Perspectives On The Sources And Eventual Outcome Of The 2008 Economic And Financial Crisis: A Panel Discussion

In October 2008 the Southern Utah University School of Business held a panel discussion on the current economic crisis. This discussion was part of the School’s Business Convocation series and was open to the public. The panel was designed with two components in mind. First, a pair of academics with expertise in financial institutions and business cycles offered historical and theoretical perspectives on the crisis. Second, a pair of professionals – a local banking official and a fund manager – offered perspectives on the current financial situation and practical experience based on the policy responses to past crises. As moderator, Joe Baker asked each panelist to make a short presentation on a question of general interest that was related to their area of expertise; this was followed by an open question and answer session. The participating panelists and opening questions follow. 1. Stephen Evans, Professor of Finance: Dr. Evans teaches courses on financial institutions and was asked to provide background of how the crisis occurred and what the proposed government bailout plan is expected to accomplish. 2. David Tufte, Associate Professor of Economics: Dr. Tufte is a macroeconomist and was asked to discuss the macroeconomic implications of the crisis in such areas as inflation, interest rates, economic growth and unemployment. 3. Mr. Robb Kerry, Chief Credit Officer of ADB Bank: Mr. Kerry has an extensive background in banking as a bank regulator and banker. Mr. Kerry was asked to discuss the implications of the crisis on banking credit and lending. Mr. Steve Harrop, Finance Professional in Residence: Mr. Harrop was a mutual fund manager for several decades before joining the School of Business faculty where he teaches investments and manages (pro bono) an investment fund. Mr. Harrop will discuss the implications of the crisis on the stock and bond markets

INCITS W1.1 Standards for Perceptual Evaluation of Text and Line Quality

INCITS W1.1 is a project chartered to develop an appearance-based image quality standard. This paper summarizes the work to date of the W1.1 Text and Line Quality ad hoc team, and describes the progress made in developing a Text Quality test pattern and an analysis procedure based on experience with previous perceptual rating experiments

New understandings of fathers’ experiences of grief and loss following stillbirth and neonatal death: a scoping review

Objective: To report on research conducted on men's experiences of grief and loss following stillbirth and neonatal death in high-income, Western countries. Design: This review was guided by the following research questions: 1. The impact of perinatal death for men 2. The meaning of the loss for a father's sense of identity 3. The extent to which men were able to express grief while supporting their partners and, 4. how men's experience of grief was mediated by the support and care received by health professionals. Data Sources: We searched the following databases: Medline; PsychINFO; CINAHL to identify relevant articles published from the year 2000 onwards. The searches were run between 1/04/2018 and 8/4/2018. Review methods: A scoping review was conducted of nursing, psychological, medical and social science databases using these key words: fathers’ grief, men's grief, perinatal loss and death, stillbirth and neonatal death. Results: Studies indicated that men reported less intense and enduring levels of psychological outcomes than women but were more likely to engage in avoidance and coping behaviours such as increased alcohol consumption. Men felt that their role was primarily as a ‘supportive partner’ and that they were overlooked by health professionals. Conclusions: Further research is needed on men's experience of grief following perinatal death, especially on their physical and mental well-being. Impact: This review addressed the problem of the lack of knowledge around paternal needs following perinatal death and highlighted areas which researchers could usefully investigate with the eventual aim of improving care for fathers

Key challenges in simulated patient programs: An international comparative case study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The literature on simulated or standardized patient (SP) methodology is expanding. However, at the level of the program, there are several gaps in the literature. We seek to fill this gap through documenting experiences from four programs in Australia, Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. We focused on challenges in SP methodology, faculty, organisational structure and quality assurance.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used a multiple case study method with cross-case synthesis. Over eighteen months during a series of informal and formal interactions (focused meetings and conference presentations) we documented key characteristics of programs and drew on secondary document sources.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Although programs shared challenges in SP methodology they also experienced differences. Key challenges common to programs included systematic quality assurance and the opportunity for research. There were differences in the terminology used to describe SPs, in their recruitment and training. Other differences reflected local conditions and demands in organisational structure, funding relationships with the host institution and national trends, especially in assessments.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This international case study reveals similarities and differences in SP methodology. Programs were highly contextualised and have emerged in response to local, institutional, profession/discipline and national conditions. Broader trends in healthcare education have also influenced development. Each of the programs experienced challenges in the same themes but the nature of the challenges often varied widely.</p

A randomised controlled pilot and feasibility study of music therapy for improving the quality of life of hospice inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Evidence about the effectiveness of music therapy for improving the quality of life of palliative care patients is positive but weak in terms of risk of bias. METHODS: This study aimed to determine the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy for improving the quality of life of hospice inpatients, as measured by the McGill Quality of Life questionnaire. Objectives included recruitment of 52 participants over 12 months and provision of data to support the calculation of the required sample size for a definitive randomised trial, taking into account the retention rates of recruited participants; and evaluation of the viability of the intervention and the acceptability of the assessment tool. The design was a single-centre, researcher-blinded randomised pilot and feasibility study involving two parallel groups. Participants were recruited from one inpatient hospice unit in Northern Ireland. Eligibility criteria were an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of two or lower and an Abbreviated Mental Test score of seven or more. Consenting patients were randomly allocated to the intervention or control group using a 1:1 allocation ratio. The intervention group received up to six individual music therapy sessions over 3 weeks in addition to usual care. The control group received usual care only. RESULTS: Fifty one participants were recruited over 12 months. Twenty five were allocated to the intervention group and 26 to the control group. Seventy one percent of participants were lost to follow up by week 3, the proposed primary endpoint. The primary endpoint was moved from week 3, when 71% were lost to follow up to week 1, when 33% were lost. The McGill Quality of Life questionnaire was generally acceptable to participants. In order to detect a small to moderate effect size of 0.3, a fully powered study would require the recruitment of 698 participants. CONCLUSIONS: A Phase III randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy in improving the quality of life of hospice inpatients is feasible. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02791048 . Registered 6 June 2016

