A methodology to understand student choice of Higher Education Institutions: the case of the United Kingdom

The need to understand how prospective students decide which Higher Education Institution to attend is becoming of paramount importance as the policy context for Higher Education moves towards market-based systems in many countries. This paper provides a novel methodology by which student preferences between institutions can be assessed, using the UK as a case study. It applies both revealed preference and discrete choice modelling techniques to estimate the priority attributes and potential trade-offs of students choosing between different United Kingdom universities. Whereas the former methodology has the advantage of being based on actual decisions, the latter provides an experimental setting for more nuanced findings to be elicited; the combination of approaches allows for a rich and detailed set of results. This methodology can also be used to ask detailed strategic questions of higher education institutions, and further applied to other international markets

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement in paediatric Crohn's disease patients contributes to both improved nutrition and growth

Aim: This paper describes the outcomes of gastrostomy feeding in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Methods: Patients with CD who attended the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, and received gastrostomy feeding for at least two years between 2003-2010, were identified from the clinical database. The data recorded included the anthropometric data, CD phenotype, the surgical technique that was used, complications, medication, feed type, median feed, calories, volume and clinical outcomes. Results: The study identified 16 patients (14 male) who had a gastrostomy inserted using a pull technique at a median age of 12.6 years at. Of these two required laparoscopic placement. Short-term complications lasting less than one month were experienced by nine (56%) patients and one (6%) experienced long-term complications. Anthropometry significantly improved at follow up compared to baseline: at 12 months the body mass index z-score was 1.11 (p=0.005) and the weight z-score was 0.19 (p<0.05). At 24 months the height z-score was -1.03 (p=0.04). The daily median volume and calories from feeds increased significantly from baseline to post PEG insertion, from 400-738ml and 705 to 860kcal/day (p< =0.01). Conclusion: Gastrostomy feeding for paediatric patients with CD was associated with improved nutrition, weight gain and growth outcomes

Evidence for electron excitation of type III radio burst emission

Type III radio bursts observed at kilometric wavelengths (≲ 0.35 MHz) by the OGO-5 spacecraft are compared with > 45 keV solar electron events observed near 1 AU by the IMP-5 and Explorer 35 spacecraft for the period March 1968–November 1969.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43725/1/11207_2004_Article_BF00165288.pd

Destination Competitiveness: Evidence from Bali

Within the dynamic global tourism industry, understanding the reasons for a destination’s competitiveness is essential in order to enhance its performance, facilitate more effective destination management, and inform its overall sustainable economic development. This paper applies Kim and Wicks’ (2010) tourism cluster development model to Bali - a small, mature destination in the developing economy of Indonesia. It demonstrates that there are complex relationships between: (i) cluster actors; (ii) barriers preventing effective networking; and (iii) the significance of these interactions for the local host community. This paper contributes to the debate by addressing new and different attributes and actors such as transnational corporations (TNCs), universities, and the concept of co-opetition, as being significant attributes in Kim and Wicks’ initial model. Through a qualitative approach involving n=23 semi-structured interviews, this paper illustrates intricate issues and relationships that are identified in Bali, a small mature destination. Purposive sampling methods were employed to generate a range of key stakeholders who informed our understanding of ‘cluster actors’ in Kim and Wicks’ terms. The systematic examination of these key tourism elements provides a detailed analysis of the destination’s strengths and weaknesses, and a more nuanced understanding of what facilitates a destination’s competitive position

Environmentally Tuning Asphalt Pavements Using Phase Change Materials

Environmental conditions are considered an important factor influencing asphalt pavement performance. The addition of modifiers, both to the asphalt binder and the asphalt mixture, has attracted considerable attention in potentially alleviating environmentally induced pavement performance issues. Although many solutions have been developed, and some deployed, many asphalt pavements continue to prematurely fail due to environmental loading. The research reported herein investigates the synthetization and characterization of biobased Phase Change Materials (PCMs) and inclusion of Microencapsulated PCM (μPCM) in asphalt binders and mixtures to help reduce environmental damage to asphalt pavements. In general, PCM substances are formulated to absorb and release thermal energy as the material liquify and solidify, depending on pavement temperature. As a result, PCMs can provide asphalt pavements with thermal energy storage capacities to reduce the impacts of drastic ambient temperature scenarios and minimize the appearance of critical temperatures within the pavement structure. By modifying asphalt pavement materials with PCMs, it may be possible to tune the pavement to the environment

