A cross-linguistic study of modality

This work is a typological study of modality. My research began as an attempt to find cross-linguistic correlations of a syntactic (and concomitantly semantic) nature in the development of modality such as are discussed for English by Traugott ( 1972), Lightfoot (1979), and Plank (1984). It became clear, over time, that discussions of modality to be found in other languages were not set on the same seemingly sound footing as established diachronic discussions of English modal verbs. It was also clear that modality was not a very clear notion in anyone='s mind and relied usually on language-specific categories of forms which were syntactically set apart from other forms of similar categories (usually modal verbs as distinct from main or auxiliary verbs). Often these forms did not offer good cross-linguistic proof of the need for a distinct category in any language, as the notions expressed by modal forms in a distinct grammatical category in one language were often expressed by lexical items in a non-distinct category in another language (e.g. modal verbs of English non-modal verbs - Gm mogen = Eng.'like', sollen='be supposed to' 'said to' ) . It was also evident that the difficulty, synchronically, of establishing reasonable definitions of modal notions and forms became even more apparent when equivalences were sought diachronically. It was clear that there had to be greater investigation of what con-stituted modality before it could be easily understood how modal notions developed or changed

Candida albicans Hypha Formation and Mannan Masking of β-Glucan Inhibit Macrophage Phagosome Maturation

Received 28 August 2014 Accepted 28 October 2014 Published 2 December 2014 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank Janet Willment, Aberdeen Fungal Group, University of Aberdeen, for kindly providing the soluble Dectin-1-Fc reporter. All microscopy was performed with the assistance of the University of Aberdeen Core Microscopy & Histology Facility, and we thank the IFCC for their assistance with flow cytometry. We thank the Wellcome Trust for funding (080088, 086827, 075470, 099215, 097377, and 101873). E.R.B. and A.J.P.B. are funded by the European Research Council (ERC-2009-AdG-249793), and J.L. is funded by a Medical Research Council Clinical Training Fellowship.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A comparison of diet quality in a sample of rural and urban Australian adults

The diet quality of rural Australians is under researched. Characterising disparities in diet quality between rural and urban populations may inform targeted interventions in at- risk groups. A cross-sectional study aimed to determine the relationship between diet quality, rurality and socio-demographic characteristics in a sample of Australian adults. Participants were recruited at rural and regional events between 2017 and 2020, in New South Wales, Australia. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Quiz or Australian Eating Survey to generate an Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS). ARFS was compared by rurality and sociodemographic characteristics using multivariate regression. Participants (n = 247; 53% female) had a mean ± SD ARFS of 34.5 ± 9.0. There was no significant effect of rurality on ARFS (β-coefficient = −0.4; 95%CI −3.0, 2.3). Compared to participants aged 18–30 years, higher ARFS was evident for those aged 31–50 (β = 5.4; 95%CI 0.3, 10.4), 51–70 (β = 4.4; 95%CI 0.3, 8.5) and >71 years (β = 6.5; 95% CI 1.6–11.4). Compared to those living alone, participants living with a partner (β = 5.2; 95%CI 2.0, 8.4) and families with children (β = 5.6; 95%CI 1.4, 9.8) had significantly higher ARFS. ARFS was significantly lower with each additional self-reported chronic health condition (β = −1.4; 95%CI −2.3, −0.4). Our results indicate that diet quality as defined by the ARFS was classified as ‘getting there’ and that age, living arrangements and chronic health conditions, but not rurality, influenced diet quality in a sample of Australian adults

“Time to Reflect”: Enhancing the self-efficacy of secondary school wellbeing personnel in recognising and responding to mental health needs of students

“Time to Reflect” (TTR) is an innovative five-session professional development program for secondary school wellbeing personnel working with students between the ages of 12 and 18. TTR is jointly designed and delivered by an educational and a youth mental health specialist service. The program provides education on a range of mental health related topics and offers participants an opportunity to reflect on their current practices. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether the TTR program increases perceived competence and confidence of participants in recognising and responding to the mental health needs of students. The secondary aim was to assess changes in the use of reflection and its perceived benefits for professional practice. Participants completed a self-assessment questionnaire at three time points: prior to the first session, after the final session, and three months after completion of the program. One hundred and thirty-five school wellbeing personnel from a variety of state, independent, and Catholic secondary schools participated. Following completion of the program, participants reported significantly greater confidence and competence in helping students with mental health problems, with this level of change being maintained at the three-month post-training assessment. The majority of participants reported positive changes in their use of reflection, and consequent benefits to their professional practice. The findings from this study suggest that the TTR program promoted the self-efficacy of participants in responding to the mental health needs of students, and that regular reflective practice may be an effective and beneficial model for continued professional learning and development in schools

Value-adding to health professional student placement experiences: Enhancing work readiness and employability through a rural community engagement program

