Hovering on the threshold? Tracking intentional and transitional behaviours at the Writing Café

Aims of project: To undertake an analysis of the threshold that surrounds the Writing Café and investigate how any barriers can be minimised in order to engender engagement with the support available. The Writing Café provides an opportunity for staff and students to work together in a ‘third space’, breaking down social hierarchy and cultural boundaries, with a particular focus on those from widening participation backgrounds (Bhabha, 1994). It is a place where students on the periphery can engage with higher education, and thus it is vital that the space is clearly identifiable and the threshold is as inviting as possible in order to make sure that students can connect with the support available and engage with a community of practice (Kennedy, 1997, Wenger, 2000).PedRI

Doctoral Thesis as Entangled Becomings: moments that tremble with potential.

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An agenda for creative practice in the new mobilities paradigm

Creative practices have made a standing contribution to mobilities research. We write this article as a collective of 25 scholars and practitioners to make a provocation: to further position creative mobilities research as a fundamental contribution and component in this field. The article explores how creative forms of research—whether in the form of artworks, exhibitions, performances, collaborations, and more—has been a foundational part of shaping the new mobilities paradigm, and continues to influence its methodological, epistemological, and ontological concerns. We tour through the interwoven history of art and mobilities research, outlining five central contributions that creativity brings. Through short vignettes of each author’s creative practice, we discuss how creativity has been key to the evolution and emergence of how mobilities research has expanded to global audiences of scholars, practitioners, and communities. The article concludes by highlighting the potency of the arts for lively and transdisciplinary pathways for future mobilities research in the uncertainties that lay ahead

Prehospital transdermal glyceryl trinitrate in patients with ultra-acute presumed stroke (RIGHT-2): an ambulance-based, randomised, sham-controlled, blinded, phase 3 trial

Background High blood pressure is common in acute stroke and is a predictor of poor outcome; however, large trials of lowering blood pressure have given variable results, and the management of high blood pressure in ultra-acute stroke remains unclear. We investigated whether transdermal glyceryl trinitrate (GTN; also known as nitroglycerin), a nitric oxide donor, might improve outcome when administered very early after stroke onset. Methods We did a multicentre, paramedic-delivered, ambulance-based, prospective, randomised, sham-controlled, blinded-endpoint, phase 3 trial in adults with presumed stroke within 4 h of onset, face-arm-speech-time score of 2 or 3, and systolic blood pressure 120 mm Hg or higher. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive transdermal GTN (5 mg once daily for 4 days; the GTN group) or a similar sham dressing (the sham group) in UK based ambulances by paramedics, with treatment continued in hospital. Paramedics were unmasked to treatment, whereas participants were masked. The primary outcome was the 7-level modified Rankin Scale (mRS; a measure of functional outcome) at 90 days, assessed by central telephone follow-up with masking to treatment. Analysis was hierarchical, first in participants with a confirmed stroke or transient ischaemic attack (cohort 1), and then in all participants who were randomly assigned (intention to treat, cohort 2) according to the statistical analysis plan. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN26986053. Findings Between Oct 22, 2015, and May 23, 2018, 516 paramedics from eight UK ambulance services recruited 1149 participants (n=568 in the GTN group, n=581 in the sham group). The median time to randomisation was 71 min (IQR 45–116). 597 (52%) patients had ischaemic stroke, 145 (13%) had intracerebral haemorrhage, 109 (9%) had transient ischaemic attack, and 297 (26%) had a non-stroke mimic at the final diagnosis of the index event. In the GTN group, participants’ systolic blood pressure was lowered by 5·8 mm Hg compared with the sham group (p<0·0001), and diastolic blood pressure was lowered by 2·6 mm Hg (p=0·0026) at hospital admission. We found no difference in mRS between the groups in participants with a final diagnosis of stroke or transient ischaemic stroke (cohort 1): 3 (IQR 2–5; n=420) in the GTN group versus 3 (2–5; n=408) in the sham group, adjusted common odds ratio for poor outcome 1·25 (95% CI 0·97–1·60; p=0·083); we also found no difference in mRS between all patients (cohort 2: 3 [2–5]; n=544, in the GTN group vs 3 [2–5]; n=558, in the sham group; 1·04 [0·84–1·29]; p=0·69). We found no difference in secondary outcomes, death (treatment-related deaths: 36 in the GTN group vs 23 in the sham group [p=0·091]), or serious adverse events (188 in the GTN group vs 170 in the sham group [p=0·16]) between treatment groups. Interpretation Prehospital treatment with transdermal GTN does not seem to improve functional outcome in patients with presumed stroke. It is feasible for UK paramedics to obtain consent and treat patients with stroke in the ultraacute prehospital setting. Funding British Heart Foundation

‘Feed-forward: Exploring the staff and student experience of technology facilitated feedback - can technology support and engage staff and students in dialogic feedback?’

Aims of project: to explore the use of new feedback processes within four module groups in the Plymouth Business School; to evaluate how two of the institutionally provided learning technologies, Moodle and PebblePad, could support and enhance the online feedback experience for staff/students. Background/context to project: ELC101, ELC201, ELC305 and ELC307 are four English language modules where we seek to develop students’ capacity to self-regulate and develop strategies for autonomous learning, in order to further the development of their English language skills. We have noted over the years that students do not seem to engage with feedback as much as we would wish and wanted to see if use of the DLE / Pebblepad would encourage them to adopt a more proactive role in responding to feedback. Both platforms allow students to respond online.TFA

A reassessment of crucibles from Arcadia Buildings, Southwark

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:7373.705(11/2000) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Moulds from Gloucester Business Park Link Road, Gloucestershire

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:7373.705(12/2000) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo