It's Very Different Here: Practice-Based Academic Staff Induction and Retention

The sociologist, Max Weber (1864-1920), suggested that few could withstand the frustrations of academic life. As the strategic management of human resources begins to differentiate higher education institutions (HEIs) in league tables, the costs of voluntary staff turnover (attrition) become more significant. In this paper, we consider links between induction (orientation) and retention for academic staff. We report on a qualitative study of thirty academic staff in five United Kingdom HEIs who were recruited on the basis of their professional experience. Their practice-based knowledge lends our participants particular insight into their HEI induction experience which, where found wanting, led in several cases to resignation. We analyse the induction experiences of our participants to glean explanations for these perceived shortcomings. Since induction interventions are thought to lead to improved retention, we recommend policy and practice changes to induction which may benefit all academic staff

Social Organisation and the Rise of Civilisation in the Mun River Valley, Thailand

As one of the most extensively excavated and archaeologically interesting areas of Thailand, the Upper Mun River valley is central to archaeologists‘ interpretations of Southeast Asian prehistory. In this area there is demonstrable growth in social complexity from first occupation to eventual annexation by the state society of Angkor in the mid first millennium AD. The exact nature of social evolution, however, is still not fully understood. Debate rages over the factors upon which social stratification was based, whether hierarchy or heterarchy was in place, the timing of agricultural intensification and impact of external populations. In this thesis isotopic studies are combined with osteological indicators of kinship and population affinity to shed light on these and other archaeological problems which remain unanswered in the Upper Mun River Valley. Isotopic analysis has allowed the identification of migrants in the cemetery of Ban Non Wat, and shown changes in subsistence strategy through time relating to the onset of social inequality and climate change. Analysis of cranial shape has shown that most migrant individuals have similar genetic backgrounds to local people, but with the notable exception of one of the only adult jar burials at the site. The combination of dental non-metric techniques, isotopic analysis and cranial shape analysis has also added evidence to the debates over the presence of hunter-gatherers at the site, and the nature of social organization

Experiences of autonomy support in learning and teaching among black and minority ethnic students at university

In higher education in the UK, there is an unnecessary and inequitable attainment gap of approximately 15% between the number of black and minority ethnic (BME) students and white students who receive a first class or upper second class degree. The aim of this study was to explore whether BME students experienced structural inequalities in teaching and learning that thwarted the extent to which they experienced satisfaction of their need for autonomy, which may contribute to the existence of an attainment gap. Three focus groups were conducted to explore these issues with 17 BME students studying at one UK university. They were all female, aged between 18–50 years, and most described their ethnicity as Black African. Thematic analysis combining an inductive and deductive approach generated two themes: lack of satisfaction of the need for autonomy, and satisfaction of the need for autonomy. All students predominantly discussed situations in which they felt unable to behave in ways that were concordant with their true sense of self, due to factors including course material that did not address diverse cultural issues and negative stereotypes held by students and staff. They described how this often led to a sense of isolation, diminished motivation, and lower wellbeing. In contrast, some students described specific lectures in which diversity was discussed in a way that satisfied their need for autonomy. Implications for teaching are discussed

Phytoplankton community structure determined through remote sensing and in situ optical measurements

Includes bibliographical references.Linking variability in optical signals with phytoplankton community characteristics is important to extend the use of the vast resource that is the satellite ocean colour archive. Detection of species, functional types or size classes has been addressed through a spectrum of empirical to analytical approaches. A key step in developing these techniques is quantifying the sensitivity in reflectance, which can be attributed to phytoplankton characteristics (e.g cell size) under different optical regimes. Ultimately, highly spatially and temporally resolved information on phytoplankton characteristics can help the global scientific community to answer important questions relating to primary ecosystem variability. In the southern Benguela, Harmful Algal Blooms threaten public health and the economic viability of fishery and aquaculture industries in the region. Concurrently, the dominance of phytoplankton biomass amongst optically significant constituents in the southern Benguela makes the region ideal for assessing the extent to which phytoplankton characteristics beyond biomass can influence the ocean colour signal. A forward and inverse approach is presented. Phytoplankton absorption and back scattering are generated from a phytoplankton particle population model coupled to two radiative transfer approaches: a reflectance approximation and the radiative transfer model, EcoLight-S. Non-linear optimisation inversion schemes are then implemented. A simulated dataset is created to investigate how much variability in reflectance can be associated with changes in phytoplankton cell size in different bio-optical water types. This dataset is inverted to investigate the errors inherent in the inversion process as a result of ambiguity. Comparison of the two radiative transfer techniques allows for consideration of the suitability of approximations for bidirection-ality and subsurface propagation. The inversion algorithm is then applied to hyperspectral in situ radiometric data to provide validation and further assessment of errors from all sources. Results indicate that size related sensitivity in reflectance is highly dependent on phytoplank-ton biomass, as determined by the relative phytoplankton contribution to the Inherent Optical Property budget. The algorithm is finally applied to ten years of MERIS data covering the southern Benguela. A time series of biomass and cell size is presented and metrics developed to demonstrate the utility of this approach for identifying previously unobserved interannual variability in Harmful Algal Blooms

Weight and weight related behaviours among NSW students from low SES and non-English speaking backgrounds: Secondary analysis of the NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey 2010

The 2010 SPANS survey showed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among NSW school students has not increased since 2004, stabilizing at 22.8%. The findings reported in the SPANS Full Report also indicate that many children engage in a range of adverse weight related behaviours and that the prevalence of weight-related behaviours varied according to socioeconomic status (SES) and cultural background. The findings may have implications for policy regarding interventions among school aged children and the design of interventions for different sociodemographic groups. The purpose of the report is to undertake more detailed data analyses regarding socioeconomic and cultural variations in students’ health behaviours, in order to inform the NSW Ministry of Health, Local Health Districts (LHD) and other government and non-government stakeholders

Weight and weight related behaviours among NSW Kindergarten children

The findings from the 2010 NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (SPANS) show that the prevalence of combined overweight and obesity among Kindergarten children has significantly increased at a rate of 0.17% per annum between 2004 and 2010, from 17.7% to 18.7%, respectively. The rate of increase in combined overweight and obesity has been stronger among boys compared with girls (0.25% pa vs 0.10% pa, respectively). With one-in-five NSW children entering school overweight or obese there is a need for preventive interventions during early childhood and preschool years. The purpose of the report is to inform the NSW Ministry of Health on the weight status and associated behaviours of children in their first year of school

Attitudes to depression and its treatment in primary care

Background Undertreatment of depression in primary care is common. Efforts to address this tend to overlook the role of patient attitudes. Our aim was to validate and describe responses to a questionnaire about attitudes to depression and its treatment in a sample with experience of moderate and severe depressive episodes. Method Cross-sectional survey of 866 individuals with a confirmed history of an ICD-10 depressive episode in the 12 months preceding interview, recruited from 7271 consecutive general practitioner (GP) attendees in 36 general practices in England and Wales. Attitudes to and beliefs about depression were assessed using a 19-item self-report questionnaire. Results Factor analysis resulted in a three-factor solution: factor 1, depression as a disabling, permanent state; factor 2, depression as a medical condition responsive to support; and factor 3, antidepressants are addictive and ineffective. Participants who received and adhered to antidepressant medication and disclosed their depression to family and friends had significantly lower scores on factors 1 and 3 but higher scores on factor 2. Conclusions People with moderate or severe depressive episodes have subtle and divergent views about this condition, its outcome, and appropriate help. Such beliefs should be considered in primary care as they may significantly impact on help seeking and adherence to treatment

Applying social practice theory to contemporary working practices in sustainable office buildings: Implications for the performance gap

The UK Government has committed to an 80% reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) against 1990 levels by 2050. Widening understandings of the environmental impact of the built environment have fuelled debates around how the environmental performance of buildings should be approached. The UK non-domestic building sector presents a significant challenge within the field of environmental performance of buildings and an imperative to improve performance has led to the emergence of green or sustainable building as a long-term solution.Sustainably designed buildings are increasingly present within the non-domestic building sector, however issues of discrepancy between environmental performance design targets, such as energy and water use, and actual ‘in-use’ performance have been widely reported and researched. The difference between predicted and operational building performance is termed the ‘performance gap’. Narrowing the performance gap is not limited to addressing technological, physical and economic aspects associated with design, but extends to social and psychological considerations. This research focuses on the performance gap with particular reference to building occupants and operational energy use. The dominant approaches to understanding the role of building occupants in the performance gap are situated within the disciplines of economics and psychology. Individuals are placed at the centre of analysis with a focus on changing behaviour. This research reframes the approach to understanding occupants, applying sociological theories of social practice and shifting focus from individuals to the collective actions or ‘practices’ occupants are engaged in. Thus, the focus of the research is not evaluating occupant behaviour as an approach to understand the impact of office building occupants on the performance gap, but evaluating the impact of the social practices office workers are engaged in within office buildings; the contemporary working practices. This research provides a conceptualisation of contemporary working practices that underpin the empirical study. Contemporary working practices in three BREEAM Excellent certified office buildings are then evaluated through the lens of social practice theory and implications for energy use and the performance gap are appraised. Research findings present novel insights into contemporary working practices and their implications for energy use, which may inform future office design and improve the efficiency of current sustainably designed office buildings. Implications for reframing the analysis of occupants in the performance gap are drawn out, and important subtleties of practice are revealed which impact on design for contemporary working. Issues of unpredictability of occupancy, multiple device use, shifts in peak energy use, design for functionality, handover and commissioning, standards and norms and cultural shifts emerge from this research. The conceptualised working practices underpinning this research form a key contribution to the body of knowledge around the performance gap. This research challenges established approaches to the performance gap in respect of occupants and demonstrates that understandings of webs of interlocking practices provides deeper and broader insights into how ways of living and working may be rendered more sustainable. The research provides new knowledge on how social practice theory can be applied to understand the contemporary working practices occupants are engaged in within sustainably designed office buildings, and the implications of these practices for energy use and the performance gap

Zika Virus and Neuropathogenesis: The Unanswered Question of Which Strain Is More Prone to Causing Microcephaly and Other Neurological Defects.

Despite being perceived to be a relatively innocuous pathogen during its circulation in Africa in the 20th century, consequent outbreaks in French Polynesia and Latin America revealed the Zika virus (ZIKV) to be capable of causing severe neurological defects. Foetuses infected with the virus during pregnancy developed a range of pathologies including microcephaly, cerebral calcifications and macular scarring. These are now collectively known as Congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). It has been established that the neuropathogenesis of ZIKV results from infection of neural progenitor cells in the developing cerebral cortex. Following this, two main hypotheses have emerged: the virus causes either apoptosis or premature differentiation of neural progenitor cells, reducing the final number of mature neurons in the cerebral cortex. This review describes the cellular processes which could potentially cause virus induced apoptosis or premature differentiation, leading to speculation that a combination of the two may be responsible for the pathologies associated with ZIKV. The review also discusses which specific lineages of the ZIKV can employ these mechanisms. It has been unclear in the past whether the virus evolved its neurotropic capability following circulation in Africa, or if the virus has always caused microcephaly but public health surveillance in Africa had failed to detect it. Understanding the true neuropathogenesis of ZIKV is key to being prepared for further outbreaks in the future, and it will also provide insight into how neurotropic viruses can cause profound and life-long neurological defects