Enriching health professional students’ placement experiences through targeted community-engagement has the potential to help develop their preparedness to provide healthcare to the broader community. The program, developed in 2011, consisted of short, extracurricular community-engaged learning experiences integrated with the students’ professional placements. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the program was adding to the students’ rural health placement experiences based on perceptions of both the students themselves and UONDRH staff. A mixed methods approach used a student survey (n = 96), which included both closed and open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews with staff members involved in delivery of the community engagement program (n = 15). Data were explored together for intersections and commonalities. The overarching key concept was ‘Enhancing Work Readiness and Employability’. Both student and staff perceived that students’ participation in community engagement improved their employment prospects. Three themes that emerged from the data, which underpinned and supported the key concept. They were: ‘Expanding professional practice capabilities’; ‘Building confidence and showing motivation’ and ‘Better understanding the nature of rural practice’,   The results of this study provide support to the notion that there was value for students in this form of short-term, community engagement activities, many of which could be readily integrated into existing health professional education programs with considerable benefits. . It would also lend itself to other non-health professional programs, such as law, journalism or business studies, as a means of broadening the students’ perspectives beyond the limits of their own professional horizons

Rural nutrition and dietetics research—Future directions

Aim: The aim of this study was to summarise key evidence from recent Australian rural nutrition research and provide recommendations for future nutrition and dietetics research with rural communities. Context: Clear evidence demonstrates that diet plays a role in the health gap between rural and metropolitan Australia. Despite the opportunity to address the health of rural Australians through better nutrition, alarmingly low investment in nutrition and dietetics research has occurred historically, and over the past decade. Approach: A review of the evidence was undertaken by rural nutrition and dietetics leaders to provide a commentary piece to inform future rural nutrition research efforts. Conclusion: Establishing strong, collaborative place-based nutrition and dietetics research teams are necessary to combat the significant gaps in the scientific knowledge of solutions to improve nutrition in rural Australia. Further, dieticians and nutritionists who live in and understand the rural contexts are yet to be fully harnessed in research, and better engaging with these professionals will have the best chance of successfully addressing the nutrition-related disease disparity between rural and metropolitan Australia

Learning from difference and similarity: identities and relational reflexive learning

Within organizations there is reciprocal interplay between identity construction and learning. Processes of learning are enabled and constrained by identity practices; concomitantly, the possibilities for learning are shaped by the identity positions available to individuals. There is a dynamic between the impositions of organizations and people’s freedom to shape their identities and learning plays a crucial role in this. Our purpose in this special issue is to contribute to the understanding of the intersection of identity work and learning as a response to experiences of being different. Experiences of difference include moving into a new role, encountering a disjuncture with others while in a role or a difference in broader life which is reacted to as if it were a problem in an organizational setting. Being different produces a variety of challenges and the papers in this special issue trace how people cope with vulnerabilities, develop resilience and often collaborate in their learning. We focus on how people reflect on their own identity and learn and how, by learning together with people who have similar experiences, micro-communities can support, develop and enhance their insight and identity-positions

Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico

Working equids play an essential role in supporting livelihoods, providing resilience and income security to people around the world, yet their welfare is often poor. Consequently, animal welfare focussed NGOs employ a range of initiatives aimed at improving standards of working equid welfare. However, there is debate surrounding the efficacy of welfare initiatives utilised and long term monitoring and evaluation of initiatives is rarely undertaken. This study compares equid welfare and the social transmission of welfare information across Mexican communities that had previously received differing intervention histories (veterinary treatment plus educational initiatives, veterinary treatment only and control communities) in order to assess their efficacy. Indicators of equid welfare were assessed using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool and included body condition score, skin alterations, lameness, general health status and reaction to observer approach. Owners were interviewed about their involvement in previous welfare initiatives, beliefs regarding equid emotions and pain, and the social transmission of welfare knowledge, including whether they ask advice about their equid or discuss its health with others and whether there is a specific individual that they consider to be 'good with equids' in their community. In total 266 owners were interviewed from 25 communities across three states. Better welfare (specifically body condition and skin alteration scores) was seen in communities where a history of combined free veterinary treatment and educational initiatives had taken place compared to those that had only received veterinary treatment or control communities. The social transfer of welfare knowledge was also higher in these communities, suggesting that the discussion and transfer of equid welfare advice within communities can act as a mechanism to disseminate good welfare practices more widely. Our results suggest that using a combined approach may enhance the success of welfare initiatives, a finding that may impact future NGO programming

The New York City DOE/CUNY Library Collaborative: Bridging the Gap Between High School and College

This white paper presents the progression and the processes of the New York Collaborative Curriculum Revision Project (CCRP), a collaborative of high school teachers, college faculty, and librarians, formed to build upon the new Common Core State Standards designed to help students develop and become more adept at reading critically, conducting rigorous research, and being better prepared for postsecondary success. This paper presents CCRP as a model to be replicated, modified and strengthened. The DOE/CUNY Library Collaborative is central to the development of the model and shares its successes and hard-learned lessons in its steps to recruit, engage, and facilitate collaborative methods for improving educational outcomes