School uniform and other costs of schooling: views and experiences in Wales (technical report & final report)

"The overall aim of the research was... to explore the views of parents/carers and young people in Wales on the validity, usefulness and benefits of having school uniforms and their experiences and views on the cost and availability of buying uniforms, and to explore how the wider costs of schooling impacts on children, families and schools." - research aims & objectives

Performance indicators and health promition targets

This paper discusses the usefulness of performance indicators in health promotion. Health promotion and target-setting in health have both risen to the fore in the light of the Health of the Nation White Paper. This coupled with increasing pressure on all sectors of health care to demonstrate their “value-for-money” have meant that health promotion activities are being scrutinised as never before. Performance indicators have been one suggested means of ensuring movement towards Health of the Nation targets and value-for-money in health promotion. The paper outlines the uses to which performance indicators have been put elsewhere in the NHS and argues that they are unlikely to be directly transferrable to health promotion. Criteria for successful performance indicators in health promotion are outlined. However, it is doubtful whether these criteria will be fulfilled to any useful extent at present. The theory of health promotion is characterised by many different views of what is an appropriate outcome measure of any health promotion intervention and therefore what will be an appropriate performance indicator. Consensus in theory is needed before any consensus on what is most suitable to measure is reached. In addition, any outcomes from health promotion, by its very nature, are likely to become apparent only over long periods of time, if at all. This reduces the likelihood of attribution and the feasibility of assigning responsibility for meeting targets. Nonetheless, there is some scope for performance indicators in health promotion and their use as an internal management tool and as mechanisms for reaching external micro and macro level health-related targets is discussed. A collection of suggested macro performance indicators from the Health Education Authority are evaluated according to the criteria developed earlier. It is argued that at present these do not qualify as performance indicators, although they are certainly useful as monitoring tools. The paper concludes with priorities for further research in this area. Despite the emphasis on target-setting brought about by the Health of the Nation, knowledge and expertise in performance indicators for health promotion is lacking. This is a matter of urgent concern. There are many complex conceptual and practical problems which will influence the future role and choice of performance indicators in health promotion. These range from the fundamental, differing views about the definition of health education and health promotion, to the practical, a lack of knowledge at the community level about how to start looking for indicators, and the technical, a lack of clear responsibility for meeting macro-level targets.performance indicators, targets

The Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) Associated With Bell Peppers and Surrounding Vegetation in Southern Illinois

Outbreaks of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) disease, caused by an aphid- transmitted pathogen, greatly reduced yields of bell pepper in southern Illinois in the mid-1990s. To provide the basis for further studies of the roles of individual apbid species in virus transmission, we surveyed aphid flights in and around pepper fields in 1996 and 1997 by using suction traps, interception nets, landing traps, sweep nets, and hand-picking. We collected 78 species of aphids, 15 of which have been reported to transmit CMV to peppers. The most abundant species taken from suction traps and interception nets in combination were Lipaphis erysimi, Rhopalosiphum padi, Rhopalosiphum maidis, Schizaphis graminum, and Aphis craccivora. All of these species are known to transmit CMV to peppers, but the phenology of R. maidis in Illinois suggests it is not the vector that brings CMV to pepper fields to initiate disease outbreaks. Brachycaudus helichrysi was relatively abundant in 1996 in May and June when a CMV outbreak may have been initiated; it was absent in 1997, and CMV infections were rare that season. Two species, Carolinaia carolinensis and Myzus hemerocallis were recorded for the first time in Illinois

Gels of hydrated titanium dioxide

In 1823, Rose (1) reported the preparation of a week structured titania jelly by the treatment if fusion of sodium carbonate and titanium dioxide wit hydrochloric acid. In 1938, Jacober (3) prepared weak titania jellies by a method similar to that used by Klosky and Marzano. Furthering this previous research, Jacober went on to demonstrate that titanium, as might be expected from its close similarity to silicon and its position in the same periodic family, shows a linear relation between the reciprocal of absolute temperature and the logarithm of the time of set of its gels, as silicon does

How effective is the research and development ecosystem for England’s schools?

This article examines the role of research and development within England's school system. From a range of literature past and present we argue that six features (three dimensions) should form the focus for action at the institutional, systemic and policy levels. Applying these stress tests to the current system, we suggest that an effective ecosystem of research-informed schools is as yet not being fully realized. We argue that the keys to improving this are to change the structures, cultures and incentives that bridge the research–practice divide, and to align accountability arrangements to allow schools to learn through enquiry

The re-emergence of the B1 cell compartment : is this a pre-lymphoma stage?

