Everything is at stake; yet nothing is at stake : exploring meaning-making in game-centred approaches

While not wishing to cover old ground in articulating the promise or continued promise of phenomenology within the physical education and sports domains, this paper aims to explore the ‘human’ nature of the game-centred approach (GCA) from an existential-phenomenological perspective. In a recent review of literature on the current state of research on GCAs, Harvey and Jarrett made the call for phenomenological-oriented empirical studies. Urging the academic fraternity to embrace such ‘participatory epistemologies’ is an extremely positive and important step by the authors. This is because, although they do not explicitly make the point, to call for the embrace of phenomenological-oriented research into GCAs, the authors are accepting the fundamental importance of individual experience and meaning in games teaching. If we focus on the individual it then becomes a distinct possibility of structuring increasingly meaningful game-centred practice. In this respect we analyze Martin Heidegger's notion of ‘being-in-the-world’ and illustrate how Arnold's three categories of meaningful movement—primordial, contextual and existential—can help facilitate ideas for pedagogical practice and provide an appropriate interpretive lens for future research into GCAs

Coordinated Reuse and Deployment for Scientific Software Prototypes with D-UEA-ST

D-UEA-ST (pronounced due east) is a plugin architecture that enables easy development of scientific software prototypes aimed at supporting software developers. Prototypes are developed as D-UEA-ST plugins that make use of knowledge representation models, reasoners and optimisers, and visualisation APIs. D-UEA-ST also defines a clear workflow that allows for continuous integration and deployment. This makes it easy for target users to try the tools and for researchers to get rapid feedback

COVID-19 confessions: a qualitative exploration of healthcare workers experiences of working with COVID-19

Objectives To gain insight into the experiences and concerns of front-line National Health Service (NHS) workers while caring for patients with COVID-19. Design Qualitative analysis of data collected through an anonymous website (www.covidconfidential) provided a repository of uncensored COVID-19 experiences of front-line NHS workers, accessed via a link advertised on the Twitter feed of two high profile medical tweeters and their retweets. Setting Community of NHS workers who accessed this social media. Participants 54 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and physiotherapists, accessed the website and left a ‘story’. Results Stories ranged from 1 word to 10 min in length. Thematic analysis identified common themes, with a central aspect being the experience and psychological consequence of trauma. Specific themes were: (1) the shock of the virus, (2) staff sacrifice and dedication, (3) collateral damage ranging from personal health concerns to the long-term impact on, and care of, discharged patients and (4) a hierarchy of power and inequality within the healthcare system. Conclusions COVID-19 confidential gave an outlet for unprompted and uncensored stories of healthcare workers in the context of COVID-19. In addition to personal experiences of trauma, there were perceptions that many operational difficulties stemmed from inequalities of power between management and front-line workers. Learning from these experiences will reduce staff distress and improve patient care in the face of further waves of the pandemic

Adolescent moral judgement: A study of UK secondary school pupils

Despite a recent world-wide upsurge of academic interest in moral and character education, little is known about pupils’ character development in schools, especially in the UK context. The authors used a version of the Intermediate Concept Measure for Adolescents, involving dilemmas, to assess an important component of character—moral judgement—among 4053 pupils aged 14–15. Data were generated in 33 UK schools of varying types between February 2013 and June 2014. Results showed that compared with US samples, the pupils’ scores were, on average, low, suggestive of tendencies towards ‘self-interest’, ‘not getting involved’ and ‘conformity/loyalty to friends’. Judgements varied by subscales assessing ‘action’ and ‘justification’ choices; pupils more successfully identified good actions than good justifications, but generally struggled more to successfully identify poor actions and poor justifications. Highest scores were for a dilemma emphasising ‘self-discipline’ and lowest for ‘honesty’, with ‘courage’ in between. Overall average results were significantly and positively associated with being female, having (and practising) a religion and doing specific extra-curricular activities. Differences in schools were also noted, although the kinds of school (e.g. public/private, religious/secular) were unrelated to student scores

