The potential for thinking skills and personal capabilities to enhance pupil project/topic work

This paper seeks to highlight the potential benefits and drawbacks of the introduction of the Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities Framework into the Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007), specifically as a tool to enhance pupil project and topic work. Consideration of research combined with first hand experience in Northern Irish Primary classrooms led the writer to conclude that an ‘infusion’ approach of teaching both subject knowledge and critical thinking simultaneously has the most potential to enhance primary pupils’ learning experiences

"But it's just paracetamol" : caregivers ability to administer over-the-counter painkillers to their children with the information provided

Unintentional overdose of over-the-counter (OTC) medications has become an increasing global public health concern due to the common and frequent use of painkillers among end users, to self-medicate and medicate others, without fully understanding the associated health risks. While many developed countries have started to implement measures in an attempt to reduce access to large quantities and raise awareness of the dangers of misuse of OTC medications, this is not the case in many middle and low income countries. Instead, many individuals are forced to rely on written information while faced with poor health literacy, inadequate information and limited verbal information from health professionals, all of which contribute to the increase in unsafe behaviours leading to overdosing. In South Africa, most unintentional overdoses from OTC painkillers occur in children, which can often be attributed to incorrect dosing from caregivers. With the common practice of re-packaging medications at a distribution level, individuals are often not provided with adequate information about their medication, appropriate for their level of health literacy. This study explored whether caregivers are able to make informed decisions about the correct and safe administration of popular OTC painkillers (specifically paracetamol) to their children, based on information from labels, medication inserts and/or patient information leaflets (PILs)

Determining the change in welfare estimates from introducing measurement error in non-linear choice models

Observed and unobserved characteristics of an individual are often used by researchers to explain choices over the provision of environmental goods. One means for identifying what is typically an unobserved characteristic, such as an attitude, is through some data reduction technique, such as factor analysis. However, the resultant variable represents the true attitude with measurement error, and hence, when included into a non-linear choice model, introduces bias in the model. There are well established methods to overcome this issue, which are seldom implemented. In an application to preferences over two water source alternatives for Perth in Western Australia, we use structural equation modeling within a discrete choice model to determine whether welfare measures are significantly impacted by ignoring measurement error in latent attitudes, and the advantage to policy makers from understanding what drives certain attitudes.contingent valuation, attitudes, structural equation modeling, recycled water, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Q51, Q53, C13,

The treatment of drug abuse in Cape Town

Bibliography: leaves 174-213.Three questions concerning drug use and its treatment in Cape Town are posed in an attempt to guide planning of the treatment system. Firstly, is drug use in Cape Town of a problematic nature and magnitude? An affirmative conclusion is reached here by analysis of relevant local studies but is rendered tentative by inadequacies of the data. Secondly, are the relevant professional medical-psychological treatment facilities able to meet the treatment needs of all drug abusers in Cape Town? Analysis of the treatment system by means of a questionnaire produced a negative conclusion which was necessarily tentative. Thirdly, what directions should future expansion or modification take in order that cost-effectiveness be maximised? Three areas, were investigated by review of the literature - should psychotherapy be included in drug abuse treatment? Can drug abusers be effectively treated alongside other psychiatric patients? Can drug abusers be effectively treated as outpatients? Affirmative conclusions were reached in each case. Suggestions are made for accurate matching of patients to in- or outpatient treatment situations

PEA‐15 (Phosphoprotein Enriched in Astrocytes 15) Is a Protective Mediator in the Vasculature and Is Regulated During Neointimal Hyperplasia

This work was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council, UK (MR/K012789/1). Additional information can be downloaded from the publisher's websitePeer reviewedPublisher PD

The cAMP-producing agonist beraprost inhibits human vascular smooth muscle cell migration via exchange protein directly activated by cAMP

This work was supported by the British Heart foundation (grant FS/11/23/28730). J.S.M. was funded by a British Heart Foundation PhD studentship. Funding to pay the Open Access publication charges for this article was provided by the Charities Open Access Fund (UK).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Biased estimates in discrete choice models: the appropriate inclusion of psychometric data into the valuation of recycled wastewater

The introduction of measurement bias in parameter estimates into non-linear discrete choice models, as a result of using factor analysis, was identified by Train et al. (1987). They found that the inclusion of factor scores, used to represent relationships amongst like variables, into a subsequent discrete choice models introduced measurement bias as the measurement error associated with each factor score is excluded. This is an issue for non-market valuation given the increase in popularity of including psychometric data, such as primitive beliefs, attitudes and motivations, in willingness to pay estimates. This study explores the relationship between willingness to pay and primitive beliefs through a case study eliciting Perth community values for drinking recycled wastewater. The standard discrete decision model, with sequential inclusion of factor scores, is compared to an equivalent discrete decision model, which corrects for the measurement bias by simultaneously estimating the underlying latent variables using a measurement model. Previous research has focused on the issue of biased parameters. Here we also consider the implications for willingness to pay estimates.discrete choice models, attitudes, factor analysis, measurement models, recycled wastewater,

Optically controlled grippers for manipulating micron-sized particles

We report the development of a joystick controlled gripper for the real-time manipulation of micron-sized objects, driven using holographic optical tweezers (HOTs). The gripper consists of an arrangement of four silica beads, located in optical traps, which can be positioned and scaled in order to trap an object indirectly. The joystick can be used to grasp, move (lateral or axial), and change the orientation of the target object. The ability to trap objects indirectly allows us to demonstrate the manipulation of a strongly scattering micron-sized metallic particle

Local synthesis of sex hormones:are there consequences for the ocular surface and dry eye?

Sex hormones are associated with the physiology and pathophysiology of almost all organs in the body, as well as most diseases. Interest in the associations between sex hormones and ocular tissues has increased in recent years. Androgens may have a positive effect on dry eye, whereas the effects of oestrogen on ocular conditions remain unclear. Intracrinology, the local synthesis and metabolism of hormones that is unique to humans, is of relevance to the eye and may help to explain why studies of the relationship between oestrogens and dry eye signs and symptoms are inconclusive. Knowledge of the pathways of hormone formation and metabolism is crucial to understanding the pathogenesis of ocular disease including dry eye. This review examines the mechanisms of steroidal sex hormone biosynthesis and reviews the significance of locally produced sex hormones, with a focus on ocular surface tissues. Much of the current literature is based on animal studies, which may not be transferable to humans due to the absence of intracrine production in animals. A large proportion of the human studies investigate systemic hormone levels rather than local levels. There is subsequently a need for additional studies to provide a better understanding of the local production of sex hormones within the human eye and ocular surface and to clarify the relationships between ocular levels of sex hormones and conditions including dry eye