An exploratory study of the development of virtual learning environments for adult literacy education

This thesis fundamentally was derived from the increasing demand for more flexible models of adult literacy education, within a wider agenda that aimed to improve accessibility to a wide range of users with different learning styles and to promote the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a necessary life-skill. A study in 1997 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, reported that one in four Irish adults lacked the basic literacy skills needed to function in society. In 2001, anecdotal evidence suggested that as low as four percent o f Irish adults with literacy problems were receiving literacy tuition and support in established adult literacy centres in Ireland. A proposed solution to the problems of access and support, retention of anonymity and provision of flexibility in literacy education involved the establishment of virtual learning environments. The focus of this research was to present a synthesis of developments in the area of the adult literacy tuition and support, and, furthermore, to ascertain whether there existed elements of a ''workable process’ for designing and integrating technology in literacy programmes that could be utilised in future developments of virtual learning environments. The focus of this investigation was primarily on design team and stakeholders engagement in the software design and development processes, as opposed to an investigation into the suitability of the learning processes adopted from an instructional perspective. The findings of this research present a four-level 'workable process' that can be used to guide design teams through the process of software development. A contextual review of the area in which the software is to be embedded, and an analysis of the needs of the various participants, is considered pivotal to the success of this four-level process. The findings also emphasise the importance of collaborative teamwork, and furthermore the engagement of design team members in a dialectical process in consensus formation, as being critical to the successful implementation of this 'workable process'

Hydrazine Derivatives as a Platform for Site-Specific Labelling of Peptides for in vivo Molecular Imaging of Disease

The 6-hydrazinonicotinyl group, known as HYNIC, is an attractive bifunctional coupling agent for preparing 99mTc-labeled peptides and proteins for medical imaging. Peptides are useful for imaging disease states such as cancer and inflammation because they take advantage of a distinct cellular target, such as a receptor, being present on the cell. Receptors are often over expressed on tumour cells. Peptides will bind to their receptors with high specificity and affinity. There is a recognized need to create well-de?ned polymer probes for in vivo and clinical PET and SPECT imaging to guide the development of new generation polymer therapeutics. In general the amount of radionuclide used in radiopharmaceuticals is small, so attaching the radionuclide to a polymer ensures that the radionuclide will be highly concentrated in the radiopharmaceutical. The number of binding sites is increased with the copolymer making it a viable choice for radiolabelling applications. The chances of successfully imaging the point of interest are therefore increased. This thesis presents the synthesis of various HYNIC analogues that are capable of chelating technetium-99m in order to be attached to an amino acid and incorporated into a peptide sequence via solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) to image site-specific targets. While 6-HYNIC has been widely used, 2-HYNIC has not, and as such both of these were used in the synthesis of a number of derivatives. These derivatives were characterised by 1H and 13C NMR, FT-IR and melting point data was obtained for comparison with literature. A number of derivatives were successfully synthesised and purified with the aim of binding these to copolymer chains. This work also presents the synthesis of a bifunctional copolymer (POEGMA-co-PAMA) which is biocompatible and can be attached to a HYNIC group and subsequently a peptide. This copolymer was synthesised using a controlled living radical polymerisation technique called Reversible Addition Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT). This technique was chosen due to its ability to synthesise polymers with predetermined molecular weights of complex architectures whilst maintaining control over polydispersity. Copolymers of varying compositions were synthesised and analysed by GPC and NMR. This method (once optimised) would allow for the copolymer to be labelled with technetium-99 for SPECT, providing an alternative bioconjugate synthetic route

Is There Visual Lateralisation of the Sun Compass in Homing Pigeons?