The case for early use of rapid whole-genome sequencing in management of critically ill infants: late diagnosis of Coffin-Siris syndrome in an infant with left congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital heart disease, and recurrent infections.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) results from incomplete formation of the diaphragm leading to herniation of abdominal organs into the thoracic cavity. CDH is associated with pulmonary hypoplasia, congenital heart disease, and pulmonary hypertension. Genetically, it is associated with aneuploidies, chromosomal copy-number variants, and single gene mutations. CDH is the most expensive noncardiac congenital defect. Management frequently requires implementation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which increases management expenditures 2.4-3.5-fold. The cost of management of CDH has been estimated to exceed $250 million per year. Despite in-hospital survival of 80%-90%, current management is imperfect, as a great proportion of surviving children have long-term functional deficits. We report the case of a premature infant prenatally diagnosed with CDH and congenital heart disease, who had a protracted and complicated course in the intensive care unit with multiple surgical interventions, including postcardiac surgery ECMO, gastrostomy tube placement with Nissen fundoplication, tracheostomy for respiratory failure, recurrent infections, and developmental delay. Rapid whole-genome sequencing (rWGS) identified a de novo, likely pathogenic, c.3096_ 3100delCAAAG (p.Lys1033Argfs*32) variant in ARID1B, providing a diagnosis of Coffin-Siris syndrome. Her parents elected palliative care and she died later that day

Poor choices: the limits of competitive markets in the provision of essential services to low-income consumers

A major study of the problems faced by the poor in the market for seven essential services in the UK - energy, food, housing, water, telecoms, transport, and financial services. Together these represent 60% of spending by the poorest 30% of households

Effect of praziquantel treatment of Schistosoma mansoni during pregnancy on immune responses to schistosome antigens among the offspring: results of a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Offspring of women with schistosomiasis may exhibit immune responsiveness to schistosomes due to in utero sensitisation or trans-placental transfer of antibodies. Praziquantel treatment during pregnancy boosts maternal immune responses to schistosome antigens and reduces worm burden. Effects of praziquantel treatment during pregnancy on responses among offspring are unknown. METHODS: In a trial of anthelminthic treatment during pregnancy in Uganda (ISRCTN32849447; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN32849447/elliott), offspring of women with Schistosoma mansoni were examined for cytokine and antibody responses to schistosome worm (SWA) and egg (SEA) antigen, in cord blood and at age one year. Relationships to maternal responses and pre-treatment infection intensities were examined, and responses were compared between the offspring of women who did, or did not receive praziquantel treatment during pregnancy. RESULTS: Of 388 S. mansoni-infected women studied, samples were obtained at age one year from 215 of their infants. Stool examination for S. mansoni eggs was negative for all infants. Cord and infant samples were characterised by very low cytokine production in response to schistosome antigens with the exception of cord IL-10 responses, which were substantial. Cord and infant cytokine responses showed no association with maternal responses. As expected, cord blood levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) G to SWA and SEA were high and correlated with maternal antibodies. However, by age one year IgG levels had waned and were hardly detectable. Praziquantel treatment during pregnancy showed no effect on cytokine responses or antibodies levels to SWA or SEA either in cord blood or at age one year, except for IgG1 to SWA, which was elevated in infants of treated mothers, reflecting maternal levels. There was some evidence that maternal infection intensity was positively associated with cord blood IL-5 and IL-13 responses to SWA, and IL-5 responses to SEA, and that this association was modified by treatment with praziquantel. CONCLUSIONS: Despite strong effects on maternal infection intensity and maternal immune responses, praziquantel treatment of infected women during pregnancy had no effect on anti-schistosome immune responses among offspring by age one year. Whether the treatment will impact upon the offspring's responses on exposure to primary schistosome infection remains to be elucidated. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN: ISRCTN32849447

Regulation of Nonribosomal Peptide Synthesis: bis-Thiomethylation Attenuates Gliotoxin Biosynthesis in Aspergillus fumigatus

Gliotoxin is a redox-active nonribosomal peptide produced by Aspergillus fumigatus. Like many other disulfide-containing epipolythiodioxopiperazines, a bis-thiomethylated form is also produced. In the case of gliotoxin, bisdethiobis(methylthio)gliotoxin (BmGT) is formed for unknown reasons by a cryptic enzyme. Here, we identify the S-adenosylmethionine- dependent gliotoxin bis-thiomethyltransferase (GtmA), which converts dithiogliotoxin to BmGT. This activity, which is induced by exogenous gliotoxin, is only detectable in protein lysates of A. fumigatus deficient in the gliotoxin oxidoreductase, gliT. Thus, GtmA is capable of substrate bis-thiomethylation. Deletion of gtmA completely abrogates BmGT formation and we now propose that the purpose of BmGT formation is primarily to attenuate gliotoxin biosynthesis. Phylogenetic analysis reveals 124 GtmA homologs within the Ascomycota phylum. GtmA is encoded outside the gliotoxin biosynthetic cluster and primarily serves to negatively regulate gliotoxin biosynthesis. This mechanism of postbiosynthetic regulation of nonribosomal peptide synthesis appears to be quite unusual