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) are in some cases stereotyped for immunoglobulin variants in different populations, suggesting emergence of B cell subsets following presentation of the same antigen. CLL cells may originate from CD5+ naïve cells and from CD5 memory cells. Gene expression studies characterized a common cell of origin of the two clinical categories of CLL; the unmutated aggressive type and the mutated indolent type. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of CD5 positive B cells in the elderly and their potential stimulation with exosomes derived from tumor cells. The findings from this study is aimed to create a model to identify instigating carcinomatous factors that may stimulate B1 cells to transform into a CLL-like model. In this study we show that CD19\textsuperscript+ cells (B cells) in cord blood have a high expression of CD5. CD19/CD5 staining of blood samples from senior citizens showed the presence of B cells which also express the CD5 marker, though at a lower expression when compared to CLL cells (CD19+/CD5 dim B cells). Measurement of clonality using λ/Κ flow cytometry staining show a monoclonal origin of the human CD19+/CD5 dim B cells. Monoclonal B cell Lymphocytosis in the elderly is a potential cell compartment that represents the origin of B cell proliferative disorders. The origin of the B cell proliferative disease requires antigen stimulation. A preliminary experiment showed that sorted lymphocytes can be stimulated by exosomes isolated from 2 cancer cells lines, A549 (lung epithelial) and PC3 (prostate cell line). In comparison with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and phorbolmyristate acetate (PMA), known lymphocyte stimulators, the exosomes stimulated the proliferation of monocytic-like cells. Further characterization is required to know the origin of these cells. The result shows that one can speculate that exosomes present cancer-derived antigens and stimulate cell proliferation. Further studies are required to evaluate the potential transformation capacity of cancer-derived exosomes. In addition, various cytokines were measured in the sera of senior citizens to investigate a differential release of cytokines in the presence or absence of the CD19+/CD5 dim B cells. Cytokines examined were not significantly different between the 2 groups and further evaluation of cytokine levels is required.peer-reviewe

Exploring sub-national island jurisdictions

Sub-national island jurisdictions (SNIJs) manifest diverse expressions of govern- ance within typically asymmetrical relationships with a much larger state. Dubbed ‘federacies’ in the literature on federalism, these bilateral systems of self- and shared-rule arise almost exclusively on islands. The jurisdictional powers that island federacies enjoy are principally a result of bilateral negotiations between island political elites and a (usually benign) metropole. This bargain is struck against the backdrop of a particular colonial inheritance, a local ‘sub- nationalist’ culture, and the varying ambitions of local elites to win jurisdictional powers to advance ‘sub-national’ territorial interests. At other times, however, island autonomies arise as crafted, deliberate devolutions of central governments eager to exploit islands as ‘managed’ zones for economic or security-related activity in a globalised economy. In either case sub-national autonomies often show more success and resilience as non-sovereign island jurisdictions than their sovereign island-state counterparts.peer-reviewe

Success without sovereignty : exploring sub-national island jurisdictions

Kish Island is one of three 'industrial free trade zones' approved by the Majlis (Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly) in August 1993. Kish may be small: just 5 km wide and 17 km long. Still, it is administered semi-autonomously by 'an Authority organized as a company with autonomous legal status, whose capital shall belong to the government' (Law on Administration of Free Trade-Industrial Zones, Article 5). Its very smallness and islandness lets Kish get away with such a departure from fundamentalist theocratic rule.peer-reviewe

Children of female sex workers and injection drug users: a review of vulnerability, resilience, and family-centered models of care in low and middle-income countries

This item is archived in the repository for materials published for the USAID supported Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research Project (OVC-CARE) at the Boston University Center for Global Health and Development.Background: Injection drug users and female sex workers are often categorized as two of the populations most at risk for becoming infected with HIV in countries with concentrated epidemics. Many of the adults who fall into these categories in low and middle income contexts are also parents, but little is known about the vulnerabilities faced by their children, their sources of resilience, or programs providing services to these often fragile families. Methods: We reviewed the peer-reviewed and gray literature to synthesize current knowledge on the situation of these children and families, and interventions currently in place in low and middle income countries. Organizational websites and references of all relevant sources were manually searched, and key informants from service organizations were contacted by phone and email. Results: A large amount of literature assessing the vulnerability and resilience of children of drug users and alcoholics in developed countries was found. Their children can face unique risks, stigma, and discrimination, but child vulnerability and resilience are associated in the substance abuse literature with the physical and mental health of parents and family context. Research on the situation of the children of sex workers is extremely limited. Interventions have been implemented in low and middle-income contexts but they tend to be small, piecemeal, struggling to meet demand; and undocumented, and most have not been evaluated. We present preliminary descriptive data from an organization working with pregnant and new mothers who are drug users in Ukraine and an organization providing services to sex workers and their families in Zambia. Discussion: Because parents’ drug use, sex work, or same sex relationships are often illegal and hidden, identifying their children can be difficult and may increase their vulnerability and marginalization. Therefore, researchers and service providers must proceed with caution when attempting to reach this population. Promising components of family-centered care include: strengthening family caring capacity through home visitation and peer support, providing early childhood development programs and crèches or drop-in centers for children; economic strengthening and job skills training for parents. Integration of legal assistance with health and other social services is also gaining increased international attention.The USAID | Project SEARCH, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research (OVC-CARE) Task Order, is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development under Contract No. GHH-I-00-07-00023-00, beginning August 1, 2008. OVC-CARE Task Order is implemented by Boston University. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agency

The scale, scope and impact of alternative care for OVC in developing countries

This item is archived in the repository for materials published for the USAID supported Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research Project (OVC-CARE) at the Boston University Center for Global Health and Development.Over 145 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents due to various causes, 15 million of these are due to AIDS (1,2); and many more have been made vulnerable due to other causes. The global community has responded by putting in place various care arrangements for these children. However, the scale, scope and impact of these alternative care approaches have not been well summarized. The aim of this literature review is to synthesize and analyze available data on alternative care approaches and the impact of these placements on the lives of orphans and other vulnerable children. Both the short-term and long term wellbeing of a child depends a lot on where they live and the care they receive in those settings.The USAID | Project SEARCH, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research (OVC-CARE) Task Order, is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development under Contract No. GHH-I-00-07-00023-00, beginning August 1, 2008. OVC-CARE Task Order is implemented by Boston University. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agency