The extent of community and public support available to families caring for orphans in Malawi.

There are an estimated 15 million AIDS orphans worldwide. Families play an important role in safeguarding orphans, but they may be increasingly compromised by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The international aid community has recognized the need to help families continue caring for orphaned children by strengthening their safety nets. Before we build new structures, however, we need to know the extent to which community and public safety nets already provide support to families with orphans. To address this gap, we analyzed nationally representative data from 27,495 children in the 2004-2005 Malawi Integrated Household Survey. We found that communities commonly assisted orphan households through private transfers; organized responses to the orphan crisis were far less frequent. Friends and relatives provided assistance to over 75% of orphan households through private gifts, but the value of such support was relatively low. Over 40% of orphans lived in a community with support groups for the chronically ill and approximately a third of these communities provided services specifically for orphans and other vulnerable children. Public programs, which form a final safety net for vulnerable households, were more widespread. Free/subsidized agricultural inputs and food were the most commonly used public safety nets by children's households in the past year (44 and 13%, respectively), and households with orphans were more likely to be beneficiaries. Malawi is poised to drastically expand safety nets to orphans and their families, and these findings provide an important foundation for this process

Pseudomonas aeruginosa​ genetics and virulence in cystic fibrosis and bacteraemia

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ​is an opportunistic pathogen that can invade and colonise the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), cause septic shock through bacteraemia infections, and lead to serious infection of burn injuries. It is one of the most critical multi-drug resistant bacteria, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A total of 4,094 ​P. aeruginosa isolates were sampled from nine patients with CF over a six-month time period. These isolates were collected from sputum samples during stable, acute, and recovery timepoints from periods of sudden and rapid lung function decline, called acute pulmonary exacerbations (APEs). These isolates were previously analysed for the presence and absence of ten virulence-related phenotypes. The ​P. aeruginosa isolates were whole-genome sequenced to investigate the inter- and intra-patient genotypic diversity, associations with phenotypic diversity, and adaptation within the CF lung. Each of the nine patients with CF were colonised with a distinct clone of ​P. aeruginosa​. Six patients were infected with well-characterised, highly-transmissible strains of either the Liverpool Epidemic Strain (LES) or the Manchester Epidemic Strain (MES). The remaining three patients were infected with novel sequence types (STs); ST3307 or ST3308. Putative transmission was identified between the two patients infected with ST3307. Two large deletions in genetic regions commonly associated with progression from acute to chronic infection were identified in ST3307. The acquisition of the LES by one of the patients was very recent, estimated to have occurred within the two years prior to the study. This recent acquisition provides an insight into the immediate adaptation of P. aeruginosa to the CF lung, with adaptation observed in genetic regions associated with progression from acute to chronic ​P. aeruginosa​ infection. The timepoints for each APE within the individual patients were not associated with variation in the diversity of the populations of isolates. This was confirmed by random distribution of phylogenetic clusters with respect to each APE timepoint for most patients, suggesting that APEs, and the treatment of APEs, do not substantially affect the diversity of the ​P. aeruginosa​ population within the patient lung. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were carried out on the CF isolates, to investigate any associations with the ten previously-tested virulence-related phenotypes. Population structure could be effectively controlled for in this highly structured dataset, using linear mixed models. Multiple GWAS approaches were required to capture the different classes of genetic variation, resulting in the identification of biologically relevant associations for complex phenotypes, most notably a premature stop-codon in the global transcriptional regulator r​hlR,​ as well as several novel, potentially significant associations. An additional 352 ​P. aeruginosa ​isolates from patients with bacteraemia were also whole-genome sequenced. These isolates were sourced from both a local collection and from a UK-wide surveillance collection, and broadly match the defined population structure of ​P. aeruginosa.​ Three STs were overrepresented in this dataset, which are associated with virulence and multi-drug resistance; ST175, ST253 and ST395. One of these overrepresented STs, ST175, was distributed across the UK, shows significant geographical clustering and temporal signal, and is predicted to have been introduced into the UK between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. Antimicrobial resistance profiles showed that current therapeutic options are still viable for most ​P. aeruginosa bacteraemia infections, and that colistin is still effective against the most multi-drug resistant isolates