Protocol for developing quality assurance measures to use in surgical trials:an example from the ROMIO study

INTRODUCTION: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in surgery are frequently criticised because surgeon expertise and standards of surgery are not considered or accounted for during study design. This is particularly true in pragmatic trials (which typically involve multiple centres and surgeons and are based in 'real world' settings), compared with explanatory trials (which are smaller and more tightly controlled).OBJECTIVE: This protocol describes a process to develop and test quality assurance (QA) measures for use within a predominantly pragmatic surgical RCT comparing minimally invasive and open techniques for oesophageal cancer (the NIHR ROMIO study). It builds on methods initiated in the ROMIO pilot RCT.METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We have identified three distinct types of QA measure: (i) entry criteria for surgeons, through assessment of operative videos, (ii) standardisation of operative techniques (by establishing minimum key procedural phases) and (iii) monitoring of surgeons during the trial, using intraoperative photography to document key procedural phases and standardising the pathological assessment of specimens. The QA measures will be adapted from the pilot study and tested iteratively, and the video and photo assessment tools will be tested for reliability and validity.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained (NRES Committee South West-Frenchay, 25 April 2016, ref: 16/SW/0098). Results of the QA development study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration number: ISRCTN59036820, ISRCTN10386621.</p

We can’t play with them, but we can play for them’: fathers uniting in grief through football

This chapter presents the findings from a study conducted with fathers who had experienced the loss of a child following miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death and who had joined Sands United footballs team whose aim is to support bereaved fathers and make it possible for them to memorialise their child. Interviews conducted with fathers suggests that these men seek unique ways to continue a bond with their baby and one which is visible and present on the football pitch. In so doing, the research outlined in this chapter challenges the social norms to which grieving men have been traditionally bound according to dominant cultural and social expectations around ‘being stoic and ‘ manly.’ Indeed, the fathers accounts demonstrate that men’s feelings of grief can find expression within the context of a supportive and shared activity. Within these supportive spaces, men can make the invisible, tangible by declaring their identity as a father, and by playing in matches dedicated to their children and from which they are able to derive a source of belonging not found elsewhere

The state of the arts:the challenge for the arts in Primary education in Scotland - a symposium

The Expressive Arts have been long established in curricula guidelines in Scotland, with learners able to enjoy the breadth and depth of a range of Expressive Arts learning activities. At a time when education systems are looking to refresh learning and teaching post-Covid, there is a need to take stock and consider the role of the arts in the education of children and young people, but also what are the challenges in fulfilling this role? This symposium explores the current ‘state of the arts’ in the Primary school in Scotland. It will present findings from three interlinked research projects (Art, Dance and Music) which each explored two specific aims: primary teachers’ knowledge and confidence relating to teaching the arts in their classrooms; and, the content of arts education in primary-focused Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. Each paper will present key findings based on these aims, providing insight into the current ‘state’ and the challenges for teachers in ensuring that children have access to quality expressive arts learning experiences through Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). It is these challenges and, most importantly, the ways to overcome and meaningfully address them as an education system, that we are keen to explore through discussion with delegates.Paper 1: ArtAnna RobbResearch on art and design education in primary schools in the United Kingdom is an active and growing field. This paper presents the view from Scotland and draws upon a 2022 study which explored teachers’ experiences and associated knowledge and beliefs about art and design education in primary classrooms. Data were gathered in the form of an online survey, with 110 primary teachers responding. Key findings indicated that most respondents believed that teaching art in primary schools was the responsibility of the classroom teacher. They also indicated that while confidence levels to teach single art lessons were relatively high, these levels began to dip once the focus was on planning and delivering a programme of work in art and design. This paper will discuss these findings in more depth, presenting a current picture of art and design teaching in primary schools.Paper 2: DanceEilidh SlatteryDance education is a valuable yet often neglected area of the curriculum. Drawing on the analysis of data from over 200 respondents, this paper will discuss the relationship between primary teachers’ prior experience and/or qualifications in dance, their beliefs regarding the importance of dance within education, and teacher confidence to deliver dance as part of the curriculum. This paper will also investigate some key issues identified in the data, including the overall inequity and disparity of experience in terms of dance education throughout a teacher’s own learning experiences in school, and in their developmental journey to becoming a teacher.Paper 3: MusicLio Moscardini and Angela JaapMusic is a much-valued component of arts education in Scotland, with a presence in various curricula since at least the 1900s. Yet while Music continues to be valued by practitioners there is an ongoing and significant concern relating to the regularity and content of music teaching in the primary classroom. This paper will share the findings of data gathered from over 400 Primary teachers and discuss some of the key issues which emerged including primary teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about music education; primary teachers’ confidence in and preparedness for teaching music; primary teachers’ accounts of practice relating to music education in the classroom; accessibility to music education for all children. ReferencesMoscardini, L., Jaap, A., Rae, A., and Wilson, A. (2021) Music Education in Primary Schools in Scotland. Research Report submitted to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.Slattery, E. and Rae, A. (2022) Dance Education in Primary Schools in Scotland. Research Report submitted to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.ThemesCreative Approaches - (Arts Based &amp; Creativities &amp; Nature, Outdoor Learning and Play)Second ThemeTeacher Education and Developmen