What lies beneath? Framing the principles for post-16 education in Scotland

This article explores the guiding principles from an informal education /youth work perspective. If the proposals include, even marginally, some of the work carried out under the auspices of CLD, then we argue it is valid that these principles are explored from such perspectives. As the CLD configuration also includes ‘achievement through learning for adults and ‘achievements through building community capacity’, perspectives will also be included from these traditions. The way that the document uses various concepts from a wider range of theory, both formal and informal education, we argue that the frame being used is intended to speak to a wide range of professionals and interested parties but at the same time narrow the focus to mirror a political ethos

Combined antifungal resistance and biofilm tolerance: the global threat of Candida auris

The enigmatic yeast Candida auris has emerged over the last decade and rapidly penetrated our consciousness. The global threat from this multidrug-resistant yeast has generated a call to arms from within the medical mycology community. Over the past decade, our understanding of how this yeast has spread globally, its clinical importance, and how it tolerates and resists antifungal agents has expanded. This review highlights the clinical importance of antifungal resistance in C. auris and explores our current understanding of the mechanisms associated with azole, polyene, and echinocandin resistance. We also discuss the impact of phenotypic tolerance, with particular emphasis on biofilm-mediated resistance, and present new pipelines of antifungal drugs that promise new hope in the management of C. auris infection

Quantifying groundwater-surface water interactions to improve the outcomes of human activities

Interactions between surface water and groundwater impact both the quality and quantity of water resources. This dissertation is focused on the interactions between surface water in streams and groundwater in hyporheic zones and shallow fluvial aquifers, and how human beings influence these interactions and are influenced by them. The three chapters of this dissertation span scales from cm to km and locations from Upstate New York to the Peruvian Andes, but are united by the goal to improve the scientific understanding of groundwater-surface water interactions (GWSWI) using novel techniques, in order to improve the outcomes of human activities for people and ecosystems. Heat is a useful tracer for quantifying GWSWI, but analyzing large amounts of raw thermal data has many challenges. Chapter 1 presents a computer program named VFLUX for processing raw temperature time series and calculating vertical water flux in shallow sub-surface-water systems. The workflow synthesizes several recent advancements in signal processing, and adds new techniques for calculating flux rates with large numbers of temperature records from high-resolution sensor profiles. The program includes functions for quantitatively evaluating the ideal spacing between sensor pairs, and for performing error and sensitivity analyses for the heat transport model due to thermal parameter uncertainty. The new method is demonstrated by processing two field temperature time series datasets collected using discrete temperature sensors and a high-resolution DTS profile. The analyses of field data show vertical flux rates significantly decreasing with depth at high-spatial resolution as the sensor profiles penetrate shallow, curved hyporheic flow paths, patterns which may have been obscured without the unique analytical abilities of VFLUX. Natural channel design restoration projects in streams often include the construction of cross-vanes, which are stone, dam-like structures that span the active channel, and are often thought to increase local hyporheic exchange. In Chapter 2, vertical hyporheic exchange flux (HEF) and redox-sensitive solutes were measured in the streambed around 4 cross-vanes with different morphologies. Observed patterns of HEF and redox conditions are not dominated by a single, downstream-directed hyporheic flow cell beneath cross-vanes. Instead, spatial patterns of moderate ( Melting tropical glaciers supply approximately half of dry season stream discharge in glacierized valleys of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. The remainder of streamflow originates as groundwater stored in alpine meadows, moraines and talus slopes. A better understanding of the dynamics of alpine groundwater, including sources and contributions to streamflow and GWSWI, is important for making accurate estimates of glacial inputs to the hydrologic budget, and for our ability to make predictions about future water resources as glaciers retreat. The field study described in Chapter 3 focused on two high-elevation meadows in valleys of the Blanca. Tracer measurements of stream and spring discharge and groundwater-surface water exchange were combined with synoptic sampling of water isotopic and geochemical composition, in order to characterize and quantify contributions to streamflow from different geomorphic features. In a valley headwaters study site, groundwater supplied approximately half of stream discharge from the meadow, with most originating in a debris fan adjacent to the meadow and little from the meadow itself (6%); however, in at a mid-valley study site, where meadows are extensive, local groundwater has a large impact on stream flow and chemistry through large net discharge and fractional hydrologic turnover

