The effect of supplementary grass silage and standard concentrate on milk fat fatty acid composition and iodine value when cows are fed a whole rapeseed-based concentrate at pasture

peer-reviewedThe use of grass silage and concentrates to supplement fresh grass intake is commonly practised in dairy systems. However, the effects of such supplementation within a dietary regime designed to produce a spreadable butter are unknown. Sixteen Holstein Friesian cows were used in an incomplete changeover design to investigate the effect on milk fat of supplementation with grass silage (GS) or standard concentrate (SC) when offering a concentrate based on whole rapeseed at pasture (RC+G). A control diet of fresh grass and standard concentrate (SC+G) was also included. Diet had no effect (P > 0.05) on milk yield or on the lactose concentration of milk. The iodine value (IV; grams of iodine per 100 g milk fat) of milk fat with the RC+G diet was greater (43.9, P < 0.05) than with the SC+G diet (39.9). The iodine value of milk fat was reduced (P < 0.05) when RC+G+GS was offered (41.5 g/100g), but not when RC+G+SC was offered (43.1 g/100g), compared with when RC+G was offered. The proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in milk fat was higher (P < 0.05) when the RC+G diet was offered compared with either RC+G+GS or RC+G+SC. If supplementary feedstuffs are to be used in combination with a wholerapeseed- based concentrate and pasture, then inclusion of standard concentrate would be preferred over grass silage because the negative impact on the iodine value of milk fat was less. However, further research is required to investigate the effect on IV of milk fat when a standard concentrate supplement is offered at levels that increase milk yield

Centre assessment grades in 2020: a natural experiment for investigating bias in teacher judgements

The COVID-19 pandemic meant that, in 2020, students in England were unable to sit their examinations and instead received predicted grades, or “centre assessment grades” (CAGs), from their teachers to allow them to progress. Using the Grading and Admissions Data for England (GRADE) dataset for students from 2018 to 2020, this study treats the use of CAGs as a natural experiment for causally understanding how teacher judgements of academic ability may be biased according to the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of their students. A variety of machine learning models were trained on the 2018–19 data and then used to generate predictions for what the 2020 students were likely to have received had their examinations taken place as usual. The differences between these predictions and the CAGs that students received were calculated and then averaged across students’ different characteristics, revealing what the treatment effects of the use of CAGs were likely to have been for different types of students. No evidence of absolute negative bias against students of any demographic or socio-economic characteristic was found, with all groups of students having received higher CAGs than the grades they were likely to have received had they sat their examinations. Some evidence for relative bias was found, with consistent, but insubstantial differences being observed in the treatment effects of certain groups. However, when higher-order interactions of student characteristics were considered, these differences became more substantial. Intersectional perspectives which emphasise interactions and sub-group differences should be used more widely within quantitative educational equalities research

Exploring the experiences of relationships and sexuality for individuals diagnosed with psychosis

This portfolio thesis comprises of three main parts: a systematic literature review, an empirical paper, and appendices.Part one is a systematic literature review, exploring qualitative literature about the experiences of relationships for individuals diagnosed with psychosis. A total of seven papers were critically reviewed and analysed through Thematic Synthesis Thomas & Harden, 2008). The synthesis revealed two overarching themes: Forming relationships and Maintaining Relationships. Within those there are nine subthemes. The implications of these findings involve understanding of the importance of relationships, especially when an individual is distressed by unusual experiences.Part two is the empirical paper, which explores LGBQ+ individual’s lives with unusual experiences. These experiences were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith et al., 2009). The analysis formed four superordinate themes and 10 subthemes within that. Theme titles were: The Experiences and Influence of Trauma; Exploring the Existence and Understanding of Unusual Experiences; The Development of Self-Identity; Relationships with Others. The findings of this empirical paper seek to understand unusual experiences and sexual identity for LGBQ+ individuals. This can improve services by helping professionals to understand and appreciate the participant’s ‘lens’ (Burr, 2015), therefore improving the accuracy of understanding and clinical skills.Part three is the appendices, which contains documents relating to the first two parts of this portfolio thesis. This includes a reflective statement on conducting the systematic literature review and empirical study, as well as the epistemological statement regarding the position of the researcher throughout the process

A comparative content analysis of the additions and amendments to the primary treaties of the European Union: Reflecting the manifestation of an evolving shared vision within the European Union.

This research focuses on the development of the European Union and on the primary treaties that have been adopted over time and have helped define the goals and structure of the European Union. A comparative content analysis of additions and amendments to primary European Union treaties provides a metaperspective of the treaty process, revealing a pattern of EU development, shedding light on EU integration and on the extent that incremental changes to the treaties may be the manifestation of an evolving shared vision within the European Union. Also considered is the role of text in reifying belief systems and legitimizing institutions. The analysis confirms that the economic foundations established with the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952, and with the European economic Community in 1958 continue to be at the heart of the European Union even as the European Union has expanded into non-economic areas