Functional lateralisation in the avian visual system can be easily studied by testing monocularly occluded birds. The sun compass is a critical source of navigational information in birds, but studies of visual asymmetry have focussed on cues in a laboratory rather than a natural setting. We investigate functional lateralisation of sun compass use in the visual system of homing pigeons trained to locate food in an outdoor octagonal arena, with a coloured beacon in each sector and a view of the sun. The arena was rotated to introduce a cue conflict, and the experimental groups, a binocular treatment and two monocular treatments, were tested for their directional choice. Wefoundnosignificantdifferenceintestorientationbetweenthetreatments,withallgroupsshowing evidence of both sun compass and beacon use, suggesting no complete functional lateralisation of sun compass use within the visual system. However, reduced directional consistency of binocular vs. monocular birds may reveal a conflict between the two hemispheres in a cue conflict condition. Birds using the right hemisphere were more likely to choose the intermediate sector between the training sectorandtheshiftedtrainingbeacon,suggestingapossibleasymmetryinfavourofthelefteye/right hemisphere (LE/RH) when integrating different cues

Educación especial e inclusión : aportaciones desde la investigación

Este artículo recoge evidencias, desde la investigación, que justifican la elección de una educación inclusiva del alumnado con discapacidad. Investigaciones anteriores han mostrado las limitaciones de una educación segregada del alumnado con discapacidad en escuelas y aulas especiales, en cuanto a los resultados educativos de este alumnado y, por tanto, en sus posibilidades posteriores de plena inclusión en la sociedad. La investigación llevada a cabo en el Proyecto Includ-ED, el único proyecto integrado sobre educación escolar que analiza extensamente las contribuciones de diferentes sistemas y prácticas educativos a la inclusión y exclusión social en Europa, nos ha permitido identificar prácticas de inclusión que están llevando a cabo escuelas de éxito que cuentan entre su alumnado con niños y niñas con discapacidad y que favorecen su educación conjunta con el resto de alumnado, y mayores oportunidades de aprendizaje.This article gathers evidences -obtained from research- that justify the choice for a kind of education that includes students with disabilities. Previous research projects have demonstrated the limitations of isolating students with disabilities in special schools and classrooms, in terms of academic results, and therefore, in later possibilities for their total inclusion in society. The research that has been carried out as part of the IncludED Project -the only integrated project on school education that extensively analyses the contributions of different educative systems and practices to social inclusion and exclusion in Europe- have allowed us to identify practices of inclusion that are being used successfully in schools that attend kids of both genders with disabilities, favoring their education in conjunction with the rest of the students, and therefore, allowing them greater learning opportunities.Cet article recueille des épreuves depuis la recherche qui justifient le choix d'une éducation incluse des élèves avec des handicaps. Des recherches antérieures ont montré les limitations d'une éducation séparée des élèves avec un handicap dans des écoles et salles de classes adaptées à leurs besoins, par rapport aux résultats éducatifs de ces élèves et par conséquent, dans leurs possibilités d'inclusion pleine dans la société. La recherche faite dans le Projet Includ-Ed, le seul projet intégré sur éducation scolaire qui analyse largement les contributions de différents systèmes et pratiques éducatives à l'inclusion et exclusion sociale en Europe nous a permis d'identifier des pratiques d'inclusion qui réalisent des écoles de réussite qui ont parmi leurs élèves des garçons et des filles avec un handicap et qui favorisent leur éducation partagée avec le reste d'effectifs et plus d'opportunités d'apprentissage

Repeated training of homing pigeons reveals age dependent idiosyncrasy and visual landmark use.

Recent research into the navigational strategies of homing pigeons (Columba livia) inthe familiar area has highlighted the phenomenon of route fidelity – birds formingidiosyncratic flight paths to which they are loyal over multiple releases from the samesite, and even returning to this path when released from a near-by unfamiliar location.Such results highlight the potential importance of visual landmark cues in the homingprocess. However, not all birds have been shown to produce idiosyncratic routes orshow this route-joining behaviour. Here we use birds with and without flight experienceto study the formation of idiosyncratic routes when released repeatedly from a singlelocation, followed by two off-route releases with differing topography to see how flightexperience and local landmark features can influence navigational strategy in thefamiliar area. We found that, over the course of 20 sequential releases, birds withgreater flight experience tended to form idiosyncratic routes whereas less experiencedbirds did not show this tendency. When released from near-by sites (from which thebirds had not previously been released), a range of navigational strategies were seen,including flying parallel to the learned route (suggestive of a learned compassdirection), a direct flight path towards home (again indicative of compass use), re-joining the learned route, and following the coastline. These latter strategies aresuggestive of landmark usage. Analysis using time lag embedding was also used toassess the off-route releases, and the short-term correlation dimension valuesproduced (ranging from 1.5-2.5) were also indicative of strategies using one or twofactors (landmarks, compass, or a combination of these two). Individual birds oftenshowed different strategies at different sites, suggesting that the use of differentnavigational cues is highly flexible and situationally dependent