Kilometer-wave type III burst: Harmonic emission revealed by direction and time of arrival

A type III solar burst was observed at seven frequencies between 3.5 MHz and 80 kHz by the Michigan experiment aboard the IMP-6 satellite. From the data we can determine burst direction-of-arrival as well as time-of-arrival. We predict these quantities using simple models whose parameters we vary to obtain a good fit to the observations. We find that between 3.5 MHz and 230 kHz the observed radiation was emitted at the fundamental of the local plasma frequency while below 230 kHz it was emitted at the second harmonic. The exciter particles that produced the burst onset and burst peak have velocities of 0.27 and 0.12, respectively, in units of the velocity of light.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43734/1/11207_2004_Article_BF00153676.pd

Integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy for people with psychosis and comorbid substance misuse: randomised controlled trial

Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behaviour therapy in addition to standard care for patients with psychosis and a co-morbid substance use problem. Design Two-centre, open, rater-blind randomised controlled trial Setting UK Secondary Care Participants 327 patients with clinical diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizophreniform or schizoaffective disorder and DSM-IV diagnoses of drug and/or alcohol dependence or abuse Interventions Participants were randomly allocated to integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behaviour therapy or standard care. Therapy has two phases. Phase one – “motivation building” – concerns engaging the patient, then exploring and resolving ambivalence for change in substance use. Phase two –“Action” – supports and facilitates change using cognitive behavioural approaches. Up to 26 therapy sessions were delivered over one year. Main outcomes The primary outcome was death from any cause or admission to hospital in the 12 months after therapy. Secondary outcomes were frequency and amount of substance use (Timeline Followback), readiness to change, perceived negative consequences of use, psychotic symptom ratings, number and duration of relapses, global assessment of functioning and deliberate self harm, at 12 and 24 months, with additional Timeline Followback assessments at 6 and 18 months. Analysis was by intention-to-treat with robust treatment effect estimates. Results 327 participants were randomised. 326 (99.7%) were assessed on the primary outcome, 246 (75.2%) on main secondary outcomes at 24 months. Regarding the primary outcome, there was no beneficial treatment effect on hospital admissions/ death during follow-up, with 20.2% (33/163) of controls and 23.3% (38/163) of the therapy group deceased or admitted (adjusted odds-ratio 1.16; P= 0.579; 95% confidence interval 0.68 to 1.99). For secondary outcomes there was no treatment effect on frequency of substance use or perceived negative consequences, but a statistically significant effect of therapy on amount used per substance-using day (adjusted odds-ratios: (a) for main substance 1.50; P=0.016; 1.08 to 2.09, (b) all substances 1.48; P=0.017; 1.07 to 2.05). There was a statistically significant treatment effect on readiness to change use at 12 months (adjusted odds-ratio 2.05; P=0.004; 1.26 to 3.31), not maintained at 24 months. There were no treatment effects on assessed clinical outcomes. Conclusions Integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behaviour therapy for people with psychosis and substance misuse does not improve outcome in terms of hospitalisation, symptom outcomes or functioning. It does result in a reduction in amount of substance use which is maintained over the year’s follow up. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN1440448

Cognitive and behavioural therapy of voices for with patients intellectual disability: Two case reports

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Mouse Intestine Selects Nonmotile \u3cem\u3eflhDC\u3c/em\u3e Mutants of \u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e MG1655 with Increased Colonizing Ability and Better Utilization of Carbon Sources

d-Gluconate which is primarily catabolized via the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway, has been implicated as being important for colonization of the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine by Escherichia coli MG1655, a human commensal strain. In the present study, we report that an MG1655 Δedd mutant defective in the ED pathway grows poorly not only on gluconate as a sole carbon source but on a number of other sugars previously implicated as being important for colonization, including l-fucose, d-gluconate, d-glucuronate, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, d-mannose, and d-ribose. Furthermore, we show that the mouse intestine selects mutants of MG1655 Δedd and wild-type MG1655 that have improved mouse intestine-colonizing ability and grow 15 to 30% faster on the aforementioned sugars. The mutants of MG1655 Δedd and wild-type MG1655 selected by the intestine are shown to be nonmotile and to have deletions in the flhDC operon, which encodes the master regulator of flagellar biosynthesis. Finally, we show that ΔflhDC mutants of wild-type MG1655 and MG1655 Δedd constructed in the laboratory act identically to those selected by the intestine; i.e., they grow better than their respective parents on sugars as sole carbon sources and are better colonizers of the mouse intestine