon cycle by converting complex carbohydrates to more accessible forms and are also important in biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and sulphur. However, the roles of chytrids in many soil processes, and their responses to environmental stress, are not well understood. In order to explore the response of chytrids to temperature stress, here we initially examine the effect of increased temperature on chytrid isolates from different geographic and climatic regions. Isolates of Gaertneriomyces semiglobifer from different regions grow at similar rates and have similar patterns of zoospore production at different temperatures. This data allows prediction of the distribution, growth and abundance of the fungus and potential changes due to the effects of climate change. We then examine the effect of the toxic metals Cu (ll), Pb (ll) and Zn (ll) on growth, zoospore production and attachment of chytrids to common organic substrates. The four isolates, representing four orders within the phylum Chytridiomycota, showed greatest sensitivity in growth, attachment and zoospore production in response to Cu (ll) and least sensitivity to Pb (ll). Interestingly, some metals also caused increases in growth, zoospore production and attachment below the toxic threshold concentrations. In particular, Rhizophlyctis rosea increased the number and length of rhizoids when incubated with Pb (ll). Chytrids are known to be widespread and common throughout soils world-wide. Our work allows us to predict that the levels of Cu (ll), Pb (ll) and Zn (ll), found here to be toxic, will be detrimental to soil chytrid populations and reduce colonisation of organic substrates. Toxic effects of metals on the lifecycle of chytrids are expected to reduce the rate of mineralisation of soil organic matter, thereby reducing nutrient availability for the soil microbial loop, to the detriment of ecological function in soils

THE EFFECTS OF PEER TRAINING AND COACHING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AIDED LANGUAGE MODELING WITH AN AAC USER WITH EXTENSIVE SUPPORT AND COMPLEX COMMUNICATION NEEDS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of training peers at a middle school in aided language modeling. The peers were trained and then coached as they implemented the strategy during a social break time in the resource classroom when communicating with an AAC user with extensive support and complex communication needs (ESCCN). A multiple probe across participants design was used to evaluate the effects of the peer training and coaching program. The results showed that the implementation of a peer training and coaching program were effective in increasing the frequency of aided language modeling and the diversity of communicative intents of the peers