Time for a general approval of growth hormone treatment in adults with Prader–Willi syndrome

Abstract: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex, multi-system, neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by neonatal muscular hypotonia, short stature, high risk of obesity, hypogonadism, intellectual disabilities, distinct behavioural/psychiatric problems and abnormal body composition with increased body fat and a deficit of lean body mass. Growth hormone (GH) deficiency and other hormone deficiencies are common due to hypothalamic dysfunction. In children with PWS GH treatment has been widely demonstrated to improve body composition, normalise height and improve psychomotor development. In adults with PWS, GH’s main effects are to maintain normal body structure and metabolism. The positive effects of GH treatment on body composition, physical fitness and beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk markers, behaviour and quality of life in adults with PWS are also well established from several studies. GH treatment is approved for treatment of children with PWS in many countries, but until recently not as a treatment in young adults in the transition period or for adults in general. In this commentary we want to draw attention to the uneven global use of GH treatment, specifically in adults with PWS, and advocate for GH treatment to be approved internationally, not just for children, but also for adults with PWS and based only on the diagnosis of genetically confirmed PWS

Interplay of rhizome and education for sustainable development

Abstract One of the central challenges within education for sustainable development (ESD) is in empowering learners to reframe mindsets, particularly those that result in unsustainable behaviours and/or actions. This paper introduces the concept of rhizome articulated by Deleuze and Guattari (1987) and proposes that it can act as a framework for re-conceptualising processes of ESD. Key constructs within the rhizome, such as assemblages, nomadism, war machines and lines of flights, are discussed to highlight their relevance to ESD. The principles of the rhizome (connection, heterogeneity, multiplicity, signifying rupture, cartography and decalcomania) are then examined in the context of six processes necessary for effective ESD outlined by Tilbury (2011), namely, collaboration, dialogue, ‘whole system’ engagement, innovation within curricula, teaching and learning and active and participatory learning. The final section critically considers how this weaving of rhizomatic principles with the processes of ESD impacts on educating for sustainability. The rhizome has the potential to inspire educators and learners alike to become more critically aware of the interconnectivity and disruptive influences within sustainability. In this regard, the discussion ends by concluding that the reconceptualisation of ESD as rhizome or rhizomatic can foster an ontological shift towards perceiving the nature of reality as complex interconnected multiplicities.</jats:p

Time for a general approval of growth hormone treatment in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex, multi-system, neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by neonatal muscular hypotonia, short stature, high risk of obesity, hypogonadism, intellectual disabilities, distinct behavioural/psychiatric problems and abnormal body composition with increased body fat and a deficit of lean body mass. Growth hormone (GH) deficiency and other hormone deficiencies are common due to hypothalamic dysfunction. In children with PWS GH treatment has been widely demonstrated to improve body composition, normalise height and improve psychomotor development. In adults with PWS, GH's main effects are to maintain normal body structure and metabolism. The positive effects of GH treatment on body composition, physical fitness and beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk markers, behaviour and quality of life in adults with PWS are also well established from several studies. GH treatment is approved for treatment of children with PWS in many countries, but until recently not as a treatment in young adults in the transition period or for adults in general. In this commentary we want to draw attention to the uneven global use of GH treatment, specifically in adults with PWS, and advocate for GH treatment to be approved internationally, not just for children, but also for adults with PWS and based only on the diagnosis of genetically confirmed PWS