Making a difference in secondary science education

There is empirical research and scholarly debate about what constitutes effective learning. Students have offered perspectives on describing good teaching, which mainly focuses on teachers' interpersonal qualities and subject expertise. Teachers want to make a difference to students' lives, yet little research has been conducted to determine science teaching practices that may have an impact on students' lives. This qualitative study analyses responses from 167 adults (preservice teachers; 26% males and 74% females) aged between 19 and 51 about their memories of positive and negative secondary science education experiences, and high-impact science lessons that had an influence on them. Apart from obtaining demographic information, the questionnaire requested these adults to reflect on their secondary science education experiences, for example: (1) As a secondary student, was secondary school science a positive experience? Why or why not? (2) State one secondary science experience and the effect this had on you. Results indicated 52 adults claimed science as a positive experience, 56 deemed science to be a negative experience, and 59 were split in their decisions (stating both positive and negative experiences). All responses on making a difference in secondary science experiences fell within nine categories, that is: teacher's role, hands-on experiences, group work, useful and practical science, purposes articulated clearly, interactivity with life, clear explanations of abstract concepts, involvement in field work, and the topic selection choice. Some adults responded with more than one practice (e.g., group work and excursions). The most controversial science activity in the secondary school was the dissection of a small animal (e.g., toad, frog, rat) or parts of a larger animal (e.g., cow's heart, bull's eye). This act had an impact on these adults, as they remembered distinctly dissecting a creature. The feelings were divided between disgust and repulsion to delight and enlightenment. There were those who objectively dissected a creature and those who found the experience indelibly sickening. To illustrate one participant said, "Cutting a toad up made me leave the room and made me sick, I couldn't see the point, why not work with diagrams?" Low or negative impact practices involved: disengaging activities such as sensory-repulsive tasks, unclear reasons for learning science, teacher's lack of enthusiasm, chalk and talk or copying teacher's work, and denigrating students' personal ideas. Although teaching approaches can vary between different educational levels, and an individual's preferred learning style may change with age and experience, high-impact teaching practices noted in this study were predominantly student-centred or could be adapted to suit individual styles. Indeed, exemplary primary, secondary and tertiary teaching practices may be interchangeable and relevant to effective teaching practices regardless of the level of study. Implementing science lessons with one or more elements of high-impact teaching may lead towards making a difference, particularly if these teaching practices produce in students positive long-term memories about their science education

Residual Nitrogen As it Affects Soil Fertility Under Irrigated Agriculture in a Tropical Wet-Dry Climate

In the Zapotitan Valley near San Andres, El Salvador, Central America, an experiment was conducted to determine the availability of residual soil N to corn grown during the rainy season. This was an extension of an experiment conducted during the preceding dry season. The variables of the dry season experiment were irrigation method, crop, and rate of fertilizer N application. Soil N03-N and NH4-N were determined by soil sample analysis to a soil depth of 120 em by 30 em depth increments. The samples were taken at the end of the dry season experiment and again at harvest time of the wet season experiment. Yield of corn grown during the rainy season was measured. The results indicate the following: (1) soil N03-N alone was an efficient indicator of residual soil N; (2) there was a linear increase of soil N03-N with N applied four months previously at the beginning of the dry season crops; (3) soil sampled to the 30 cm depth was sufficient to estimate availability of the residual N; (4) corn yields increased linearly with the increase of soil N03-N; (5) the measurement of residual soil N03-N can be used as a soil text index in connection with N prediction equations for estimating fertilizer N requirements. The measurements of soil N03-N can, therefore, increase the efficiency of fertilizer use in a wet-dry tropical climate

Coaching and coach development in New Zealand

For a small country with a population of 4.47 million (Statistics New Zealand, 2015), New Zealand achieves great success on the world sporting stage. One of the many contributors to this success is New Zealand’s commitment to developing coaches with an emphasis on continuous improvement through the provision of ongoing learning opportunities for coaches (SPARC, 2006). Interestingly the International Sport Coaching Framework’s recommendations aligns itself to such an emphasis that they refer to as lifelong learning (ICCE, 2013). To achieve this focus, and based on a Ministerial Taskforce findings that, “Coaching is in urgent need of support and development” (Ministerial Taskforce, 2001, p.10) Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) established a consultancy group to review and redevelop coaching. The consultancy group was comprised of a “coaching team”’ and “key players in coaching”’ (SPARC, 2004, p.5). An outcome of this consultation was the production of the New Zealand Coaching Strategy (SPARC, 2004). Based on robust discussion on many issues of how people learn and coaching development philosophies, the Coach Development Framework (CDF) was established in 2006. Since its establishment, the CDF has been guiding coach development in New Zealand, placing the responsibility for this development on the National Sporting Organisations (NSOs)

Imaginary subjects: school science, indigenous students, and knowledge–power relations

The perspectives of indigenous science learners in developed nations offer an important but frequently overlooked dimension to debates about the nature of science, the science curriculum, and calls from educators to make school science more culturally responsive or ‘relevant’ to students from indigenous or minority groups. In this paper the findings of a study conducted with indigenous Maori children between the ages of 10 and 12 years are discussed. The purpose of the study was to examine the ways that indigenous children in an urban school environment in New Zealand position themselves in relation to school science. Drawing on the work of Basil Bernstein, we argue that although the interplay between emergent cultural identity narratives and the formation of ‘science selves’ is not as yet fully understood, it carries the potential to open a rich seam of learning for indigenous children

Video Self-reflection and Coach Development in New Zealand

Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with New Zealand coaches (N = 6), this study examined how video self-reflection (VSR) was perceived as a tool for learning within ‘on-going’ coach development. This study also looked to determine the potential barriers experienced by coaches before engaging in VSR. Each participant was a performance coach (as identified by the NZ coach development framework (CDF)) with 5+ years coaching experience and had recently (in the previous 12 months) participated in a coach development program that aligned with Sport NZ’s CDF. Five main themes emerged from the data; coaches had a positive perception of the benefits of VSR, a desire to engage in VSR but did not prioritise the time, logistical concerns, a fear of self-confrontation and evidence of knowledge for ‘modern’ coaching development. Findings indicated that coaches valued VSR as a tool for learning; however, the lack of exposure and experience in the process meant coaches did not value the practise enough to dedicate specific time towards it. This study provides an evidence-base that can be used to support National Governing Bodies coach development frameworks, and the modification of content to encourage the use of VSR as a tool for learning