Perinatal Health and School Trajectories

Perinatal Health and School Trajectorie

The systematic development of guidance for parents on talking to children of primary school age about weight

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children is increasing, alongside increases in rates of children’s anxiety and worry about their weight. In many countries children’s weight is measured, and parents are made aware if a child has been classified as having overweight or obesity. However, many parents are concerned that raising their child’s awareness of their weight, and talking to children about their weight could harm their wellbeing. The aim of this project was to develop guidance for parents on constructive ways to talk to children of primary school age about weight when they need to. // Methods: The project followed a mixed-methods design: Phase 1 involved the collation of evidence including (a) two previously published systematic literature reviews to identify the associations between parent–child weight talk, and broader health discussions, and children’s wellbeing, (b) interviews with children, and (c) development and refinement of narrative messaging (previously published). In Phase 2 we developed a conceptual model and mapped primary findings to techniques and content within a draft guidance document for parents on talking to children about weight. Phase 3 involved a modified Delphi process with 29 stakeholders to refine and agree a final version. // Results: An acceptable draft guidance was agreed following two stages of feedback from Delphi participants. Key areas for debate and adaptation included: encouraging discussion about health and growth with lesser focus on weight; finding ways to reduce stigma and perceptions of blame; emphasising a whole-family approach; inclusive representation of diversity among children and families. // Conclusions: Consensus on the content of guidance for parents on talking to children about weight was achieved through a process of evidence review and stakeholder and expert engagement. The next steps are to measure the impact of the resource on improving the experience of parents and children in communicating about weight

Improved detection and monitoring of fungicide resistance in Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei with high-throughput genotype quantification by digital PCR

The increased occurrence of triazole fungicide resistant strains of Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) is an economic concern for the barley industry in Australia and elsewhere. High levels of resistance to triazoles in the field are caused by two separate point mutations in the Cyp51 gene, Y136F and S509T. Early detection of these mutations arising in pathogen field populations is important as this allows time for changes in fungicide practices to be adopted, thus mitigating potential yield losses due to fungicide failure and preventing the resistance from becoming dominant. A digital PCR (dPCR) assay has been developed for the detection and quantification of the Y136F and S509T mutations in the Bgh Cyp51 gene. Mutation levels were quantifiable as low as 0.2% in genomic DNA extractions and field samples. This assay was applied to the high throughput screening of Bgh field and bait trial samples from barley growing regions across Australia in the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons and identified the S509T mutation for the first time in the Eastern states of Australia. This is the first report on the use of digital PCR technology for fungicide resistance detection and monitoring in agriculture. Here we describe the potential application of dPCR for the screening of fungicide resistance mutations in a network of specifically designed bait trials. The combination of these two tools constitute an early warning system for the development of fungicide resistance that allows for the timely adjustment of management practices

A Quick Guide for Computer-Assisted Instruction in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

Introduction: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CBB) are indispensable components in the training of life scientists [1–3]. Current curricula in the life sciences should prepare graduates who master quantitative and computer skills for increased levels of performance [4–6]. Equally important is that the application of the curricula is driven by an appropriate instructional paradigm and effective learning experiences. Teaching and learning with computers bring specific issues that should be considered beforehand by any instructor. The following Quick Guide for Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) outlines ten principles for effective teaching. The principles are aligned with current developments on human cognition and learning [7] and have been drawn from our own experience using CAI in seminars, tutorials, and distance education, in courses on Molecular Life Sciences at the undergraduate level, taught to majors in biology or in other subjects (e.g., nutrition, teaching of physics and chemistry, teaching of biology, sports). The Guide refers to the preparation, presentation, and assessment of CAI. It should be an aid for those who teach CBB with CAI in class, and it is expected to stimulate student motivation and deeper learning in CBB, thus making class time more effective and improving satisfaction of both students and instructors

General Gauss-Bonnet brane cosmology

We consider 5-dimensional spacetimes of constant 3-dimensional spatial curvature in the presence of a bulk cosmological constant. We find the general solution of such a configuration in the presence of a Gauss-Bonnet term. Two classes of non-trivial bulk solutions are found. The first class is valid only under a fine tuning relation between the Gauss-Bonnet coupling constant and the cosmological constant of the bulk spacetime. The second class of solutions are static and are the extensions of the AdS-Schwarzchild black holes. Hence in the absence of a cosmological constant or if the fine tuning relation is not true, the generalised Birkhoff's staticity theorem holds even in the presence of Gauss-Bonnet curvature terms. We examine the consequences in brane world cosmology obtaining the generalised Friedmann equations for a perfect fluid 3-brane and discuss how this modifies the usual scenario.Comment: 20 pages, no figures, typos corrected, refs added, section IV changed yielding novel result

The Metropolis and Evangelical Life: Coherence and Fragmentation in the ‘Lost City of London’

This article examines the interplay of different processes of cultural and subjective fragmentation experienced by conservative evangelical Anglicans, based on an ethnographic study of a congregation in central London. The author focuses on the evangelistic speaking practices of members of this church to explore how individuals negotiate contradictory norms of interaction as they move through different city spaces, and considers their response to tensions created by the demands of their workplace and their religious lives. Drawing on Georg Simmel’s ‘The Metropolis and Mental Life’, the author argues that their faith provides a sense of coherence and unity that responds to experiences of cultural fragmentation characteristic of everyday life in the city, while simultaneously leading to a specific consciousness of moral fragmentation that is inherent to conservative evangelicalism

An International Society and Journal for Equity in Health: 10 years on

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Commentary June 2010 marked the 10th Anniversary of the foundation meeting of the International Society for Equity in Health (ISEqH). The formation of the Society was a bold statement, with ambitions to be a global body "to promote equity in health and health services internationally through education, research, publication, communication and charitable support"[1]. The Society particularly aimed to be an organisation that facilitated research on how better to understand and address inequities in health. The main activities of the Society have been a series of biannual conferences as well as the establishment of the International Journal for Equity in Health, the official (but independent) publication of the Society. This paper sets out to record some of the milestones of the Society drawing on the reflections of key researchers who attended the conferences as well as others. The history of the Society will help shape its future and how it responds to important issues facing all interested in global efforts to address continuing and unacceptable inequities in health

Qalb ta’ Tifel

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Lil Malta ta’ Dun Karm – Fuq il-Fruntiera ta’ Dun Karm – Jum li jibqa’ jissemma ta’ Ġużè Chetcuti – Xbihet Malta ta’ Arthur V. Vassallo – Għanja ta’ Mħabba ta’ Ġużè Chetcuti – Żewġ Poeżijiet tal-kittieb Malti Antonio Calleja ta’ A. C. – Twettiqa ta’ Calleja – Lil Ħabib Għeluq Sninu ta’ Calleja – Taħt is-Salib ta’ R. M. B. – Lil Dun Karm ta’ Fran. Camilleri – Frak mill-weraq ta’ Byron ta’ A. C. – Irrid Immur Ta’ Xbiex ta’ Fran. Camilleri – Il-Cottonera fil-Ħamrun ta’ N. Biancardi – Qalb ta’ Tifel ta’ R. M. B.N/