Candida auris: a decade of understanding of an enigmatic pathogenic yeast

Candida auris is an enigmatic yeast that continues to stimulate interest within the mycology community due its rapid and simultaneous emergence of distinct clades. In the last decade, almost 400 manuscripts have contributed to our understanding of this pathogenic yeast. With dynamic epidemiology, elevated resistance levels and an indication of conserved and unique pathogenic traits, it is unsurprising that it continues to cause clinical concern. This mini-review aims to summarise some of the key attributes of his remarkable pathogenic yeast

Using Google Analytics, Voyant and Other Tools to Better Understand Use of Manuscript Collections at L. Tom Perry Special Collections

[Excerpt] Developing strategies for making data-driven, objective decisions for digitization and value-added processing. based on patron usage has been an important effort in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections (hereafter Perry Special Collections). In a previous study, the authors looked at how creating a matrix using both Web analytics and in-house use statistics could provide a solid basis for making decisions about which collections to digitize as well as which collections merited deeper description. Along with providing this basis for decision making, the study also revealed some intriguing insights into how our collections were being used and raised some important questions about the impact of description on both digital and physical usage. We have continued analyzing the data from our first study and that data forms the basis of the current study. It is helpful to review the major outcomes of our previous study before looking at what we have learned in this deeper analysis. In the first study, we utilized three sources of statistical data to compare two distinct data points (in-house use and online finding aid use) and determine if there were any patterns or other information that would help curators in the department make better decisions about the items or collections selected for digitization or value-added processing. To obtain our data points, we combined two data sources related to the in-person use of manuscript collections in the Perry Special Collections reading room and one related to the use of finding aids for manuscript collections made available online through the department’s Finding Aid database ( http://findingaid.lib.byu.edu/). We mapped the resulting data points into a four quadrant graph (see figure 1)

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of pharmacist-led medication reconciliation in the community after hospital discharge

BACKGROUND Pharmacists’ completion of medication reconciliation in the community after hospital discharge is intended to reduce harm due to prescribed or omitted medication and increase healthcare efficiency, but the effectiveness of this approach is not clear. We systematically review the literature to evaluate intervention effectiveness in terms of discrepancy identification and resolution, clinical relevance of resolved discrepancies and healthcare utilisation, including readmission rates, emergency department attendance and primary care workload. DESIGN Systematic literature review and meta-analysis of extracted data. METHODS Medline, CINHAL, EMBASE, AMED, ERIC, SCOPUS, NHS evidence and the Cochrane databases were searched using a combination of Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms and free text search terms. Controlled studies evaluating pharmacist-led medication reconciliation in the community after hospital discharge were included. Study quality was appraised using CASP. Evidence was assessed through meta-analysis of readmission rates. Discrepancy identification rates, emergency department attendance and primary care workload were assessed narratively. RESULTS Fourteen studies were included comprising five RCTs, six cohort studies and three pre-post intervention studies. Twelve studies had a moderate or high risk of bias. Increased identification and resolution of discrepancies was demonstrated in the four studies where this was evaluated. Reduction in clinically relevant discrepancies was reported in two studies. Meta-analysis did not demonstrate a significant reduction in readmission rate. There was no consistent evidence of reduction in emergency department attendance or primary care workload. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacists can identify and resolve discrepancies when completing medication reconciliation after hospital discharge but patient outcome or care workload improvements were not consistently seen. Future research should examine the clinical relevance of discrepancies and potential benefits on reducing healthcare team workload

Fungi at the scene of the crime: innocent bystanders or accomplices in oral infections?

Purpose of Review: Over the last decade, microbiome studies have enhanced our knowledge and understanding of the polymicrobial nature of oral infections. Recently, profiling of the fungal microbiome has expanded our conventional understanding of oral ecology, revealing the critical importance of yeasts within this complex microbiome. This review aims to explore our current appreciation of interkingdom interactions in oral disease. Recent Findings: There is a growing evidence base of interactions and pathogenic synergy and antagonism with bacterial species within oral disease. Recent studies have helped to develop our knowledge of how Candida albicans, alongside bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Lactobacillus species, influence overall pathogenicity. Summary: Clinical and experimental evidence makes a compelling case for a role for C. albicans in a number of oral infections, though whether its role is an active accomplice or passive bystander remains to be determined